I LOVE YOU MY FRIEND (AUTHOR: EMERHELIENA)

I LOVE YOU MY FRIEND



CHAPTER 1

“Is this the place?” Lena asked herself. She was looking at an apartment style building. She slowly walked up to the security guard posted at the front of the building. She had already studied how to speak Japanese and was already very fluent. So she had no trouble communicating with the guard.

“Sorry . . . . But I can't let you into the building without the permission of the apartment owner,” the guard said to him politely.

Lena sighed. “What time do they usually arrive?” she asked the guard.

The man just shook his head. “They don't have any specific time . . . . They usually just come and go as they please.”

“Oh . . . . “ Lena moaned. She was going to be in a big trouble if she stayed any longer.

“I can just give the package . . . . if that is what you came here for,” the guard said with a smile.

Lena looked at the big box she was holding. It was supposed to be delivered personally to Jaejoong.

“I'm sorry . . . . But I was supposed to give this personally. I think I will just wait,” she said to the guard.

The man just nodded. “You can wait on the lobby if you want.”

Lena smiled at the man. “Thank you very much . . . . but can I just wait here near the door? I am afraid that I might suddenly miss them.”

“Sure . . . . But if you want I can tell them that you are waiting for them. So that even if you are waiting in the lobby . . . . You won't miss them . . . .” the man said again.

“Thank you very much . . . . You're very kind,” Lena said to the guard.

Lena patiently waited . . . . ten minutes passed . . . . thirty minutes . . . . . fifty minutes . . . . one hour . . . . two hours . . . Lena was already very tired . . . . She had been waiting for more than two hours. And she was already very worried because it was already evening. She knew that someone might already be looking for her.

Then as she was about to leave . . . . she suddenly heard a familiar voice. . . . A voice she could never forget . . . .

“I am really tired maybe we can just skip the meal part and just go straight to bed,” Jaejoong said with a laugh.

“But hyung . . . . I am really hungry . . . . We are all hungry,” Max protested.

Jaejoong laughed again. “Well I guess I have no choice . . . . I really wish just for once someone would cook for me . . . .”

“How about I cook for you then?” a female voice asked.

Jaejoong suddenly turned around to face the girl. . . . It was Lena.

“Lena? . . . . . Lena! ! !” Jaejoong exclaimed with joy. He hurriedly ran to where Lena was standing and he joyfully embraced her.

Lena's heart suddenly skipped a beat. It had been a very long time since Jaejoong had hugged her. It was bringing memories to her . . . . memories she had tried to forget.

The other DBSK boys were all curious as to who was the girl Jaejoong was hugging. The girl was about 5'8” tall, with a perfect flawless skin and perfect figure. She was extremely very beautiful. And somehow this made them very interested to know who she was.

They all could see that Jaejoong was very happy to see her. But he never mentioned anything about a friend of his coming to Japan.

“Jaejoong . . . . you're friends are already staring . . . . Can you please stop it,” Lena said with a smile.

Jaejoong stared at Lena and then at his other friends. “Oh . . . . sorry,” he said with a smile too.

Micky immediately approached them. He was already dying to know who the girl was.

“Hello . . . . I'm Micky,” he greeted Lena with a sweet smile.

“Hi . . . I'm Lena Kim,” the girl replied.

“Hi . . . I'm Max.”

“I'm Xiah . . . . nice to meet you.”

“I'm U-Know . . . “

“It's really nice to meet all of you . . . .” Lena said happily. She didn't expect that the other DBSK boys were very friendly.

Jaejoong suddenly smiled . . . . then he immediately placed his arm around Lena's shoulders.

“So what brings you to Japan? How did you come here? Why are you here?” he continuously asked.

Lena stared at Jaejoong. She suddenly became confused on whether to tell him the truth or not.

“Lena?” Jaejoong said as if asking whether she was all right.

“I . . . . I brought you these. Your mother asked me to bring this to you,” she then handed him the big she had been carrying.

Jaejoong took the box from Lena and suddenly laughed. “Don't tell me you came all the way here just to give me this box?”

Lena laughed. “I certainly didn't come to Japan just to bring you that package. I'm here . . . I'm here because of . . . .Let's just say . . . . personal reasons. And when your mother learned that I was going here, she immediately packed that box. And she asked me to deliver it to you personally.”

Jaejoong was very touched with his mother's gesture. He stared at the box and started wondering what was inside.

“So Lena . . . . are you really going to cook for hyung? Because if you are . . . . do you think you can cook for me too? . . . Because frankly, I am starving,” Max said with a very sweet smile.

“Max . . . .” Jaejoong uttered in total disbelief.

Lena suddenly laughed again. “Oh . . . . Jaejoong . . . . I never thought your friends are this . . . . cute . . . . Okay, Max . . . . Don't worry, I'll cook . . . . for all of you.”

“Yes!” Max happily uttered.

While Micky, Xiah and U-Know just smiled.

“Well, come on. Let's go to our apartment,” Jaejoong said to Lena and the other DBSK members.

As soon as Lena entered the boys' apartment, she immediately asked where the kitchen was and headed straight to it.

While Lena cooked, the boys patiently waited in the living room . . . . chatting with one another.

“So hyung . . . . Who is she . . . . really?” Max asked curiously.

“She's my childhood friend. You know . . . . one of the two girls I have been talking to you about,” Jaejoong answered casually.

“You mean . . . . she's the best friend . . . you have been talking about?” Micky asked.

“Yes,” Jaejoong replied.

“Honestly, I'm quite surprised. Judging by the way you have described her . . . I always imagined her to be . . . how should I say this without being offensive? . . . . “ Micky said while trying to find the correct words to say.

“You imagined her to be what? . . . . Boyish right?” Jaejoong asked.

Micky just nodded. There was still something on his mind but he couldn't say it out.

Jaejoong laughed. “Well, she was boyish before . . . . But I don't know what happened. The last time I saw her . . . that was a year ago. She had totally changed. She suddenly became a girl all of a sudden.”

“She is very pretty, hyung,” Max commented.

“What? Lena . . . . pretty? You should get your eyes checked out Max.” Jaejoong said with a laugh.

“You mean you don't find her attractive?” Xiah asked still unable to believe.

“No . . . . not really,” Jaejoong replied.

The other DBSK boys just shook their heads in disbelief. They all thought that Lena was very beautiful. The first time they saw her in the lobby, she already caught their attention.

“Maybe the reason why he doesn't find her attractive is because he's already used to the thought of her being his buddy,” U-Know commented with a smile.

“You're right about that. Lena isn't just a buddy . . . . but my very best friend . . .. My sister and brother . . . . all rolled in one,” Jaejoong said with a smile.

“Brother? Hyung . . . . she's a girl. I've seen how you treat her. And frankly . . . . you're acting like she's a boy or something,” Max said.

“Well . . . . to me . . . . she is a boy. We've been treating each other like this for years . . . even when we were still small children. That's why I feel so comfortable with her . . . . You know, the same way I am comfortable with you guys,” Jaejoong tried to explain to his friends.

“Doesn't she get offended?” Micky suddenly asked.

“Offended? No . . . . she's too nice and understanding to get offended easily,” Jaejoong answered.

Micky laughed. “You're quite lucky. Imagine . . . . if I had a bestfriend like that . . . .”

“She would have already been your ex-girlfriend by now,” U-Know suddenly said.

Xiah , Jaejoong and Max suddenly burst out laughing with what U-Know said. While Micky suddenly blushed and just stayed quiet while the others laughed.


CHAPTER 2


Several minutes later . . . .

“Dinner is ready . . . . “ Lena announced.

The DBSK boys happily sat down and were all amazed with the different dishes that Lena had prepared.

“Wow! How did you cook all of this in such a short time?” Max asked still unable to believe the different dished he was seeing.

Lena just smiled. She was very happy that the DBSK boys liked the foods she had prepared.

“Oh . . . . I didn't tell you guys . . . . But during the time I was just learning how to cook . . . . she was already an expert in the kitchen. So her cooking skills are way better than me,” Jaejoong said as a compliment for Lena.

“Really? Then she must be really good then,” Xiah said with a smile.

“Come on . . . . Let's all eat. I can hardly wait,” Max said.

The other DBSK boys laughed. Max was really over excited and was very eager to start eating.

AS soon as the boys tasted Lena's cooking, they immediately showered her with praises.

“Lena . . . this is just . . . this is totally delicious,” Micky commented.

“Hyung, wasn't kidding when he said that you're better than him,” Max said while still trying to choose what dish to try next.

“The man you're going to marry is sure very lucky,” U-Know said with a smile.

Lena just smiled at U-Know. She didn't know how to respond to what he had said.

“How long are you staying in Japan?” Xiah suddenly asked.

“Why?” Lena asked quite confused.

“Because . . . . if you're going to stay long here in Japan . . . . then that means we will be able to invite you again. . . . and then maybe . . . . you can find it in your heart . . . . to cook for us again,” Xiah said with a very sweet smile.

Lena suddenly laughed. “Yeah . . . . sure. Don't worry . . . I'll cook for you guys again next time I come here.”

“Really?” So when are you coming here again?” Max asked with a grin.

Lena laughed again. “I don't know. But don't worry . . . I'll be coming here again. I will visit you guys whenever I am free.”

“That's great,” Xiah said with a smile.

“Hey . . . . Lena just shows up and you guys are already in love with her cooking? Don't you want me to cook for you guys anymore? You're all hurting my feelings,” Jaejoong said with a smile.

Lena stared at Jaejoong, then she smiled. She had been missing him for over a year now. The last time they were together, she was already planning to tell him everything. But then something happened . . . . and she wasn't able to confess.

Now as she looked at him, she knew this time . . . . she had to tell him . . . . everything. Her time was running out . . . . and there was no way for her to escape what had already been set for her.

Lena suddenly let out a long sigh. She didn't know how to tell him . . . . or if she should tell him. She was really confused on what to do.

Jaejoong noticed Lena as she silently stared at him. He knew that something was bothering her.

“What's wrong?” he asked Lena.

Lena who was still busy thinking was suddenly caught by surprise.

“Huh? Oh . . . . nothing . . . . I was just thinking of something,” she replied.

“These foods are amazing! I can eat all of these in just one sitting,” Max exclaimed.

The other DBSK boys laughed. Then all of a sudden . . . . they started to hear a ringing tone from a cell phone.

“Whose cell phone is ringing?” Micky asked.

“I think it's mine . . . . “ Lena said as she hurriedly went to her bag and took out her phone.

Jaejoong looked at Lena. He saw the worried look on her face as soon as her phone started ringing.

“Who do you think it is?” Micky asked Jaejoong.

“I have no idea . . . . “ Jaejoong answered while still staring at Lena.

“Hello . . . .” Lena said in Japanese.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you're not supposed to go out alone? You're new here in Japan . . . . and yet you have the courage to just go anywhere you please. What if something suddenly happened to you? What will I say to your father? And to my father?,” a male voice said with anger.

Lena was suddenly became very worried. All the DBSK boys noticed the sudden change in Lena's expression. They knew that something was wrong.

“Where are you?” the man asked again.

“I . . . I am with Jaejoong. I brought the package her mother sent,” she answered again in Japanese.

Jaejoong was very surprised. He didn't know that Lena knew how to speak Japanese.

“Just as I suspected . . . . I told you to wait for me. I told you I was going to bring you there tomorrow . . . .” the man said again.

“I am sorry . . . .” Lena said in a very low voice. It was as if she was already about to cry.

Jaejoong was suddenly curious as to who Lena was speaking to. He didn't like the fact that Lena was being upset because of the person on the phone.

“Just wait for me there . . . . I am already on the way . . . .” the man said again.

“Daichi . . . .” Lena softly uttered. She wanted to say something, but he had already closed his phone.

Lena felt like her world was really closing in on her. She stared at Jaejoong who had a curious look on his face. She knew he wanted to ask . . . . but she was still trying to decide whether to tell him or not, all the things he needed to know.

“Lena . . . .” Jaejoong uttered her name.

Lena tried to smile. “I'm sorry, but I have to go,” she said as she quickly grabbed her bag.

“Who was that on the phone?” Micky asked.

Lena looked at Micky. “Sorry . . . . but I have to go,” she said again so to avoid answering Micky's question.

The DBSK boys suddenly noticed Lena's reluctance to answer Micky's question. And they all saw the sadness in her eyes as she started to prepare to leave

As she was about to leave . . . .

“I'll walk you downstairs . . . .” Jaejoong said.

Lena just nodded. She was very sad. She wanted to be with him a little while longer. She had missed him for over a year. And now that he was finally near her . . . . it was as if she no longer wanted to be away from him.

“We're all coming too,” Max said with a smile.

Lena looked at the other DBSK members. She suddenly felt very sorry that she was going to leave already. She smiled at Max. “Thank you . . . .” she uttered.

The boys walked with Lena until they reached the front of the apartment building.

“Here we are. . . .” Micky said with a big smile.

“Thanks . . . “ she replied.

“It's the least thing we can do after you cooked a wonderful meal for us,” Max said with a smile as well.

“Don't worry . . . . Next time, I'll make sure I cook something more delicious and extra special,” Lena said.

“Really? That would be great. . . . I'll be waiting for that okay?” Max said as he smiled sweetly at Lena.

“When are you visiting me again?” Jaejoong suddenly asked with a soft look in his eyes. Somehow he also didn't want Lena to leave him all of a sudden.

“I don't know . . . . But I will try to visit you again. . . . if time permits . . . and if . . . .” she said, but then something suddenly attracted her attention.

Suddenly a silver Porsche Carrera GT stopped in front of the apartment building. The DBSK boys were immediately attracted to the car.

“Wow! I've never seen a car like that before,” Max said excitedly.

“It must be very expensive. I am wondering when I can ever own one like that,” Xiah said with a sigh.

“I wonder who it belongs to . . . .” Jaejoong said.

“It must be here to pick up someone. . . . .” U-Know said.

Then the owner of the car suddenly stepped out of the car. It was a young Japanese man, quite good-looking and about more than 25 years old, 6'0 tall, and obviously very rich with his custom-made suit.

The man walked straight up to where the DBSK boys and Lena were. Then he suddenly stopped right in front of them.

“Lena . . . .Let's go . . . . “ he said coldly as he stared at the DBSK boys. He was obviously angry.

“Daichi . . . .” Lena uttered.

“Let's go . . . .” the man said again. This time with a very firm hard tone.

Lena just looked at Jaejoong helplessly. “Goodbye . . . .maybe I can visit you again.” she said with sadness in her eyes.

Jaejoong wanted to ask her who the guy was. But he knew it wasn't the right time. So he just nodded as Lena said goodbye and she silently followed him into the car.


CHAPTER 3


“You're mad?” Lena asked.

“How can I not be mad . . . . I was worried about you . . . . Father was already asking about you, and I didn't know what to answer,” Daichi replied.

“Sorry . . . . “ she softly replied.

Daichi glanced at Lena. Somehow his anger disappeared the moment he saw the sadness in Lena's eyes.

“Did you talk with him?” he asked.

“Who? . . . . With Jaejoong? . . . . Yes . . . . but not so much,” she replied.

“I am sorry too . . . . I shouldn't have made an appearance like that. Now . . . .he must be wondering who I am,” Daichi said while his attention was on the road.

“Yes . . . I felt he wanted to ask about you . . . . But he is going to know about you sooner or later. So what is the use in hiding,” she said with a sad tone.

“Lena . . . . “ Daichi uttered. He slowly drove the car into the side of the road and stopped.

“Daichi?” she asked.

“Lena . . . . I know how much you love that guy. That's why I am giving you this chance to be with him. I understand . . . . how hard our situation is for you. I also know you're only doing this because of our grandparents. If they hadn't set us up in the first place . . . . then you can be happy and free to love any one you like. We still have two months before our formal engagement. So you still have time to set things right. . . . If you truly love him . . . . then try to fight for him. I am willing to help you. Just try to be careful . . . . My father is already keeping an eye on you. So you better follow all the things that I am telling you. We wouldn't want to be caught . . . . My father will surely hang me if he knew that I am helping you to get attached with another guy,” Daichi said with a sadness in his eyes.

“Daichi . . . . I understand and thank you,” she replied.

Daichi stared at Lena. He tried to hide the pain he was feeling with a smile. He loved Lena . . . . but he didn't want her to be married to him just because of an agreement between their grandparents. He wanted her to marry him because she loved him . . . . or the least would be . . . . because she wanted to be with him.

“But frankly I am afraid your help would just be wasted,” Lena suddenly said as she sadly looked out the car. She was somehow trying to hold back her tears. She didn't want Daichi to see the tears that were already forming in her eyes.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Lena laughed bitterly. “We haven't seen each other for more than a year. And he didn't even notice the change in me. . . . Aside from that, he still treats me like a male friend. I even overheard him talking about me with his friends. I think he will always see me only as his bestfriend . . . . and nothing more.”

“If that is the case . . . . then it is his lost . . . not yours. Well, what do you plan to do now?” he asked with a serious expression on his face.

“I would still like to spend some time with him. . . . even if as a friend only. It is something that would make me happy. I still have two months right?” Lena asked.

Daichi nodded. “Yes . . . we still have two months. So you should use that time to be with him . . . . . and make him fall in love with you.”

“Fall in love with me? . . . . Looking at him today . . . . I don't think I can ever make him fall for me . . . . He doesn't even consider me as a woman . . . .” she replied with a hurt expression on her face.

“He's a fool . . . . “ Daichi uttered.

“Do you know whenever I am with him . . . . I feel so insecure . . . . insecure that he's way better looking than me . . . . So I always think that there is no way that he is going to be attracted to someone so plain like me,” Lena said hopelessly.

“Lena . . . . you're very beautiful. Please believe me,” Daichi said.

“Thanks . . . . you're always so understanding and very helpful I don't know what I would do without you. I don't even know if I can ever repay you for your kindness,” she said with a smile.

“The only thing I want is for you to be happy . . . . And I also want you to have the chance to be with the one you really love,” he replied.

“You're really extraordinary. I wish all men were as kind and as understanding as you,” Lena uttered.

“I'm not kind . . . . and I'm not certainly not understanding, Lena. The main reason why I'm doing this is because I know we are both stuck in this pre-arranged marriage. So I'm just giving you a chance to have what you really want. Because honestly . . . . once you get married with me . . . . I don't want you to regret anything . . . . And I certainly don't want you to live your life with me . . . . asking yourself the question 'what if' . . . I don't think I can take it if you're already my wife and you're still thinking about another man,” Daichi answered truthfully.

Lena was somehow touched with Daichi's honesty. He was truly a very remarkable man. If only she had met him first . . . . maybe . . . . maybe she could have fallen in love with him instead.

Lena sighed. Her life was very complicated. How she wished she could turn back time and just be her normal self again . . . . and be with Jaejoong once again.

Back in the DBSK boys' apartment . . . . .

“Hyung . . . . who was that guy who picked up Lena?” Max asked Jaejoong curiously.

“I have no idea,” Jaejoong replied.

“He's quite rich . . . . I wish I could drive a car like the one he was driving today,” Xiah said with a sigh.

“Yeah . . . . rich and snobbish. Did you guys see how he treated Lena? He was totally rude,” Micky commented.

“Do you guys think that he is Lena's boyfriend?” Max asked again.

“Boyfriend? Lena? Oh . . . . Don't make me laugh,” Jaejoong suddenly said with a laugh.

“What's wrong hyung? Lena's quite beautiful . . . . so it's not impossible for her to have a boyfriend,” Max said again.

“Yes . . . Lena is really beautiful. And believe me, judging on that guy's face after seeing Jaejoong . . . . I can definitely say that he wasn't happy,” Micky commented as well.

“Oh . . . . you guys stop it . . . .I can't even imagine Lena having a boyfriend. It's giving me goosebumps already,” Jaejoong said as a joke.

The other DBSK boys all shook their heads. Jaejoong was really fixed on regarding Lena as a male buddy. He wasn't even considering the fact she was a girl.

“Jaejoong . . . . Lena is still a girl. Be a little more considerate,” U-Know said.

“Hey . . . . I'm not insulting her or anything. But we have been buddies ever since we were still kids. And frankly, I can't help but treat her just like the way I used to do,” Jaejoong said.

“Do you think she will be able to visit us again?” Max asked.

“Why are you asking?” Xiah asked curiously.

“Because she promised that she will cook for us . . . . the next time she came to visit,” Max answered.

“Max . . . . you're totally unbelievable. You're still thinking about food?” U-Know said as he shook his head in total disbelief.

Xiah laughed out loud. “What is so unbelievable with that? That is the normal Max . . . . You should be surprised if he suddenly rejects food . . . . Now that is really unbelievable.”

The other DBSK boys laughed as well. They had suddenly forgotten all about Lena as soon as they started to chat about other things.




CHAPTER 4


As for Lena and Daichi . . . . .

They had already arrived at Daichi's ancestral house. It was a large mansion where his father and mother both lived. They were both very nervous. It was already late and Lena had no excuse on why she had left the house without anyone's knowledge.

“Don't worry . . . . I'll take care of everything. Just keep quiet okay?” Daichi said to Lena as he gently held her hand to give her support.

Lena nodded and smiled. “Thank you,” she uttered.

As soon as they both stepped out of the car, they already saw Daichi's father and mother who were already waiting for them on the steps of the stairs leading to the front of the house.

Lena looked at Daichi. She was suddenly became afraid of what the old man might say to them.

“Where have the two of you been?” the old man asked.

“We just went out for a stroll . . . .” Daichi answered casually.

“Stroll? . . . . A date? Is that it?” the man asked again.

“Yes,” Daichi replied. “There is nothing wrong if I take her out right?” he asked with a smile.

The old man smiled back. “Yes . . . . that is very good. You can go on dates as often as you like. The two of you will be formally engaged anyway . . . . So the two of you should already be used to one another by now. I want you to be good to one another . . . . understood?”

“Yes . . . . “ Daichi and Lena both answered.

Daichi's mother suddenly approached Lena. She quickly took Lena by the arm and ushered her into the house.

“Come on dear . . . . It's already cold and you might get sick. And what kind of clothes are you wearing? I told you to never wear jeans and t-shirts anymore,” the older woman said as she gently touched Lena's face.

“Look at your face . . . . You look pale, Lena . . . Daichi . . . What did you do to her? You didn't take good care of her . . . did you?” his mother asked Daichi with a glare.

“Mother . . .” Daichi uttered. He wanted to protest. . . but suddenly just decided to stay quiet.

“Daichi! How many times do I have to tell you that Lena is your future wife. You should learn how to take care of her. She's not like the other girls you used to go out with. Next time you take her out . . . make sure that she is well take care of . . . .understand?” Daichi's mother said.

Daichi looked at his mother helplessly, then just sighed. He knew that it was useless if he continued to argue with her.

“Yes, mother,” he uttered.

“Poor dear . . . . what did my careless son do to you?” the older woman lovinglycsaid to Lena. She was very concerned with her. She already loved Lena like her own daughter.

Lena somehow felt guilty. She looked at Daichi as if asking for help.

Daichi just shook his head. He was somehow telling Lena to just pretend and avoid talking at all.

“Come on, Lena. Have you eaten yet? I'll prepare something special for you,” Daichi's mother said.

“Thank you . . . . but I have already eaten. . . I mean . . . . we already ate,” Lena suddenly said. She didn't know how to hide the nervousness that she felt. She was afraid that Daichi's parents would find out that they weren't telling the truth.

“Oh . . . you've already eaten? Well . . . . I hope it was good,” the older woman said with a smile.

“Yes . . . . it was very delicious,” Lena said.

“Okay . . . . then. I guess you should rest then. Go to your room now . . . .” Daichi's mother said.

Lena just nodded her head and silently gave Daichi a glance. He was also looking at her as if saying that everything would be all right.

“Go ahead . . . .Lena. We need to talk with Daichi,” Daichi's father said as he saw that Lena was looking at his son.

Lena worriedly left Daichi alone with his parents. She was very concerned about what they were going to say to him.

Daichi together with his parents all went to the living room. He knew they were going to talk with him about something very important.

As soon as they were all sitting . . . . Daichi's father started to speak.

“Daichi . . . . the reason why we wanted to talk with you is because your mother is very concerned with your behavior towards Lena. We both know that you are against this arranged marriage between the two of you . . . .from the very beginning. . . But we just wanted to remind you that it is your grandfather's last wish that the two of you fulfill his pact with Lena's grandfather,”

“Father . . . .I just feel. . . . I just feel that it is very unfair for both of us to be suddenly placed into a relationship that neither of us want,” Daichi said with a cold voice.

“What more can you ask for in a girl? Lena is perfect for you. She is beautiful and very kind. She is well-educated and comes from a good family. . . . She's way better than all of the girls that you have brought home . . . .” Daichi's mother suddenly said.

“Mother . . . . she doesn't love me,” Daichi softly uttered with a hurt look on his face.

“Love? She can easily learn to love you once the two of you are already married . . . . That is why I am telling your father to set your engagement a month earlier as planned,” the older woman said.

Daichi was suddenly surprised. He didn't expect this kind of complication. He knew this sudden change in plans will certainly affect Lena's plan to be close with Jaejoong.

“Why are you suddenly rushing things?” Daichi suddenly asked his parents.

“Because frankly . . . . I am a little bit worried that you might suddenly get involved again with one of your ex-girlfriends. . . . or a new girl. I don't want anyone to interfere with my plans. I want Lena to be my daughter-in-law, and that is that . . .” Daichi's mother answered.

“Mother . . . you're always concerned with what you want . . . But have you even considered what Lena wants? She's a very nice girl . . . that's why I feel sorry for her. I know that she doesn't really want to marry me. But because of her family . . . she's forced to do so. Frankly, if it was some other girl, I would have just agreed to marry her . . . and after the marriage just set her aside. . . and continue with my former life. But I . . . I think I have already fallen in love with her . . . . That's why I want to be fair with her. I am not only thinking about myself. I am more focused on making her happy. . . . I want her to have what she really wants. And honestly I know . . . . her happiness is not with me,” Daichi said with a sad voice. He was hurting . . . . he loved Lena and yet she couldn't love him back.

“You're already in love with her? Well. . . . that is great! All you have to do now is make her fall in love with you then . . . . Don't worry about irrelevant things. Just concentrate on making her fall in love with you. That is what matters now,” Daichi's mother said happily.

“Mother . . . .” Daichi helplessly uttered. He felt like he was a puppet who had nothing to do but obey what his master wanted him to do.

“Your engagement has already been moved to next month. Aside from that I have also decided to let you take over the position I have in Avex Trax. And I'll also be making you the new CEO of our advertising company. So within the next few days you will be very busy,” Daichi's father suddenly announced.

“Why all of a sudden decide on these kinds of things?” Daichi asked with a frown. He didn't like the idea that he will be very busy in the upcoming days. Because he knew he was supposed to help Lena with her plan about Jaejoong.

Daichi's father suddenly laughed. “Well . . . for one thing . . . the only reason why I am doing this is because I want you to be very acceptable in the eyes of Lena's family. I want them to see that the man their daughter is marrying has a very stable job and a good future,” the old man answered.

He suddenly thought that he needed to think of a way to help Lena. . . . He didn't want her to lose her chance to be with the only man she really loves.

Daichi didn't know what to say. He was thinking about what his parents' reactions will be once they found out about Lena and her secret love for Jaejoong. He suddenly tried to smile at his parents. He wanted to hide all the thoughts that were slowly starting to cloud his mind. He felt pity for Lena. He knew that it was already starting to become very impossible for her to break free from their engagement. He knew she would eventually end up being hurt. And somehow this thought was also hurting him as well.



CHAPTER 5


Two days later . . . .

Daichi was silently driving the car, while Lena was sitting beside him. He didn't know how to start the conversation with Lena. He was very worried that Lena will become very upset with the news that he was going to tell her regarding their engagement.

“Why are you very quiet?” Lena asked. She couldn't stand the silence anymore. So she decided to be the first one to talk.

“Lena . . . We need to talk . . . And frankly . . . I don't know how to start what I want to say,” Daichi answered.

Lena smiled sweetly at Daichi.“I am not used to seeing you very serious. So where are we going?” Lena asked.

“As I said before we need to talk . . . .privately,” Daichi replied.

Lena just looked out the car as Daichi continued to drive to their destination. She was suddenly surprised as Daichi finally pulled over the DBSK boys' apartment building.

“Why are we here?” Lena asked with total confusion.

“Just follow me . . . I will explain everything to you once we are inside,” Daichi replied again.

Lena followed Daichi into the building with mixed emotions. She was very confused and very scared as well. She didn't like the way Daichi was acting. He was too serious and he didn't even smile the whole time that they were together.

Daichi led Lena to a unit beside the DBSK boys' apartment. He immediately opened the door and asked Lena to come in.

Lena walked into the apartment. And was very surprised that the whole apartment had already been fully furnished with state of the art equipments and expensive furnishings.

“What is the meaning of this?” she asked Daichi with a confused look on her face.

“Do you like it?” he asked with a smile.

“Like what? This apartment?” she asked with total confusion.

“Yes . . . this apartment,” he answered with a smile again.

“I am totally confused already, Daichi. Why are we here?” she said with a frown.

Daichi laughed. “You're really very impatient with things . . . . Come on . . . sit first and I will explain everything. But just promise me that you will try to be calm once you hear what I am going to say,” he said with a soft voice.

Lena suddenly felt nervous as soon as she heard what Daichi said.

“What is it about? I mean . . . what are you going to tell me?” she continuously asked.

“Sit first,” Daichi said as he pointed to the open space on the couch beside him.

Lena hurriedly sat down on the couch, while facing him. “So?” she impatiently asked.

Daichi looked at Lena. He knew she would be devastated by what he was going to tell her. He didn't know how to start what he needed to say.

“Lena . . . my. . . . parents have already moved our engagement from two months from now . . . . to a month from now,” he started to say gently. He didn't want to shock her.

“What?” she asked with her eyes wide open with disbelief. “How . . . why?” she asked confusedly.

“They have already told me that they have moved our engagement to next month. I am sorry, but there is nothing we can do about it,” he said.

Lena looked at Daichi with a bitter smile. “I guess I should be expecting this . . . “ she uttered. “I guess I should just try to accept the fact that I can never be with Jaejoong.”

“I am sorry . . . . I know I promised you that I would help you to be close again with Jaejoong . . . . But suddenly this problem comes up,” Daichi said with a sad tone.

“It's okay. I should be thankful that you're helping me . . . . And it certainly isn't your fault. Thank you Daichi . . . for everything,” she said with a smile.

Daichi looked at Lena's sad face. His heart was aching as he watched her. Somehow he wanted to make her happy even if it meant that he was hurting himself in the process.

“So do you like the apartment?” he asked again. He wanted to make her happy again.

“What?” Lena asked confusedly.

“The apartment . . . . is yours,” he replied with a big smile.

“Mine? What do you mean?” she asked again.

Daichi smiled. “Since we will be engaged next month . . . . I have told my parents that I wanted to give you a little gift. And that gift is this apartment . . . . This is yours. You can use it anytime you like. And aside from that, I've already asked my parents permission. And even though my mother is very reluctant to let you go. She has already agreed to let you stay here for the mean time. So this means that you will be able to see Jaejoong almost everyday . . . . if you like.”

“Daichi . . . .” she uttered in total disbelief. She was suddenly very happy.

“Like what I had promised you . . . . I would help you to get close with him. Since our engagement will be in a month . . . I hope you will be able to finally tell him how you feel within that time. I really want you to be happy Lena. . . . That is why I am helping you,” he said as he tried to hide the pain he was feeling.

“Daichi . . . . I am not sure . . . if I can go on with our plan anymore,” she said softly.

“Why?” he asked.

“Jaejoong is still the same as before. And I think he still doesn't believe in love. . . . And afraid of what he had always said that he would never fall in love with a friend. So I am thinking . . . maybe it would be very impossible for me to make him fall in love with me,” she said with sadness in her voice.

“Please . . . . Lena . . . don't be discouraged so easily. Remember . . . I am here to help you . . .” Daichi said as he gently held her hand.

Lena looked at Daichi's hand gently holding her hand. How she wished that it was Jaejoong's hand.

Daichi stared at Lena's sad expression. He couldn't explain what he was feeling. How he wanted to take her into his arms and just comfort her until all the sadness she was feeling disappeared.

“You can start living here . . . . as soon as tomorrow. At least this way . . . . you can be closer with him without anyone being suspicious,” he said again.

“Daichi . . . . what if he doesn't like me in return?” she asked with a strange expression on her face.

“Then he is a fool . . . . “ he uttered with anger.

“I can't force him to like me the same way that I like him . . . . What if he really just cares for me as a friend? . . . . I don't think I can take it,” she confessed.

“You still have a month to make him fall in love with you. I hope you use that time wisely,” he uttered again.

Lena tried to smile, then just nodded. “Yes . . . thank you. . . . I don't know what I would do without you.” she said as she gently kissed him on the cheek.

Daichi's heart was pounding very fast as Lena softly kissed him on the cheek. At that moment, how he wished that he was Jaejoong and that he was the one in Lena's heart.

“We should be going back to the house. I told Mother that I would only be showing you this apartment. We wouldn't want her to be upset. She might suddenly decide to take back what she had said,” Daichi said as he slowly stood up.

Lena just nodded. They both knew that Daichi's mother had a strange temper. And even his father was careful not to stir his mother's moody nature.

Daichi and Lena hurriedly went out of the apartment unit. They were just about to leave . . . . When they came across the DBSK boys in the hallway. The boys have just arrived from a hectic schedule and were all very tired.

Lena somehow wanted to hide as soon as she saw Jaejoong. She didn't want to face him at that moment. She knew he would just notice the sadness in her eyes and he would keep on asking her what was wrong.

“Lena . . . .” Jaejoong uttered. He immediately stared at the man who was standing beside his friend.

“Jaejoong . . . . “ she uttered as well.

“What are you doing here?' Max asked Lena while he was staring at Daichi.

“Oh . . . . well. . . . I am going to be your new neighbor,” Lena answered as she tried to put on a smile.

“Neighbor? You're kidding right?' Jaejoong said with a laugh.

“Nope . . . .” she uttered again.

“She will be moving to the apartment unit next to yours. I hope all of you will be kind enough to take care of her and visit her every once in a while. Since she will be staying here alone,” Daichi suddenly said to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong stared at Daichi. He wanted to ask him who he was but was too embarrassed to do so.

“By the way . . . . I am Daichi Tanaka. I am Lena's . . . .” Daichi was starting to introduce himself when Lena suddenly interrupted him.

“He is my future husband . . . .” she said with a fake smile.

The DBSK boys all looked at Lena with shocked expressions on their faces, especially Jaejoong.

“Future husband? . . . . As in fiancee?” Jaejoong asked as he couldn't believe what Lena had said.

“Yes,” she replied sadly.

The DBSK boys immediately noticed the sadness on her face. They knew that something was wrong but they were too embarrassed to ask.

Even Daichi was surprised with what Lena had done. He couldn't understand her reason for telling Jaejoong the truth. He sighed. He was totally confused. How could she make him fall for her now . . . . now that she had revealed that truth, he kept on asking himself.

“So when are you moving?” Xiah asked Lena curiously.

“I think I'll be moving in tomorrow,” Lena answered.

“Tomorrow?” Xiah asked with disbelief.

“Boy . . .you are really in a rush to move in . . . .” Xiah replied again with a smile.

Lena laughed. “I'm not that in a rush . . . . really.”

“Lena . . . . we have to go,” Daichi reminded Lena while he was looking at his watch.

Lena looked at Daichi and then at the DBSK boys.

“Well . . . . we have to go . . . . Maybe we can chat again after I move in,” she said with a smile.

“Sure thing,” Jaejoong replied.

Jaejoong didn't know what he was feeling at that exact moment as he watched Lena and Daichi leave. He was happy because Lena was going to be near him once again just like old times. But he was also feeling jealous that he was no longer the one and only man in Lena's life.


CHAPTER 6


“Why did you tell him the truth?” Daichi asked Lena while his eyes was fixed on the road. He was already driving home. He still couldn't believe what she had done.

“I think it was the best for everyone . . . .” she replied as she looked at the lights outside the car. Her mind was in a total mess. She didn't know why she told Jaejoong about Daichi. Somehow she felt that it was already useless for her to hide the truth.

She was already teaching herself to accept the truth that she was going to end up with Daichi no matter what she did. She glanced at Daichi . . . . He was already a perfect husband for any girl. He could easily be considered as a good catch to some women. He was handsome, had a very stable job, rich, intelligent, with good family background, understanding and very loving. A lot of girls she knew were already saying that she was very lucky that she got him as a fiancee.

Lena sighed. “Should I be happy that I am going to marry Daichi?” she asked herself silently. Her mind was telling her that she should be happy . . . . but somehow her heart was telling her a different answer.

“Is it right that I am staying next to their apartment? What if someone found out and it cause some problems?” she asked herself again.

“What are you thinking?” Daichi asked. He knew that Lena was thinking of something. And he really wanted to interrupt her. He wanted to know the truth.

“I am thinking . . . . of me and you . . . . of Jaejoong and me . . . . and whether it is right that I am going to stay in the same building with Jaejoong,” she replied unconsciously. It was her trait to answer straight away when asked without thinking first. She was very surprised that Daichi had taken advantage of her being preoccupied with her thoughts.

Daichi smiled. “You can never be a liar. You're too honest and too direct with everything. What do you plan to do now . . . now that you already have told him about you and me? How are you supposed to make him fall for you now?”

Lena stared at Daichi. “I don't want to make him fall for me anymore. I know I can never do it. What I want now . . . . is to be at least honest with him. I want to tell him how I truly feel about him. That is the only thing I want now. . . . “ she replied sadly.

“Lena . . . . why?”

“Daichi . . . . I just want to be with him as a friend now . . . . I know . . . . friendship is the only thing that he can offer me . . . . and I guess I have to try to content myself with that,” she replied.

“So are you really sure with your decision? Does this mean that you are already accepting our engagement? Are you really ready to accept me as your husband to be? ” Daichi asked with his heart pounding very hard as he waited for her answer.

Lena stared out the car. “Yes . . . . I guess there is nothing more I can do. We are both stuck in this . . . . and I am already very tired of fighting against my family, especially my parents' wishes.”

Daichi felt that Lena was already surrendering. . . . She was already accepting their current situation. At that time . . . . he couldn't really decide whether he should be happy or sad. He only wanted her happiness . . . . and he didn't really care about his own feelings. He sighed heavily as he continued to drive.

All the way to home, both Lena and Daichi stayed silent. They were both preoccupied with their own thoughts regarding their pre-arranged marriage. Somehow they were both thinking that maybe . . . . maybe . . . . they were really destined to be together.

Back at the DBSK boys' apartment . . . . .

Jaejoong was silently looking at the TV. Even though he was looking at the screen of the TV, his mind was flying somewhere else. He was still thinking about Lena . . . . and Daichi. He still couldn't believe that his best friend already has a boyfriend . . . . or a fiancee, to be exact. Somehow he always imagined Lena to be his buddy . . . . but now . . . .the idea of her being someone else's girlfriend or wife is making him lose all his sanity.

Lena had always been his friend ever since they were still small children . . . . She and another friend, Yoora . . . . The three of them were all very close with one another. They were so close that everyone who knew them thought that Jaejoong was gay or something, because he was always with girls. But they didn't know that the two girls were more of boys than girls, both in character and in looks. Lena and Hye-Shin both loved to wear boys' clothings like jeans, shorts, shirts and they totally disliked wearing anything that suggested their true gender. They also loved doing things that only boys would do. There were also times that Jaejoong would make fun of them and joke about their future husbands . . . . . or if they will ever get one. And they would always answer that a husband is far from their minds.

Lena would always answer that she had no plan of marrying anyone except a very special someone. He would always ask who the guy was . . . . or if it was even a guy . . . . and she would end being silent and then he would end up trying to say sorry to her. . . .

Jaejoong suddenly smiled. . . . . That was the past . . . . Now . . . . Lena was already very different . . . . very different that he couldn't understand why he never noticed it before.

It was only now . . . . that he suddenly realized that his best friend had already transformed into a very beautiful and desirable woman . . . Jaejoong shook his head . . . . and slowly bent down his head and then cupped his face with his two hands. Different questions were running through his mind. But one particular question was repeating in his mind . . . . over and over again. It was already making his head hurt.

“Hyung . . . . are you all right?” Max asked with concern as he noticed Jaejoong.

Jaejoong raised his head and looked at Max. He saw that the other DBSK members were all looking at him, with concern in their eyes. He tried to smile . . . . He wanted to pretend that he was all right. He wanted to dismiss the thought and the strange feeling that was bothering him.

“Something is wrong . . . . right?” U-Know asked.

Jaejoong didn't know what to answer. He was very much confused and he didn't want the others to know what was really on his mind.

“Nothing . . .” he tried to deny it.

“Hyung . . . . we can all see that you are very much affected by what happened today . . . .” Xiah said with a smile.

“What happened today? I don't know what you mean . . . .” Jaejoong answered.

“We all saw the shock and the strange expression on your face after Lena introduced her fiancee to us,” Micky said. “You don't have to lie . . . .”

“What's really bothering you?” Xiah asked again.

Jaejoong looked at his friends. Then he suddenly decided that he needed to tell them or he would just lose his mind . . . . thinking about the answer to the question in his mind . . . .

“I . . . . I am just quite confused . . . . After Lena introduced that guy to us . . . . It was as if . . . . it was the only time that I suddenly saw Lena as a girl . . . . I know it's weird . . . . But I have been used to seeing her as my friend . . . . and as a boy . . . . And now . . . after she said that she had a fiancee . . . it totally took me by surprise . . . . I never imagined that she would have a boyfriend . . . . and most of all a husband . . . .” Jaejoong confessed.

“Hyung . . . .” Max uttered. They all felt that their friend was totally having a hard time accepting what he just learned.

“So you're unable to accept that your best friend is getting married . . . . is that it?” Micky asked with a smile.

“Frankly I . . . I don't know. . . . I am quite confused on why I am being like this . . . .” Jaejoong answered.

Micky suddenly laughed. “Is it because . . . . you're starting to fall for your best friend?”

Jaejoong looked at Micky with a horrified reaction on his face. “What? . . . . That is totally impossible. I can never fall in love with a friend . . . . especially not with her. It is like falling in love with my own sister . . . .” he replied with a forced smile.

The other DBSK members all looked at each other, as if asking one another if they actually believed what he said.

“Hyung . . . . but she's not your sister so there's nothing wrong if you suddenly realize that you like her more than a friend,” Max suddenly teased.

“Max . . . . Lena is just a sister to me . . . . I can never fall for her . . . . “ Jaejoong said again as to defend himself from Max's teasing.

“Lena is very beautiful . . . . Anyone could easily fall in love with her. So why is it very impossible for you to fall in love with her?” Xiah asked with a raised eyebrow. He couldn't believe what Jaejoong was saying.

“Because . . . because she's my best friend. And friends aren't supposed to be fallen in love with. In my casee, it's quite impossible because I'm already very familiar with her. She's like one of my sisters . . . . that being with her has no thrill or excitement at all. And being in love with soemone has to have that special feeling whenever you're with them . . . . You know what I am talking about right? And frankly . . . . I don't think I can ever get that kind of feeling from her,” Jaejoong tried to explain.

The other DBSK members somehow understood what their friend was trying to say.

“So you're really okay with her having a boyfriend and being engaged?” U-Know asked again.

“Well . . . . I don't think I have any right to say anything. If she's happy with him . . . . then I am going to support her on her decision,” Jaejoong answered with a heavy heart. He knew part of himself was lying. There was a big part of himself that wasn't happy that Lena already had a boyfriend.

“Well . . . . I still think that anyone can fall in love with Lena. And if I were in your position . . . . I would have fallen in love with her a long, long time ago,” Micky commented.

Xiah suddenly laughed out loud. “Now that is something very possible . . . . Jaejoong hasn't fallen in love yet . . . . So he's quite picky when it comes to girls. But on your case . . . . any girl who comes within 10 meters with you is already in danger.”

U-Know, Jaejoong and Max all laughed after they heard what Xiah had said.

As the other DBSK members all talked and laughed, Jaejoong was still troubled.

“Why am I feeling this way? Why am I being affected by the fact that Lena already has a boyfriend? Is it really possible that I like her more than a friend?” Jaejoong continued to ask himself.

“No . . . . she's just my friend . . . . She's like my sister . . . . I can never fall in love with her . . . .” he tried to tell himself over and over again . . . But as he was trying to convince himself of this . . . . his heart was somehow aching.



CHAPTER 7


The next day . . . . .

The DBSK boys were already finished with their scheduled activities for the day. It was already passed 7 o' clock in the evening, and they were already starving. They were walking to their apartment unit when Max suddenly remembered something.

“Hyung . . . . isn't Lena supposed to move in today?” Max asked Jaejoong.

Jaejoong stared at Max. He had totally forgotten about Lena. They were all very busy that he forgot that she was moving in that day.

“Yes . . . . I think so . . . . But why are you asking?” Jaejoong asked.

“Aren't we going to help her . . . . or just simply drop by to say hi?” Max asked again with a smile. The real reason why he wanted to go to Lena's apartment was because he was hoping that she already had cooked dinner. And that once they came to her place, she would eventually asked them to eat dinner with her.

“Yeah . . . . Let's drop by her place and help her out,” Micky said.

Jaejoong just nodded. His heart started to beat very fast as soon as his friends started to walk to Lena’s apartment.

Max rang the door bell. He was very excited to see Lena again.

Within minutes . . . . the door suddenly opened and the DBSK boys' mouths suddenly dropped open with shock.

Lena was the one who opened the door. She was wearing a very skimpy shorts and a sleeveless body hugging shirt. Her long black hair was also loose, which added more attraction to her already voluptuous figure. She was totally very sexy . . . . and the boys couldn't deny it.

At that moment . . . . Jaejoong wanted to cover all of his friends' eyes. He didn't want them to look at Lena with such desire in their eyes.

“Hello . . . .” Lena greeted them warmly.

Somehow all the DBSK boys snapped out of their trance. Then they all smiled at Lena.

“Hi . . . . so you have already moved in? We dropped by to ask if you needed any help,” Max said.

“Oh! . . . . That's so sweet . . . . But we've already finished unpacking my things . . . . Have you guys had dinner yet? We're about to eat . . . . Would you like to join us?” Lena said with a sweet smile.

“Yes . . . .sure,” Max immediately replied. He was very happy that his plan had actually worked.

The DBSK boys entered Lena's apartment. And just like she said, all the boxes in the living room were already empty.

“So who's helping you?” Jaejoong asked Lena.

Then a voice suddenly called out from one of the rooms.

“Lena . . . . . where do I put the new cookbooks you bought?”

Lena looked at the direction where the voice came from.

“Just put it near the computer . . . . Oh . . . . we have guests,” she shouted as well.

“Guests?”

Daichi suddenly came out of the room.

“Oh! It's you guys . . . . We're about to have dinner. Would you guys like to join us?” he asked with a smile.

“They've already said yes . . . .” Lena answered.

“Oh . . . . I'll just go and clean myself up first,” Daichi said as he immediately walked into a room.

Jaejoong's eyes followed Daichi as he entered another room. He had a feeling it was Lena's room. And somehow his heart started aching again.

“Come on . . . . Let's eat,” Lena said to the DBSK boys as she led them to the dining room.

Max's face suddenly lit up with delight as soon as he saw the different kinds of foods on the table.

“Are you guys having a feast?” Micky asked jokingly.

“How many people are helping you out exactly?” Xiah suddenly asked Lena.

“Huh? How many people? Daichi and I are the only ones here,” Lena answered with a confused reaction on her face.

“Really?” Max asked.

“Why do you ask?” Lena asked.

“Because the amount of food you prepared is good enough to feed more than twelve people,” Jaejoong answered.

“Oh. . . . you see . . . . Daichi isn't used to eating only one kind of food. He's accustomed to eating several different kinds of dishes every time he eats. So I prepared ten different dishes to satisfy his taste,” she explained.

“And do you think you can actually eat all of this?” Micky asked while staring at the table filled with dishes.

Lena laughed. “No . . . . of course not. I can always store the leftovers and eat it tomorrow.”

“Oh . . . .” Micky uttered.

“Come on . . . . Let's all eat . . . . Sit down,” Lena said with a smile.

The DBSK boys all sat down at the table, big enough for ten people.

After several minutes, Daichi finally appeared. He had already taken a quick shower and had already changed his clothes.

“Let's eat . . . .” he happily announced. He had immediately picked different kinds of foods and had started to eat.

The DBSK boys were feeling awkward at first. They felt a little bit uneasy being with Daichi.

“Why aren't you guys eating? Don't you like Lena's cooking?” Daichi asked as he noticed that the DBSK boys haven't started eating.

“Why? Don't you guys like the foods I prepared? What do you want? Just tell me . . . . I can always cook it for you,” Lena said with a smile.

“No . . . no . . . . the food is just fine . . . . It's just . . . . we feel a little bit uneasy . . . . Aren't we disturbing you guys?” U-Know asked.

“Disturbing? . . . . . Who? . . . . .Us?” Lena asked as she looked at Daichi. Then she suddenly smiled again.

Daichi stared at Lena and then at the DBSK boys. “You're not disturbing . . . . don't worry. There's nothing to disturb . . . . anyway,” he said with a laugh. “You guys should start eating . . . . or else . . . . Lena will start crying about how you don't like her cooking . . . .” he said again while he laughed.

“Hey . . . . I'm not going to cry . . . .” Lena said to Daichi.

The DBSK boys somehow finally felt at ease after hearing Daichi teased Lena. Max immediately picked out several different dishes. Micky and U-Know just watched with total amazement as Max happily gulped down the food he was eating. Xiah and Jaejoong just smiled and shook their heads after watching how fast Max ate his food and was serving another set.

Lena happily looked at the DBSK boys. She was very happy after seeing that they liked the different dishes she prepared.

“Lena . . . .” Daichi suddenly uttered.

“What?” she asked as she suddenly stopped eating and looked at Daichi.

“Do you think you can handle the arranging on your own now?” Daichi asked.

“Why?” she asked again.

“Well. . . . I have to go and meet up with some of my friends at a club,” Daichi answered honestly.

“Oh . . . . I see. . . . Well, don't worry. I can take care of the remaining work. Just go . . . . Don't worry about me . . . . So who are you going to meet? Anyone I know?” she asked with a smile.

“An old friend from the United States arrived this morning. He wants me and some other friends to have a drink with him at a club,” Daichi answered.

“Oh . . . . you're not bringing me along?' she suddenly asked.

Daichi suddenly smiled. “No . . . . I'm not bringing you along. I know you're quite tired already. And I know you'll just become uncomfortable once you see my friends.”

“Huh? Uncomfortable? Why? What do you mean?” Lena asked as if somewhat confused.

Daichi laughed. “The friends I am meeting are my friends during my wild days. . . . Frankly . . . . I don't want you to meet them today because they've already set up specific girls to be our dates.” Daichi answered honestly again.

Lena suddenly stopped eating and looked at Daichi. “Oh . . . . I see . . . . So you're going on a date . . . . . Well, good luck with your date.”

The DBSK boys were all shocked with what they heard. They couldn't believe that Daichi had told Lena that he was going on a date with another girl, as if it was nothing. But what shocked the boys the most was Lena's reaction. Somehow she didn't even care that her fiancee was going out with another woman.

Jaejoong looked at Daichi. He was already very angry with him. He didn't like the way Daichi was treating Lena.

“Why are you still going out with the other girls when you already have a fiancee? And how could you possibly just tell her that you're going out with another woman? Don't you think that's too unacceptable?” he asked irritatedly.

Daichi suddenly stared at Jaejoong. He could see the anger in his eyes. He suddenly smiled.

Lena suddenly became alarmed. She also saw the angry look on Jaejoong's face. Somehow she felt happy that he cared for her. But she saw knew it was only because she was his friend . . . . and nothing more.

“Jaejoong . . . .” Lena uttered.

Jaejoong stared at Lena. He saw the worried look in her eyes. Somehow this helped to calm his emotions down.

“Jaejoong . . . . There is still a lot of things you need to know about me and Daichi . . . .” Lena softly said.

“Like what?” Jaejoong asked.

“Like . . . . the fact that we are only together because our parents set us up . . . .” Lena weakly answered.

The DBSK boys were all shocked with what they heard. They couldn't believe that they would actually encounter someone who was in an arranged marriage set-up. It was already very uncommon for young people like them to actually accept such an arrangement.

Daichi saw the different reactions that the DBSK boys had. He suddenly felt that it was time for him to leave. He knew that Lena needed to talk with the DBSK boys alone. He immediately stood up and walked to where Lena was sitting.

“Well . . . . I need to go now . . . .Lena . . . . Remember to make sure that the doors are locked when you go to sleep okay? I won't be able to come by later tonight . . . . I think I will be out till morning . . . . So I won't be able to call you also . . . . “ Daichi said as he took Lena's hand and gently squeezed it.

Jeajoong's heart was feeling pain as he silently watched the scene before him.

“It's okay . . . . Enjoy your date . . . “ she said with a smile.

“Thanks. . . . If you suddenly have any problem . . . . Don't hesitate to call me okay?” Daichi said sweetly.

“Okay . . . . don't worry. Jaejoong is just next door so I can easily go to him if I need help with something . . . . “ she answered.

“I know . . . . Oh! Before I forget . . .” Daichi suddenly left the dining room and after a few minutes returned holding an envelope. He immediately gave it to Lena.

Lena, on the other hand, looked at the envelope with curiosity. “What's this?” she asked.

“Open it,” Daichi replied with a smile.

Lena curiously looked into the envelope. Inside it, she found a credit card and a large amount of money. She suddenly looked at Daichi with a confused expression on her face.

“What is the meaning of this? You know I have my own money,” she asked again with irritation as she placed the money and the credit on the table.

The DBSK boys' eyes suddenly widened as soon as they saw the large amount of money that was set on the table. They all estimated that it would amount to at least more than a million yen.

“First of all . . . . I know how you hate it when I give you money to buy things . . . . So I wouldn't even dare to give you those . . . .” Daichi answered with a worried look on his face.

“Really? Then who sent these?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Mother . . . . sent those. She said to tell you that if you get bored and don't have anything to do . . . . You can go shopping . . . and buy whatever you want. The card has no limit, so you can basically buy anything if you want . . . . even a sports car if you want,” Daichi said with a light laugh.

“A sports car? As if I would want one . . . . .” Lena said with a pout.

Daichi laughed again. “You're really very different with all the girls I have been with. If the other girls I had before received that kind of amount and that card, they would all be dancing with joy by now.”

“Well . . . . I am not one of your girls before . . . . so I can certainly be different if I want to,” Lena replied.

Daichi laughed again. “Sometimes I wonder how I will be able to handle you once you become my wife. You're too opinionated about everything. I think I am going to have a headache almost everyday . . . . “

“That's easy . . . . Then don't marry me. . . .” Lena said with a smile.

“What? My mother would totally disown me if I didn't marry you,” Daichi replied with a laugh.

'Well. . . . as if my parents wouldn't disown me too if I didn't marry you. We're stuck in the same boat remember?” she said sadly.

The DBSK boys suddenly sympathized with Lena. They all could see that she wasn't happy with her situation and was just being forced.

“I have to go Lena . . . .” Daichi said again after looking at his watch.

Lena stared at Daichi and just nodded. “Okay . . . . Take care . . . . Be careful while you're driving.”

“Yes . . . . don't worry . . . . You be careful here as well okay . . . .” Daichi said sweetly again.

“Yes . . . .” she answered.

“Bye . . . .” Daichi then lovingly kissed Lena on her forehead.

Jaejoong's heart suddenly pounded wildly as soon as he saw Daichi kiss Lena. Even if it was only on her forehead. . . . he was still aching badly . . . .



CHAPTER 8


Lena and the DBSK boys all silently ate after Daichi left. Somehow Xiah, U-Know, Micky and Max felt the tension between Lena and Jaejoong. They could easily tell that something was wrong.

Lena looked at Jaejoong. She knew that he was angry with her. And somehow this made her very uneasy. She couldn't stand the fact that he was being upset with her.

“Jaejoong . . . . what's wrong? I know you're mad . . . . Are you angry with me?” she asked as she looked straight at him.

“I'm not mad . . . .” Jaejoong answered coldly.

Lena smiled bitterly. “We've been friends for a very long time. I already know how you act when you're mad or you're upset . . . . And frankly, right at this minute . . . . I know you're angry . . . . Are you angry with me?” she asked again.

Jaejoong finally lifted his eyes to meet Lena's stare.

“I still can't believe that you would actually agree to something so ridiculous like an arranged marriage . . . . Whatever happened to the girl who I knew? What happened to the girl who said that she would only marry someone who she loves? . . . What happened to my friend who always stood up for her decisions and principles? . . . .What happened to the feisty Lena that I know?” Jaejoong continuously asked as he stared straight back at Lena.

Suddenly Lena felt she have never felt so small in her entire life. Jaejoong was right. The old Lena would never have agreed to marry someone who she didn't love. Somehow Lena wanted to defend herself against Jaejoong's pre-judgement. But she knew he was right and she couldn't do anything about it. She felt totally helpless.

“I know . . . . I maybe a big disappoint to you . . . . But frankly I have tried going against my parents' wishes for as long as I could. They even gave me the choice to break off the engagement . . . . provided I presented a guy to them that I was going to marry instead. And how could I possibly do that? Aside from you . . . . I don't know any other man. . . . . “ Lena tried to explain. But somehow as she was trying to explain her side to him . . . . she didn't notice that tears were already falling from her eyes.

“Lena . . . .” Jaejoong uttered.

“Do you think I actually like to marry someone I don't love? I can't do anything about it, Jaejoong. . . . . I have tried to rebel and I have even tried to run away . . . . but all of it was just useless. You know how rich my parents are. They just used their influence and everybody was already afraid to help me. Do you know the reason why I had been away for the passed year was because that was the time I was rebelling against my parents. I ran away . . . . and I even tried to live alone for more than a month . . . Do you have any idea how hard it was for me?. . But during those time . . . . the only thing on my mind was . . . . I wanted to prove to my parents that I can live alone and that I wanted to make them realize that I had no intention of being married to a man I barely even knew. . . . . “ she continued to say as tears also continued to stream down her face.

Jaejoong immediately saw Lena's tears. This somehow made his heart suddenly turn soft. He couldn't stand seeing a girl cry . . . . especially if it was Lena. He had never seen her cry ever since they were small. She had been a very strong and brave girl. And seeing her cry now . . . . was making him crazy with concern.

Jaejoong suddenly stood up and went to where Lena was sitting. He knelt down in front of her and looked straight into her eyes. “I'm sorry . . . . Please don't cry,” he said as he immediately wiped Lena's tears with his hand.

Lena tried to smile. How she missed Jaejoong's sweetness. She had been missing him badly for the passed year. How she wanted to tell him that he was the main reason why she didn't want to marry Daichi. . . . And that he was the man she loved . . . .

Jaejoong couldn't help himself . . . . he suddenly touched Lena's face lovingly. The other DBSK members saw what he had done, and were somehow taken by surprise. They had never seen him become so physically tender with anyone.

“Please . . . . stop crying. . . . I didn't mean to make you cry . . . . I am sorry. . . .” Jaejoong said softly.

Lena didn't know what to say to Jaejoong. Somehow right at that moment, she felt what she needed the most was someone she could lean on. She suddenly embraced Jaejoong. She didn't care about anything else anymore. She only had a month to be with him. It was the only time she had left. She might as well . . . .set aside all her inhibitions and just let out her true feelings.

Jaejoong was shocked at first . . . . but then he knew he liked the feel of her body next to his. He gently hugged Lena back. He didn't care about what his friends might say. All he could think about was that he wanted her in his arms . . . . .

Xiah, Max, Micky and U-Know quietly left after seeing Jaejoong embracing Lena. They knew that the two needed some time alone.

As soon as the other DBSK members left, Jaejoong immediately asked Lena if they could go and talk at the living room. Lena nodded and just followed him.

They both sat on the sofa next to each other. Lena felt so happy being so near Jaejoong once again. It has been a very long time since the last time that they had been together.

Lena gently laid down her head on Jaejoong's shoulder. She used to lay down her head on his shoulder whenever she was sad or she had any problems. And he would patiently and carefully listen to everything that she wanted to talk about. How she wished that she could stay beside him forever . . . . . even if only as a friend.

Jaejoong was very quiet as Lena's head laid down on his shoulder. He suddenly remembered all the times that they spent together. It was only then he suddenly realized that he had missed her badly.

Jaejoong couldn't explain what he was feeling right at that exact moment. But all he could think about was that he wanted to be true to himself.

He gently took Lena's hand and carefully held it between his two hands. Her hand was so cold that he gently squeezed it and started to rub it.

“How I missed this . . . .” Lena uttered.

Jaejoong looked at Lena. His heart had suddenly pounded after she said those words. He then held her hand tighter. He somehow felt like he wanted to hold her forever.

“What do you plan to do now Lena? Are you really going to marry him?” Jaejoong tried to ask.

Lena laughed lightly. “Frankly . . . . I don't know . . . . Daichi is a very nice guy and all but . . . . the fact is . . . . I don't think I can ever fall in love with him,” she answered.

“Why?” Jaejoong asked.

Lena suddenly paused for a moment . . . . She then thought that maybe this is the right time for her to tell him about her true feelings.

“Jaejoong . . . .” Lena uttered.

“Uhm . . . . .” he uttered.

“I'm already in love with someone,” Lena summed up all her courage and was finally able to say.

“What? With whom?” Jaejoong asked with a trembling voice. He was very surprised to hear that Lena was already in love. He never imagined that he would actually hear her say those words. And after hearing those words . . . . different emotions started creeping up inside his heart.

“Someone I know,” she simply replied.

“Does he know . . . . I mean about you having feelings for him?” he asked again.

“No . . . . “ she answered.

“Why not?” he asked again.

“Because . . . . because I don't know want him to know,” she replied again.

“Do I know him?” Jaejoong curiously asked.

“No comment,” she replied with a laugh.

Jaejoong suddenly smiled and then lightly laughed as well. “No comments? What kind of an answer is that? Are you an artist as well?”

Lena laughed again. “Still my answer is . . . .no comment,” she said with a smile.

“Fine . . . . if you really want to keep it a secret. I won't ask anymore,” Jaejoong said with a smile. But deep down inside, he was somehow hurting. His best friend had really changed, he suddenly thought.

“You never kept any secrets from me . . . . But now . . . . You have really changed Lena . . . .And I don't know why . . . . But somehow I am hurting . . . .” Jaejoong said in his mind as he continued to squeeze Lena's hand.

Len felt like she was in heaven while Jaejoong held her hand. She didn't tell him the truth because she was afraid that he would suddenly changed. And that was the last thing that she would want to happen. She needed him now . . . . even if only as a friend.

“Do my sisters know about your arranged marriage?” Jaejoong asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

“They knew? But why didn't they tell me?” Jaejoong asked in total disbelief.

“Because I asked them not to tell you . . . . .” Lena answered.

“But why?” he asked again.

“I didn't want to bother you with my problems. I know once you learned about my current situation . . . . you would certainly be affected . . . . So I just asked them to keep it as a secret from you,” Lena answered.

“You're my best friend, Lena. I will always be affected if something bad happens to you . . . .or when you're experiencing problems,” he said again.

“I know . . . . and thank you . . . . for being so caring,” she uttered.

“Is there anyway I can help?” he suddenly asked.

Lena smiled bitterly. “No . . . . I'm sorry . . . . But no one can help me now,” she replied.

“How about the guy you're in love with? Does he know that you're in love with him?” Jaejoong finally asked the question that was constantly echoing in his mind.

“No . . . . he has no idea,” she replied.

“Really? I mean . . . . he really has no idea that you have feelings for him?” Jaejoong asked curiously.

“He has no idea . . . . because he only sees me as a friend,” Lena answered.

Then suddenly another question popped into Jaejoong's mind.

“I thought you said that I am the only guy friend that you have . . . . then who is this guy that you're in love with?” he suddenly asked.

Lena was shocked. Jaejoong was finally figuring things out on his own.

“No comment,” she replied again.

Jaejoong stayed silent. He was feeling very jealous just thinking about Lena with another guy.

“Could it be that the guy she's in love with is me?” Jaejoong asked himself. Somehow this thought made his heart skip a beat. He couldn't understand why . . . . but deep down inside he wsa hoping that he was the one Lena was pertaining to.



CHAPTER 9


The next day . . . .

The DBSK boys had already finished their activities and decided to go home early. They were happily chatting along the hallway to their apartment unit when Daichi suddenly came running pass them straight to Lena's apartment.

“Hey isn't that Daichi?” Max suddenly asked.

“Yes . . . . Something's wrong with Lena,” Jaejoong suddenly said as he immediately followed Daichi. His heart started to pound so hard.

The DBSK boys all ran after Daichi. They knew that something was wrong, and they were all very concerned.

Daichi had just opened the door and immediately went inside with the DBSK boys right behind him.

Inside the apartment, they found Lena crawled up on the sofa. She was crying and was obviously in so much pain.

“Lena . . . .” all the boys uttered.

Lena continued to cry. She was clutching her abdomen.

“Jaejoong . . . . can you please carry her to her room. I'll prepare her medicine,” Daichi said to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong just nodded. Gently he carried Lena in his arms and went straight into her room. While he was carrying her, different things were running through his head. Jaejoong was thinking that she felt so light in his arms. He also felt like he didn't want to let her go. And it was as if she was born to be in his arms forever. He couldn't imagine having a girl in his arms would make him feel this way. He sighed heavily . . . . feeling her body next to his was bringing him a certain sensation that he never felt before.

“Snap out of it . . . . Jaejoong! She's Lena. . . . . She's your bestfriend . . . .” he kept on reminding himself.

U-Know, Max, Micky and Xiah were all confused on what was happening. They all pitied Lena as she kept on crying and groaning in pain. Somehow the boys' hearts wsre all aching as well as they heard her cry.

Jaejoong gently laid down Lena on her bed. And after a few minutes, Daichi entered the room with Lena's medicine and a glass of water. Jaejoong quietly walked to where the other DBSK boys were standing. They were standing near the door to Lena's room.


Jaejoong was feeling very weak. He suddenly leaned against the wall. Somehow his heart was aching as he watched Daichi carefully helped Lena drink her medicine, then Daichi gently caressed Lena's hair, over and over again until she finally fell asleep.

Jaejoong used to do this to make her fall asleep. And seeing Daichi doing it, was making him jealous. He didn't want to feel such an emotion . . . . but he couldn't stop himself.

After Lena had fallen asleep, Daichi lovingly kissed her on the forehead and arranged her bed. Then he slowly left the room together with the DBSK boys.

The boys all went straight to the living room. Then Daichi brought out wines glasses and a bottle of red wine from a cabinet. And he gave each of the DBSK boys a glass filled with wine. Then they all sat at the sofa facing each other.

“Drink up . . . . Thanks for the help. And sorry if you guys got worried . . . . She's always like that whenever her period starts . . . . Jaejoong already knows about it right?” Daichi said to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong just nodded. Ever since they were young, he had been used to Lena's monthly wailing whenever her period starts. She always cries all day long on the first day of her period because of dysmenorrhea. And the following days she would just lay down in bed . . . . sick.

“Her period came early this month . . . .If my secretary hadn't mentioned about her medicine, I wouldn't have called her. And after calling her for almost five times without any answer. That was when I started to worry. So I came here as fast as I could,” Daichi said, then he suddenly laughed. “Isn't it weird that we're talking about a girl's monthly period?” he asked again with a laugh. Then he took a sip of the wine he was holding.

Jaejoong looked at Daichi. “How do you know about her monthly sickness?” he asked. “You're already that familiar with her?” he asked again.

Daichi laughed. “I have been with her for more than a year . . . .that's why,” then he drunk all the remaining wine in his glass. “Honestly . . . . the very first time that they told me about my marriage with Lena. I was really mad as hell. The first time we met each . . . . I was really cruel with her and she was totally hostile as well. We were like cats and dogs put together.”

“Really? You don't like her? Seems very different with the way I see things,” Jaejoong said sarcastically.

Daichi laughed. He didn't think that Jaejoong would be so ironic with him.

The other DBSK boys just watched and listened as they all could feel the tension building between Daichi and their friend.

“Like I said before . . . . the very first time I met her . . . . I was cruel with her. I didn't like her then. And she didn't like me either. During that time I had a girlfriend who had been with me for almost more than a year. I really loved that girl . . . . and she was the reason why I was so hard with Lena. I couldn't accept the fact that I was going to marry someone I don't like. But my parents were very persuasive and they wouldn't take no for an answer. So they made sure that I wouldn't end with that girl,” Daichi suddenly smiled bitterly as he remembered what happened. He took the bottle of wine and poured himself another glass.

“What happened?” Micky asked curiously.

“My parents bought off my girlfriend . . . . with money. How much? I don't know and frankly . . . . I don't care anymore. After I learned that the reason why she just disappeared was because she accepted the money that my parents gave her . . . . it was only then that I realized that all women are the same. They are all easily persuaded with money and material things. That was when I accepted our pre-arranged marriage. At first, I just wanted to play around with her. But after I got to know her, everything suddenly changed,” Daichi narrated.

“What changed?” Max asked.

“After I got to know her . . . . I suddenly realized that she was very different with all the girls I've been with. And after being with her for more than a year . . . . we have suddenly became friends. Now I don't mind if I am going to be married with her anymore. . . . I already consider it as my luck to have her as my future wife. I think any man would be delighted to have a beautiful, caring and loving wife like her . . . .” Daichi said as he looked straight at Jaejoong. He was somehow waiting for any reaction from him.

Jaejoong just stared at the glass that he was holding. He then gulped down all the wine in the glass. He was somehow upset with the things that he was hearing.

“So you're really going to marry Lena . . . . even if you're not in love with her?” Micky asked with disbelief.

Daichi laughed. “Who said I'm not in love with her? . . . . Honestly . . . . I have already fallen in love with her . . . . I just don't know if she had already noticed it.” he said with a serious expression on his face.

The DBSK boys especially Jaejoong were all quiet. They had all expected that Daichi had feelings for Lena. They all could see it with the way he was taking care of her.

“So that is the reason why you're already agreeing to your marriage with Lena? You're really in love with her?” Jaejoong asked as if really trying to make sure what he had heard was correct.

“I wouldn't marry someone I don't like . . . . But the sad part is she's already in love with another man . . . . and that is the reason why she's still trying to find ways to break off the engagement with me,” Daichi said sadly as he also stared at the glass he was holding.

“She's in love with whom?” Xiah asked. “Do you know the guy?”

Daichi suddenly laughed out loud. “Know him?” he asked in return. (I am looking at him now!) He said in his mind.

“So you already know that she's in love with someone else and you're still determined to marry her?' Jaejoong asked again with a cold expression on his face.

Daichi didn't know how to answer Jaejoong's question.”Yes. . . . I am not going to let her go unless . . . . it is to the man who she is in love with. Only then . . . . maybe I can reconsider to set her free . . . .”

“Have you ever thought about her feelings? She's in love with someone else and you're still going to marry her? Isn't that a little bit too unfair to both of you?” Max asked with a raised eyebrow.

Daichi looked straight at Max and the other DBSK boys. “Do you know that Lena ran away for more than a month because she really wanted her parents to break off the engagement?”

“She told me . . . .” Jaejoong replied.

“After she ran away . . . . both our parents used all their contacts and resources to find her. She was able to hide for more than a month . . . . And during the time that she was away . . . . I really thought that her parents were going to give in . . . . but I was wrong. The moment they found her . . . . they immediately sent her to live with us . . . with me. I am not really that inconsiderate with her feelings or her right to love freely . . . . But frankly, she has no choice . . . . And I am already doing everything I can do to help her. But the man she is in love with . . . . also doesn't love her. So what am I supposed to do?” Daichi asked as he looked at Jaejoong. Somehow he wanted to ask him straight if he had feelings for Lena. Somehow if he knew the truth . . . . he thought that maybe things would be made easier for all of them.

Jaejoong stared back at Daichi. “What do you mean? The man she likes doesn't like her too?” he asked.

Daichi smiled bitterly. “Yes . . . . Love is really cruel, isn't it? I love her . . . . she loves another man . . . . but the other guy doesn't even love her back . . . .”

The DBSK boys were all starting to get very confused. They didn't know if it was the effect of the wine they were drinking or Daichi was just really divulging everything to them. They also pitied Lena's situation. They couldn't imagine how they would feel if they were in her situation.

“Maybe I can talk with her parents . . . .” Jaejoong uttered.

“Don't bother . . . . You know her parents . . . . They are rich and powerful. They always have a way with dealing with things . . . . And the arrangement with us has already been fixed. The only way to break off the engagement now is . . . . if another man asked for her hand in marriage. And frankly . . . with the way both are parents are guarding her . . . . she has no time to meet other men,” Daichi said.

“So what do you want me to do? Just sit around and just watch my bestfriend suffer?” Jaejoong asked angrily. He had already lost his calmness.

“I'm sorry . . . . But unless you are willing to go against her parents then I suggest don't try to interfere. . . . “ Daichi said again.

Jaejoong stared at Daichi. He didn't know what he was feeling right at that exact moment. He wanted to help Lena. He didn't want her to marry Daichi. But somehow he was confused on what to do.
He suddenly stood up and took the bottle of wine placed on the table near Daichi.

Then he poured himself another shot.

“Hyung . . . . .” Max exclaimed with concern.

Jaejoong just drank all the wine he had just poured into his glass. Then he suddenly walked out the door. He didn't want to talk with Daichi anymore. He didn't want to see him anymore. Somehow just thinking of him being with Lena was hurting him in a way he can't understand.

Jaejoong went straight to their apartment . . . . and straight into his room. He suddenly locked the room. He wanted to be alone . . . . He wanted to think . . . he needed to sort out his feelings and everything that was running through his mind.

He suddenly sighed. “Why am I feeling this way? What is wrong with me?” he asked himself as he looked out the window. “Could it be . . . . I like Lena more than a friend?” he asked himself again.

Jaejoong just stared out the window . . . . very confused, as rain started to fall . . . . one by one.



CHAPTER 10


Lena slowly opened her eyes . . . . she was feeling a bit dizzy. She tried to get up but she was feeling very weak. She tried to think about what had happened the night before. All she could remember was that Daichi and the DBSK boys had all witnessed her crying. She cupped her face with total embarrassment. She didn't know what to say to the DBSK boys once she was faced with them again.

The pain in her abdomen had lessened. Compared with what she was feeling yesterday . . . . the pain today was much more tolerable. Lena stared at the ceiling . . . . she wondered what would happen next. . . . Now that she was so close to Jaejoong.

“You're awake . . . .” Daichi said with a smile.

Lena looked at the direction where the voice came from. Daichi was already standing near the door.

“Are you feeling better? Would you like me to prepare breakfast now?” he asked sweetly as he approached her.

Lena smiled back at Daichi. “Thanks . . . . but I don't think I can eat . . . I feel so weak,” she answered.

“Then the more reason why you should eat . . . . Come on . . . I've ordered some delicious foods for you to eat,” he said as he gently helped her to get up.

“Daichi . . . .” she slowly uttered. She didn't want to get out of bed.

“Come on . . . . Get up,” Daichi said with a sweet smile. “I have a surprise for you. I know you'll love it.”

Lena curiously stared at Daichi's face. “What?”

“I won't tell . . . . You've got to see it for yourself. So you better hurry up,” he replied.

“Fine . . . I'm going to take a shower first to freshen up . . . .I'll just join in the dining room in a few minutes okay?” Lena said as she went straight to the bathroom.

“Be careful in the shower okay? You might slip or something,” Daichi reminded Lena.

“Okay . . .” Lena uttered as she closed the door.

Daichi immediately left Lena's room after she went to the bathroom. Then he headed straight into the dining room.

In the dining room, the DBSK boys were already sitting and waiting at the table.

“Where's Lena?” Xiah asked.

“She's taking a shower,” Daichi replied.

“Oh . . . .” Xiah uttered.

“So where's Jaejoong?” Daichi asked as he looked around searching for him.

“He's still in the kitchen . . . . cooking,” U-Know answered.

Daichi smiled. “He's really fond of cooking, isn't he?”

“He's really good at cooking actually . . . . “ Max said proudly.

“Yes, I know. Lena had already told me so much about him,” Daichi said.

Suddenly Jaejoong entered the room with a large bowl of home-made soup. The aroma of the soup immediately filled the room. It suddenly made all the boys hungry.

“Hyung . . . that smells so delicious,” Max uttered.

“Sorry . . . .I only made enouhg for Lena,” Jaejoong said.

“Oh . . . . That's unfair,” Max said.

Jaejooong suddenly laughed. “Why would you want to eat this? You're not sick . . . “

“But it smells so nice . . . .” Max answered.

Micky suddenly laughed as well. “Any food that smells good to Max . . . he will surely eat. So don't be surprised anymore,” he said.

The other DBSK boys all laughed as well. And as they were laughing, Lena entered the room.

“What are you guys doing here? Don't you have any work today?” she asked curiously.

The DBSK boys all looked at Lena. She was pale and looked very weak.

“Why did you wake her up?” Jaejoong asked Daichi.

“Well. . . . we're all going to have breakfast . . .” Daichi answered.

“I was planning to bring her breakfast in her room . . . so she doesn't have to get out of bed. She's still very weak,” Jaejoong said.

“I'm okay, Jaejoong. We can all have breakfast . . . here. . . . together,” Lena said with a smile as she sat down on one of the empty chairs beside Daichi.

Jaejoong stared at Lena, and just tried to brush away the irritation that he was feeling towards Daichi.

Lena smiled sweetly at Jaejoong. “Is that soup for me?” she asked.

Jaejoong just nodded and carefully placed the bowl in front of her. He then sat down beside her. He wanted to make sure that she ate all the soup that he had prepared for her.

Xiah, U-Know, Micky and Max suddenly felt an awkward feeling after seeing Lena between Daichi and Jaejoong. They knew their friend had a special feeling for Lena, but he was just too afraid and shy to admit it.

“I really missed this soup . . .You used to cook it for me whenever I got sick,” Lena said as she happily stared at the bowl of soup in front of her. She was remembering the times when she and Jaejoong were still young. Whenever Jaejoong learned she was sick, he would immediately go to her house and ask permission from her parents to take care for her. And after that he would always cook his very special home-made soup, and he would always make sure that she would eat all of it.

Lena was already very eager to taste Jaejoong's soup. She hurriedly scooped out a spoonful when . . . .

“Be careful . . . the soup is still hot,” Jaejoong said as he took the spoon from Lena's hand.

Jaejoong had already faced Lena and was already making the soup loose its warmness by constantly stirring it.

“You're still the same . . . You're always so careless. . . “ Jaejoong commented.

Lena laughed. “Really? I haven't changed at all? Are you sure?”

Jaejoong stared at Lena. Then he smiled. “I know you have changed . . . .I have already noticed it . . . . But I just don't want to say anything,” he said as he scooped out a spoonful of the soup and carefully brought it to Lena's mouth.

Lena just opened her mouth automatically as Jaejoong made her sip the soup from the spoon. She looked at Jaejoong with love in her eyes. She had truly missed him. How she wished that they could go back to the days that they were still young and there was nothing between them.

Daichi tried to avoid looking at Lena and Jaejoong. It was hurting him to see Lena with another man. But he knew he had to endure it . . . . he loved her and he wanted her to be happy.

Jaejoong continued to spoon-feed Lena. While the DBSK boys were already noticing the sweetness of Jaejoong towards Lena and Daichi's cold reaction. They all felt that they were certainly something going on between Jaejoong, Lena and Daichi . . . but they were just too embarrassed to say anything.

Max suddenly thought that the atmosphere was already getting very tense, and that he needed to do something.

"Hey hyung . . . . can you spoon feed me too? How come you're only taking care of Lena? We're all hungry too . . . ." Max said with a broad smile.

Jaejoong and Lena both stared at Xiah. Then they both laughed.

"Why would you want to be spoon-fed too? You're not sick," Jaejoong asked with a laugh.

"Because she gets to eat your special soup. So that is why I am asking you to feed me too," Max answered.

Lena laughed. "Jaejoong you should have made enough soup for everybody."

"But I only made enough to feed you," Jaejoong answered.

"Then go and make some more . . ." Lena said with a smile.

Daichi suddenly stood up. "Lena, I'm sorry but I have to go. My secretary will be here any minute now. She'll be accompanying you until tomorrow,” Daichi suddenly said as he stood up.

“Secretary? And you're going already? You haven't even had breakfast yet . . . .” Lena said.

Daichi smiled. “Don't worry about me. I can just buy something on the way to the office.”

“What about your secretary? Why is she staying with me?” Lena asked again.

“You're weak. I can't let you stay here alone when you're like that. And I have a meeting this morning, then later in the afternoon, and another in the evening. I won't be able to check-up on you every few minutes. So I've decided to just let my secretary take care of you while I'm busy.”

Lena laughed. “What did your secretary say? Didn't she refuse or something? She's your secretary . . . for heaven's sake Daichi . . . not a baby-sitter.”

Daichi smiled. “Lena . . . I can't go through with my meetings peacefully when I know that you're left here all alone . . .Even if I go to those meetings . . . .I will just end up having it stopped every few minutes just to call you.”

“You're really so sweet, Daichi. But just take your secretary with you. I can take care of myself,” Lena said.

Daichi suddenly frowned. “Fine . . . . If you don't want my secretary with you . . . . then I won't go to my meetings. I will just have all of them cancelled.”

“Daichi . . . you're being stubborn,” Lena uttered.

“You're the one being stubborn. What if something happens to you while you're left here all alone? Besides . . . . if my mother found out that I left you when you're in a state like that . . . . I would never hear the end of it. She will surely make a full blown sermon out of it,” Daichi said as he shook his head while thinking of his mother nagging him. The thought suddenly sent shivers to his spine.

Lena suddenly laughed out loud. “Okay . . . . now I understand. You're being afraid of your mother again?” she asked while still laughing.

Daichi looked at Lena with a embarrassed look on his face. “Hey! Stop laughing. That's not fair. Who wouldn't be afraid of my mother especially when she's very upset. You should try listening to her unending nagging when she's angry. Oh! Just thinking of it makes me want to run and hide.”

Lena laughed again. “I know . . . I know . . . sorry . . . I was just teasing you. But frankly . . . I can take care of myself. I don't want your secretary to stay with me. If anything goes wrong, I will call you immediately.”

Daichi just shook his head. He knew that he couldn't easily convince Lena to have his secretary stay with her.

Jaejoong looked at Lena then at Daichi. Suddenly an idea came to his mind.

“I don't have anything to do today . . . I will gladly take care of Lena . . . if that is okay with you,” Jaejoong suddenly said. His heart was somehow beating very fast while waiting for Daichi's answer. Jaejoong knew that there was a big possibility that he might object since he is a guy. And he can't possibly let another man take care of his future wife.

Daichi stared at Jaejoong . . . . then he fixed his eyes on Lena.

“Are you sure you don't have anything to do anything to do today?” Daichi asked Jaejoong.

“Yes . . . we don't have any scheduled activities for today,” Jaejoong answered.

Daichi smiled. “Fine . . . I'll just call my secretary and tell her to go straight to the office instead.”

“So it's okay with you that I stay with her all day?” Jaejoong asked as if surprised. He didn't expect that Daichi would agree so easily to having another man take care of Lena.

“Yes . . . I know the two of you are very close . . . So there's no problem with that. And at least, I can put my mind at rest . . . while I'm at my meetings. . . . since you will be taking care of her,” Daichi answered.

“Can we stay here too?” We also don't have anything to do today?” Max asked suddenly.

Everyone suddenly turned their attention on Max.

“Sure . . . all of you guys can stay here as long as you like,” Daichi replied.

“So there's no problem with you . . . if Lena stays with five handsome men . . . . all alone . . . for one whole day?” Xiah asked teasingly.

“Handsome? Oh Xiah! You're too much . . . .” Lena said while laughing.

“I don't see any problem with that. Don't worry. . . . I'm not the jealous type of guy and I'm certainly not a narrow-minded one,” Daichi said with a smile.

Suddenly Daichi's phone started to ring. He immediately answered it . . . and after several minutes.

“So I'll be going now . . . . Thank you for staying with her while I'm gone,” Daichi said to the DBSK boys.

“Sure . . . It's nothing,” Micky answered.

“She's my best friend . . . So I'll be more than willing to take care of her,” Jaejoong said.

Daichi gave Lena a quick glance. Then he suddenly smiled. “Before I forget . . . Jaejoong can I ask one tiny favor?” he asked.

“What is it?” Jaejoong asked.

“Do you think you can stay with her tonight . . . maybe until tomorrow morning?” Daichi asked.

Jaejoong's eyes widened with shock . . . The other DBSK boys' were all shocked as well.

“Daichi!” Lena uttered with an angry tone.

“What I can't let you sleep in the apartment all alone. I don't think I will be able to come here after my last meeting . . . . since I know it will be very late. So I think it would be better if he stayed over for the night. At least, if something happened, he would be here,” Daichi answered.

Lena frowned. She knew that the reasoning that Daichi gave her was just part of the whole reason why he wanted Jaejoong to stay with her.

On the other hand, Jaejoong was very upset . . . . because he was thinking that Daichi didn't really care about Lena that much.

“What a jerk! How could he possibly let another man stay in an apartment alone with his future wife . . . even if the guy is her best friend. If I were him . . . . I would never allow it,” Jaejoong thought to himself as he looked at Daichi.

Daichi looked at Jaejoong. “So is it okay with you? Can you stay here tonight . . . . with her?” Daichi asked Jaejoong.

Jaejoong just nodded. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth . . . . he might end up saying something bad.

“Well . . . that's good. Thank you . . . . So I'll be going now,” Daichi said. Then he slowly walked up to where Lena was sitting and gently kissed her on the forehead. “Bye,” he said.

“Bye . . . and have your breakfast before you go to your first meeting okay?” Lena said.

“Yes . . . don't worry. . . . Bye everyone . . . .” Daichi said as he hurriedly left the apartment.

As soon as Daichi left, Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know all sighed with relief. They all felt very awkward dealing with Daichi. They were somehow very uncomfortable whenever he was around.

“So let's eat breakfast already,” Max said with a smile.

The other DBSK boys laughed.

“Yes, you can all start having breakfast now. I know all of you are already hungry,” Lena said with a smile.

While Micky, Max, U-Know and Xiah were happily having their breakfast . . . Lena and Jaejoong were both thinking of what will happen next . . . . Both of them were thinking what will happen once they were already alone with each other.



CHAPTER 11

After having breakfast, Lena and the DBSK boys all decided to watch a movie. An hour passed . . . . . Jaejoong couldn't stand Lena's silence anymore.

“Why don't you go back to your room and rest?” Jaejoong asked Lena. She was quietly sitting right next to him on the sofa.

“I'm fine . . . . Besides I won't be able to go back to sleep anyway. If I go back to bed, I'll just end up passing my time looking at the ceiling,” Lena answered while staring blankly at the wide screen tv.

“Well . . . . you're just passing your time staring at the tv screen already. Are you understanding what we are watching?” Jaejoong asked again. He had been observing her for the past hour.

Lena looked at Jaejoong, then she suddenly smiled. “Frankly . . . . no. I'm thinking about something else.”

“Would you like to talk about it?” Jaejoong asked softly.

Lena stared straight into Jaejoong's eyes. She saw the concern he was feeling for her . . . . and somehow this warmed her heart. She really needed someone to talk to. But she was thinking that he wasn't really the right person to talk to.

“No, thanks . . . . It's nothing.”

Lena felt so lonely. She needed someone to talk to about what she was feeling and everything that was running through her mind. And she was also very tired . . . . tired of trying to cope up with everything that was happening around her.

Suddenly she decided to lean on Jaejoong's shoulder . . . . and then she closed her eyes.

Jaejoong's whole body stiffened as Lena's head laid down on his shoulder.

“Lena . . . .” he uttered.

“Remember . . . . when we were young, I would always sit next to you and I would always lay down my head on your shoulder . . . then I would always fall asleep?” she asked while she kept her eyes closed.

Jaejoong smiled as he remembered their times together. “Yes . . . and I would always end up looking after you while you slept like a baby.”

“Jaejoong . . . . I wish we didn't have to grow up . . . . I wish we didn't have to grow apart . . .” Lena said then she suddenly stopped talking.

“Lena. . . .” Jaejoong uttered her name again. He didn't know what to say.

“I wish we were still young . . . everything was so simple back then . . . no complications . . . no limitations . . . . no Daichi to think about . . . .” she said with sadness in her voice.

Jaejoong's heart suddenly pounded the moment he heard her say those words. He also wished that they could go back to the times that they were very close with each other.

The other DBSK boys looked at each other, then at Jaejoong and Lena. They heard what Lena had said and they instantly knew that they needed to give Lena and Jaejoong some time alone with each other.

“I just remembered I need to call somebody,” Xiah suddenly said.

“And I also need to go online today,” Max said.

Lena suddenly opened her eyes. She then looked at the other DBSK boys and then she smiled.

“You're all very sweet . . . . but you guys don't have to leave,” she said as she closed her eyes again. “I know you just want to give Jaejoong and me some time alone.”

“We can leave . . . if you guys want some privacy,” Max said with a smile.

“It's okay . . .There's nothing important we need to talk about anyway,” Lena answered.

Jaejoong's facial expression hardened.

“Yes . . . there is,” Jaejoong said.

Lena immediately opened her eyes and lifted her head . . . then she looked at Jaejoong.

“What do we need to talk about?” she asked curiously.

“Have you really decided to marry that guy?” Jaejoong asked seriously. “He obviously has a different way of taking care of his future wife . . . . Imagine . . . asking another guy to stay in her fiancee's apartment for a whole day and night.”

“But there's nothing wrong with that . . . . You're my best friend and Daichi knows that. So he doesn't really mind,” she said with a smile.

“Yes . . . . we're best friends. But we're adults now . . . Everything's different now,” Jaejoong uttered.

Lena laughed. “Different? How? I know you . . . . Jaejoong. Yes, we're already adults. But nothing's changed. You still treat me like I'm one of the boys. So even if we stay locked up together in a room . . . . nothing's going to happen between us.”

Jaejoong felt that there was a huge lump in his throat. He suddenly couldn't understand what he was feeling. He didn't know what to say and his mind had totally gone blank.

“Why am I feeling this way?” he kept on asking himself. “What's wrong with me? She's just my best friend . . . .”


“Jaejoong . . .” she uttered his name.

Jaejoong looked at Lena. “Are you really accepting your fate with him? Aren't you even going to try and ask your parents to change their minds,” he asked softly. The questions were still running through his mind.

“Jaejoong . . . .I've tried every means to persuade my parents . . . . I've tried reasoning with them . . . I've tried begging them . . . . I've tried rebelling against them . . . . I've even tried running away from them . . . . But it always ended with the same result . . . . Nothing!” Lena answered.

She then looked at Jaejoong's reaction, and bitterly smiled.

“How many times do we have to discuss this? Do you really think that I just accepted this arrangement without any fight? . . . . I fought with my parents, Jaejoong . . . . more than a dozen times . . . All of which ended violently . . . . “ she then laughed. “Well . . . . more likely I was the one being violent. I think I broke more than a dozen priceless figurines in our house . . . . excluding the dozens of plates I broke one time during my tantrum . . . and excluding the dozens of wine glasses I broke on another tantrum episode. You do remember my bad temper right?” she asked with a laugh.

Jaejoong stared at Lena. How he pitied her.

“Yes . . . . I remember you have such a bad temper . . . that whenever you have one, everyone just avoids you,” he then laughed lightly. “Even the boys in our neighborhood are afraid of you.”

Lena laughed as well. She then shook her head in agreement.

“Yes . . . . even the boys are afraid of me . . . . Only you have the guts to approach me when I am in a bad mood.”

The other DBSK boys just quietly listened as Lena and Jaejoong talked. They all pitied Lena. They knew being in an arranged marriage was a very hard situation.

“I remember whenever you're having a bad day . . . your mother would call me and Yoora to come to your house so that we could calm you down,” Jaejoong said as he remembered everything like it was only yesterday.

“Yoora? She'll be here next week,” Lena said.

“Really?” Jaejoong asked. “Why?” he asked curiously.

Lena looked at Jaejoong. “Should I tell him?” she asked herself.

“Lena . . . .” Jaejoong uttered as he noticed that she was thinking of something.

Lena tried to smile. “She'll be here on a vacation. . . . But to be exact . . . . she'll be here for the engagement party and the wedding as well.”

“Engagement? . . . . Wedding?” Jaejoong asked with total shock.

The other DBSK boys saw their hyung's reaction after he heard the word “wedding.” The reaction on his face already gave the boys the proof that they were searching for. Now they could easily say he had feelings for her.

“When is the engagement?” Max asked.

“And when is the wedding?” Xiah asked again.

“The engagement will be next month . . . and the wedding? . . . “ she suddenly stopped and started to think. “I think the wedding will follow immediately after the engagement. I'm calculating, I'll be engaged and married in a matter of two months . . . So Yoora will be here so I can enjoy my remaining days . . . .” Lena answered.

“Remaining days? Sounds like you're dying and not getting married,” Micky commented.

Lena laughed with sadness in her eyes. “You're quite right, Micky. It does sound like I'm dying . . . . But the truth is . . . I am already dying inside . . . Getting married with someone I don't love is like committing suicide . . . . So yeah . . . you could say I am dying . . . So I guess, by the time I get married with Daichi . . . I will be considering myself dead . . . .”

“Dying . . . dead? Why are you saying such horrible words? If you don't want to marry him . . . then don't. Don't just give in and spend your whole life regretting everything,” Jaejoong said angrily.

“We're leaving . . . the two of you need to talk,” U-Know said to Lena and Jaejoong.

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know immediately left Lena's apartment. They knew the two needed some time alone to sort out their personal feelings.


CHAPTER 12


Lena looked at Jaejoong. . . . .

“I've missed you Jaejoong . . . .” she uttered.

As he heard those words, he immediately glanced at her.

Lena smiled. “We haven't seen each other for more than a year . . . . are we going to end up fighting now?”

“We have never fought . . . . even once . . . .” he uttered.

“Yes . . . it's because you've always been very patient with me,” she said as she laid down her head again on his shoulder.

“I need a friend now Jaejoong . . . please,” she suddenly said.

Jaejoong felt his heart was very heavy.

“I'm always your friend . . . I will always be your friend,” he said softly.

“Friend . . . .” Lena uttered. (“But I want you more than a friend . . . . I love you. I have loved you for years now . . . . Can't you see it? Can't you feel it?”) she asked in her mind.

“I'm concerned with you Lena. That's why I'm being emotional,” Jaejoong said.

“I know . . . . and thank you for your concern,” she replied.

“Lena . . . . about the guy that you like . . . who is he?” Jaejoong started to ask. His heart was pounding.

“He . . . he is just an illusion . . . someone I can never have . . . someone who will never love me in return,” she answered sadly.

“How did the two of you meet?” he asked again.

Lena smiled. “I met him when I was still young.”

Jaejoong's heart suddenly ached. “Don't tell me, he's one of the boys in our neighborhood.”

(“Should I tell him the truth? What if he suddenly withdraws from me?”) she asked herself.

“Lena . . . he's a boy from our place?” Jaejoong asked again. He wanted to make sure.

“Uhmm . . . . yes.”

Jaejoong felt his heart suddenly break into two pieces. He suddenly closed his eyes. He didn't know why but somehow he wanted to cry. He was feeling very weak.

“I've finally fallen in love, Jaejoong. When we were still young, we would talk about falling in love right?” she then laughed. “You always said that the one you would fall in love with would be someone very special. Have you found her? Have you fallen in love Jaejoong?”

Jaejoong didn't know what to answer. Different questions and different emotions were making him very confused.

“No . . . I haven't,” he answered.

“Why?” she asked.

Lena closed her eyes. She knew her tears were about to fall. She was hurting deep inside. She knew it was very impossible. But she was hoping that he would say yes and say that he was in love with her. She wanted to sob. But she still tried to control herself. She bit her lower lip as she tried to stop herself from crying.

“I still haven't found the right girl, I guess. That's why I haven't fallen in love yet. I always imagined that the moment I see that special girl . . . . I would instantly know . . . . at that exact moment . . . that she is the one for me,” he answered.

(“Why? Why can't you fall in love with me?”) she asked in her mind again.

Lena tried to hold herself back from crying. She needed to know . . . . she wanted to know what was on his mind.

“Jaejoong . . . you always said that you would never fall in love with a friend . . . . why?” she asked softly.

Jaejoong smiled. “You've asked me that question a million times already . . . Aren't you tired?”

“No . . . . I just wanted to know if maybe . . . . your view had changed,” she answered.

“I don't think my opinion about falling in love with a friend will ever change. For me, a friend will always be a friend. If I fall in love with a friend. . . . it's like falling in love with one of my sisters. It's not right . . . .” he said.

“So you still haven't changed your mind . . . . “ she softly uttered.

“Why are you asking me these things again?” he asked.

“Nothing . . . .”

“Does Daichi know that you're in love with another guy?” Jaejoong asked.

“Yes . . . .”

“And he doesn't mind? He's still going to marry you even though you're in love with someone else?” he asked as if surprised.

“I never lied to him . . . I told him everything . . . . So I guess he already accepted it,” she answered.

“He's really something . . . . If I were him . . . I wouldn't be able to go through with it,” he uttered.

“Yes . . . the two of you are really different,” she said sadly. (“What a sad fate we have . . . I love you but you don't love me . . . . Daichi loves me but I don't love him . . . . If I could only teach my heart who to love . . . . I would have done it a long time ago . . .”) she said in her mind.

“Daichi seems to be a nice guy after all . . . . But are you sure you're going to be happy with him?” he asked with a heavy heart.

“Do you have to ask that? Do you think a person could ever be happy with someone he or she doesn't love?” she replied.

“So you're saying that you know that you won't be happy with him?” he asked.

“The only person I can only be happy with is the one I am in love with . . . . “ she answered.

“Can you tell me who he is?” Jaejoong asked.

“Maybe someday . . . . you'll know . . . . But as of now . . . . I'm sorry . . . But I can't tell you who he is.”

Jaejoong opened his eyes. He stared blankly at the TV screen in front of them. He then gently reached out for Lena's hand.

Lena opened her eyes as well. She looked at her hand as Jaejoong gently clasped it with his hand. Her heart was beating very fast. If she could only stay close to him forever. She was willing to trade everything that she had for a chance to be with him.

Lena sighed. “Jaejoong . . . . what will you do if a friend suddenly confesses her love to you?”

Jaejoong's heart suddenly skipped a beat. “What?' What are you saying?”

“Let's say a friend . . . tells you that she's in love with you . . . . What would you do?” she asked again.

“I . . . I don't know. But I would surely become uncomfortable with her . . . . I would feel a little uneasy dealing with her, that's for sure . . . .” he answered.

“Just as I thought . . . . So you would basically be avoiding her after she confesses right?” she asked with sadness in her voice.

“I don't know how to interact with her after she tells me her feelings . . . . Frankly I never imagined a girl would ever do that. It is very degrading to a girl if she confesses to a guy first. For me . . . it is a little bit awkward. So yes . . . I think I would just avoid her after she confesses,” Jaejoong answered.

Lena sighed. She was right. She had already guessed what Jaejoong's reaction will be once he knew she treated him more than a friend. Now she knew . . . . she shouldn't tell him. . . . She could never tell him the truth. . . . .

Lena's tears started to fall one by one . . . . She wanted to tell him her true feelings . . . but she didn't want to lose him as a friend.



CHAPTER 13


It was already after lunch when Xiah, Micky, U-Know and Max decided to return to Lena's apartment. They knew they had already given enough time for Jaejoong and Lena to talk. They were already very curious as to what had happened to the two. They wanted to know if something romantic had occurred. They were already noticing the special feelings that their hyung had for his friend. And they had also observed the special care that Lena was giving Jaejoong.

“Do you think it is wise that we disturb them?” Xiah asked the other DBSK boys while they were waiting outside Lena's apartment.

“Well. . . . it's already lunch time, hyung. I'm hungry. We should disturb . . . if we all plan to eat,” Max answered.

“What do you think they are doing right now?” Micky asked with a mischievous grin.

“Hey . . . hyung is not like you,” Max protested.

Micky's eyes suddenly widened with shock. “And what do you mean by that?”

“Nothing . . .” Max answered with a big grin.

Micky just shook his head and continuously rang the door bell.

“That's weird! Why haven't they opened the door yet?” U-Know asked with a worried look on his face.

“Maybe . . . that only means . . . . we shouldn't disturb them,” Micky said again with a malicious grin.

Max suddenly decided to lean on the door while waiting. He was already hungry and his hunger was making him very weak. As soon as he leaned on the door, it suddenly opened.

“Hey! The door’s open,” Max exclaimed.

“Maybe Jaejoong didn’t close it after we left,” Xiah said.

“Well . . . let’s see what those two are up to,” Micky uttered as he entered Lena’s apartment.

“Maybe they are already finished cooking lunch,” Max said as he thought of the different dishes he was expecting to see.

The four DBSK boys quietly entered Lena’s apartment. Once they entered the living room . . . . they were shocked with what they saw.

“What’s this?” Micky asked.

Lena and Jaejoong were still on the couch . . . . sleeping. Jaejoong was sleeping while in a sitting position and Lena was lying her head on his lap . . . sleeping soundly as well.

Micky laughed. “Is this the romantic scene we were all expecting to see?”

Xiah smiled. “Maybe . . . they both got tired of talking . . . so they just decided to sleep.”

“Let’s go to the kitchen . . . . Let’s see if they already cooked lunch,” Max uttered while still hoping to see food.

U-Know just shook his head. “Should we wake them up?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Xiah replied.

“Let’s just leave them alone,” Micky answered.

“Yes. . . wake them up. . . I am starving already,” Max exclaimed.

Jaejoong suddenly opened his eyes after hearing Max’s voice.

“Huh? You guys are back?” he asked while still trying to control himself from yawning.

“It’s already lunch time hyung,” Max announced.

“Lunch time already? Sorry . . . . I haven’t cooked yet,” Jaejoong said.

He was about to get up . . . . when he remembered that Lena was sleeping on his lap. He suddenly looked at her. After seeing that she was still asleep, he gently caressed her hair.

“Can one of you help me? I need to get up. But be careful . . . I don’t want to wake her up,” Jaejoong said to the other DBSK boys.

Micky immediately took Lena in his arms. “Should I bring her to her room?” he asked while still carrying her.

“Yes . . .” Jaejoong replied.

Jaejoong immediately led Micky to Lena’s room.

While Micky was carrying Lena, he couldn’t avoid but look at Lena’s beautiful face. She was like an angel sleeping in his arms.

U-Know suddenly nudged Micky. Jaejoong was already looking at Micky with a weird expression on his face.

Jaejoong arranged Lena’s bed as Micky gently placed her down. After making sure that Lena was still sleeping soundly and comfortably, Jaejoong and the other DBSK boys finally left her room.

Jaejoong went straight to the kitchen and hurriedly cooked. He didn’t want Lena to wake up and still find him cooking. He knew that she would surely help him, and he didn’t want her to get tired.

He finished cooking lunch in just fifteen minutes. He knew that the other DBSK boys were already hungry. So he hurriedly set the table.

They were already eating when Max suddenly remembered something.

“Aren’t we going to wake Lena up? Isn’t she supposed to have lunch with us?” Max asked the others.

“Just let her sleep . . . I’ll take care of her when she wakes up,” Jaejoong answered.

“You’re really very sweet with her,” Micky commented.

Jaejoong stared at Micky. “I’ve always been this way with her.”

“So you mean . . . you have special feelings for her?” Micky asked.

Jaejoong laughed. ”Don’t be silly, we’re just friends.”

“Everything starts at friendship . . . .” Micky uttered.

“Hyung . . . . there’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a friend . . . . especially when it’s someone like Lena,” Max added.

“She’s nice and pretty . . . what more can a guy ask for?” Xiah said with a smile.

“And she seems to have special feelings for you as well,” U-Know said seriously.

Jaejoong stared at his friends. “We’re just friends . . . . nothing more, nothing less. And besides, you’re all forgetting that she’s about to be engaged and married. . .”

“That’s why we’re already reminding you of what we are seeing. We don’t want you to regret . . . in the end,” Micky said.

“What you are seeing?” Jaejoong asked as if unable to believe what he heard. “Okay, tell me what are you guys seeing?” he asked again with a grin.

“That you like her more than a friend . . . but you’re just too stubborn to admit it,” U-Know answered.

Jaejoong suddenly glanced at U-Know. Then slowly he lowered his head. He started to contemplate on what U-Know had said. A part of him knew that what his friend was saying was true.

“I can’t fall in love with her. What will her parents say? What will my parents and sisters say when they find out about it? I know they won’t approve of it. She’s a part of my family . . . I can’t fall for her. And the only reason why I care about her is because of our friendship,” Jaejoong said as he stared at the uneaten food in front of him.

“Are you sure?” Micky asked again.

“I don’t have any special feelings for her. In fact, I don’t feel anything for her. Isn’t a guy supposed to feel a special feeling for a girl on the very first time they meet? I have been with her for years now and I already know everything about her . . . that she’s like an open book. There’s no thrill and no special feelings between us. Honestly . . . I can never fall in love with her . . . . she’s just like my sister.” Jaejoong said. He was very confused on what his true feelings were.

“But I am not your sister . . . .” a voice suddenly said.

The DBSK boys were all surprised. They immediately looked at the direction where the voice came from.

Lena was standing near the door of the dining room. They were all surprised to see her crying.

“Lena . . . .” Jaejoong uttered.

“I’m not your sister . . . Jaejoong . . . And there’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a friend . . . I should know because . . . because I’ve already fallen in love . . . . with you . . . I have loved you for ten years now, Jaejoong . . .” Lena said as tears rolled down her eyes.

Jaejoong was shocked. His mind went totally blank.

“I love you Jaejoong. I have loved you for a very long time now . . . . And you’re the main reason why I don’t want to accept Daichi. I was waiting for you, Jaejoong. But now . . . after hearing you say those words. I guess I have to return to reality now,” she said as she tried to control herself.

“Thank you . . . now . . . . I know what I really mean to you. I guess . . . it’s time for me to stop dreaming and waiting for you to love me. I’m sorry . . . but I just couldn’t stop myself. I fell in love with you . . . without even realizing it.”

Lena smiled bitterly. “So now I guess . . .you’ll be avoiding me now? But I’m glad I’ve finally told you the truth. I am happy . . . that I was finally able to say what I truly feel. So after confessing my love to you . . . . I guess this is also where our friendship ends. I’m sorry, Jaejoong,” Lena said as she quickly turned and left . . . while tears streamed down her face.

Jaejoong’s heart was beating very fast. He was very confused on what to do. And what he was really feeling.

“Hyung . . . aren’t you going to talk with her?” Max asked Jaejoong.

“Jaejoong . . . .” U-Know uttered.

“Hyung . . . . “ Max uttered again.

Jaejoong wanted to talk with Lena. But he didn’t know what to say or how to start their conversation. Now . . . . that he knew what Lena really feels for him, he was somehow unable to decide whether he could continue their friendship or not. His mind was going in different directions that he couldn’t think straight. He just continued to stare blankly at the table.

The other DBSK boys were all silent as they watched their friend. They knew he was very shocked and confused. But they had already guessed that Lena had special feelings for Jaejoong the very first time they saw her. They saw how Lena looked at Jaejoong . . . how she cared for him. It was very obvious and impossible not to notice.

It seems Jaejoong was the only one who couldn’t see . . . or more exactly, didn’t want to see . . . that Lena was in love with him. He was trying to deny everything, even his own feelings.

Micky worriedly looked at Jaejoong, then at the door where Lena had just left. He then suddenly stood up and left the dining room. He went straight to Lena’s room . . . . but she wasn’t there. He also checked the other room, but she wasn’t there either. Micky searched Lena’s apartment . . . . but she was nowhere to be found.

He then went to the dining room.

“If you’re not worried about her . . . then fine. Just make sure that you’re prepared if something bad suddenly happens to her,” Micky said to Jaejoong while looking straight at him.

Jaejoong suddenly lifted his gaze at Micky. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Lena’s left the apartment,” Micky answered.

“Hyung . . . it’s raining outside. She’s already weak . . . she might get worse,” Max said with concern.

“We should look for her,” Xiah said.

“Jaejoong . . . . pull yourself together. Can you please try to set aside everything that you have heard . . . We need to find Lena,” U-Know said as he gently tapped Jaejoong’s shoulder.

Jaejoong looked at his friends. His mind was kind of blurry. He didn’t know what to say or think.

“She might already be shivering in the rain right now. Let’s try to find her quickly,” Micky said.

As Micky said those words . . . Lena’s image suddenly appeared in Jaejoong’s mind. He pictured her all soaked in the rain. . . . shivering . . . . walking aimlessly while crying.

The thought of Lena being in such a pitiful condition made Jaejoong very worried. He hurriedly stood up and immediately ran out of the apartment. The only thing in his mind at that moment . . . . . was that he needed to find her fast.



CHAPTER 14


Jaejoong hurriedly ran out of the apartment building. He didn't know why but his heart was beating very fast.

The rain was pouring very hard. And within seconds, after he went out of the building, he was already soaking wet.

He looked in different directions . . . he was hoping to see Lena. Jaejoong turned left and right . . . he didn't know where to go.

"Lena . . . where are you?" he uttered.

The rain continued to pour as Jaejoong continued to search for Lena.

Some people on the streets were already looking at Jaejoong. They knew who he was and they were all wondering what he was doing out in the rain.

But Jaejoong didn't care . . . . He wasn't concerned about himself . . . all he cared about was Lena. He knew right at that moment . . . she was already soaked in the rain as well. And he also knew that he needed to find her fast before something bad happens to her.

Jaejoong was already getting crazy with worry. He wanted to call out Lena's name. But he knew he couldn't do it. He was already attracting too much attention being out in the rain. He knew if he called out for her . . . he would surely make a bigger scene.

"Lena . . . ." he uttered as again as he continued to search for her.

He had already been searching for more than fifteen minutes. But he still couldn't find her.

"Where could she be?" he asked himself.

He couldn't understand why but he suddenly remembered the park where they both used to go when they were young.

His heart suddenly pounded. He immediately remembered that there was a park near their apartment building.

Jaejoong hurriedly ran in the opposite direction towards the park.

"Lena . . . please be there. Wait for me . . . please," Jaejoong uttered as he ran as if his whole life depended on it.

In the park . . . .

Lena was sitting on a bench. She was crying . . . but somehow the rain was hiding her tears. She stared blankly at the open space before her. She was already cold and soaked in the rain . . . but she didn't care.

The coldness of the rain was somehow numbing her heart. . . . She needed it . . . She was in so much pain. She was already wishing that she would die right at that moment.

Lena remembered the words that Jaejoong had said. She smiled bitterly. She said to herself that she would never expect him to fall in love with her. But hearing him say those words out loud were like pins stuck in her heart.

She started to cry uncontrollably. Her mind was already crowded with so many questions and so many regrets.

"I should have never fallen in love with you, Jaejoong . . . . then maybe everything would have been much more simple," she uttered as tears continued to fall.

Jaejoong was already out of breath . . . but he still kept on running. As soon as he arrived at the park, he immediately tried to look for her.

He was already going insane.

"Lena . . . ." he started to call her name.

He no longer cared about whether he was going to make a scene or not. He needed to find her . . . he wanted to find her.

"Lena . . . ." he called out again.

He continued to walk with a fast pace . . . . he turned his head left and right . . . . hoping to see her.

Then his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

A few meters away from him . . . . a familiar figure was sitting on a bench . . . It was Lena.

He could tell that she was still crying. She was sobbing uncontrollably . . . . and somehow seeing her in such a pitiful state was breaking Jaejoong's heart into pieces.

Slowly . . . . Jaejoong walked up to Lena.

"Lena . . . . " he softly uttered.

Surprised . . . . Lena looked up. She never expected to see him. He was standing right in front of her. He was already very wet. . . . the same way that she was. It was obvious that he had been out in the rain for a long time as well.

"Go away!" she uttered as she hurriedly stood up. She was about to walk away . . . when Jaejoong suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Let's talk . . .please . . . " Jaejoong said.

Lena stared back at Jaejoong. She tried hard to control her feelings. "Talk? We don't have anything to talk about . . . ."

"Yes . . . we do. . . . We need to talk . . . . about us," he replied.

"I don't want to talk with you . . . In fact, I never want to see you again," she said coldly.

Jaejoong tightened his grip on Lena's arm. He was determined to talk with her. He knew they needed to sort out her problem.

Jaejoong sighed heavily." Lena, please . . . . Listen to me . . . ."

"No!" she shouted.

Jaejoong's heart was aching. He could see that Lena was in so much pain. He wanted to comfort her . . . and he wanted to make her feel what he was feeling.

"Lena . . . ."

He suddenly pulled her into his arms. . . . then he embraced her tightly. Lena tried to break free from his embrace . . . . but he just held her tighter.

"Please . . . . let me hold you . . . ." Jaejoong begged.

Lena's heart somehow stopped the moment she heard him say those words. During the entire time that they knew each other . . . she had never. . . ever heard him beg anyone . . . for anything.

She closed her eyes . . . .and slowly eased her entire body. . . . Slowly . . . . she rested her head on Jaejoong's chest. . . . and slowly she returned her embrace.

"I'm sorry . . . if I've hurt you. . . But I'm quite confused on what I am feeling right now. I don't know if what I'm feeling for you is because of our friendship or. . . . because of love . . . I'm sorry . . . Please give me more time to discover my true feelings for you . . . . " Jaejoong uttered as he held Lena in his arms.

"But time is something . . . . I am already running out of Jaejoong . . . You don't have to be kind to me and tell me sweet things just to avoid hurting my feelings. I know . . . . you can never fall in love with me . . . . because if you were able to . . . . you would have fallen in love with me . . . a long time ago . . ." she softly said as the rain drops covered her tears.

Lena's tears were falling continuously. She knew that he was just being kind to her . . . She knew there was no way that he could ever love her back.

"Lena . . . ."

"Can you just hold me? Please . . . . You don't have to say anything . . . . You don't have to lie . . . . Just hold me . . . . I want to cherish this moment. Because I know I may never have the chance to hold you . . . and to be close to you like this again . . . . Even for a short time . . . . I want to experience what it feels like to have the man that I really love hold me," she said with a trembling voice.

Jaejoong tightened his embrace. He knew that Lena was crying again. He could feel her trying to control her sobbing.

Jaejoong gently caressed Lena's hair . . . and slowly he kissed her forehead.

He felt like his mind and heart were going to explode any moment. He was very confused. . . . confused on what he was really feeling for Lena . . . . and confused on what to do next.

Jaejoong closed his eyes as he embraced Lena. He felt like he wanted to hold her in his arms . . . . forever. It was as if . . . she was made to fit in his arms perfectly. But he still didn't know if what he was feeling was good enough as a reason to say that he loved her.

His heart was pounding . . . and aching. He had never fallen in love . . . so he had no idea of what love really was.

Lena knew and felt Jaejoong's confusion . . . Suddenly . . . .

"I love you, Jaejoong. . . . I love you, my friend . . . ." she softly uttered.

It was her last chance to say what she really felt about him. . . . and it was also her way of saying goodbye.



CHAPTER 15


The rain continued to pour as Jaejoong and Lena quietly held each other.

Suddenly . . . Lena started to shiver. Jaejoong immediately released her from his embrace and worriedly looked at her.

“I think it's time we head back to the apartment,” he uttered.

Lena smiled. “I'm fine . . . . Don't worry.”

“You might get sick if we stay out in the rain any longer. You're already shivering. . . . Come on . . . .” Jaejoong said as he held out his hand to her.

Lena looked at the hand in front of her . . . . He heart was beating very fast. . . . Slowly she reached out and held on to it . . . .

Jaejoong smiled as soon as he held Lena's hand.

“Come on . . . . Let's hurry . . . .” he said as he gently pulled her.

Jaejoong and Lena started to ran back to the apartment . . . . while holding each other's hand. Somehow right at that moment . . . . their hearts were beating as one.

They had already arrived at the apartment building when Jaejoong suddenly remembered something.

“Do you still remember the time when we were little . . . . we went out to play in the park . . . . but suddenly it rained . . .?” Jaejoong asked.

“And then we ended up running back to your house, even if the rain was pouring hard . . . and then we both ended up being scolded by your mother because we were both drenched in the rain . . . .” Lena continued to tell what happened as if it was only yesterday.

Jaejoong nodded happily. “I could still remember my mother's face when she saw us . . . .” he said with a smile.

Lena smiled as well. “Your mother was very nice . . . . she immediately helped me to change my clothes . . . .”

“Yes . . . . my mother loved you like you were her daughter . . . .” Jaejoong uttered. “I remember I asked her why she took care of you first . . . . before she took care of me . . . .Do you know what she answered?”

“What?” Lena asked curiously.

“She said you were a part of our family . . . and since she knows that you're very fragile . . . That's why she took care of you first,” Jaejoong answered.

Lena smiled again. “ Jaejoong . . . .” she slowly uttered.

“Why?” he asked.

“Thank you . . . .” she uttered.

“Thank you for what?” he asked again.

“For . . . . everything . . . For searching for me, even if it was raining. . . . For trying to understand . . . . For not being mad . . . . For being my friend . . . . “ she said as she looked straight at his eyes.

Jaejoong smiled sweetly. Then he gently caressed Lena's face . . . .”I can never get mad with you . . . . . And you don't have to say thank you for anything.”

Lena felt the warmth of Jaejoong's hand as he caressed her face. She couldn't stop herself. . . . but her heart was somehow rejoicing. Everything was almost perfect . . . . The only thing missing was for her to see love in Jaejoong's eyes.

Lena smiled bitterly as she suddenly turned away from Jaejoong. She was day dreaming again. She knew she had to teach herself to finally accept the truth.

Sadness suddenly filled her heart . . . . She knew she will never have the chance to see love in his eyes.

“Let's go . . . . I . . . . I'm already cold,” Lena suddenly said. She just made up an excuse so she could break away from Jaejoong.

Jaejoong looked at Lena. Her sudden change had somehow made him very confused. He somehow understood what was happening to her and why she was acting in such a way. But he still couldn't stop himself from being confused and disturbed.

They silently went to Lena's apartment. It was as if their special moment in the rain had never happened.

Jaejoong suddenly felt the coldness and it was hurting him just seeing Lena being distant with him.

The moment they stepped into the apartment. . . . .

“Hyung . . . .”

“Lena . . . . “

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know hurriedly went up to Jaejoong and Lena.

“You're both very wet . . .” Xiah said with concern.

“I'll get some towels . . .” Micky said as he hurriedly searched for towels in the bathroom.

After a few minutes, he returned with two towels in hand. He immediately gave one of the towels to Jaejoong, and then he gently wrapped the other towel over Lena. He was very concerned with her.

Jaejoong was looking at Micky and Lena. And somehow he couldn't stop himself from feeling jealous. He didn't want Micky beside Lena. . . . . He felt he didn't want to see Lena beside any other man except him.

He was already going mad. He couldn't understand why he was feeling that way. He didn't want to become jealous just because of Micky. . . . He was his friend. . . . And he knew he had no right to be jealous. He wasn't Lena's boyfriend or fiancee . . .

“I have no right to be jealous . . .” Jaejoong kept on telling himself.

Jaejoong sighed heavily. “I'm going back to our apartment to change my clothes . . . . Can you guys stay here with Lena?”

“Sure . . . . hyung . . . .” Max answered.

Jaejoong hurriedly left Lena's apartment. He was feeling very guilty because of the fact that he was jealous with Micky.

He entered his room . . . . with his mind all messed up. He laid down on his bed. Somehow he felt so tired. His whole body was wet . . . . but he didn't care.

He closed his eyes. His mind and his heart were all running in different directions. His mind was being rational while his heart was being emotional.

“Aaaaahhhhh!!!” he shouted to let out his frustrations.

“If you're feeling something for her, then you should try to be true to yourself . . . .admit it . . . . and let her know . . . . “ a voice suddenly said.

Jaejoong suddenly opened his eyes and sat on his bed.

U-Know was leaning on the door of his room and was looking at him, with a serious expression on his face.

Jaejoong suddenly cupped his face with his hands. He was totally confused.

“What are you talking about?” he then asked U-Know.

“Still trying to deny . . . . I see . . . .” U-Know uttered with a smile.

“Denying . . . . what?” Jaejoong asked again.

“You're denying that Lena means more than a friend to you . . . .” U-Know said.

“I . . . . I'm still . . . . undecided about that,” Jaejoong slowly uttered.

U-Know suddenly approached Jaejoong. And then he sat down beside him on the bed.

“She's a nice girl . . . . And we can all see that she's not happy with her pre-arranged marriage with Daichi. Frankly, I sympathize with her. If I were put in that kind of situation . . . . I wouldn't know what to do . . . .” U-Know said.

Jaejoong sighed heavily again. “I know . . . and I can feel her sadness . . . and somehow it's hurting me seeing her in such a pitiful situation.”

U-Know looked straight at his friend. “Tell me . . . . what's wrong? . . . .Why can't you let out your true feelings? I know that something is preventing you from being true to yourself . . . .”

“I'm confused . . . .” Jaejoong uttered.

“I know you're confused . . . . but aside from your so-called confusion . . . . I know something else is bothering you . . . .” U-Kmow said.

Jaejoong stared at his friend. U-Know was right . . . .something else was holding him back.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. “Frankly . . . aside from being a singer . . . . there is nothing else I can be proud of . . . Lena comes from a very wealthy family, while I come from an ordinary one . . . . She's an only child . . . So she's basically going to inherit all her parents' businesses later on . . . . While I don't have anything to expect from my parents . . . . She finished her studies abroad, while I haven't even finished high school. She's lived her whole life in a pampered and secured environment . . . while I have already experienced a lot of hardships . . . .” he suddenly smiled again as he was thinking of Lena. “You have seen Daichi . . . compared with him . . . . I am nothing.”

U-Know shook his head. He was right. . . . His friend was really hiding other reasons for controlling his emotions for Lena. “Jaejoong . . . .love isn't based on the things you have in your life like money, wealth, educational attainment or social status . . . . love just happens . . . . Most of the time . . . . you just fall in love without even knowing it. You say you can't fall in love with her because she's your best friend. But frankly . . . . looking at now . . . . I can say that you're already in love with her. You're just denying it.”

Jaejoong tried to laugh. But his heart was already aching. “There was a time when my mother talked with me seriously regarding my relationship with Lena. I was already fifteen then . . . . I arrived in our house with Lena. We were both very wet because we ran home even if it was raining. That time . . . . no one was home except us. Lena was already shivering and coughing. So I was very worried. I didn't know what to do. I got some of my own clothes and asked her to change her clothes. She immediately went to my room to change. But almost fifteen minutes passed, and she didn't come out of the room. I started to worry. I knocked on the door continuously . . . while asking her if she was all right. But she didn't reply. I forced the door open . . . and I found her unconscious and naked on the floor. At first, I was shocked. I was confused on what to do. But I knew I had to help her first. I immediately carried her to my bed . . . then I put on the dry clothes that I gave her. While I was putting on her clothes . . . . my fingers were trembling . . . . my whole body was trembling. I had already finished putting on her clothes and was already arranging the bed when my mother arrived,” Jaejoong stopped talking.

“And?” U-Know asked.

“When she entered the room . . . . she was shocked to see Lena's wet clothes on the floor of my room. But then she also realized that Lena was unconscious . . . She immediately took care of her . . . But after making sure that she was all right . . . . It was then she asked me to step out of the room . . . and it was then she talked to me,” Jaejoong said.

“What did you talk about?” U-Know asked curiously.

Jaejoong tried to smile. He remembered everything like it was only yesterday.

“At first . . . . she asked me what really happened. And I told her everything . . . from . . . us getting wet because of the rain up to the point when I also told her that I carried Lena to my bed and I also put on the clothes she was wearing. She said that I should have called for help . . . And I shouldn't have carried her mainly because of the reason that she was bare.”

“What?” U-Know asked as if surprised. “So your mother expected you to just leave her like that?”

Jaejoong shook his head as if very confused. “It was then my mother told me to never tell anyone about what had happened and what I had done. She said that she knew that I only wanted to help. . . but Lena came from a very distinguished and wealthy family. If anyone else knew that I had actually seen her naked and had actually carried her while she was without clothes . . . . It would surely make a big issue in her family and in mine . . . .Lena's family might actually demand that I take responsibility for what happened and they might ask me to marry her . . . .” Jaejoong somehow smiled. Somehow he thought that marrying Lena wasn't such a bad idea. He then thought about what might have happened if he and Lena actually ended up being married during that time.

“How can they do that? How can they ask you to marry her when you were only fifteen?” U-Know asked again.

“I also asked my mother how Lena's family can ask me to marry her . . . when we were only fifteen . . . . But then she answered that they could arrange our marriage . . . . just like a pre-arranged marriage . . . so that we could get married when we reached the legal age,” Jaejoong answered.

“Well . . . . frankly . . . . it doesn't sound that bad to me. I think she would have been much happier if she ended being in a pre-arranged marriage with you . . . .” U-Know said with a smile.

“Well . . . . my mother . . . she had other thoughts in mind . . . . It was then she told me that she loved Lena like her own daughter . . . but she doesn't really think that she is fitted to be my wife,” Jaejoong stopped talking. Somehow what he had said caused his heart to ache.

“She said that Lena came from a rich family. She had lived her life surrounded by luxury . . . . My mother said that I can never give or provide the things that Lena has been used to. We were just an ordinary family . . . . She also said that even though she loved Lena like her own daughter . . . . She can never accept her as a daughter-in-law. She can never fit into our kind of living . . . . It would be a cruel punishment for Lena to be married to someone who can't give her the things that she is used to . . . ." Jaejoong said sadly.

"Sorry . . . . but don't you think that's a little unfair?" U-Know asked.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. "Yes . . . . I know . . . . but it was what mother said . . . . and she also made it clear to me the true reason why she didn't her to end up with me . . . ."

"And that is?" U-Know asked.

"First, her family will surely object to me having a relationship with her because of my state of living, and the fact that I am adopted. My mother said that Lena's family will surely find many faults in me that will surely hurt me. And aside from that she deserved someone who can give her the luxury that she is used to . . . . I will never be able to do that . . . . And frankly, she is right . . . .Even at my state of living right now . . . . I still can't compare with Daichi . . . . I can never give her what Daichi can . . . ." Jaejoong uttered sadly.

"That's nonsense . . . ." U-Know said angrily.

Jaejoong looked at his friend. He tried to smile . . . . but somehow his heart wasn't allowing him to even put on a fake smile.

"My mother wanted her to have the best things in life . . . . and I also want that for her . . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"Even if it means . . . . that both of you will end up being miserable all your lives?" U-Know asked seriously.

Jaejoong cupped his face again with his hands. He was really confused . . . . and tired. His mind . . . . and especially his heart was very tired of . . . . everything.



CHAPTER 16


“Hyung . . . . hyung . . . .” Max called out.

Jaejoong and U-Know were both startled as Max hurriedly entered the room.

“Hyung . . . . “ Max said again.

“What's wrong?” Jaejoong asked worriedly.

“Hyung . . . . hurry! Lena has a fever,” Max answered.

Jaejoong hurriedly stood up and ran out of the room. He went straight to Lena's apartment.

In Lena's room . . . . he found Micky sitting beside Lena's bed.

“Hyung . . . .” Micky uttered as he saw Jaejoong enter Lena's room.

Jaejoong immediately went up to Lena. He then gently touched her cheek and then forehead. She really had a fever . . . . and this made him very worried.

Lena slowly opened her eyes . . . . and then she tried to smile. "Don't worry . . . . it's just a little fever . . . . it will go away in a few hours . . . ." she gently said to Jaejoong as she saw the concern written all over his face.

Micky silently left the room. He knew Lena and Jaejoong needed some time alone.

Jaejoong sat down on Lena's bed . . . . Then he looked at her.

Lena smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"You're still the same . . . you always end up being sick whenever you get wet in the rain," Jaejoong uttered.

Lena uttered lightly. "I always end up getting wet in the rain . . . . whenever I'm with you . . . haven't you noticed?"

Jaejoong nodded. "You're right. Maybe . . . . I'm such a bad luck for you . . ."

"Bad luck? No . . . more like a good luck . . . You're my best friend remember?" she said sweetly.

Hearing her say those words, Jaejoong's heart suddenly jumped with joy.

Jaejoong suddenly held Lena's hand.

"Sorry . . . ." he uttered.

"For what?" she asked.

"For everything . . ." he answered.

"For everything? Like what?" she asked again.

Jaejoong just shook his head. "I just want to say sorry . . ."

"Silly . . ." she uttered.

"I was supposed to take care of you . . . But look at you now . . ." Jaejoong said sadly.

"I've already taken a medicine . . . I'll be all right in a few hours. Don't worry about me. It was all my fault. I was the one who foolishly ran out into the rain," she said as she tried to comfort Jaejoong.

Jaejoong looked at Lena again. How he wanted to hold her.

"You need to rest . . ." he softly said to Lena.

Lena just nodded and then she closed her eyes. Within minutes, she somehow had already fallen asleep.

Jaejoong looked at Lena as she slept. He gently arranged a lock of Lena's hair that had fallen out of place. She was like an angel . . . he thought.

"Somehow how I wish you didn't have to marry Daichi . . . There are a lot of things I am really sorry for . . . I'm sorry if I am still unable to decide what I am really feeling for you. And I'm also very sorry for not being able to protect you . . . and take care of you. I'm sorry . . .if I can't love you back. We live in such different worlds that I don't think we can ever fit in each other's lives. You're like a princess who deserves a prince charming . . . who will take you to a beautiful home and provide all the things that you need . . . While I am just a pauper . . . who have nothing to be proud of . . . and who have nothing to give you . . . Yes, I am famous now and have already saved some money which I can be proud of. But I know it isn't enough. I can never match up with Daichi. I can never give you the things that he can . . . I'm sorry, Lena. But I don't think we can ever work out as lovers. Maybe you are really destined to be with Daichi. . . . I admit . . . somehow it hurts me to see you with another man. But maybe it's the best. I just want you to know that I will always be by your side . . . as a friend . . ." Jaejoong softly said as he stared at Lena.

He then gently kissed her on the forehead. . . and quietly closed the door and left the room.

As soon as Jaejoong left the room . . . . Lena slowly opened her eyes. . . . Her eyes were already filled with tears, as she stared at the door.

She tried to control her emotions. She wanted to cry out. The pain she was feeling was too much to bear.

"Am I really just a friend to you, Jaejoong? Am I really destined to be with Daichi? I don't need any material things to be happy . . . I am even willing to trade all the things I have now . . . just for the chance to be with you. I want to be able to experience being with you, not as a friend . . . but as a lover. I want to experience joy and pain in your arms. Why can't you love me . . . Jaejoong? I want you . . . I love you. Can't you see? Can't you feel it? I don't want anyone else . . . I can never be happy with anyone else except you. But I guess there is nothing I can do but respect you decision. Don't worry, I won't bother you anymore. I know I'm just making you confused. I love you Jaejoong. So from now now on, I will teach myself to forget you, and to let you go. Goodbye, Jaejoong. I love you . . . ." Lena said as her tears continued to fall. How she wished that she would just die at that moment. The pain she was feeling was just too much for her.

She had loved Jaejoong for a very long time that she didn't know if she could ever learn to forget him. He had been with her for years now. He was everything to her . . . her love and her life. Somehow just thinking that she will no longer be able to see him makes her heart ache . . . And just thinking that she will have to let him go was like a punishment asking her not to breathe.

Lena cried . . . she needed to cry. She had to teach herself to accept everything . . . even if it was very painful.

Dawn came . . . .

Lena quietly entered the living room. She smiled as she saw the DBSK boys soundly sleeping on different parts of the room.

She quickly returned to her room and after a few minutes returned with five blankets in hand. Slowly . . . she started to place the blankets on the sleeping boys . . . one by one.

Max, Micky and U-Know were all sitting and sleeping on the long sofa. While Xiah was resting his head on a table near the window.

Lastly, Lena slowly walked up to where Jaejoong was. He was sitting near another window in the room. She then noticed the wine glass that was near him.

"Have you been drinking Jaejoong?" she asked him in her mind.

She again arranged the blanket that she had placed on him.

"Take care of yourself . . . Jaejoong . . ." she softly uttered as she gently kissed him on the cheek.

Lena stared at him for the very last time. She wanted to memorize his face and keep it locked up in her mind and in her heart.

She then pulled out a letter from her pocket and gently placed it near Jaejoong.

Slowly . . . her tears started to fall . . . one by one.

"Goodbye . . . ." she uttered once again.

Lena slowly turned away. She then picked up her bag near the door of her room and quietly walked out of the apartment.

While standing outside the apartment building, Lena stared at it once again. She tried to smile and slowly wiped her tears away.

"This is the best for both of us . . . ." she tried to tell herself as she slowly walked away.

An hour passed . . . .

Daichi had just arrived in his home, and was still resting in his room. When the door suddenly opened . . . . and Lena slowly entered.

"Lena . . . what are you doing here this early?" he asked worriedly.

Lena walked up to Daichi . . . . and as soon as she was near him . . . she embraced him.

Daichi was taken by surprise by what Lena did. He instantly knew that something was wrong. He gently touched her head, and he returned her embrace.

"What's wrong?" he softly asked.

Lena just leaned her head on Daichi's chest.

"Just hold me . . . . please . . . ." she uttered.

"Lena . . . ." he uttered.

"Let's get married . . . as soon as possible. I don't want to wait anymore. If possible . . . I want to be married by next week," Lena said with a trembling voice.

Daichi's heart started to beat very fast. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What happened Lena?" he asked again.

"Let's get married . . . as soon as possible . . . please . . .Don't ask why . . . " she uttered once again.

Daichi's heart started to ache. He knew she was just forcing herself to be with him. He slowly closed his eyes . . . and started to pretend. He wanted to pretend that Lena loved him. He embraced her tightly . . . and his tears started to fall.



CHAPTER 17




Jaejoong suddenly opened his eyes. It was as if he heard someone whisper his name. He slowly looked around. The other DBSk boys were still asleep. Then he noticed the small enevelope on the table near him.

"What's this?" he asked himself.

He picked up the envelope and saw that it had his name written on it. He immediately recognized the handwriting . . . it belonged to Lena.

With trembling hands, he quickly opened the letter. Somehow he didn't want to read it because he was afraid of what he might find out. But then he knew that he needed to know . . . even if it was going to hurt him.

Jaejoong,

First of all, I would like to apologize. I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you, for making you confused on whether you like me more than a friend or not, and for disturbing your life and bringing you so much trouble.

I know you're just being kind to me. I know you don't love me . . . and you will never will. Frankly I have always told myself that there is no way you will ever fall in love with me. Somehow I thought I had already gotten used to it and that I had already accepted it as the truth.

But yesterday, you made me realize something . . . And that is I can no longer be your friend. I am already having hope that there is a chance that you will also fall in love with me . . . And i know it's just a delusion. That is why I suddenly decided I must try to stop myself before I end up hurting both of us.

I love you, Jaejoong. I love you with all my heart. I don't think I can pretend anymore. I can't pretend that I just like you as a friend. And somehow even if I try I don't think I can ever accept the fact that I am just your best friend. There is always a part of me which always hopes and dreams that you will eventually learn to love me more than just a friend.

I know and I understand that you can't offer me anything except friendship. And frankly, I am grateful that you didn't push me away after you learned my true feelings for you. But I have to be honest to myself.

I can no longer accept our friendship. I want something more . . . . something I know you can never give. So I guess this is the main reason why we have to say goodbye to each other.

Somehow I think if I can still remain friends with you. I will end up hurting myself more and I will just make you more confused. I don't want to cause you any trouble. So before I end up doing something foolish. I have to say goodbye to both of us.

Thank you for all the happy memories . . . . Thank you for being my best friend. I will never forget all the things you have taught me. And I will always cherish the happy and sad memories we shared. I will always be thankful that I had the chance of meeting someone like you.

Thank you for everything, Jaejoong. I will never forget you. Just always remember that I will always care for you . . . and pray for your success in life. I will always pray for you to achieve everything you dream of.

Good luck, my friend. I don't think we will ever meet each other again.

I have left a gift for you in my room. I have been wanting to give it to you for a very long time now. But I somehow can't find the right time and I always lack the courage to do so.

I know you will like my gift. I hope you will take care of it, the same way I have taken care of it for the past ten years.

It is my way of saying . . . thank you for being my friend . . . I love you and I will always have a special place for you in my heart . . . . and lastly . . . goodbye.

Take care of yourself, Jaejoong. I will always remember you.

Your best friend,
Lena

Jaejoong's whole body was somehow trembling. He couldn't explain the emotion he was feeling. With heavy footsteps, he slowly entered Lena's room. He immediately noticed the gift Lena said in her letter. It was laid down on her bed.

Jaejoong slowly walked up to Lena's bed. Somehow he already had an idea what Lena's gift was. But he needed to be sure first. He carefully tore the wrapping.

And as soon as he finished opening Lena's gift, his tears started to fall. He was right. Lena had given him the painting she had loved ever since they were young.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ten years ago . . . .

Lena and Jaejoong were happily strolling the stores in their hometown.

"Jaejoong, how about we go to the park later huh?" she asked with a sweet smile.

Jaejoong smiled as well. "Sure, but let's first look at the newly-opened store near the flower shop."

"There's a new store? What kind of store is it?" she asked curiously.

Jaejoong just shook his head. " No idea. That's why we should take a look."

"Okay. I hope they sell new and interesting things. There are already too many stores that sells food items, medicine, books, clothes and house ornaments in our town. I want something interesting to look at," Lena said cheerfully.

Jaejoong stared at his friend. "Come on . . .Let's go."

Both of them excitedly went to where the new store was located.

The moment they saw what the new store was selling, they were both delighted. It was certainly something new. The store was selling paintings.

Immediately, something caught Lena's attention.

"Jaejoong, look! Isn't that beautiful?" Lena asked as she pointed at a painting displayed at the front of the store.

Jaejoong looked at the painting. It was a painting of a little girl and a little boy sitting next to each other.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked again. Her eyes were gleaming with wonder as she stared at the painting.

Jaejoong smiled. "What's so beautiful about it? You can't even see their faces. Haven't you noticed only their backs are shown?" he asked with a laugh.

"Well, that's the reason why I love it. Can't you even imagine it?" she asked.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I can easily imagine that we are those two kids on the painting. we're always together . . . doing things together . . ."

Jaejoong laughed. "You're imagining things again, Lena."

"Well . . . I love it . . . and I want it," she said seriously.

Jaejoong looked at his friend. He seldom heard Lena say that she wanted something in particular.

"But Lena I think it is quite expensive," Jaejoong said worriedly.

He knew that Lena might get upset if she didn't get what she wanted.

"I don't care . . . I want it," she said again with determination in her voice.

A few days later . . . .

Jaejoong went to Lena's house to pick her up. They were supposed to go to the park that day.

"Jaejoong . . . come on. Let's go to my room first. I want to show you something," Lena said with a bright smile on her lips.

Jaejoong followed her to her room. He was very curious as to why Lena was very happy.

The moment he entered Lena's room, he immediately knew the reason why she was oveflowing with joy.

Hanging in the center of her room was the painting they had seen at the new store a few days ago.

"So you really bought it?" Jaejoong asked, still unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Yes . . . . I asked my father to buy it for me," she answered.

Jaejoong looked at Lena. He could see that she was very happy.

"Now . . . we have something special to share with each other," Lena uttered.

"What do you mean?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

Lena smiled. "This painting will symbolize our friendship. It will always be a reminder that we will always be together."

Jaejoong's heart pounded. He then looked at the painting. Somehow at that moment, he also thought that it was the most beautiful painting he had ever seen.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hyung . . . ." Max said as he gently tapped Jaejoong's shoulder.

Jaejoong stared at the painting again.

“She's . . . gone . . . . “ he slowly uttered.

“What? Who's gone?” Max asked again.

Jaejoong felt his heart was going to explode. He wanted to cry out. Lena had been a part of his life for a very long time now. And it was only at that moment . . . . he then realized that he could never live without her.

“Lena . . . Lena . . . I'm sorry,” he uttered as he finally cried uncontrollably.



CHAPTER 18


Five days passed . . . .

The DBSK boys were waiting for the start of their photo shoot. They were supposed to do a photo shoot for three different magazines.

Jaejoong was staring blankly at the open space before him and sitting quietly in a corner. While the other DBSk boys just sat in another corner of the studio. They had been watching Jaejoong for more than fifteen minutes. And they knew exactly what was on his mind.

"Lena . . . .hasn't really returned to her apartment?" Max asked the other DBSK boys.

"Nope . . . . already checked again this morning before we left for the studio," Micky answered.

"Hmmm . . . . hyung seems very affected," Max commented.

"Frankly, it's his fault anyway. If he really cared for her, then he should have told her the truth. He made Lena think that she means nothing to him," Micky said.

"You don't know Jaejoong's reasons for not letting out his feelings," U-Know suddenly said.

"Reasons? What kind of reasons? If I were him, I would have already told Lena that she means more than a friend to me . . . and I would have already taken her away from Daichi," Micky said.

U-Know just shook his head. "We can't judge Jaejoong's actions. That's all I can say."

"Have you ever wondered what happened to Lena?" Xiah suddenly asked the other DBSK boys.

"Maybe she had gone back to Daichi . . . . and married him," Micky said with irritation.

"Why are you so annoyed anyway?" U-Know asked Micky.

"Because I don't understand the reason why Jaejoong is letting Lena marry Daichi when he knows that she doesn't love him . . . . and that he's the one she loves. I find it all . . . so annoying. And to top it all, he's just there, sitting and acting as if nothing ever happened. Who knows? Lena could have already married Daichi as soon as she left the apartment a few days ago. And if she really did marry him, what happens next? The moment that he learns that she's married, he cries again? I find it so unacceptable," Micky answered.

Xiah, Max and U-Know looked at each other. They knew what Micky had said was right . And they somehow sided with him on that topic.

Suddenly two girls entered the studio.

“The photo shoot will start in about fifteen minutes,” one of the girls said to the boys.

“Okay, thank you,” U-Know said to the girls.

Jaejoong immediately joined the other DBSK boys as soon as he heard the photo shoot was going to start in a few minutes.

The girls started to arrange the additional props that were being brought in the studio. Several men walked in and started to prepare for the photo shoot.

“So do you guys have any idea why Daichi suddenly replaces our head photographer with his girlfriend? Don't you think it's a little unfair?” one of the men asked the other crew members.

The DBSK boys suddenly looked at the direction of the man who was talking. They immediately became interested in what the personnel in the studio were talking about. They wanted to know if the Daichi the personnel were talking about was also the same Daichi they knew.

“Hey! Don't talk like that. Frankly, Lena is a more accomplished and well-trained photographer than the one we have now. She studied in France and Germany and she already had several exhibits in both countries,” one of the girls suddenly said as she heard what one of the men said.

Jaejoong immediately became interested as well as soon as he heard Lena's name suddenly mentioned.

“Really! Sorry, I didn't know,” the man replied.

“Yes, you should be sorry. And besides she's very nice. Even though she's Daichi's fiancee and she's very rich. She's still down to earth and very friendly,” the other girl said.

“Not only friendly . . . . but also very beautiful,” one of the other male personnel said.

Both the girls laughed. “Don't even dream that she'll notice you. She's already Daichi's girlfriend. And they're supposed to do their engagement party on Sunday. That's three days from now,” one of the girl's said.

“I am already imagining the engagement party will surely be very grand. Daichi and Lena are from both very wealthy families,” the other girl said.

“We are all invited right?” another one of the male personnel asked.

“Of course, we are all invited. I also heard that Daichi's father will also be inviting all the artists of Avex Trax. Aside from that all the personnel from all their businesses will be invited as well,” the first girl answered.

“Lena is really lucky that she's going to get engaged with Daichi. He's not only handsome but very rich as well,” another male personnel said.

“Hey! Lena is rich too. I heard her family owns a lot of businesses in Korea and here in Japan too,” one of the girls said.

One of the male personnel shook his head as if unable to believe. “So they are both wealthy . . . . So do you think their marriage is a kind of business-related? How? What do you mean?” another man asked.

“Like they are getting married because their business have to merged or something like that,” the first man answered.

“No . . . . they're not getting married because of their businesses. But because their grandfather made an agreement to have them marry each other once they reach the legal age . . . . like a pre-arranged marriage between close friends . . . . something like that,” one of the girls said.

“Really . . . I don't think I can ever get married just because my parents or my grandparents tells me to,” another man among the crew said.

“Well . . . . we can all see that Daichi doesn't mind at all. He obviously likes her very much. We have all seen how he takes care of her. And the way his changed is mostly because of her,” one of the men said.

All the male personnel nodded their heads in agreement.

“I can still remember Daichi would have at least two different girls coming to his office every week. But now he's totally changed. He's now very focused and loyal to Lena . . . the way I see it,” another man commented.

“Well, they both fit each other perfectly . . . not only in wealth but also in looks,” another male personnel added.

“But have you guys ever noticed that there are times that Lena seems kind of sad?” one fo the girls suddenly asked.

“Sad? Why should she be sad? She's getting married to a handsome and rich man?” one of the male personnel asked.

“Well, you're all forgetting that she's in a pre-arranged marriage. So there's a big possibility that she's not in love with Daichi. And she's only getting married with him because of the agreement between their grandparents,” one of the girls said again.

“Oh! That's so sad . . . . if that were true. Hey! I remember there was this instance two days that I entered Daichi's office. I heard Daichi say to Lena that he will help her forget him. Maybe it is true that she's in love with someone else,” the other girl said.

The male crew members laughed. “You girls are just too much. You were eavesdropping on their conversation.”

“Hey! I wasn't eavesdropping. I just accidentally heard them when I came into Daichi's office to bring him some papers he was supposed to sign,” one of the girls defended herself.

“We better stop talking or we'll all end up in trouble if Daichi hears us,” one of male personnel said.

Every one in the studio started to hurry their movement. They wanted everything to be in place when Daichi arrives.

After several minutes, the DBSK boys finally confirmed that the Daichi the personnel in the studio were talking about was also the same Daichi they knew.

Daichi had entered the studio with a wide smile on his face.

“Hello! Nice to meet you guys again,” he greeted the DBSK boys, as he approached them.

“Hello . . . . So are you by any chance connected with the magazines were going to do a photo shoot with?' Max asked Daichi curiously.

Daichi lightly laughed. “Sorry . . . . I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm the owner and the editor-in-chief of the three magazines you're all going to be featured in.”

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know were all impressed. They didn't expect that Daichi was such an accomplished man in his field of work.

“Daichi . . . . everybody . . . . let's start,” a girl's voice suddenly said.

Everybody in the studio looked at where the voice came from. Lena had suddenly entered the studio. She was busy looking at different pictures so she didn't notice the DBSK boys. She walked straight to where Daichi was while still busy browsing at the different pictures she had.

“So who are the special stars that we're featuring? Why is it you wouldn't even tell me who they are?” Lena asked Daichi. Her attention was focused on him that she still didn't see the DBSK boys.

Daichi smiled. “You know them very well.”

“Who?” she asked.

Daichi looked at the direction of the DBSK boys. Lena slowly followed the direction he was looking at, and she was suddenly shocked.

As soon as she saw Jaejoong, she suddenly turned and was about to walk away but Daichi had already grabbed her arm. Daichi then slowly pulled her close to him. He then softly whispered something.

“You're a professional. You should learn when to separate your personal feelings with work.”

“Daichi . . . you planned this?” Lena uttered as she looked straight into his eyes.

Daichi smiled. “ This is work. I have no other motives.”

“You're lying . . . I can tell,” she said.

“How?” he asked.

“I can tell by your eyes . . . .” she answered.

Daichi suddenly laughed.

“Really? I never imagined I had such expressive eyes. Are my eyes expressive enough to let you see how much I love you?” he asked.

Lena looked at Daichi with confusion in her eyes. Somehow she couldn't understand why he was saying such things.

“Daichi . . . .” she uttered his name in front of everybody in the studio.

Daichi smiled at Lena and then he suddenly embraced her.

"You've got to learn how to deal with Jaejoong without being affected. Sooner or later, even if you try to avoid him, your paths will surely cross one another. So you better start learning now how to control your emotions. Just pretend that you don't know him and do what you're supposed to do," he softly whispered into Lena's ear.

Lena knew what Daichi had said was right. She suddenly drew in a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

"Okay, I'll do this. But please help me," she suddenly said as she looked straight into Daichi's eyes.

Daichi smiled and then nodded. "Don't worry. I'll always be by your side to help you," he uttered.

As Lena slowly walked up to the DBSK boys, her heart was pounding continuously. Somehow she didn't know what to say and what to do.

"Good morning! Let's start," she said as she tried to put on a smile.

Jaejoong stared at Lena. His heart was bating wildly as well. He wanted to talk to her. But he already knew judging by the way she was avoiding to look at him. She no longer wanted any connection with him. His heart suddenly ached. How he wanted to see Lena smile at him again.

As the photo shoot started, Daichi silently watched as Lena tried to avoid any contact with Jaejoong.

"I'm sorry, Lena. But I've got to do this. I have to make you face him again. So that you may realize what your heart really wants. I love you . . . That is why I don't want to be unfair and selfish. I don't want to take advantage of your situation. I want you to have one more chance to be with him. So that you may have the chance to really figure out whether you're supposed to be with me . . . or with him. Listen to your heart, Lena. I want you to be happy . . . That is all I want," he said in his mind as he continued to sadly stare at Lena.



CHAPTER 19


The photoshoot for the day was almost half finished when Daichi suddenly announced that it was time for a break. All the crew members cheered after hearing Daichi.

The DBSK boys followed the crew members to a room in the studio where a table full of different delicious foods were waiting.

As soon as Mas saw the different foods on the table, he immediately gasped with delight.

"My stomach is already growling," Max uttered.

The other DBSK boys laughed after hearing what Max said.

"Come on . . . let's eat," one of the male crew members said to the DBSK boys.

The DBSK boys selected some foods and started to eat. They were already eating when they noticed that Lena and Daichi were nowhere in sight.

"Where's Lena and Daichi? Aren't they going to eat?" Max asked the studio personnel that were eating near them.

"Maybe they have a separate set of food to eat, or maybe they went out," the male personnel answered.

"Oh! I would just be in total heaven if I had a fiancee like Daichi. Lena is such a lucky girl. Imagine having a handsome, rich and successful husband is any girl's dream," one of the female members said.

Jaejoong tried to ignore the things he was hearing. Somehow he couldn't deny the fact that he was hurting. While Lena was doing the photo shoot, she was avoiding him intentionally. And somehow this was bringing him pain that it was making him crazy. He stared at the food he was supposed to eat. He had eaten only a small portion, but he felt like he was already full. He felt like he had no appetite to eat anything. He sighed havily while staring at his food.

U-Know looked at Jaejoong. He had already noticed that Jaejoong wasn't eating.

"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry? You should eat. We still have a lot of work to do," U-Know reminded Jaejoong.

Jaejoong sighed again. "I'm not hungry."

U-Know looked at Xiah, Micky and Max. They were already staring at Jaejoong as well.

"Hyung . . . . you should eat," Max said with concern.

"If you really miss her, then you should try to talk to her . . . . and sort things out. And for everyone's sake! Just be true to yourself already," Micky commented in Korean. He didn't want the studio personnel near them to understand what he was saying.

Jaejoong suddenly stared at Micky. He saw the serious expression on his friend's face.

"Just forget about everything . . . and let your emotions out," Micky said again in Korean.

U-Know lightly tapped Jaejoong's shoulder. "In a few days, it will be too late. So if you really like her, then you should tell her now. All of us can see that yu care about her more than a friend. You must find the courage to tell her now or you may never have the chance to tell her again. And then you will end up regretting it all of your life," he also spoke in korean.

Jaejoong suddenly felt a sharp pain suddenly cross his heart. Somehow he didn't want to lose Lena. But he was still confused whether he liked her more than a friend or not.

"I'm still confused. She's my best friend for so many years now . . . What if I just don't want to lose her as a friend? What if I'm just mistaking our friendship for something more serious? What if . . ." he also answered in korean. He suddenly stopped talking as soon as he saw Lena enter the room with Daichi.

"Enough with the what if . . . you're wasting precious time. If I were you, better tell her now or forever regret it," Micky said in korean as he also looked at Lena's direction.

Lena immediately noticed Jaejoong staring at her, as soon as she entered the room. Suddenly she felt very uneasy and conscious of her every move. She tried to aboid looking at his direction. She was afraid that he might see in her eyes the loneliness she was feeling. And she was afraid that he might feel that she was missing him badly.

Daichi glanced at Lena. He had already noticed the tensed expression on her face after they entered the room He knew it was because of Jaejoong. Then his heart suddenly ached. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and drew in a deep breath.

"I can do this . . . I don't feel anything . . ." he constantly repeated in his mind.

Then Daichi opened his eyes again and tried to put on a smile.

"Come on . . .Let's eat. I'm hungry," he sweetly said to Lena.

Lena silently followed Daichi to where the table with food was. Then they started to pick out some foods. Afterwards they sat near the DBSK boys.

"So do you guys like the foods I ordered?" Daichi asked the DBSK boys.

"Yes, it's quite delicious," Max replied.

"That's good. Anyway I've requested some female models to join you guys for the next set of pictures for one of the magazines I handle. I think they will be arriving in a few minutes. I hope that it's okay with you," Daichi said.

"Female models? That's good!" Micky said with a mischievous look on his face.

"There will be five female models. Each one of you will be paired up with a certain model," Daichi continued to explain to the DBSK boys.

Lena was very silent as Daichi continued to talk with the DBSK boys. She could feel Jaejoong's gaze on her. And it was making her very uneasy.

Daichi looked at Lena. He could easily tell that she wasn't herself.

"Lena . . . are you okay?" he softly asked.

Lena just nodded. She didn't want to say anything. She just pretended to be busy with the food she was eating.

Xiah, Micky, Max, U-Know and Daichi continued to talk to one another while Jaejoong and Lena just stayed quiet.

After eating, everyone immediately resumed their work.

The female models that Daichi had mentioned had also arrived. And as soon as they arrived, Daichi immediately paired each one of them with one of the DBSK members.

All the models were excited to work with the DBSK boys. They were all very sweet and trying to attract the boys' attention.

"Hi! I'm Miki . . . ." the female model introduced herself to Jaejoong.

Lena immediately felt jealous of the female model that Jaejoong was paired with. Somehow she felt like she wanted to just walk out of the studio and never come back.

Daichi looked at Lena.He could easily tell that she was jealous. He suddenly smiled secretly. His plan was working. He wanted to provoke both Lena and Jaejoong to the point that they would both finally admit and straigthen out their true feelings for one another.

His plan was to make Lena jealous of the model paired with Jaejoong, and to also make Jaejoong jealous of him. He had already instructed all the models that ha had hired that day to actually be extra sweet to all of the DBSK boys, especially Jaejoong.

"Lena . . . . let's start the photo shoot," Daichi said as he suddenly hugged her from behind.

Daichi could see that Jaejoong's gaze suddenly focused on them. Daichi tightened his embrace. He wanted to make Jaejoong mad with jealousy.

"Are you tired?" Daichi asked Lena sweetly.

"No . . . . I thought you said we should start with the photo shoot already," Lena said with a light laugh. "How can I start if you're holding me?"

Daichi laughed. "Sorry . . . I couldn't stop myself."

"Okay guys . . . let's start," Lena announced as soon as Daichi released her from his embrace.

Everything went smoothly until it was time for Jaejoong and his partner. Lena felt very nervous. She didn't know what to do. But she knew she had to finish her job.

"Jaejoong . . . Miki . . . please stand next to each other. Then Jaejoong put your hand on Miki's waist," Lena tried to instruct Jaejoong and Miki.

Jaejoong was reluctant to follow Lena. He didn't want to be so close to Miki.

Lena sighed. She wanted to finish everything as soon as possible. Being with Jaejoong and seeing him with another girl was already driving her mad with jealousy and hurt. She then walked up to Jaejoong. She then gently touched Jaejoong's hand. She was about to place it on Miki's waist when Jaejoong suddenly held her hand in return.

Lena stared at Jaejoong. Her heart started beating wildly.

At that exact moment, as Jaejoong held Lena's hand, it was as if the world had suddenly stopped. Both of them stared into each other's eyes. It was as if they could see through each other's souls. They could feel and hear the sounds of their hearts beating as one.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena softly uttered.

Jaejoong stared at Lena. He had finally decided to reveal his true feelings. . . . when . . . .

"Lena . . . ." a voice angrily called out.

Everyone suddenly turned their heads to where the voice came from.

"Mother!" Daichi and Lena both uttered with horror.

The older woman immediately went straight to Lena and Jaejoong. She then grabbed Lena's hand out of Jaejoong's hand.

"Lena . . . let's go home," Daichi's mother said as she gently pulled Lena away from Jaejoong.

Jaejoong felt his world had just come crashing down. As he watched Lena being pulled away, he felt so helpless. He wanted to ran after her. He wanted to ran away with her to a far away place so no one could ever take her away from him ever again. But then he knew it wasn't possible. She didn't belong to him. She could never belong to him . . . not in this lifetime.

"Lena . . . ." he uttered as she slowly disappeared from his sight.




CHAPTER 20


"Mother . . . wait," Daichi called out as he tried to stop his mother from pulling Lena out of the studio.

Daichi's mother angrily faced Daichi.

"I knew something was going on. But I never expected this . . . I never imagine that you would allow another man to be around Lena. I am very disappointed, Daichi. Lena is your fiancee. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" the older woman asked as she furiously glared at her son.

"Mother, you've got it all wrong. The man you saw was Jaejoong. He's Lena's bestfriend since childhood. Nothing is going on. Please believe me," Daichi tried to explain to his mother.

"Are you trying to convince me that nothing is going between that guy and Lena?" the old woman asked Daichi as she stared back at Lena who was silently looking at them.

"Yes, mother. Don't be unreasonable. Don't take Lena, please. We still have a photo shoot to take care of," Daichi said again.

The old woman stared at her son for a few minutes as if trying to decide whether to believe him or not. Then she suddenly shook her head.

"Sorry . . . but my intuition tells me that there is certainly a secret that both of you are sharing. Find yourself another photographer. Lena's never going to set foot in this studio again," Daichi's mother answered.

"Mother . . ." Daichi uttered.

"Lena . . . we're going home! And Daichi, when you get home . . . I believe you have a lot of explaining to do. Not only to me but also to your father," the old woman said as a warning.

Lena suddenly felt pity for Daichi. Somehow he was like a small child being scolded by his mother. And she could see the hurt look in his eyes.

Lena suddenly tried to break free from the old woman's hand, and then she went up to Daichi's side.

"Mother, please . . . Daichi didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to be so harsh on him," Lena said firmly she looked at the old woman.

Daichi's mother was shocked with what Lena had said. Then she suddenly smiled.

"Well . . . at least, I can see that Lena cares for you, Daichi. But it still doesn't change anything. We're still going home Lena. And you're no longer working here," the older woman said again.

Lena stared at Daichi, as if asking for help. But they both knew that there was nothing they could do to change the older woman's mind.

"Lena . . . let's go," the older woman said as she gently pulled Lena by the hand again.

"Daichi . . ." Lena uttered. She was scared to be alone with Daichi's mother. She was afraid of what she was going to say once they were home.

"Just go home with mother, for now. I'll go home immediately as soon as I finish everything here," Daichi said to reassure Lena that she won't be alone for a very long time.

Lena just nodded.

Daichi's mother then left the studio together with Lena.

As soon as Lena and his mother left, Daichi immediately returned to the studio where the DBSK boys were waiting.

"Sorry everybody . . . but let's just pack up for now. We'll continue with the photo shoot tomorrow," Daichi announced.

"Where's Lena?" one of the female crew asked.

"She went home with my mother," Daichi replied.

"Sorry if I am going to ask . . . . but why was your mother so angry when she saw Jaejoong holding Lena's hand? Don't tell me that she's thinking . . . something is going on between Lena and Jaejoong," another female crew member asked.

Daichi tried to smile. "I'm sorry about that. But you know my mother is too protective of Lena. She's so determined to have her as a daughter-in-law, that she doesn't even want Lena to work or be around other guys. She's too afraid that Lena might suddenly change her mind, and dump me for another man."

"Lena would never do such a thing. She's too nice," one of the male crew members remarked.

Daichi lightly laughed. "Frankly I believe my mother already loves Lena so much that if she were to choose . . . she would definitely trade me with her."

Some of the other crew members laughed with what Daichi said.

"Lena is quite lucky. Imagine having your mother-in-law love you that much. I wish I wouold find a mother-in-law like that," one of the female crew members said.

Daichi then looked at the DBSK boys. "I'm sorry for the sudden change of plans. I'll have a new photographer by tomorrow. So we can continue with the photo shoot. I hope you guys aren't upset."

"It's okay, we understand. But . . . honestly, I'm a little bit worried about Lena. Is she going to be okay?" Micky asked with concern.

Daichi nodded. " Yes, don't worry. My mother would never hurt her. But I am still trying to finish everything here as fast as I could, so I can immediately follow her home. I've already talked with your manager and I've explained about the sudden delay in your work today. And I've also arranged for a driver to take you guys home to your apartment. He's already waiting outside the studio. So . . . let's just see each other again tomorrow okay? I really need to go."

"Okay, see you tomorrow then," U-Know said.

The DBSK boys just watched as Daichi hurriedly left the studio. They all knew that something was definitely wrong, and that he was just lying to cover it up.

As for Jaejoong, he felt very guilty. He knew that what happened was all because of him. He didn't want any trouble. He just wanted to finally be true to himself. He suddenly drew in a deep breath. His heart was beating very fast . . . and it was aching.

He finally thought that there was really no way that he and Lena could ever be more than friends. There were so many differences and obstacles in their way. And both of them weren't strong enough to overcome them.

All of the studio personnel had already left, leaving the DBSK boys alone in the studio.

"Hyung, are you all right?" Max asked with concern after noticing that Jaejoong was staring blankly at a wall.

Jaejoong somehow snapped out of what he was thinking. He then stared at Max, and tried to put on a smile.

"Of course, I'm all right. Why shouldn't I be?" he asked.

"I always thought that you were the most honest and most straight-forward person in our group. But now . . . I'm already having second thoughts. I think 'Denial King' would be a perfect title for you," Micky said seriously.

Jaejoong lightly laughed. "Denial king? Me? Why?"

"Because you're always denying everything . . . everything that has something to do with Lena. Maybe it hasn't registered in your mind yet. So let me make it clear to you . . .Lena is already getting engaged on Sunday. Maybe you would like to clear everything up with her before she gets engaged to another man. Frankly, I don't want to see you regretting in the end," Micky answered seriously.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. "Don't you guys think that it is already too late ? Like what you said she's already getting engaged."

"Engaged is different from being married," Xiah suddenly said.

"He's right, hyung. An engagement is different from marriage. An engagement can still be canceled," Max commented.

Jaejoong looked at his friends. He could see that all of them were very much concerned with him.

"Thanks, but I think it is better if i just stay away. I don't want to cause any trouble to anyone," Jaejoong said weakly.

"Stay away? Oh! You're really unbelievable. The girl that you like is getting engaged, and you already know that she's not happy. And you're still not going to do anything about it. I'm already telling you . . . You're going to regret it!" Micky said as he shook his head in dismay.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly again. "Honestly, I'm afraid of the consequences that may arise once I tell her my true feelings. And aside from that, I am still a little bit confused myself regarding about what I'm feeling for her. What if . . . I'm just mistaking my feelings as love, and then it suddenly turns out that it's not . . . what then? I think I'll just make Lena more confused and hurt. And I'll be ruining her engagement with Daichi."

"Oh man! Are you even human? I can't believe the things that you are saying! You're starting with the ‘what if’ again? I think I'm starting to have a headache because of you," Micky said as he tapped his forehead as if unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Hyung . . . Sunday is just a few days away. Don't you think it's about time that you finally figure out what your heart really wants. We can all see that Lena and you are both suffering. Can't you find the courage to finally admit the truth? We're all concerned about you. We know you're very much affected with what is happening," Xiah said with concern.

Jaejoong tried to put on a fake smile. "Thank you for being concerned. But frankly I am very much confused. I don't know what I should do."

U-Know gently shook his head, as if in total disbelief. "Jaejoong, we can only advise you what to do. But the final decision is still up to you. I just hope that you know what you are doing. And I do hope that it won't be too late, when the time comes and you finally decide to fight for your love."

Jaejoong stared back at U-Know. He knew what he was trying to say. But he was still very much confused and scared. He was also hoping and praying that he was making the right decision in controlling and denying his emotions.



CHAPTER 21


Lena and Daichi's mother arrived at the mansion without saying a word to each other. Lena felt scared and very embarrassed. Somehow she was scared that the old woman would say something to her parents regarding what the old woman saw that day.

As soon as they entered the house, Daichi's mother immediately faced Lena.

"I don't care about what I saw today. And I don't even want to know who that man was. So let's just forget about it and let's all pretend it never happened. Do you understand me?" the old woman asked Lena.

Lena was taken by surprise. She didn't know what to say so she just nodded her head.

"Good! Go to your room now and rest. I'll just call you when dinner is ready," the old woman said.

"Yes," Lena softly uttered as she slowly walked up to her room.

As soon as Lena entered her room, she started to cry uncontrollably. She had been trying to hold beack her tears, even when she was still in the studio. But now she was all alone. There was no one who could possibly see her tears. She was free to let out her emotions.

"Jaejoong . . ." she softly uttered as her tears continued to flow.

An hour later . . . .

Daichi hurriedly parked his car and afterwards immediately entered their home.

Daichi's father was already waiting in the living room. And after he saw Daichi walked in, a gloomy and serious expression immediately registered on his face.

"Daichi . . ." the old man called out.

"Father . . ." Daichi uttered.

The old man sighed. "Let's talk. I believe there are important things we need to discuss."

Daichi slowly walked up to where his father was. And then he sat down on a seat facing the old man.

"Father . . ." Daichi said. He was trying to find the correct words to say so he could explain what his mother saw at the studio.

"You don't have to say anything. You don't have to explain. All you have to do is listen," the old man said again.

"Listen? To what?" Daichi asked curiously.

The old man sighed again. "You have to listen to everything that I am going to say . . . Your mother has already talked with Lena's parents. Your engagement on Sunday will still continue as planned. But . . . as for your wedding . . . your mother and Lena's parents have decided to set the wedding two week from now."

"What?" Daichi suddenly asked. He was very surprised with the sudden change of plans. He thought that their wedding will take place at least a month after the engagement.

"I know it is quite a shock. But everything has been set. Your mother already worked out everything as soon as she arrived home. And she already told me about that guy who she saw holding Lena's hand. Frankly she was very much afraid that Lena might suddenly ran away with that man," then the old man laughed. "She's so afraid that she even set up a personal driver and bodyguard for Lena."

"What?" Daichi asked as if surprised.

"I've tried talking to her. But she wouldn't listen. I should also tell you that Lena's parents have already forbidden Lena to go out of the house until Sunday . . . after your engagement," the old man said again.

"She's forbidden to go out? But why? She didn't do anything wrong. Did mother tell Lena's parents about what happened in the studio?" Daichi asked.

"As far as I know, she didn't tell them. She's afraid that once they knew that Lena was somehow involved with another man, they would immediately cancel the engagement," Daichi's father answered.

Daichi shook his head in disbelief. His mother was totally unbelievable.

"So you mean . . . Lena is to locked up in this house until Sunday? Isn't that too cruel?" Daichi asked his father.

"Well she can go out provided that she brings her driver and bodyguard along," the old man answered.

"Does she know about . . . her being forbidden to go out alone?" Daichi asked.

"Yes, your mother already told her . . . Daichi . . ." the old man uttered.

"Yes, Father?"

"Frankly I'm having second thoughts about your marriage with Lena. Somehow after learning that she's close with another man. I'm starting to thin that maybe this arranged marriage between you two is a bad idea. Lena is a very ncie girl, and I do like her to be your future wife. But . . . like what you said before, she doesn't love you. I'm starying to think that even if the two of you end up marrying each other. Both of you won't be happy. And that is what I am afraid of . . ." the old man said seriously.

"Father . . ." Daichi uttered.

"What are you two talking about?" a voice suddenly asked.

Daichi and the old man looked at the direction where the voice came from. And then they saw Daichi's mothr staring back at them.

"Daichi . . . I will never accept another girl as your wife. So the two fo you can stop talking about ending the wedding," the old woman announced.

Daichi stared back at his father. The old man just shook his head and looked away. They both knew that they could never win an argument with Daichi's mother. She was more forceful and ruthless when dealing with things compared with his father.

Daichi sighed. "I'm going to my room now. I'm tired and I want to rest already."

"Fine, then rest! I just hope I've already made my point clear to both of you . . ." the old woman said coldly.

"Mother . . ." Daichi uttered. He wanted to say something but then he suddenly decided to just stay silent.

Daichi slowly stood up and quietly went up to his room. He was already about to enter his room when he suddenly decided to check up on Lena first. He then slowly went to her room and lightly knocked on the door.

After a few minutes, Lena opened the door.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered with sadness in her eyes.

"How are you?" Daichi asked.

"I'm fine, I guess," she replied.

"Can I come in?" Daichi asked.

Lena just nodded and slowly left the door open. Then she went straight to the balcony of her room.

Daichi entered Lena's room and then he closed the door. He then followed her to the balcony.

Daichi found Lena staring out the balcony. She was obviously thinking about something. And he already had an idea what it was. He quietly walked up to her, and then he gently embraced her from behind.

"What are you thinking about?" Daichi asked.

Lena sighed. "About what happened. Frankly I can't decide whether it was good or bad."

"Good or bad? What do you mean?" Daichi asked.

Lena lightly laughed. Then she touched Daichi's hand as he was embracing her.

"Good . . . because now I have more reason and someone preventing me from seeing him. And bad . . . because even if I try to pretend . . . I just realized today how much I still love him and miss him. I'm sorry, Daichi. I know I shouldn't be saying these things to you. I know that I'm already hurting you by telling you the things on my mind and in my heart," Lena said as she gently squeezed Daichi's hand.

Daichi held Lena tighter. "It's okay. Honestly I'll be more hurt if you didn't tell me the things you're thinking about. I'm quite thankful that you're very honest with me about everything.

"Daichi, are you really sure that you want to marry me? I mean . . . you know I love Jaejoong. Doesn't that bother you? You're marrying a girl who is in love with another man," Lena asked seriously.

Daichi's heart suddenly stopped beating for a few seconds. Lena had asked something that he was afraid to answer.

He slowly released Lena from his embrace. And then he turned her around to face him.

"Look at me," he uttered.

Lena slowly lifted her gaze, and then she looked straight into his eyes.

"Before I met you, I was angry with the world. I thought all women were the same. I thought all women could be bought by money, and that they would easily exchange the love they had for material wealth. But after I met you . . . everything changed. You showed me that not all women are the same. And you made me admire your courage in fighting for your love. And I think that is why I fell in love with you . . . I loved you because you showed me your strenghts and weaknesses. And even though you're in love with Jaejoong, I would gladly accept it. That is how much I love you," Daichi said with so much emotion in his eyes.

Lena was touched with what Daichi had said. She slowly embraced him and she gently laid down her head on his chest.

"I wish I had met you first . . . How I wish I could give my heart to you. You're such a wonderful man, and any girl would be so lucky to have you. There are times that I think I don't deserve you. And that maybe you would be better off with another woman," Lena softly said.

"Lena, don't say such things!" Daichi said.

"But you do deserve someone better . . . someone who will love you truly. Someone who will love you . . . only you. I don't know of I will ever learn how to forget Jaejoong. And I just think that it's so unfair to you . . . that while I'm with you . . . my heart is with another man," she softly uttered.

Daichi slowly shook his head. "I don't care if your heart is with Jaejoong. I don't care about how long it takes for you to forget him . . . or the fact that you may never forget him. What matters to me . . . is having you near me . . . holding you like this . . .talking to you like this. I admit I feel pain whenever we talk about him. But I don't care, I would gladly accept that pain just as long as you're near me."

"Daichi . . ." Lena uttered. She was totally feeling pain and pity for Daichi. How she wanted to be able to return his love for her. But she knew that it was impossible. She pitied Daichi so much that her heart was breaking into pieces. How she wished that her heart could be separated into two. She wanted to give him a part of her so that she could somehow repay his kindness and return his love for her.

"Lena, we'll get through this. I promise I will help you until the very end," Daichi lovingly uttered.

Lena slowly closed her eyes. She didn't want to think anymore. She was already too tired. How she wished that everything was just a dream. And that she would suddenly wake up as the careless teenager that she was before . . . no worries . . . no arranged marriages . . . just the simple life.

Slowly . . .her tears started to fall. She knew there was no way she could turn back time. She had to face the fact that she was going to be engaged in a few days and then married in two weeks time.

Her heart was screaming out Jaejoong's name. She missed him . . . she loved him . . . she wanted to be with him.

"How I miss you Jaejoong . . . Do I even cross your mind? Are you thinking of me too? Do you miss me . . . even half of how much I miss you? I love you Jaejoong . . . I guess I will never have the chance to hear you say those words to me. Goodbye, Jaejoong. Now I know that we weren't meant to be more than friends." Lena thought as she silently cried in Daichi's arms.




CHAPTER 22


The next day . . .

The DBSK boys were already waiting in the studio. All of them were still hoping that somehow Lena would still be the one who would do the photo shoot with them.

But as soon as the studio personnel and the new photographer arrived, all their hopes suddenly disappeared.

"So Lena isn't really coming is she?" Max asked the other DBSK boys.

Micky just shook his head as if to answer no. While Xiah just shrugged his shoulders.

"She's not coming. So I suggest we just concentrate on our work," Jaejoong coldly uttered.

Xiah, Micky, U-Know and Max all stared at Jaejoong. He was trying to make himself look like he was busy, by reading a magazine.

"You're acting like you're not affected huh?" Micky asked sarcastically.

Jaejoong lifted his eyes and stared at Micky. "I'm just being realistic."

"Realistic? I don't think so. I think the right words would be 'pathetic' and 'idiotic'. That would be more suitable for you," Micky said angrily.

"Micky!" U-Know uttered as if to caution him.

"Hyung . . . don't fight," Max said with concern.

"Who said we're fighting? I'm just being honest with the things I want to say . . . Unlike a person we all know who keeps his emotions all locked up inside," Micky said as he looked at Jaejoong's direction.

Jaejoong continued to pretend that he was reading. He didn't know what to say. He knew that Micky was right. He was really pathetic and an idiot. And to top it all, he was a coward.

Micky was about to say something when someone suddenly walked into the studio.

"Hello! Excuse me, but do you know where Daichi is?" a girl suddenly asked in Japanese as she entered the studio.

The DBSK boys all looked at the girl's direction. Jaejoong was suddenly surprised to see who was standing in front of him.

"Yoora . . ." Jaejoong suddenly uttered.

The other DBSK boys heard what Jaejoong said. They turned their heads to look at him, then they looked at the girl again. She was also beautiful and almost the same height as Lena. But unlike Lena, she was more daring in the way she dressed up herself.

"Jaejoong!" the girl happily exclaimed as soon as she saw him. Then she immediately approached him. Afterwards she embraced him.

"Yoora, what are you doing here?" Jaejoong asked.

The girl looked at Jaejoong with a weird expression on her face. "Frankly I just came straight from the airport and Daichi's driver said that Daichi instructed him to bring me here. SO I was expecting to see him or Lena here," she answered.

"So you also know Daichi. I guess I was really the only one who was left in the dark regarding Lena's engagement with Daichi," Jaejoong said with a hurt look on his face.

Yoora worriedly looked at her friend. "I'm sorry, Jaejoong. But Lena made me promise not to tell you. She said that she would be the one to tell you when the right time comes. She was worried that you would somehow get upset."

"Upset?" Jaejoong asked, then he smiled bitterly. He then looked away to hide the sadness and pain in his eyes.

"Yoora . . ." Daichi suddenly called out.

Yoora suddenly turned to see Daichi approaching her.

"Daichi . . . where's Lena?" she asked.

"She'll be here in a few minutes. Don't worry," Daichi answered.

"Oh!" Yoora uttered.

"Hello boys! You've all met the new photographer right? Your photo shoot will start in a few minutes," Daichi said.

U-Know nodded his head. "Yes, we've met him. So Lena is still coming here?"

Daichi smiled. "Yes, I've managed to make my mother change her mind. But Lena won't be doing the photo shoot anymore. She has a lot of things to do starting tomorrow. So she won't have time to continue with the shoot."

"She has a lot of things to do? Like what?" Yoora asked curiously.

Daichi turned his attention to Yoora. "Our engagement is on Sunday right? As for the wedding, it has been moved to two weeks from now."

"What?" Yoora exclaimed. "You're really moving fast. Two weeks? That's too short! How could a girl possibly prepare for a wedding in such a short time?"

"It's my mother's idea, as usual. Anyway, she's the one trying to arrange everything in time for the wedding. She's even hired additional wedding coordinators to speed up the arrangements," Daichi said.

"Being very rich really helps in solving a lot of things . . ." Yoora said as a joke.

Daichi smiled bitterly. "Not everything is solved by money . . ."

Yoora immediately noticed the sadness in Daichi's eyes. She knew why Daichi was sad. She knew everything, and she felt pity for both Daichi and Lena.

She wanted to change the topic so she just turned to face the DBSK boys.

"So before I forget, I haven't introduced myself to you guys yet. I'm Yoora Mun. Maybe you've heard of me? I'm Lena and Jaejoong's bestfriend."

Xiah smiled. "Yes, we know who you are. Well by name only since Jaejoong often talks about you and Lena. By the way, I'm Xiah."

"I'm Micky."

"I'm Max."

"Hello, I'm U-Know."

"I see, it is really nice meeting all of you. Well Jaejoong, you've been a very bad boy. You haven't even contacted me for a few months now," Yoora said to her friend.

"Sorry, I was kind of busy," Jaejoong uttered.

Yoora laughed. "I know, being a DBSK member must be really be very tiring since you're all very popular. Frankly, you look a little bit pale Jaejoong. Is everything all right?" she asked with concern.

Jaejoong tried to smile. "Of course, I'm fine. I'm just kind of tired I guess."

Yoora looked at Jaejoong more seriously. She knew that something was wrong with her friend. But she just decided to keep quiet about her observation.

"Yoora!" a girl's voice suddenly exclaimed with joy.

Everyone turned to see Lena smiling as she entered the studio.

"Lena!" Yoora exclaimed as well.

The two girls immediately approached each other, then they hugged each other tightly.

"I missed you Lena," Yoora uttered.

"I missed you too Yoora," Lena replied with a smile.

"So you're getting married in two weeks and you didn't even tell me. I hope everything's fine," Yoora said with a hidden meaning.

Lena lightly laughed. "DO I look like I'm okay?"

Yoora laughed as well. "Honestly . . .no! In fact, both you and Jaejoong don't look well at all."

"Is that so?" Lena softly uttered.

Yoora suddenly smiled as she thought of a very naughty idea in her head. She released Lena from her embrace, then she gently pulled her to where Jaejoong was.

"I'm so happy that I have my two best friends with me now . . . just like old times," Yoora said as she gently pulled Lena and Jaejoong closer to one another.

Jaejoong then looked at Lena. as she stood right next beside him. His heart was beating wildly. How he wanted to talk with her, but he was lacking the courage to do so.

As for Lena, she was trying to avoid looking at Jaejoong. She was afraid of the emotions that might suddenly appear in her heart once she looked at him again.

"Hey! Why are you guys so quiet? Did you guys have a fight? What's wrong? Why are you guys avoiding each other?" Yoora asked curiously. She was unaware of the fact that Jaejoong already knew about Lena's feelings for him.

Jaejoong looked at Lena again. "Nothing's wrong."

"You're such a bad liar, Jaejoong. You can never get away with lying," Yoora said as she looked at her friend.

Jaejoong lowered his head. He was very embarrassed. Yoora was right. He wasn't a good liar. Anyone could easily tell that he was lying.

Lena couldn't stop herself. She quickly glanced at Jaejoong. She knew he was feeling very uncomfortable with their currrent situation. She suddenly pitied him. She didn't want him to feel that way.

Daichi noticed that the atmosphere in the studio had suddenly become tensed. He then suddenly decided to interfere.

"Hey, how about we start the photo shoot now so we can finish early today? Then after we finish the photo shoot, we can all go to the private club that I rented. I'm having a small party tonight," Daichi suddenly announced to everyone in the studio.

"Club? Party? Are we also invited?" Micky asked with a grin.

"Of course, and don't you guys dare say no to me. I've already talked with your manager. And he has already agreed to let you guys go to my party. Since it is a private party, and in a private club . . . so that means no reporters," Daichi said with a smile.

"Party? Club? That would be fun!" Yoora said with joy.

Lena stared at Yoora. How she wished that she was just like her. . . . Free to do whatever she wanted . . . Free to love whomever she wanted.

"Yoora, while we're finishing our work here, why don't you and Lena go out for a while. So that the two of you can talk," Daichi said.

Yoora was starting to get very confused. She could sense that there was something going on . . . something that she didn't know.

She stared at Daichi for a few minutes, then at Lena, then lastly at Jaejoong. She suddenly sighed and just shook her head in dismay.

"Yes, Lena and I really need to talk. We will be out for a while okay. Just call us when you guys are finished," Yoora said to Daichi.

Daichi just nodded his head.

"Bye guys! See you later," Yoora said to the DBSK boys.

"Bye . . ." the boys replied.

"Bye . . . ." Lena uttered to Daichi and the others as she and Yoora walked out of the studio.

Jaejoong just silently watched as his two best friends left the studio. He already knew what the two will eventually talk about. And suddenly his heart started to ache again. He wanted to talk with Lena again. How he missed her. He wanted to have her back in his life again.



CHAPTER 23



"So what happened?' Yoora asked Lena.

They were already sitting in the back of Daichi's car.

Lena slowly looked at her friend. She didn't know how to start what she was supposed to say.

"Yoora . . . Jaejoong already knows that I love him," Lena uttered softly.

"What? How?" Yoora asked with her eyes wide with shock.

"I told him . . . It just happened," Lena answered.

"So what did he say? Did he say that he likes you too? Is that the reason why the two of you are acting weird around each other?" Yoora asked continuously.

Lena shook her head and tried to smile. "No, he didn't say that he likes me too. In fact, he's quite confused on what he is really feeling for me. I guess he really just likes me as a friend and nothing more," she said sadly.

"That's absurd! How could he possibly not like you in return? Is he gay or what? Even before . . .I can clearly see that he likes you too. So why is he trying to deny it?" Yoora said with a raised voice.

"Yoora, please calm down. It's all right. We can't make him love me back in return. I have already learned how to accept the fact that he will never be mine. Maybe I am really destined to be Daichi's wife. There's nothing more we can do. Let's just leave Jaejoong alone. I have already caused too much trouble for him. YOu don't need to confront him or whatsoever. So please don't try to ask him about what happened between us. Let's just leave everything behind," Lena said with sadness in her voice.

Yoora glanced at her friend. "What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me that you're finally giving up on him?"

Lena smiled at Yoora. "I don't have any choice. He doesn't like me. So I guess I have to accept Daichi now. There's no sense in trying to fight with my parents anymore. I don't have any reason to hold on anymore."

"Lena, you've been in love with Jaejoong for years now. Why are you suddenly trying to forget everything? I can't believe that you would actually give up so easily," Yoora said seriously.

"I'm tired, Yoora. I'm already very, very tired. I don't want to hold on to false hope anymore. Jaejoong will never love me back . . . and that is that. We can never be more than friends," Lena said weakly.

"That's nonsense! I have been your friend for years now. And I already know both of you so well like the back of my hand. And I can tell even when we were still young that both of you like each other more than just friends. The two of you are just in denial," Yoora said as she stared seriously at Lena. She was very upset. The moment she came to Japan she was already expecting that Lena and Jaejoong had already straightened out their feeling for one another. She never expected that her best friends had grown much farther apart.

"Yoora . . ." Lena uttered.

"Lena, are you really giving up? DOn't you love him anymore? Are you in love with Daichi now? I'm so sad for you Lena. I don't want to see you end up living your whole life in sadness. I know Jaejoong is the only man who you can love. And I think if you do end up marrying Daichi, you'll just be suffering . . . not only you but Daichi and Jaejoong as well," Yoora said as she touched Lena's hand.

"Yoora, he doesn't love me. What more do you expect me to do? I already confessed to him. Frankly, just thinking about it . . . makes me feel so small. I feel so degraded just thinking that I am a girl and yet I was the first one to confess my love. It is so unacceptable," Lena said sadly.

Yoora smiled. "Good thing I am here now. Don't worry. I will help you. I'm going to make that dumb Jaejoong figure out everything and I'm going to make sure that he's going to confess to you."

"What are you planning to do Yoora? Please just leave things alone. You don't have to do anything. I think I've already accepted the fact that Jaejoong can never be mine," Lena said sadly again.

"No! I'm going to make Jaejoong suffer. I'm going to make sure that before the day ends, he's going to end up crazy with jealousy," Yoora said with determination in her voice.

"Yoora . . . please stop it. I don't want to cause any trouble to Jaejoong," Lena pleaded.

"You're not going to cause him any problem . . . but I am," Yoora said with a devilish grin.

"Yoora . . ."

"Don't try to stop me. And just follow everything that I am going to say. I'll make him regret everything," Yoora said again.

"Yoora, I'm already getting engaged on Sunday. There's nothing more we can do. Let's just leave things as it is," Lena said again as she tried to plead with her friend.

"You're just getting engaged . . . not married. It's not too late for me to interfere. I think I can still do something. Let's just see how he's going to handle the things that I am going to do," Yoora said with a smile.

"There's nothing more you can do. You can't possibly force him to love me. I am already tired of hoping and dreaming that he will eventually fall in love with me. My heart is already very tired. I don't think I can take it anymore . . . if he refuses me one more time," Lena said as she suddenly stared out of the car.

Yoora shook her head. She wasn't going to let her best friend end up being miserable. She was determined to do everything that would eventually make Jaejoong realize his true feelings for Lena. She knew that Jaejoong had feelings for her friend, but he was just trying to hide it.

"Stupid Jaejoong . . .now I am going to make sure that you're going to get what you deserve," Yoora said in her mind as she stared at Lena's sad face.

The photo shoot finally ended after hours of waiting. Yoora was already very anxious to start the things that she had planned.

After the photo shoot, the DBSK boys together with Daichi, Yoora and Lena all went to the club. Yoora's mind immediately started to think of ways to make Jaejoong jealous.

The DBSK boys all sat in one table together with Lena, Yoora and Daichi. The club was almost half full. And most of the girls in the club were all staring at the DBSK boys as soon as they entered the club.

Yoora smiled. "So let's party!" she said as she stared at Lena and Jaejoong.

Daichi looked at Yoora. He was already sensing that she was planning to do something. And even though his heart was aching just thinking that he was going to lose Lena, he had no intention to stop Yoora from whatever she was planning. He also wanted Lena to be happy. And he knew that Jaejoong was the only man who could possibly make Lena happy.

Yoora looked at Jaejoong. She was very upset with him.

"You're quite stupid, Jaejoong. You don't even know what's good for you. Before this night ends, I'm going to make sure that you'll be dying of jealousy. I'm going to make you regret everything. You'll be going crazy with the things I'll be doing with Lena. Stupid . . . . Stupid Jaejoong!" Yoora said in her mind as she stared at Jaejoong.

Daichi ordered several bottles of wines. He somehow knew that both he and Jaejoong will be drinking a lot. He was already sensing that he would be needing a lot of liquor to drown out the pain that he was going to feel.

As soon as the bottles of wines arrived, Yoora immediately took out one bottle of wine and poured on two wine glasses.

"Hey! Slow down . . . Two glasses? Are you trying to get yourself drunk already?" Lena said to Yoora.

"No . . . this one is for me and this is for you," Yoora answered as she gave one of the wine glasses to Lena.

Lena looked at Yoora with a weird expression on her face. She was somehow confused on why Yoora was acting very strange.

"Drink up!" Yoora said as she drank all the wine in her glass in one gulp.

Lena smiled. She had missed Yoora's craziness. They had been friends for years and she was already used to Yoora's impulsive and unpredictable nature.

After Lena saw that Yoora had already finished her drink, she immediately followed her example. She also drank all the wine in her glass in one straight gulp.

The DBSK boys were immediately alarmed with the way the two girls were drinking.

After the two wine glasses were empty, Yoora hurriedly filled them up with wine again.

"Drink . . ." Yoora said to Lena as she glanced at Jaejoong's reaction.

Lena smiled again, then lightly laughed.

The two girls both drank the contents of their glasses in one shot. Afterwards, Yoora filled them up again for the third time.

"Hey! That's enough!" Micky said to Yoora.

Yoora immediately stared at Micky. She was expecting Jaejoong to be the one to stop them. She then glanced at Jaejoong. He was looking at a different direction, as if he didn't care. This made Yoora more mad.

"Drink up Lena . . ." Yoora told Lena with a cold voice.

Lena was already affected by the wine she had taken. She quickly followed Yoora, and without any question or protest, she again drank the wine before her.

"Daichi, aren't you going to stop them?" Micky asked worriedly.

Daichi just shook his head. "No! Let them have their fun. That's why we're all here . . . to have some fun."

"But drinking too much isn't fun," Max commented.

"Oh! You guys are too straight," Yoora exclaimed.

She then took the bottle wine, and poured on the wine glasses for the fourth time.

"Cheers!" Yoora exclaimed with joy.

Lena laughed. She could tell that she was already drunk. But she didn't care. She was having fun. She was somehow forgetting all her problems. And this was what she needed the most . . . to be able to forget.

Lena was about to drink her glass of wine, when someone suddenly snatched it from her. She then stared at the person who was holding her glass. It was . . . Micky.

"Hey! That's mine," Lena said with a laugh.

Micky suddenly drank all the wine in Lena's glass in one shot as well.

Xiah, Max and U-Know all looked at Micky, then at Jaejoong. A strange feeling was somehow in the air and everyone was feeling it.

Jaejoong was already staring at Micky as well. Somehow he couldn't explain his emotion.

"Am I jealous of Micky?" he was silently asking himself.

Yoora smiled devilishly. She suddenly thought of a new way to make Jaejoong suffer. She then grabbed Lena's hand and gently pulled her on to the dance floor.

"Let's dance!" Yoora said to Lena.

Lena just nodded. She was already out of control as well. The three glasses of wine she had drank had already made her lose all her sense of reasoning.

As the two girls entered the dance floor, the eyes of every male in the club suddenly focused on them.

Yoora and Lena were both wearing sexy dresses which showed their full figure. And as they danced, they somehow aroused all the males' interests.

Jaejoong just watched as Lena and Yoora danced. Somehow he could feel a very hot, tingling sensation rushing all over his body. He felt like he wanted to drag Lena out of the club and just lock her up. So that no other man can ever set their eyes on her again.

He suddenly let out a long sigh. He then looked at everyone in the club again. Everyone was really focused on Yoora and Lena. And somehow this made him very jealous.


CHAPTER 24



Yoora had already noticed that everyone was focused on her and Lena. This was what she wanted. She wanted to attract everyone's attention, especially all the men in the club.

She had also observed that the wine that Lena had drank was already taking effect. It was also a part of her plan to make Lena drunk, so she would loosen up. She wanted Lena to lose her shy and reserve nature. She wanted her to be wild so that Jaejoong will see her fooling around with some of the men in the club. She wanted to make Jaejoong die of jealousy.

Yoora smiled devilishly. While Lena was dancing, she then started to pull some of the men in the club on to the dance floor. Within minutes, Several men were already dancing with her and Lena.

Daichi just watched as the two girls danced. He felt like he wanted to stop Lena, but he didn't dare interfere. He knew that Yoora was doing something to make Jaejoong jealous.

"Daichi, aren't you going to stop Lena? She's already drunk . . ." Micky said with concern.

Daichi just looked at Micky with a calm expression on his face. He wanted to make the others belive that he wasn't affected by what he was seeing.

"Why should I? Let them have their fun," Daichi answered.

"Totally unbelievable!" Micky uttered as he shook his head in dismay. He was getting very frustrated and angry with both Jaejoong and Daichi.

Jaejoong just silently watched while Lena and Yoora danced with several men on the dance floor. His heart was beating wildly and somehow he felt like there was a huge lump in his throat. He felt like someone was choking him.

Jaejoong's mind was also starting to get blurry. Somehow he couldn't stand seeing Lena with other men. It was just too much for him.

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know just watched helplessly as Jaejoong poured himself a glass of wine, one after the other.

Jaejoong had already drank five glasses of wine, when Micky grabbed the last glass of wine that he was about to drink.

"What are you trying to do? If you're planning to get drunk . . . do it some other time. Take care of Lena first. She's already out of control," Micky said to Jaejoong with a serious expression on his face.

Jaejoong somehow snapped out of his cloudy state of mind and worriedly looked at Lena.

She was still dancing with at least four men. And judging by the way she was dancing, Jaejoong could easily tell that she wasn't herself anymore.

Jaejoong wanted to stop Lena, but he still tried to control himself. He then looked at Daichi.

Daichi had already left the DBSK boys, and was already busy drinking with some of his friends at another table.

"He doesn't even care that Lena is dancing with other men," Jaejoong thought as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you really just going to watch her degrade herself like that?" Micky asked Jaejoong with sarcasm in his voice.

Jaejoong stared at Micky. Then he slowly lowered his head and stared at the bottle of wine in front of him.

"I don't have any right to stop her. If there is someone who should stop her . . . it is Daichi . . . not me," Jaejoong answered weakly.

"Well, he's not doing anything. And you're not doing anything as well. Both of you are just pretending that you don't care. I can't believe you guys!" Micky said as he suddenly stood up. "If you're not going to do anything . . . then I will."

Micky went straight on to the dance floor. Then he took Lena's hand and dragged her out of the club.

"Lena . . ." Yoora called out as soon as she noticed Lena being pulled away by Micky.

"Micky," Lena uttered. "What are you doing?"

"Let's go out for a while. You need some fresh air," Micky answered.

Daichi saw everything that happened. And he was very much surprised by what Micky had done.

Xiah, U-Know and Max were very surprised as well. They didn't expect Micky would actually interfere in Jaejoong and Lena's problem.

As for Jaejoong, he felt like his heart was being torn into pieces. He was hurting so bad that he couldn't think straight anymore. He was already very jealous of Micky. He knew that there was a big possibility that Micky liked Lena. He saw the special way he looked at her during the first time they met, and the time that he carried Lena into her room.

"Do you know if Micky likes Lena?" Jaejoong suddenly asked the other remaining DBSK boys.

Xiah, Max and U-Know looked at each other, then shook their heads.

"No. . . we don't know anything, hyung," MAx replied.

"That's impossible. Micky would never . . . do such a thing . . ." Xiah said.

"He's just helping Jaejoong. You don't need to put any meaning to his actions," U-Know tried to explain.

Jaejoong shook his head and then he smiled bitterly. "No, he likes her. And frankly . . . I envy him, because he is more braver and more honest with himself . . . unlike me."

"Hyung, what are you saying?" Max uttered as if he was very confused.

"Don't say such things . . . Micky would never try to take Lena from you. You're his friend . . . and he would never do that to you," Xiah said with a serious tone in his voice.

Jaejoong laughed. "But the funny thing is . . . Lena doesn't belong to me. So he wouldn't be taking her away from me . . . but he would be taking her away from Daichi."

"Hyung, please don't say that," Max uttered.

Jaejoong then took another glass of wine and drank all its content in one shot.

U-Know, Max and Xiah just stared at their friend. All of them could feel his misery, but there was nothing that they could do to help him.

Outside the club . . .

Micky and Lena were sitting on a bench at the parking area of the club.

"How are you feeling?" Micky worriedly asked Lena.

"Dizzy . . . dizzy . . . and dizzy," Lena answered with a laugh. She was already very drunk and not herself.

"Just rest first, then maybe after a few minutes we can return inside," Micky said.

Lena looked at Micky. "Thank you . . . for being kind to me. But you don't have to do this. Just go inside. I can take care of myself. I think I need some time alone."

"I can't leave you alone here. You're drunk. What if something happens to you?" Micky said.

Lena smiled. "Yes, I'm drunk and a little wild on the side. But I am still in the right state of mind. So don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Micky asked.

"Yes, don't worry. See . . ." Lena said as she suddenly stood up and started to walk in a straight line.

Micky shook his head. Lena was already walking ina zigzag manner.

"You're drunk," Micky uttered.

"No, I'm not," Lena said. Then as she was walking she suddenly tripped on a small stone.

Micky immediately helped Lena to stand up.

"Is this what you call 'not drunk'?" Micky asked teasingly. He was holding Lena in his arms. He was trying to support her so she wouldn't trip or fall anymore.

Lena laughed again. Then suddenly she felt very dizzy again.

"Micky, my head hurts and why is everything spinning?" Lena uttered.

"Lena . . . you really need to rest," Micky said with concern.

"Rest? Hmmm . . ." Lena uttered. She was already embracing Micky because of her drunkenness.

Then after a few minutes, Lena had already passed out.

"Lena . . . Lena . . ." Micky said worriedly as he tried to wake her up. He had already carried her into his arms.

"Lena . . ." a voice suddenly called out.

Micky looked at the direction where the voice came from.

A few meters away from him were Daichi and Jaejoong slowly approaching them.

"You won't be able to wake her up so easily especially when she's drunk," Daichi said calmly.

"So you guys finally cleared up your minds," Micky suddenly said.

"Cleared up? What do you mean?" Daichi asked curiously.

"You're both here . . . So it only means that you have both finally decided to be honest with your feelings," Micky answered.

Daichi smiled. "I was the one who asked Jaejoong to come with me."

Micky smiled with a hidden meaning." I should have figured that out. I already know that he couldn't come her on his own."

Daichi, Jaejoong and Micky were all looking at Lena as she unconsciously slept in Micky's arms.

Jaejoong's heart was aching. He couldn't stop himself from feeling that way. Seeing Micky so close to Lena was making him crazy with jealousy.

Daichi suddenly took out two sets of keys from his pocket. Then he handed the keys to Jaejoong.

"What's this?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

"The first set of keys is for my car. Then the second set is for Lena's apartment. can you please bring her to her apartment so she can rest? I can't leave the club yet. I have so many friends waiting for me. I can't leave them," Daichi said to Jaejoong.

"So you're saying that your friends are more important to you than Lena?" Jaejoong asked angrily.

Daichi stared at Jaejoong. "I'm not the one she needs. Let's just stop pretending . . . She's already hurting so much, Jaejoong. She needs . . . you."

Jaejoong suddenly looked at Lena. His heart had suddenly skipped a beat. Somehow his heart was stronger than his mind at that exact moment. He carefully took Lena from Micky and he carried her up to Daichi's car.

Daichi and Micky helped Jaejoong to safely put Lena in the car.

"Take good care of her . . ." Daichi said to Jaejoong as his heart was breaking into pieces.

Jaejoong just nodded. His heart was pounding very hard.

Micky and Daichi just silently watched as Jaejoong carefully drove out of the parking lot.

"I love you Lena . . .I hope you finally find the love you have long been searching for," Daichi thought as he slowly turned away to hide his tears from Micky.




CHAPTER 25



Jaejoong was already driving back to their apartment building. Every few minutes he would turn to his side to check on Lena who was still unconscious on the seat next to him.

"Why did you have to to drink so much? You know you have a low tolerance for anything alcoholic. You're really a very stubborn girl." Jaejoong uttered as he tried to focus his attention on the road.

A few minutes later, Jaejoong was already parking in front of their apartment building.

"Thank you very much for your help . . ." Jaejoong said to the security guard as he closed the door of Lena's apartment.

The old security guard was the one who helped Jaejoong to open Lena's apartment.

Jaejoong quickly returned to Lena's side as soon as he closed the door. She was lying unconscious on the sofa.

"Silly girl . . . look at you now," Jaejoong uttered as he carefully carried Lena into his arms again. Then he went straight to her room. And then he carefully laid her down on her bed.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena softly mumbled. She was still uncommon.

Jaejoong's heart suddenly skipped a beat as soon as he heard her say his name.

A few minutes after arranging Lena on her bed, Only then that Jaejoong noticed that Lena was sweating profusely. The dress she was wearing was already wet with sweat. And her face was starting to get very pale.

"Lena . . ." Jaejoong uttered with concern. He then quickly went out of the room to get a small bowl of lukewarm water. Then he searched Lena's cabinet for a small towel and a set of new clothes.

After gathering all the things that he needed, Jaejoong started to gently wipe Lena's face with the wet towel.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena uttered again.

"Lena . . .you need to change your clothes . . .please wake up . . ." Jaejoong said softly.

Lena slowly opened her eyes. She was still feeling very dizzy. As soon as she saw Jaejoong sitting on the side of her bed, her heart started to beat very fast again.

"Jaejoong . . . what . . . what are you doing here? And where am I?" Lena asked as if confused. Her mind was still spinning because of the wine that she drank.

"You're in your apartment. I brought you here," Jaejoong answered.

"Oh . . . my head hurts . . ." Lena complained.

Jaejoong gently touched Lena's head, then her face with concern.

"You shouldn't have drank so much wine. You know Yoora is a heavy drinker. You can never compete with her. Does your head hurt so much? DO you want me to buy you a medicine?" Jaejoong said with concern.

Lena looked at Jaejoong. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing. She couldn't believe that Jaejoong was beside her . . . so very close to her.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena said with love in her eyes.

Jaejoong looked straight into Lena's eyes. And at that exact moment, they were both able to see through each other's hearts. Their eyes couldn't lie . . . and their hearts couldn't hide their true feelings anymore.

He slowly lowered his head and he gently kissed Lena's waiting lips. While they were kissing, Lena couldn't believe what was happening. It was like a dream . . . a dream that she didn't want to wake up from.

Jaejoong's kiss was very sweet and gentle at first. He also felt like he was in a trance. Kissing Lena was making him feel different emotions all rolled in one. He had never kissed a girl before. But now as he kissed her, he felt like Lena was really made for him . . . she was perfect for him.

Lena slowly placed her arms around Jaejoong's neck. Then she started to lovingly caress his neck.

Jaejoong's whole body trembled as their kiss suddenly became more exploring and daring. He was totally losing all his self-control.

Lena suddenly moaned as soon as she felt Jaejoong's hand exploring her body. And within minutes, he had totally removed all her clothing. She didn't stop him from what he was doing. She loved him and she wanted to make love to him as well. She wanted to experience making love with the only man she had been dreaming of for the past ten years.

Jaejoong was already out of control. He wasn't thinking about anything else except the fact that he wanted to have Lena. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to make her feel how much he loved her. He wasn't thinking about what his parents would say or what Lena's parents would say anymore . . . He didn't care anymore. All he cared about at that moment . . . was his longing for her . . . and his love for her.

"I love you Lena . . ." Jaejoong slowly uttered as he started to make love to her.

Lena couldn't believe what she just heard. It was like the most wonderful and magical words she could hear in her lifetime.

"I love you too Jaejoong . . ." Lena uttered as well.

And with those words finally said out loud, their hearts and souls were finally filled with unexplainable joy. And their search for each other's love were finally sealed with their bodies becoming as one.

The next morning . . . .

Lena slowly opened her eyes. She could still remember everything that happened the night before. She smiled and then looked at the other side of her bed. She was expecting to see Jaejoong still sleeping beside her.

But . . . Jaejoong wasn't beside her. Lena suddenly got up and looked around the room.

"Jaejoong . . . Jaejoong . . ." Lena called out.

She then wrapped her naked body wih the bed sheet. And then she went straight to the kitchen. Her heart was pounding very hard. Somehow she couldn't understand it. But she was feeling very nervous.

"Maybe he's in the kitchen . . . cooking," she said to herself.

But as soon as she entered the kitchen and she saw that it was empty, her heart suddenly ached.

"Jaejoong . . . Jaejoong, where are you?" Lena called out again.

And as if insane, Lena started to search around the whole apartment again. While searching, she kept on calling his name.

Then finally she went back to her room. She wanted to make sure that she wasn't dreaming . . . that Jaejoong was really with her the night before.

She slowly approached her bed. And after seeing the stain on her bed, her whole body suddenly became weak. She slowly fell down on the floor . . . sobbing. She couldn't explain the pain she was feeling.

"You said you loved me . . . then how come you just left me without even a goodbye?" she asked out loud.

Lena felt like her whole world had suddenly collapsed. She felt so hurt that she wanted to die at that moment.

"You said you loved me Jaejoong . . . was it just a lie?" she asked out loud again.

Lena started to sob uncontrollably. Then she started to cry out loud. The pain she was feeling was too much. She needed to cry out loud, or else she would go insane.

Lena cried as her whole body trembled. Different thoughts and different emotions were running through her mind and through her heart. She had given all her love to Jaejoong . . .and she had given herself to him as well. But it seems it wasn't enough for him . . . to make him stay. She felt so useless, degraded, pitiful and undeserving to be loved. She wanted to die . . . She wanted to erase the pain she was feeling.

Lena's whole apartment was suddenly filled with her pitiful cries. Anyone who would hear her cry would surely she tears with her as well.

"Jaejoong . . . Jaejoong . . . why? Why?" Lena uttered between sobs.

Minutes passed . . .

"Lena . . ." a voice suddenly called out.

Lena slowly raised her eyes to see Yoora staring at her with eyes wide with shock.

"Yoora . . . Yoora . . ." Lena uttered as she cried uncontrollably again.

Yoora's heart was breaking into pieces as she stared at her best friend.

Lena was sitting on the floor of her room, clutching the thin sheet that was covering her naked body. Her eyes were already swollen because of her crying, and her beautiful face was filled with so much grief and pain.

Lena's whole body was trembling as she cried out loud. She wailed and moaned to the point that Yoora thought her heart was going to explode with so much pity and sympathy that she felt for her friend.

"Lena . . ." Yoora uttered as she hurriedly went to her side.

"Yoora . . .I want to die . . . I want to die, Yoora. . .It hurts too much. I don't think I can take it. I don't want to live anymore," Lena said as she continued to cry.

"What happened? Where's Jaejoong?" Yoora asked as she embraced Lena.

"He . . . he just left me . . . without a single word. He didn't even say goodbye. He said he loved me . . . and then we made loved. But when I woke up, he was gone. I loved him . . . I gave him everything. . . I even gave myself to him. But he just left me . . . He just threw me away after using me. What am I supposed to do now? I already gave myself to him . . .I feel so lost Yoora. Please help me! I don't know what to do. The pain is driving me crazy. I don't think I can handle this. I want to die . . . I want to die . . ." Lena said with tears flowing down her face.

Yoora's heart was suddenly filled with anger. She never imagined that Jaejoong could do such a despicable act. Jaejoong had been their friend for years and he had been a very kind and loving friend to both her and Lena.

But now . . . he had suddenly changed . . . for the worst. Yoora felt that she could never forgive Jaejoong for hurting Lena. She then suddenly felt the urge to get even with him. She wanted to make him suffer the same way Lena was suffering at that moment.

Lena moaned in pain. Her mind was totally getting blurry. Yoora hugged her tighter. She wanted to comfort Lena, and she wanted to make her feel the love and sympathy she had for her.

"Jaejoong . . .I loved you . . . Why did you leave me? You said you loved me . . . But why did you leave me? Why? Why?" lena asked out loud.

Yoora knew that Lena was already getting very emotional and hysterical. She was already getting very worried with Lena.

"Lena . . . please . . . stop crying. It's going to be okay. I'll help you. We'll fix everything. We'll solve things out. Just calm yourself please, Lena. . ." Yoora said to Lean as she gently cupped Lena's face with her two hands.

"Yoora . . .I want to die . . . I don't want to live anymore. If I can't be with him . . . then I don't want to be with anyone else . . .I . . . I . . . I . . ." then Lena suddenly passed out.

An hour later . . .

"Are you sure you're staying here?" Daichi asked Yoora.

Yoora just nodded. "I can take care of myself. Just make sure you take good care of Lena. She's been through a lot . . ."

Daichi nodded. "Don't worry. I've always taken good care of her."

"I know, you're a good man Daichi. I just wish Lena could have met you earlier. Then maybe . . . everything would have been better if she fell in love with you first," Yoora uttered.

Daichi smiled bitterly. "There's nothing we can do now. She's already madly in love with Jaejoong. And I don't think I can ever take his place in her heart."

Yoora sadly stared at Daichi. "Daichi . . . Lena and Jaejoong already . . . they . . ." Somehow Yoora couldn't find the right words to tell Daichi that Lena had already given herself to Jaejoong.

"I already know what you're going to say. I know something already happened between them last night," Daichi weakly uttered.

"And . . . it is still okay with you? Are you still going to accept Lena? Are you still going through with the engagement and the wedding . . . even though she's already slept with another man?" Yoora asked.

Daichi just nodded.

"I'm speechless . . ." Yoora uttered.

"I love Lena with all my heart and soul. I don't care if she has already with Jaejoong. I don't even care if she doesn't sleep with me at all. I love her. And as long as she needs me, I will always be by her side," Daichi said.

"Thank you . . . Thank you for loving Lena so much. She is like my very own sister. And I love her with all my heart as well. I'm glad that you're the man beside her in her times of despair," Yoora said.

Daichi tried to smile. "I'll be going now. Take care of yourself. I still need to go to the hospital to check up on Lena."

"Yes . . .Take care of yourself and Lena too. I'll visit her later," Yoora said.

Daichi nodded his head. Then he slowly got into his car and before starting the car, he bade goodbye to Yoora.

Yoora bade goodbye as well, as Daichi slowly drove away.

As soon as Daichi left, Yoora's expression suddenly changed. Her sweet and beautiful face suddenly became full of anger.

"Jaejoong . . . you're going to pay for what you have done to Lena. I'm going to make sure that you're going to regret what you have done to her," she said in her mind as she hurriedly went back into Lena and Jaejoong's apartment building.



CHAPTER 26


The doorbell rang . . . once . . . twice . . . thrice . . .

Max hurriedly ran to open the door. "Wait a moment please," he said as he opened the door.

"Where's Jaejoong?" Yoora suddenly asked as soon as Max opened the door.

"What? Hyung? I think he's still in his room . . . sleeping," Max answered.

Yoora suddenly walked into the boys' apartment, straight into the living room. Max who was still confused, just closed the door and immediately followed her.

"Yoora . . ." U-Know, Xiah and Micky uttered after seeing her enter the room.

"Where's your friend?" Yoora asked coldly.

U-Know and Micky looked at each other.

"You mean Jaejoong? I think he is still in his room," U-Know answered.

"Jaejoong . . . you bastard . . . I know you can hear me . . . get out of your room now and face me," Yoora screamed.

Only seconds passed, a door suddenly opened. And Jaejoong slowly walked out of his room.

As soon as Yoora saw Jaejoong, she quickly walked up to him, and slapped him hard on the face.

The other DBSK boys were stunned with what they saw. They were all confused on what was going on. They couldn't understand why Yoora was very angry with Jaejoong.

Jaejoong just touched his face as if he felt nothing. Then he stared blankly at Yoora's eyes which were filled with anger.

Yoora saw that Jaejoong wasn't himself either. And somehow her anger suddenly disappeared. She suddenly felt pity for Jaejoong. She could see that he was hurting too. Slowly tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Why Jaejoong? Why? How could you hurt her like that?" Yoora asked with tears flowing from her eyes.

Jaejoong didn't know what to answer. He just lowered his head and tried to pretend that he wasn't affected, and that he didn't care.

Yoora couldn't take Jaejoong's silence. She was so angry with her hands. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted him to wake up and realize what he was doing was wrong. . . totally wrong.

"How could you have done such a thing Jaejoong? She is your best friend . . . for God's sake! She wasn't a flirt or a prostitute that after you sleep with . . . you can just leave the next morning . . ." Yoora shouted at Jaejoong.

Max, Xiah, U-Know and Micky couldn't believe what they were hearing. It was only then everything became clear to them. They suddenly understood why Yoora was very angry with Jaejoong.

"I . . .I'm sorry . . ." Jaejoong suddenly uttered as he stared at Yoora.

"Sorry? Sorry? I'm not the one you should say sorry to. Do you know how hurt she was Jaejoong? Do you know how hurt I was . . .when I saw her sitting on the floor . . . crying . . . still naked? God! Jaejoong . . . I'm a girl too. And if I was in her place, I couldn't even imagine that I would be able to accept what you did. She kept on repeating that you said you loved her. If you really do love her . . . then why did you leave her? You're the only man she gave herself to. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Are you really a monster Jaejoong?" Yoora said as tears continuously flowed out of her eyes.

Tears started to fall from Jaejoong's eyes. He couldn't stop himself from picturing Lena in such a pitiful condition just like Yoora said. It was breaking his heart just imagining Lena after he had left her.

"What happened between us was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to happen. I know I was wrong . . . and I am the one to be blamed . . ." Jaejoong weakly uttered.

"A mistake? How could you say such a thing? She gave herself to you because she love you . . . She gave herself to you eventhough she knew she wasn't supposed to . . . because she wanted to prove to you how much you meant to her. How dare you say it was a mistake! I can't believe you're the same Jaejoong that I grew up with. You have totally changed. I don't even know who you are anymore," Yoora said coldly as she tried to control herself from crying.

"I . . . I didn't know what to say to her after what happened between us. That's why I just left. Somehow I couldn't face her and tell her that what we shared was a mistake . . . Something that should be forgotten," Jaejoong uttered.

"You're a monster! I never imagined that behind your beautiful face lies a hideous monster. I can never forgive you Jaejoong. I'm sorry . . . but from now on . . . I'm cutting all ties with you. You're no longer my friend. You're no longer Lena's friend as well. . . Just stay away from us . . . especially Lena," Yoora said as she coldly stared at Jaejoong.

"I'm sorry Yoora . . ." Jaejoong uttered as a tear fell from his eye.

Yoora shook her head. "I'm sorry too Jaejoong. But what you have done is wrong. . . Tell me what's wrong? Why can't you just follow your heart? Is your stardom so important to you that you're willing to trade your love for it? What's holding you back Jaejoong? Just tell me . . . I want to understand you. I can see that you're hurting too. So why? Why are you denying your true feelings? why are you hurting Lena and yourself as well?"

"I . . . I don't think I am right for her. She lives in a different world . . . so different from mine," Jaejoong uttered.

Yoora looked at her friend. She could see the pain in his eyes. Somehow her heart ached. She didn't want to see either Lena or Jaejoong hurting.

Yoora slowly touched Jaejoong's face. "You and Lena have been my best friends for years now. And it is really breaking my heart seeing you guys hurting each other. Just forget about everything Jaejoong . . . set yourself free. Be true to yourself. If you let go of your chance . . . you may never have the chance to experience true happiness."

"Yoora . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

Yoora slowly turned and started to walk towards the door. Then she stopped . . .

"Lena is in the hospital now. I just thought you had a right to know," Yoora said before she finally left the boys' apartment.

Jaejoong felt very weak. He suddenly leaned against a wall. His tears were already flowing and his whole body was trembling.

"What have I done?" he suddenly uttered with grief.

Xiah and U-Know just looked at Jaejoong with pity in their eyes. Somehow they wanted to comfort their friend. But they didn't know how.

"If you didn't have any intention of being responsible for Lena . . . then you shouldn't have touched her in the first place. You said . . . you didn't want to cause any trouble . . . But look at what you've done . . . Lena's a very nice girl. She doesn't deserve the treatment you gave her. Frankly I am quite disappointed with you. I never imagined you could treat a girl in such an indecent way. And to think . . . she was your best friend. What a nice way to treat your best friend! Sleep with her . . . then leave her. Congratulations . . . you've just made it to the list of the most despicable men that I have met. I'm quite ashamed to say that you are my friend," Micky said angrily as he suddenly stormed out of the living room and into his room.

Jaejoong felt his whole world was closing in on him. He knew what he did was wrong. But he was confused and afraid. He didn't know how to handle everything that had happened between him and Lena.

"I'm sorry hyung . . . But I have to agree with Micky. Lena is a decent girl. You had no right to treat her in such a cruel way. I'm sorry. . . but the way I see it . . . You didn't make love to her . . . Somehow you just used her. You can't possibly sleep with a girl you love . . .then just leave her all alone the following day. I'm disappointed in you as well, hyung. I just hope you won't pay dearly . . .in the end," Max said as he also left the living room and entered his own room.

"Aaaaahhhhh . . . . " Jaejoong moaned. Then slowly he started to cry uncontrollably.

"Jaejoong . . ." Xiah and U-Know uttered with concern.

"I'm sorry Lena . . .Please forgive me . . . Please forgive me . . ." Jaejoong uttered over and over again as tears continuously flowed from his eyes.




CHAPTER 27


Lena slowly opened her eyes. She felt very weak. And her mind was a little blurry.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she immediately saw Daichi smiling sweetly at her.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered.

Daichi smiled. "How are you? Are you dizzy?"

Lena tried to smile. "Where am I?" she asked as if confused.

"You're in the hospital," Daichi answered.

"Hospital? Why?" Lena asked again. She suddenly became more confused.

"You passed out this morning," Daichi replied.

"This morning?" Lena asked again. She tried very hard to remember everything that had happened. But somehow she couldn't remember anything.

Lena touched her forehead. Her head had suddenly started to ache.

"What's wrong?" Daichi asked worriedly.

"My head hurts . . ." she complained.

"I think you should rest . . . Just go back to sleep," Daichi uttered. Then he slowly kissed Lena on her forehead.

As soon as Daichi kissed her, memories started to flash in Lena's mind. Within seconds, she had already remembered everything that had happened between her and Jaejoong.

"Daichi . . ." Lena uttered softly as she suddenly touched Daichi's hand.

"What is it?" he asked with concern.

"I . . . I think we should talk," she slowly said.

Daichi immediately noticed the sudden change in Lena's eyes. And somehow it brought fear into his heart.

"You already remembered what happened to you . . . is that it? You're going to talk to me about what happened?" Daichi asked.

Lena stared at Daichi for a few minutes, then she just nodded.

"Daichi . . . I'm sorry . . . I . . . I . . . I already . . ." Lena couldn't find the right words to say what she wanted. She didn't want to hurt Daichi. But she knew no matter how gentle or how quick she told him, the effect would still be the same . . . Daichi was going to be hurt.

Daichi saw that Lena was having a hard time trying to tell him what he already knew.

Daichi smiled. "Sssshhh . . ." he said as he gently placed his finger on Lena's lips. "You don't have to say it. I already know."

Lena's eyes suddenly softened as she looked at him. Somehow her eyes were asking Daichi why she was still being so kind to her.

"You already know? How? And why are you still so kind to me? Aren't you going to get mad at me?" Lena asked. Somehow she couldn't stand Daichi's kindness anymore. She was already very ashamed of herself and what she had done.

"I have no right to be mad at you," Daichi answered.

"Daichi . . . I don't think I can go through with the engagement anymore . . . especially the . . .wedding," Lena softly said out loud.

Daichi tried to hide the pain he was feeling with a smile. "Why? I . . .I know he just left you after . . ." he suddenly stopped himself from talking. He didn't want to hurt her.

"He left me . . . after he slept with me . . ." Lena continued Daichi's sentence.

Daichi suddenly lowered his head. He immediately regretted opening the topic.

"Lena . . .I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm in saying it. It's just that . . . I'm confused. Why are you backing out of the engagement now? I don't care about what happened between the two of you. So you don't have to worry about that. You don't have to back out now," Daichi said.

"I can't continue with the engagement and the wedding because . . . I think it's very unfair on your side. I have already slept with another man, Daichi. Doesn't that bother you?" she asked weakly.

Daichi smiled. "I don't care if you slept with Jaejoong. I love you . . . That is the only thing that matters to me."

Lena slowly shook her head. "Daichi. . . please. Give yourself some dignity. You can't continue acting like this. You're a very nice and wonderful man. You deserve someone better than me. Someone who can love you back in return."

"No! I will never let you go . . . If Jaejoong doesn't want to be responsible for you . . . then I will. I'll take care of you. I will love you with no conditions or limitations. Everything that Jaejoong can't give you . . . I will provide," Daichi uttered with so much emotion visible in his eyes.

Lena's heart was aching as she looked at Daichi. She pitied him, and how she wanted to just disappear. She was thinking that everyone's problems would vanish the moment she disappeared.

"Daichi . . . I want to be fair with you. . . I want to be honest with you. When I was making love with Jaejoong. It was only then I realized that I really love him with all my heart and soul. And he is the only man I can ever give myself to. And that is why . . . I don't want to get married with you anymore . . . I don't think I can ever fulfill my duties to you as your wife . . . physically . . . if ever we did end up marrying each other. And it will be so unfair to you, Daichi. So please . . . try to understand," Lena said as tears started to form in her eyes.

Daichi looked straight into Lena's eyes. Slowly tears started to fall from his eyes as well.

"Daichi . . ." Lena uttered as she saw Daichi's tears.

Daichi slowly took Lena's hand and kissed it. Lena's heart ached with Daichi's sweet gesture.

"Honestly I understand what you're saying. But my heart tells me that I shouldn't let you go, especially now . . .If Jaejoong doesn't want to love you . . . Please let me take his place. I promise I will never force you to sleep with me. If that is the only thing that is bothering you. I can wait . . . I will wait until the time comes that you can finally give yourself to me. My love for you isn't based on physical needs," Daichi said as the sadness in his eyes was slowly killing Lena deep inside.

"Daichi . . .you're a man. You have physical needs. There will surely come a time that you will need me . . . physically. And what if, by that time I still can't give myself to you? No matter how we look at it, it will be so unfair on your part. Daichi . . . please understand . . ." she slowly spoke. She felt her heart was so heavy and somehow she couldn't breathe.

Daichi shook his head in disapproval. "I will never force you to do something that you don't want to do. And no matter how you try to convince me . . . I'm sorry but I can never let you go. Like what I said before, I can only give you to the man that you love. So if he doesn't want you, then I will take you for myself. I will never let you go . . ."

"Daichi . . ." she uttered.

Daichi smiled, then he slowly caressed Lena's face. "You're very beautiful Lena. And any man will easily fall in love with you."

"Any man? Then why can't he fall in love with me? Why did he just leave me?" she uttered as a tear suddenly fell from her eye.

"Maybe . . . he has his reasons . . ." he answered.

"Daichi . . . just find someone else please," she begged.

Daichi shook his head again and smiled. "I will only give you up . . . if another man comes . . . and I am totally sure that he will take good care of you and he will make you happy."

Lena stared at him. "Are you really sure? You still want to continue with this? I know you're already hurting. If we still continue . . . then you'll end up being more hurt. I may not love you the same way that you love me . . . But I still care for you. And I don't want to see you hurt yourself because of me."

"Don't worry about me. I can handle everything," Daichi said as he tried to put on a smile.

"Daichi . . ." she slowly uttered. She felt pity for him. And she hated herself for hurting him.

Slowly Lena started to cry. She hated herself for so many reasons. But she hated herself the most because she knew that she had brought confusion in Jaejoong's life and pain Daichi's life as well.

"Lena . . ." Daichi uttered with concern. He then slowly embraced her . . . to comfort her . . . to make her feel his love for her.

"I'm sorry Daichi. I shouldn't have entered your life. You would have been much better off if you never met me," Lena uttered as tears fell from her eyes.

Daichi kissed Lena's forehead. "Don't say such things. I am very thankful that you entered my life. Because without you, I may never have learned how to love without any conditions . . . how to be unselfish. Before I met you, I was total jerk with girls. I played around with so many women that I can't even keep track of how many girlfriends I already had. That is how bad I was, before I met you. But you changed me . . . and I am very thankful for that."

"Daichi, I am tired. I'm so very tired of everything. Why can't I love freely? And why is it the man that I love doesn't want to love me back? Why is everything so complicated? I am already tired . . . I just want to give up," she weakly uttered.

"Everything will be all right, Lena. I'll always be your side to help you. So don't worry. I'll take care of you," Daichi said as he slowly tightened his embrace.




CHAPTER 28


A knock suddenly caught Daichi's attention. He hurriedly opened the door of Lena's room, and was quite surprised to see who was waiting outside.

"Micky . . .what are you doing here?" Daichi asked coldly.

"To visit Lena, of course. Why? Am I forbidden to see her?" Micky answered.

"You shouldn't have come. If she sees you, she will only remember Jaejoong," Daichi uttered.

"Jaejoong? That friend of mine is still in the apartment . . .weeping like a baby. And please let's just get one thing straight. Jaejoong is Jaejoong . . . and I am me. We're two different persons. So don't go around comparing him to me," Micky said.

Daichi couldn't help but laugh. Somehow he liked Micky's character. He was very frank with dealing with things.

Daichi looked back at Lena who was still sleeping on her bed. Then he turned to face Micky again.

Micky was holding a bouquet of beautiful red roses.

"Lena was just put to sleep. You may come in anyway . . . and wait until she wakes up," Daichi said.

Micky nodded and slowly entered Lena's hospital room. He immediately walked up to the side of her bed, and gently placed the flowers he had brought on a table. He then looked at Lena. She was very pale, but still very beautiful. Somehow he couldn't understand how a man . . .especially Jaejoong could possibly have the heart to hurt such a sweet angel.

Daichi carefully looked at Micky. Somehow he didn't like the way Micky was staring at Lena.

"Are you going to wait until she wakes up? It may take a few hours before she wakes up," Daichi said.

Micky stared at Daichi. Then he sat down on an empty chair near the bed.

"If it's all right with you. I would really like to wait," Micky answered.

Daichi wanted to ask Micky something, but somehow he couldn't find the courage to do so.

"Are you really free today? Don't you have an appointment to go to?" Daichi asked Micky.

Micky smiled. "I have nothing to do today. No scheduled interviews, no tv guestings or whatsoever."

Daichi's face suddenly became serious. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean by that? I'm here to visit Lena. Is that a crime?" Micky asked with sarcasm.

"Let's be honest . . . man to man . . . Are you starting to like Lena? I can see that you treat her with a very special kind of attention," Daichi said.

Micky lightly laughed. "You're really straight to the point, aren't you?"

"Yes . . . and I really would appreciate it, if you would also be the same," Daichi replied.

Micky suddenly stared at Lena. "Honestly, I really do like her. The very first time I saw her, I had already liked her."

Daichi was already expecting that kind of answer from Micky. He was a man and he could easily tell Micky's intentions by his actions.

"Don't you think that you're adding more confusion into Lena's life by liking her?" Daichi asked.

"Confusion? How? It's not as if I'm forcing her to like me back or to marry me . . ." Micky said with a hidden meaning.

"Jaejoong is your friend, isn't he? So why are you liking a girl who is involved with your friend? Don't you think that is way out of line?" Daichi asked.

"Yes, Jaejoong is my friend. But out friendship has nothing to do with Lena. I like her. . . and that is that. Jaejoong isn't even trying to fight for her. He's just letting you have her without any fight at all. He's a coward . . . a big coward in my opinion," Micky said.

"So what are you saying? Are you going to fight with me over Lena?" Daichi asked with a raised eyebrow.

Micky laughed again. "Do I actually look like the type of guy who would fight with another man just for a girl?"

"Yes," Daichi replied.

Micky laughed again."You're right. I'm not the type of guy who would let the girl I like just pass me by."

"So are you planning to court Lena? Is that your intention?" Daichi asked directly.

Micky stared at Lena. "Frankly if she was another girl, I would have already started courting her the moment I met her. But . . . because of Jaejoong, I just tried to set aside my feelings for her . . . and just pretend that I don't feel a thing for her. But . . ." Micky suddenly stopped talking.

"But what?" Daichi asked curiously.

"But . . . after I learned about what happened between her and Jaejoong, it suddenly made me realize that maybe I was wrong to just give up because of Jaejoong," Micky answered.

"Are you sure what you're feeling is love and not just pity? I really suggest that you just forget about courting Lena. Please don't make her life more complicated," Daichi said calmly.

Micky stared at Daichi with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you think you're being biased?"

"Biased? Who? Me? What do you mean?" Daichi asked as if confused.

"I can clearly see that you're practically making Lena and Jaejoong fall into each other's arms. But when it comes to me, you're already stopping me . . . when I haven't even started yet. Don't you think that is too unfair? You're giving Jaejoong a chance . . . but not me," Micky said frankly.

"That's because Lena likes Jaejoong. She has loved him for years. And he's the only reason why she's happy. That is the reason why I'm giving him a chance," Daichi answered.

"Are you really a man? So what if Lena likes Jaejoong? You're really just going to stand on one side and let another man destroy her? And about what you said . . . Jaejoong is the only reason why she's happy? Well . . . tell me honestly . . . is she happy now? Frankly I don't see the point in all of this. She likes Jaejoong, but ends up being dumped. You like her, but ends up feeling hurt over and over again. Jaejoong likes her, but ends up hurting her. Don't you think your love affair is too twisted and complicated?" Micky asked.

Daichi sighed. "You're right. But there's nothing I can do. You can't dictate another person's heart on what to do or whom to love."

"You can't dictate . . . but you can certainly control or try to manipulate," Micky uttered.

"What do you mean?" Daichi asked.

"Just like the way you are trying to set up Lena and Jaejoong. You're trying to make them fall in love with each other right?" Micky said with a smile.

Daichi sighed again. "Yes, but that didn't work. Lena just ended up being hurt."

Micky stared at Lena again. "Frankly I don't understand why Jaejoong is holding out on his feelings for Lena. It's very obvious that he loves her. But somehow there's something that holding him back. By any chance, do you know why he's like that? He's always been straight to the point when dealing with things. Sometimes there are some people who mistakenly assume that he's rude because of his frankness. But now . . . he's like a different person. He's hiding his true feelings for no apparent reason at all," Micky said.

"So you're just concerned about your friend? And I actually thought that you were going to enter our love triangle . . ." Daichi said with relief.

"Who said I wasn't going to enter your love problem?" Micky asked with a grin.

The smile on Daichi's lips suddenly disappeared. "So you're really determined to enter Lena's life now?" he asked nervously.

Micky smiled. "Yes, but not the way that you're thinking."

"What do you mean?" Daichi asked.

"Well I can see that all your efforts to put Lena and Jaejoong into each other's arms is still not enough. So I was thinking . . . maybe I can be of help. Since one man can't seem to push Jaejoong into Lena's direction . . . Then maybe two men will be able to do the trick,” Micky said.

Daichi stared at Micky. He was trying to figure out if what Micky was saying was true.

“I thought you said you liked Lena. So why are you going to help Jaejoong be with Lena?” Daichi asked curiously.

“Almost the same reason why you're also helping Lena and Jaejoong . . . I like Lena so I want her to be happy. And second is Jaejoong is like a brother to me . . . and I would do anything to make him happy as well,” Micky answered with a serious express on his face.

Daichi smiled. “So you're going to sacrifice for your friend?”

Micky nodded. “ I know Jaejoong is hurting because of her . . . and she's hurting because of him. I don't think I have the heart to see them that way.”

“You're a good man. Micky,” Daichi uttered with a smile on his lips.

“You're a good man as well Daichi, “ Micky said with a smile as well.

“So what do you plan to do now?” Daichi asked.

Micky suddenly grinned. “Let's make Jaejoong jealous to the point that he won't be able to take it anymore.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Daichi asked.

“Just leave it all to me . . .” Micky uttered.

“We don't have much time Micky. My mother won't postpone the engagement. So it's still going as planned. What can you possibly do in such a short time?” Daichi asked worriedly.

“Don't worry . . . I've already thought of a perfect plan . . . Just leave it all up to me,” Micky answered.

Daichi stared at Lena. She was still asleep. “You still have a chance to be happy Lena. Now . . . there are two of us who will be helping you. We both want you to be happy. So we'll certainly do everything to get Jaejoong into your arms.”




CHAPTER 29



Micky sighed as he slowly closed the door of Lena's room. He didn't get the chance to talk with
her, because she was still sleeping when he left. The hospital's visiting hours was over, and he really needed to go back to the apartment already.

He stood outside of Lena's room for a few minutes. He really wanted to talk with her. He wanted to let her know that he was willing to help her in any way he can.

He suddenly shook his head as if to wake himself up. His feelings for Lena were starting to cloud his mind again. He had already set up his heart and his mind that he was going to help Lena and Jaejoong be together. And even though he liked Lena, he was just going to set it aside for everyone's sake.

He suddenly let out a long sigh again. "Why is life so complicated?" he suddenly asked himself as he slowly walked away.

Only a few meters away from Lena's room, someone was hiding and watching Micky. It was . . .
Jaejoong.

Jaejoong's heart was aching as he watched his friend. Somehow he envied Micky. Unlike him,
Micky had the courage to show his true feelings. And unlike him, Micky had nothing that was holding him back.

"How I envy you Micky! I wish I was as brave as you. I wish I can be true to myself. . . But there are so many things I need to consider. I can't just think of myself or Lena. I still need to think about my family . . . God knows, how much I love Lena, and how much I regret hurting her. But . . . there are a lot of things that sets us apart."

Jaejoong continued to hide until Micky finally disappeared from his sight. He then slowly walked up to Lena's room. He just stood outside staring at the door. He was trying to imagine what Lena was doing inside her room. He didn't have any intention of seeing her. He just wanted to be sure that she was safe. And just being able to close to her again even from a distance was already enough for him.

"I'm sorry, Lena. I'm sorry . . . I broke your heart," Jaejoong uttered.

Suddenly the door of Lena's room slowly opened. Jaejoong was suddenly caught by surprise.
Daichi was already looking at him with serious expression on his face.

"I'm sorry. I . . .I know I shouldn't have come here. Don't worry. I don't want to cause anymore
problems . . .I am going now," Jaejoong uttered. He was already about to leave when . . .

"Wait! Since you're already here . . .I might as well let you see her. Don't worry, she's still asleep. So you don't have anything to worry about," Daichi said.

Jaejoong stared at Daichi, as if trying to find out what Daichi's true intentions were. Somehow he couldn't understand why Daichi was always giving him a chance to be with Lena.

"Why?" Jaejoong asked.

"Why? What do you mean? What are you asking me?" Daichi asked back.

"Why are you always giving me a chance to be with her? Why are you always giving way for me?" Jaejoong asked again.

"Simple, it is because you are the man she loves," Daichi said while his heart was breaking into
pieces.

"But you love her . . . So why are you giving her to another man?" Jaejoong asked.

"Yes, I love her. And that is why I want to give her happiness. And I know that her happiness isn't with me, but with you. That's why I'm willing to give her up to you," Daichi weakly uttered.

"But . . .I've already hurt her. And I am afraid to face her again," Jaejoong said.

"She loves you, and I know she will easily forgive you. The two of you really need to talk," Daichi said.

"I don't think I have the strength and the courage to face her. I'm afraid I will just hurt her again," Jaejoong slowly uttered.

Daichi tried to smile. "She's still asleep. You can still see her before you leave," he then slowly
opened the door fully to let Jaejoong in.

At first, Jaejoong was very reluctant to enter. His heart started beating fast the moment he entered Lena's room. He couldn't explain what he was feeling. He was afraid and also anxious to see her.

He slowly walked up to Lena's bed. And just like what Daichi said, she was still sleeping.
Somehow he couldn't stop himself. He immediately touched her hand.

"Lena . . ." he uttered.

Daichi who was just watching suddenly turned towards the door. "I know you need some time
alone with her. So I'll just be outside, if you need me."

Jaejoong stared at Daichi. He was very thankful for Daichi's kindness and consideration.

"Daichi . . . thank you. Don't worry. I won't take long," Jaejoong uttered.

Daichi smiled. "I'm not rushing you. So just take your time . . . Please do bear in mind. . . this
maybe the last time that you will be able to be close to her. Up until now, I still don't consider her as mine. So basically she's still free. But after the engagement, then that is the only time that I will call her mine. And I'm sorry to say once she's engaged with me . . .I will never let her go. So I'm still giving you this chance to make up your mind. After the engagement . . . she can never be with you again. So think Jaejoong . . . think . . . think, not with your mind . . . .but with your heart," he said and he slowly walked out of the room.

Jaejoong's heart suddenly stopped beating for a few seconds after hearing Daichi's last words.
Somehow he couldn't explain the pain he was feeling, just thinking that he wasn't going to see or touch Lena
ever again.

He suddenly stared at Lena's beautiful face. Then he started to ran his finger down the curve of
Lena's lips. He could still remember the sweetness he tasted while kissing her. Jaejoong smiled. Then he started to caress Lena's face. And suddenly he again remembered everything that happened between them.

"I'm sorry Lena. I didn't mean to hurt you. I really . . . really love you. It's just that . . .there are too many differences that sets us apart. God knows how much I love you. I had been trying to deny everything because I was afraid of the consequences that may arise if I let out my feelings. I tried so hard to be blind and numb with your love. I couldn't let you see what is really in my heart. But . . . I suddenly became weak. I suddenly lost control of my feelings. That's why something happened between us. Do you know how many times I had dreamed that I was making love to you? Before I always thought that it was just a dream . . . a dream that can never come true. And during that special time . . . that special . . .I finally released my true feelings for you. I love you Lena. . . with all my heart and soul. I made love to you . . .because I love you. And I certainly didn't use you . . . not like the others are saying. When I made love to you . . .I finally gave my heart to you. You're the very first girl I ever made love with . . . and the very last girl that my heart will die with," Jaejoong uttered as his heart was breaking into pieces.

"Then . . . why did you leave me?" Lena suddenly asked as she slowly opened her eyes. She then looked straightly into Jaejoong's eyes.

Jaejoong was taken by surprise. "You're awake? So you heard everything that I said?"

Lena nodded. "I had been awake for a few minutes before you arrived. I didn't want to talk with
Daichi so I just pretended to be asleep."

Jaejoong suddenly lowered his head. He was very ashamed of himself. He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't know how to explain what he did.

"Jaejoong . . . why did you leave me? Do you know how hurt I was? I felt like I was a toy that you suddenly threw away after you got bored of playing with. When I woke up and found that you were gone, it was like I wanted to die," Lena uttered as tears streamed down her face.

"Lena . . ." Jaejoong stared at Lena's face. "I'm sorry . . . I'm very sorry."

"Just answer me please . . .Why? Why did you leave me?" she asked again.

Jaejoong's heart was beating wildly. Somehow he didn't want to answer her question. He knew
that once he answered, she would only be more hurt.

"Jaejoong . . .please. . .tell me the truth. If you really love me . . . tell me . . . why you can't be with me," she said as her voice trembled.

Jaejoong stared straight into her eyes. "I love you . . . but I don't think I am fit for you. You have
always been living in luxury, while I just live an ordinary life. Aside from that, your parents will surely
disapprove of me, once they knew about us. And I know . . . even my own parents . . .won't approve of us being together."

"Is that all you're afraid of? Am I not worthy enough for you to fight for me? Yes, I know our
parents won't approve of us being together. But we are talking about our lives . . . our lives . . . Jaejoong. Even though they are our parents, we can't possibly let them run our lives for us. I am willing to forget about my family's wealth and name, just for a chance to be with you. That's how much I love you. Can't you do the same for me?" Lena asked as tears fell from her eyes, one by one.

Jaejoong felt his heart was being shattered into pieces as he watched Lena cry.

"I . . .I'm sorry. But it isn't just about my family anymore. I also have to think about my friends, our group. If we continued with this . . .it will surely affect our group. And honestly, if it was only me who will be affected, I will gladly accept it. But. . . Xiah, Max, Micky and U-Know . . . they don't deserve to be put in the middle of our problem. If we continued with our love, your family, Daichi's family might cause trouble to my family and friends. And I don't want that to happen. So I'm sorry. But what happened between us . . .I know I can never undone it. But believe me when I say that it is something that I will always remember in my mind and keep locked up in my heart," Jaejoong said as tears started to fall down from his eyes as well.

"So . . . you're saying goodbye to me? You say you love me and yet you can't stay with me? How can you be so cruel to me?" Lena uttered as she cried uncontrollably.

"Lena . . . please . . . please understand," Jaejoong weakly uttered.

"Understand what? That I mean nothing to you? That compared with your family and friends . . . you would easily give me up? Is that what you want me to understand? Don't worry, I get it. I understand, that's why it is hurting me so much. Believe me, I understand. That's why I am trying to accept it. I know you're right, and that you have a point. But . . . it hurts! It's making my mind spin and I can't seem to think straight. And it's also making my heart ache so much that somehow I can't breathe. God! It hurts!" Lena suddenly cried out.

Jaejoong couldn't stand seeing Lena in pain. He suddenly embraced her. "I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . .I'm very sorry," he uttered as he cried as well.

"You don't have to say sorry over and over again. I understand, Jaejoong. I respect your decision. That's why I will try to accept this . . . So this is goodbye," Lena said as she slowly embraced Jaejoong. She wanted to feel his body next to hers for the very last time.

"Lena . . . I love you . . ." Jaejoong uttered as he held her tighter.

"I love you too Jaejoong . . ." she uttered softly.

They embraced each other tightly like they weren't going to let each other go. They wanted to
remember the feeling of being in each other's arms and keep it locked up in their hearts as long as they lived.

"Jaejoong. . . can you kiss me . . . for the very last time?" Lena asked with a trembling voice.

Jaejoong suddenly stared at Lena. His heart was aching so much that he thought he was going to
go crazy.

"Lena . . . .close your eyes," he weakly uttered.

Lena slowly closed her eyes. She wanted to pretend and just forget for awhile.

Slowly Jaejoong started to close his eyes as he kissed Lena.

Both of them kissed each other with such sweetness and emotion, while tears continued to flow
from their eyes. It was the last time that they were going to be together. And as they kissed, somehow their hearts were already saying goodbye to each other

Lena tried to control herself. She wanted to beg Jaejoong. She wanted him to be with her forever.

She suddenly pushed Jaejoong away from her.

Jaejoong gazed at Lena with a confused and hurt look in his eyes. "Lena?" he uttered.

Lena looked away in a different direction. She didn't want to see the sadness in Jaejoong's eyes.
She knew that she wouldn't be able to take it.

"Just go . . . Jaejoong . . . Let's just end this way . . . . Just remember . . . no matter what happens . . . . I'll always remember you . . . . and I'll always keep a special place for you in my heart," she said as her tears clouded her eyes.

Jaejoong's heart was very heavy and somehow at that moment it had suddenly stopped beating.

"Goodbye, Lena . . . . I wish you happiness . . . ." Jaejoong uttered as he slowly went out of the
room.

Daichi was suddenly surprised to see Jaejoong open the door with his eyes filled with tears.

"Please . . . . take good care of Lena," Jaejoong said to Daichi before he slowly walked away.

Lena finally broke down into an uncontrollable sob as soon as Jaejoong left.

"Jaejoong . . . . Jaejoong . . . . I love you . . . . and . . . . goodbye."




CHAPTER 30


Jaejoong quietly entered the living room of their apartment. Somehow his mind was still in a mess, and he can't seem to think of anything else except what happened in the hospital.

"Hyung . . . . where have you been? It's late already," Max uttered with concern. He immediately noticed that Jaejoong wasn't himself.

Jaejoong looked at Max, as if trying to understand what his friend just said.

"Have you had dinner yet? If you're hungry, we left some of the food we ordered in the kitchen," U-Know said.

Jaejoong felt very weak. He just sat down on the sofa and stared blankly at the floor.

"What's wrong Jaejoong? Are you all right?" Xiah asked with concern.

"Maybe you're hungry . . . Come on, let's eat," MAx said to Jaejoong.

"I'm not hungry . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"Then . . . what's wrong with you?" Xiah asked.

"Nothing," Jaejoong replied. He felt like he was in no mood to talk.

Micky suddenly smiled. "So where are did you go? Did you visit Lena in the hospital?"

Jaejoong stared at Micky. He was somehow caught by surprise by his question. "No," he lied.

Micky smiled again. "Well . . . I did."

Shocked . . . Xiah, U-Know and Max immediately looked at Mikcy. Somehow they couldn't understand what Micky was doing.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. "So?"

"She was asleep when I arrived . . . and when I left. So I have nothing to tell," Micky said coldly.

"Oh . . ." Jaejoong uttered as if he didn't care.

"Daichi said . . . the engagement will still proceed as planned," Micky added.

"Oh . . . is that so?" Jaejoong uttered again.

Micky was starting to get irritated with Jaejoong's reactions.

"Have you really gone numb? Or you're just trying to hide your true feelings," he asked.

Jaejoong stared at Micky, then he suddenly looked away. "I don't want to talk about it," he uttered.

"Really? . . . . I . . . I like Lena," Micky suddenly announced out of the blue.

"Hyung! What are you saying?" Max asked with disbelief.

"Micky . . ." U-Know uttered. He was very surprised as well.

"I like Lena . . . ever since the first time I met her. I just kept it to myself because I know there was something going on between Lena and Jaejoong," Micky confessed.

Xiah, Max and U-Know were totally shocked with Micky's confession. They never expected that Micky would actually like Lena more than a friend.

Jaejoong stared at Micky with a blank expression on his face. "So why are you telling us all of a sudden that you like Lena?" he asked.

"I'm telling you because . . . I'm sick and tired of watching you hurt her. Do you really like her? I mean do you like her as a friend or more than a friend? What's the truth?" Micky asked.

"There's no sense in answering that question now," Jaejoong uttered.

"I like Lena. So if you're not going after her . . . then I just want you to know that . . . I will," Micky suddenly said out loud.

Jaejoong felt his heart was suddenly stabbed.

"Hyung . . . that's not fair," Max said to Micky as he shook his head in dismay.

"Micky . . . why are you doing this?" U-Know asked.

Jaejoong tried to smile. "So . . . you're really going after her? Then be my guest . . . But have you forgotten? She's already slept with me . . ."

"Slept with you? So what? Daichi doesn't mind . . . and I certainly don't care at all either. What matters to me is that I like her, and I want to make her happy," Micky replied.

Jaejoong suddenly let out a laugh. "Honestly . . . I envy you. I envy you because you have the courage to show what you're really feeling. I envy you because you don't have personal reasons to hold you back. I wish I could be like that. I wish I was in a different position . . . I wish I wasn't . . . me," he uttered sadly.

"What you're saying is just useless excuses for me. Why can't you love her? What's holding you back? What are these reasons you are talking about? If you really love her . . . then fight for her," Micky said angrily.

"You don't know my reasons for controlling my feelings for her," Jaejoong weakly said to Micky.

"That's why I'm asking you. Tell me! I want to understand. She loves you Jaejoong. She gave herself to you. Doesn't that mean anything yo you? God! If I were in your position, I would surely have married her by now. She's hurting . . . and you're obviously in pain as well. So please tell me . . . what's the reason why you can't love her back," Micky said with so much emotion.

Jaejoong stared at his friend. He suddenly let out a long sigh. "You've all been my friends for years . . . I guess I should at least be honest with you guys."

"What's wrong, hyung? You can tell us we're willing to listen," Max said.

"Ever since Lena and I were young, my parents had already made me aware of our difference in social status. And there was a time that my mother even talked with me and told me that even though she loved Lena like her own daughter . . . she can never accept her as a daughter-in-law. I was shocked at first. But then she also told me her reason for not accepting Lena. My mother said that Lena was brought up in a very rich family. She isn't used to poverty or any kind of hardship. If she was to end up with me . . . then I will only be putting her in a difficult situation. My family lives an ordinary life . . . so very different from the life she's used to. Somehow it would be like punishing her, if she was to live in my world," Jaejoong tried to explain.

"That's total nonsense!" Micky uttered angrily. he couldn't believe the reason Jaejoong was giving them.

"But hyung . . . you're famous now . . . and you're rich. You can easily give Lena everything she needs. So there's no problem now," Max said with a smile.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. "Yes, I am famous and rich now. But what happens after our careers are over? We will all return to our ordinary lives. What will I give her then? Compared with Daichi, I can't give even one-fourth of what he can give her."

"Lena's not a materialistic girl. You're already pre-judging her. Do you actually think that she would care about money or material things?" Micky asked.

"I know she would gladly live in poverty with me. But I can't let her do that. I love her too much to see her live in such a pitiful state," Jaejoong uttered.

"Pitiful state? Have you seen her? Because if you have . . . she's already in a pitiful state now . . . because of you," Micky said with sarcasm.

"She will forget me sooner or later. Daichi is a good man. She will easily fall in love with him as time moves on," Jaejoong said as his heart was aching badly.

"Do you actually think that she will ever forget you? Jaejoong . . . are you really human? How can you just give the woman you love to another man just because of petty excuses?" Micky asked angrily. He was trying very hard to understand Jaejoong, but his heart was somehow unable to accept Jaejoong's reasons.

"I'm not just thinking about myself . . . but also about my family . . . my friends . . . our group. Aside from my parents disapproving of Lena and me having a romantic relationship. I know her parents will never accept it as well. They will surely find ways to set us apart. And what I am most afraid of is the fact that they can easily make problems for my family, and they can also cause problems to our group. Have you guys ever thought about what would happen if my relationship with Lena ever got out to the media? If that happens . . . I won't be the only one who will be affected . . . but all of you as well. So you see . . . my situation isn't that simple. There are a lot of people who will be involved and affected if I chose to be with Lena," Jaejoong weakly said.

"Now . . . I understand," Max said as he slowly lowered his head. He felt so sorry for his friend. It was only now that he fully understood why Jaejoong was trying to control his emotions for Lena.

"I never realized . . . your situation was that complicated . . . I'm sorry,' Xiah uttered softly.

"I really can't judge you Jaejoong. But I do hope that you're making the right decision . . . for your sake . . . and especially Lena's," U-Know said seriously.

Micky stared at Jaejoong. "Jaejoong . . . you still have time to think . . . Think hard . . . Try to decide not with your mind alone but also with your heart. Have you ever thought about what would happen to Lena once she's married with Daichi? Do you think she will ever be happy with him? Yes, she may be surrounded by beautiful and expensive things . . . But do you think that would actually make any difference to her? And when she's already married . . . do you think you would actually be happy even for one second?" he then suddenly smiled bitterly. "Look straight into my eyes, Jaejoong. When she's already gone from your life . . . Can you honestly tell me . . . if you will ever find peace . . . even for one second for the rest of your life?"

Jaejoong stared straight into Micky's eyes. "No . . ." he slowly uttered.

Micky slowly shook his head. "Try to decide again, my friend. Frankly . . . you don't have to worry about us. Our group has already gone through so many hardships, but we're still here. . . . together. What is another hardship, if exchange it means that you and Lena will be happy. As for your family, you can still find other ways to help them if problems do arise. There is always an answer for everything, Jaejoong. You just have to open your eyes and your heart. Everybody experiences problems everyday, but they always continue and live on. Sometime the best thing for you may not be the best thing for others. So try to ask your heart . . . can you live without her?" he suddenly stood up and lightly patted Jaejoong on the back before he went to his room.

"Hyung . . . I hope you can make the right decision," Max uttered, then he slowly walked out of the room as well.

"Alway remember . . . we will always support you in everything and every decision you make," Xiah said before he left the room.

"Jaejoong, when the time comes and we all return to our ordinary lives . . . and Lena is no longer by your side . . . Can you ever find happiness? She's your first love. Do you think you can find another girl that can replace her? True love is very hard to find . . . follow your heart, Jaejoong. Your heart will never lead you to a wrong path," U-Know said. He then slowly walked up to Jaejoong and gently patted Jaejoong on the back. "Use your heart . . . not your mind . . . before it is too late."



CHAPTER 31


Sunday . . .

Lena sadly looked out of the hotel window. In an hour, she will no longer be free. She will finally be engaged with Daichi. Somehow she couldn't help but feel like she was dying.

Ever since she was young, she had always imagined that she would get engaged then married to the very first man she loved.

She unconsciously smiled. She could still remember all the silly things that she had imagined . . . the rose petals she wanted that was supposed to be scattered everywhere she walked . . . the assorted flowers that was supposed to be used in the wedding . . . the song that was supposed to be playing during and after the wedding.

Lena smiled again . . . bitterly. Suddenly a tear fell down on her cheek. She hurriedly brushed it away. She didn't want anyone to know about the sadness she was feeling.

She then looked at the sky. There were dark clouds forming.

"Even the sky is sympathizing with me and wants to cry with me as well," she said to herself as a joke.

She slowly lowered her head and started to think.

"What are you doing now Jaejoong? Are you also thinking of me? Are we really supposed to end this way?" she asked as she continued to stare at the dark sky.

While in the DBSK boys' apartment. . . .

"Hyung . . . it's all right if you don't want to go, we can just make an excuse for you. And say that you're not feeling well or something like that," Max said to Jaejoong.

The DBSK boys along with all the contract artists of Avex Trax were invited to Lena and Daichi's engagement party at a prestigious hotel.

"I'm all right. Don't worry about me . . . Besides our manager would surely get mad if I don't attend this event," Jaejoong said as he tried to put on a smile and pretend that he wasn't affected at all.

"Come on guys . . . Our manager is already waiting in the van," U-Know said to the other DBSK members.

Jaejoong and Max just nodded and silently followed U-Know out of the apartment.

Thirty minutes later . . .

The DBSK boys had finally arrived at the hotel. They immediately went to the place where the
engagement was being held.

Lena, together with her mother and Daichi's mother were already at the entrance and greeting all the guests that were arriving.

Jaejoong's heart started to beat very fast the moment he saw Lena. He felt like he wanted to just turn back and walk away.

But it was already too late. Lena's mother had already seen him.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena's mother exclaimed with joy. She immediately walked up to where Jaejoong was standing. "Jaejoong . . . it's been a very long time. It's very nice to see you again," the old woman said with a sweet smile on her lips.

"It's very nice to see you as well . . . Mother," Jaejoong uttered.

"Mother?" Max asked as if confused, while he looked back and forth between Jaejoong and Lena's mother.

The old woman laughed. "Hello boys . . . I am Lena's mother. She has already told me so much about you. And as for Jaejoong . . . he is also used to calling me mother."

"Oh . . . I'm sorry. I was suddenly confused. Please pardon my reaction," Max apologized to Lena's mother.

"Oh . . . It's nothing. You're such a sweet boy. Lena was right. Based on what I can see, you are all very nice. So Jaejoong . . . your best friend is already getting engaged . . . and married soon. Don't you have a special someone in your life too?" Lena's mother asked Jaejoong directly.

Jaejoong tried to smile. "It's . . . It's quite complicated, mother," he answered honestly.

The old woman laughed again. Then she looked back at Lena. "My daughter has already grown up. Somehow I still can't believe that she's no longer the little girl who always comes home . . . with a little boy in tow . . ." Then the old woman stared at Jaejoong. "DO you know I always thought that she would end up marrying you? The two of you have always been so close and unseparable."

Jaejoong was shocked with what Lena's mother had siad. "Mother . . .I . . . I really don't know what to say."

"Frankly I am against this engagement . . . But Lena's father is really determined to keep his promise to his own father. And that is to get Daichi and Lena married to one another. I know she's not happy . . . and that she's hurting. But his father won't allow me to voice out my opinion regarding this matter. So I am left with no other choice but to watch my one and only daughter suffer," the old woman said sadly.

"Mother . . ." Jaejoong uttered again. His mind was somehow blank and he couldn't think of anything else to say to comfort the old woman standing in front of him.

"Look at her . . . Jaejoong. Behind the smile is a heart that is crying. And behind her beautiful face is a heart that is dying . . . Don't you pity her? I wish time can stand still so that she can always be the little girl that I always take care of . . . And so that I can always shelter her from all the pain life brings," the old woman said again with sadness in her eyes.

"Daichi is a good man. He will be a very good husband to her," Jaejoong suddenly said.

The old woman stared at Jaejoong. "Yes, he is a good man. But can you tell me . . . can a person teach his or her heart who to love? I know . . . Lena is in love with someone else. So I also know that she will never be happy with Daichi."

Jaejoong suddenly felt tensed. Somehow he didn't know what to say to Lena's mother. He could easily tell that the old woman already knew about the feelings that he and Lena had for one another.

"Mother . . . I'm sorry," Jaejoong suddenly uttered.

The old woman smiled. "Sorry for what? You don't have anything to be sorry for . . ." the old woman looked at Lena again, then at Jaejoong. "It's a pity. The two of you really look so good together. But I guess . . . it's time that I accept the reality that you and Lena are no longer small children and that both of you have separate lives now."

A woman suddenly came and whispered something to Lena's mother. She then nodded and looked at Jaejoong again.

"Well . . . it is really nice to see you again . . . Jaejoong. The engagement party will start in a few minutes. Lena and Daichi's mother have already gone inside . . . So I have to go now," Lena's mother said.

Jaejoong had totally lost himself. he couldn't think and he couldn't find the right words to say. he just tried to smile and nodded.

Lena's mother smiled as well. Then she bade goodbye to the other DBSK members.

Several minutes later . . . .

All the guests were already sitting on different tables. And as for the DBSK boys they were already sitting and waiting for the start of the engagement party.

Xiah, U-Know, Micky and Max noticed that Jaejoong wasn't himself. He just kept on staring at the empty glass in front of him.

"Hyung . . . are you all right?" Max asked worriedly.

Micky suddenly laughed. "How can a man be all right if the woman he loves will be engaged with another man in a few minutes?" he said sarcastically.

"Hyung . . . you're being too harsh," Max uttered.

"Sorry . . . I just can't help it. Especially now . . . that we already know that even Lena's mother knows that both he and Lena have special feelings for each other. Somehow the way she was speaking earlier . . . it was like she was telling Jaejoong to stop this engagement," Micky uttered as he shook his head in total dismay.

"Micky . . . that's enough!" U-Know uttered with a serious tone.

"Micky . . . let's just respect Jaejoong's decision . . . please," Xiah said.

"If I didn't respect his decision . . . I would be more brutal and sarcastic than this," Micky replied.

"Hyung . . . ." Max uttered.

Suddenly . . . . the announcement of Lena and Daichi's engagement was started. Daichi and Lena along with their parents were standing in front of all the guests.

"Friends . . . I would just like to thank everyone of you for coming today. This is a very special day for all of us . . . espcially for our one and only son . . . ." Daichi's father said with a very happy smile on his lips.

Lena couldn't help but stare at the people before her. Daichi's father continued to talk, her heart was beating very fast that somehow she couldn't breathe. She still couldn't believe that she was finally getting engaged with Daichi. And the thought alone was enough to shatter her heart into pieces. She felt so lost and alone. Among the crowd, she was trying to find a familiar face . . . . a face that her heart was calling out for.

"Jaejoong . . . " she kept on repeating in her mind. But there were too many people and the tables were too many for her to see everyone clearly. She had seen him earlier, while talking with her mother. She wanted to get close to him as well. But Daichi's mother prevented her from leaving. Lena stared at Daichi. He was a very nice man. Any woman was lucky to have someone as special as him. But even though how hard she tried to get herself to like him more than a friend . . . . the more her heart was screaming out for Jaejoong.

Lena lowered her head. She was very confused. Jaejoong was really determined to give her to Daichi. But her heart was still longing for him. She still loved him. And even though she had tried hating him. She just realized that she couldn't do it. She loved him too much.

Slowly . . . .her tears started to fall. She was feeling so alone.

Daichi immediately noticed that Lena was crying. He gently took her hand and held it tightly.

Lena looked at Daichi with tears in her eyes. "Daichi . . . .I'm sorry," she said weakly.

Daichi stared at lena with a confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry . . . . " Lena repeated with a trembling voice.

Daichi's father had already stopped talking, and now was just staring at Daichi and Lena, as if confused on what was happening.

Everyone had also suddenly focused their attention on the two as well.

"Lena, what are you doing?" Daichi's mother asked as she tried to control her anger.

Lena looked at Daichi's parents. "I'm sorry . . . . please forgive me. But I . . . I can't do this," she then slowly bowed down her head as she asked for their forgiveness.

"Lena, stop your craziness this instance!" Lena's father uttered angrily.

Lena then faced her father. "I'm sorry father . . . .mother. But this is my life. I don't think I can do this. I want to be with the man I love . . . please understand," she said as tears rolled down her face.

"No!" Lena's father shouted.

Lena's mother suddenly touched her husband's hand. "Dear, give your daughter her happiness. She's already suffered enough. I can no longer bear to see her in so much pain. Just set her free . . . Please I beg you," the old woman said as tears started to fall from her eyes as well.

"Mother . . ." Lena uttered as she saw her mother crying.

Lena's father stared at his wife . . . then at his daughter. The tears in their eyes had suddenly softened his heart. And somehow his love for them had already taken over. The old man slowly lowered his head as if in defeat.

Lena's mother suddenly smiled at Lena. "Follow your heart Lena . . . . Find your happiness."

Lena nodded. She was very happy. Her parents had finally given her freedom back. She then faced Daichi.

As soon as she faced Daichi, her heart suddenly ached. Tears were already forming in his eyes. She knew he was hurt. And it was all because of her.

Daichi tried to smile. Then he gently squeezed Lena's hand. "I love you . . . so I'm setting you free. Just promise me one thing . . . always be happy."

Lena's heart suddenly stopped beating. Daichi's love for her was indeed uncomparable. How she pitied him.

Slowly . . . Lena faced Daichi, she stared straight into his eyes. "Thank you Daichi . . . for everything . . ." she then lightly kissed him on the lips.

Daichi tried to control himself. He felt like he was going to cry uncontrollably any minute. He gently kissed Lena on the forehead. "Just go . . . Go . . . and be happy."

"Thank you . . ." Lena uttered. She then faced her parents again. "Thank you . . ." she uttered again.

There was already a great confusion among the guests. Everyone was shocked with what they were witnessing.

Lena looked at the crowd. Then she smiled. She was finally free . . . she thought happily. She then started to walk away from Daichi. . . Then she started to run. It was over . . . She wanted to leave that place as soon as possible.

The people who were there started to talk and ask questions. The whole place was filled with questions and different expressions.

Jaejoong was still shocked with what was happening. His heart was screaming out Lena's name. He wanted to ran after her . . . and be with her.

Micky lightly tapped Jaejoong's shoulder. "Aren't you going after her?"

It was only then that Jaejoong snapped out of what he was thinking. He then looked at Micky with confusion in his eyes.

"Please stop worrying about everything. Just set yourself free . . . She's already waiting for you," Micky said with a smile.

"Hyung . . . you deserve to be happy," Max uttered.

"Follow your heart," U-Know said with a smile as well.

"Jusrt forget about everything, and try to find your happiness," Xiah said.

"You better stand up already and ran after her. Because if you don't . . . . then I will," Micky said jokingly.

Jaejoong looked at his friends . . . .one by one. He then nodded. "Yes, thank you," he replied with a smile. His heart had finally taken over his mind. He had finally decided to give his love for Lena a chance.

Lena had shown him her courage in fighting for her love. And it was time for him to do the same.

Jaejoong quickly stood up and started to ran. He needed to find her fast.

The people attending the engagement became more confused, after they saw Jaejoong quickly leaving.

Daichi smiled as he saw Jaejoong leaving. "Take good care of her Jaejoong . . . ." he said in his mind.

Lena was ranning as fast as she could. Daichi's mother had ordered several men to ran after her. The men were only a few meters away from her and were already closing in on her. She was already tired. She felt she couldn't ran anymore. She was already running out of breath. But she knew she needed to get away. She continued to ran . . . but her legs were already weakening. She was about to stop ranning when . . . . someone suddenly grabbed her hand, and started to pull her. Hand in hand . . . . .they started to ran.

Lena slowly looked at the warm hand that was holding her hand. Then she slowly looked up at the man that was ranning beside her.

Her heart suddenly jumped with joy as soon as she saw who the man was. It was . . . . Jaejoong.

"Jaejoong . . . ." she uttered as if surprised. Somehow she couldn't believe that he was beside her.

Jaejoong took a quick glance at Lena, then he smiled sweetly. "Come on . . . . Let's get out of here," he then tightened his grip on Lena's hand as they continued to ran out of the hotel. Lena suddenly thought that her whole world had suddenly lit up and there was a sweet music playing in the air. She was very happy that Jaejoong was finally by her side.

Lena and Jaejoong were already out of the hotel lobby and were ranning out farther and farther away from the hotel. But the men Daichi's mother sent were still pursuing them.

"I . . . .I can't ran anymore, Jaejoong," Lena uttered. She was already very tired.

"You've got to hold on. We can't stop now. I can't lose you now . . . ." Jaejoong uttered as he also tried to catch his breath.

Suddenly a car stopped in front of Lena and Jaejoong.

"Get in . . . ." the driver shouted.

Jaejoong and Lena looked at each other. They were both wondering who the man was.

The elderly man suddenly smiled. "Don't worry. I'm here to help. Daichi sent me."

As soon as Jaejoong heard Daichi's name being mentioned, he immediately led Lena into the car.

Within minutes . . . . the car was already speeding away from the hotel.

"Jaejoong . . . ." Lena uttered.

Jaejoong was still holding Lena's hand. And as soon as he heard her say his name, he immediately looked at her.

"I'm sorry if it took me so long to find the courage to love you back. But I promise . . . starting from today . . . . I will never let anyone or anything separate us ever again. . . . Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Jaejoong asked sweetly.

Lena smiled. "I love you Jaejoong. And no matter what you do . . . . I will still love you."

Jaejoong's heart was jumping with joy. He quickly embraced Lena. "I promise I will always be by your side . . . and from now on . . . . I will never let you go."



CHAPTER 32


"Here we are . . . ." the driver suddenly announced.

Lena and Jaejoong carefully stepped out of the car. They were infront of a huge mansion. "Are we really going to stay here?" Lena asked the old man.

The old man suddenly smiled. "Yes, don't worry. This place is very secure. They will never expect that you will be staying in a place like this. I also have several men working with me. We will be keeping an eye on everything. So you don't have to worry."

Lena smiled at the old man. "Thank you very much," she uttered.

"So Daichi arranged all of this? So does this mean that he was really expecting something like this to happen?" Jaejoong asked the old man curiously.

The old man just nodded his head.

"If by chance . . . you get to talk with Daichi . . . can you please say thank you to him . . . for me?" Lena suddenly said.

The old man just shook his head. "I'm sorry but I won't be able to talk with him . . . not until this is all over. He had strict instructions to never contact him, once we were in hiding. And before I forget . . . I would just like to tell you some important rules that both of you have to follow."

"What rules? Why?" Jaejoong asked.

"First . . . if you have your cell phones with you, please turn them off at all times. Second, never contact anyone. . . no friends, no families . . . noone. Third, both of you are not allowed to leave this place, not until everything is already cleared. And fourth, just try to enjoy your stay here. Just think of it as your honeymoon," the old man said with a smile.

"So we're supposed to just stay here? Until when?" Jaejoong asked.

"As of now . . . I can't really say how long. But if I were to calculate . . . at least two weeks maybe enough before the two of you can return to your homes. My men have already informed me that Daichi's mother has hired a new set of men to look for the two of you. And they also told me that the order was to get Lena back and to hurt you . . .Jaejoong. So it is very important that you follow all the things that I have said . . . for your own safety," the old man said again.

Lena and Jaejoong looked at each other, then at the old man. Then both of them just nodded.

"Thank you very much for all your help," Lena said as she bowed to the old man.

"You're a very sweet girl. Now I am beginning to understand why Daichi is madly in love with you. So Jaejoong . . . you're a very lucky man. Take good care of her," the old man said with a warm smile.

"Don't worry. I will surely take care of her. And I will protect her with my life," Jaejoong uttered.

"The two of you can go in now. All my men are already scattered all over the mansion. So the place is safe. I know both of you are very tired. We had a very long drive to get here. Have some rest . . ." the elderly man said.

"Yes, and thank you," Jaejoong uttered again before he and Lena slowly entered the mansion.

An hour later . . . .

Lena quietly stared out of the window in her room. It was already night time. And somehow she couldn't stop herself from wondering what was happening back in Tokyo, especially after she left the engagement party. She knew she made such a big scene. Her entire clan will surely have a lot of things to say once she returned. She also knew that she had caused such a big embarrassment, both to her family and Daichi's family as well. She suddenly let out a long sigh.

"What are you doing now . . . Daichi?" she suddenly asked while staring at the sky. She was very worried about Daichi.

Suddenly someone hugged Lena from behind. "I'm jealous . . . " Jaejoong uttered.

Lena lightly laughed. "Jealous of what?"

"You're here with me . . . but you're thinking about Daichi. Don't I have a right to be jealous?" Jaejoong uttered.

"I'm just worried about Daichi. I know his mother wouldn't let him off so easily. I'm imagining that she's still lecturing and nagging him up till now," Lena explained.

"Oh! That's harsh. Daichi is such a good man. Aren't you regretting that you just let him get away?" Jaejoong asked jokingly.

"No! Because I got the man I really wanted," Lena answered with a smile.

"I'm not rich like him. And I don't belong to a well-known family like him . . . and I have no educational attainment to be proud of. Are you really sure . . . you still want to be with me?" Jaejoong asked seriously.

"Jaejoong are you still doubting my love for you? Even if you end up being the poorest person on earth . . . I would still love you, and I would still choose you over Daichi," she answered softly.

Jaejoong was still feeling jealous of Daichi. But after hearing Lena's words, his heart has suddenly calmed down and was somehow finally contented.

"Do you have any idea how happy I am to hear that? Thank you for loving me and accepting all my short comings," Jaejoong uttered weakly.

Lena laughed again. "You don't have to say that . . . "

"You're right . . . Besides I know something that I possess that Daichi doesn't," Jaejoong suddenly said with a grin.

"What?" Lena asked curiously.

"Well . . . I am way more beautiful than Daichi . . . At least in that aspect, he can't win. And no one can deny it," Jaejoong answered with a laugh.

Lena suddenly bursted out laughing as well. " Yes, you are quite right. Frankly . . . you're even more beautiful than me,"

Jaejoong suddenly became serious. "No one can ever compare with you. And for me, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena uttered. Her heart was pounding very hard.

"Lena . . . do you know that Micky likes you?" Jaejoong suddenly asked.

"Micky? What do you mean?" she asked as if confused.

"Micky likes you more than a friend. He already confessed to me and the others," Jaejoong answered.

"Really? No, sorry I had no idea," she said softly.

"Honestly, he was the one who made me realize that I shouldn't let you go. He was the one who kept on reminding me of what I was going to lose . . ." Jaejoong said with a smile.

"What you were going to lose? What do you mean? What is it?" Lena was suddenly confused and curious as well.

Jaejoong smiled. "Because of him, I realized that once I let you go, I wasn't only going to lose you . . . but I was also going to lose myself as well. You are my life and my happiness, Lena. Without you, my life will never be complete. Without you, I would be nothing. I'm sorry for all the pain that I brought you. And I am sorry for all the hurtful words that I might have said before. Let's start over. This time I promise I will never make you cry again, and I will always be by your side to protect you."

Lena suddenly turned around to face Jaejoong. "Then I guess I owe a lot to Micky. I would surely thank him the next time I see him," she said sweetly.

Jaejoong suddenly cupped Lena's face with his two hands. "You can say thanks to Micky . . . but please . . . don't ever kiss another man again. Do you know how hurt I was when I saw you kissing Daichi? It was like . . . I wanted to go crazy . . ."

Lena lightly laughed. "So you were jealous?"

Jaejoong suddenly laughed as well. "Jealous? More like going crazy with jealousy is the right description."

Lena then lightly kissed Jaejoong on his lips. She had already finished kissing him when he suddenly drew her closer. She immediately felt the warmth of Jaejoong's body next to hers.

"I missed you . . ." he suddenly uttered as he sweetly kissed her back.

As the two lovers kissed each other, it was like their whole world had suddenly stopped. There was nothing separating them anymore. All the differences and barriers were finally forgotten. There was only love . . . love between two souls that had been searching for one another . . . and were finally back into each other's arms.



CHAPTER 33



The next day . . . .

Lena suddenly woke up. She suddenly saw that Jaejoong wasn't beside him. She immediately got up and sat on her bed. Fear instantly filled her heart.

"Jaejoong . . . ." she called out. But there was no answer.

She wanted to get out of their room, but she was afraid. Different thoughts were already rushing into her mind.

"Did he leave me again?" she started to ask herself over and over again.

Slowly the tears started to fall. She then started to remember the day that Jaejoong left her after making love with her. She couldn't stop herself, but her heart was pounding very hard. She then started to sob . . . .

"Lena . . ." Jaejoong uttered with concern as he entered the room. He was holding a tray with different dishes he prepared for Lena's breakfast.

"Jaejoong . . . . Jaejoong . . . ." Lena suddenly glanced at him. She was very happy to see him.

Jaejoong immediately placed the tray he was holding on a table near him, and he hurriedly went to Lena's side. He then gently wiped away her tears as he looked straight into her eyes.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked with concern.

Lena suddenly embraced Jaejoong. "I . . . I thought . . . you left me again," she cried out as she buried her face in Jaejoong's chest.

Jaejoong suddenly felt his heart skipped a beat. He knew what he had done before was very painful for her. And he understood why she suddenly became afraid that he had left her again, after she didn't find lying next to her when she woke up.

He gently caressed Lena's head. Then he lovingly kissed the paths that Lena's tears made on her face.

"I'm sorry . . . . if I scared you . . . I know I was a fool before . . . . when I just left you alone, after we made love. But I've changed . . . I'm no longer afraid to fight for you . . . and for our love. So please . . . trust me . . . whatever happens I will never . . . . ever leave you alone again. I will always be by your side . . . . protecting you, taking care of you and loving you," Jaejoong uttered as he stared deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure . . . . you will never leave me again? Are you sure . . . you're willing to give everything up? Are you sure . . . ." she said when Jaejoong suddenly placed a finger on her lips to stop her from talking.

"You don't have to ask such questions . . . . . I have already decided to give up everything and forget everyone . . . the moment that I ran after you . . . You're the most important person in my life. I can live without money, stardom, material things . . . even my family and friends . . . but I can't live without you . . . . If I lose you, then it would be much better that I die. I can't live without you, Lena. I love you. . . ." Jaejoong said with love in his eyes.

"Jaejoong . . . I love you too . . . . And I can't live without you too," she uttered.

Jaejoong suddenly tried to put on a smile. "Next time . . . call out for me or just look for me. Don't go assuming things like this and like that . . . and then just go crying in a corner . . . like what you did today."

"But I called out for you . . . you didn't answer," Lena replied.

"I was in the kitchen . . . cooking," Jaejoong said with a laugh.

Lena lowered her head. She suddenly felt very embarrassed.

Jaejoong suddenly laughed again. "I'm sorry. I wasn't scolding you or anything like that," he then embraced her again. "Don't worry. . . I will never leave you . . ."

Lena just snuggled close into Jaejoong's arms. Her heart had already calmed down. All the fears and worries in her heart had suddenly disappeared. Jaejoong was beside her and had promised to never leave her again. She felt like she was the happiest girl in the world. She didn't care about the things she had left behind. The only thing that she cared about was being with the man she loved. And she was willing to do anything just to keep it that way.

Three days passed . . . .

Jaejoong was sitting alone in the living room. He was staring blankly at the widescreen tv infront of him. He was already very worried about his family and friends. How he wanted to call them and see what was happening with them

He then sighed heavily. He knew he wasn't allowed to call them. He knew that he couldn't disobey the old man that was helping them.

He suddenly grabbed the bottle of wine and wine glass infront on the table infront of him. He then poured himself a drink. Somehow he wanted to forget his worries and just pretend that nothing was wrong.

The passed three days with Lena had been the most happiest days of his life. And somehow he wanted that happiness to never end. Both of them had already started acting like husband and wife, and deep inside his heart . . . he wanted it to go on forever.

"Jaejoong . . .what are you doing?" It's only 4 in the morning. Why are you drinking?" Lena asked as she entered the room.

Jaejoong suddenly glanced at Lena. She was wearing a white night dress that showed her full figure. Somehow he still couldn't believe that the beautiful woman standing infront of him belonged to him.

"Jaejoong . . . why are you drinking?" Lena asked again.

He tried to put on a smile. "I couldn't sleep. So why are you awake too?"

"I woke up and found you gone . . . So I went out of the room to look for you," she answered.

Jaejoong laughed. "That's good. And I actually thought that you were going to look for me and was going to cry again," he said with as a tease.

Lena suddenly gave Jaejoong a pout. "I wasn't going to cry, you silly . . ."

Jaejoong lightly laughed. "Come here . . . and let me hold you," he said as he drew her onto the couch he was sitting on. Then he lovingly embraced her.

"Why are you drinking?" Lena asked again.

"Frankly . . . I don't know. I just felt I needed a drink," he answered.

"Oh I see! Well can I have a drink too?" she asked jokingly.

"No!" Jaejoong immediately replied.

Lena suddenly bursted out laughing. "Why not?" she asked.

"You know I don't like it when you drink," Jaejoong answered.

"Just a little sip . . . please," Lena begged.

"No . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"Fine . . . so what are we going to do now?" she said with a laugh.

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked back.

"Uhmmm . . . how about we just watch some movies or shows perhaps?" she asked.

"What do you want to watch?" Jaejoong asked.

"Anything . . . Just open the tv and let's see what's being shown," she answered.

Jaejoong took the remote control beside him, and opened the television. He then started to search through the different channels that was on.

"Hey! Stop, let's just watch some news," she said to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong suddenly stopped switching channels. He then placed down the remote control. He also wanted to watch the news channel.

Both of them were already watching for more than fifteen minutes when . . . .

"And now for the entertainment section . . . A big news is making the headlines today . . . The group Dong Bang Shin Ki seems to be experiencing a sudden downfall. All the group's TV guestings and scheduled performances have all been cancelled. The group's fans are already making an uproar and are demanding that the group's activities be resumed. But a reliable source has informed us that the sudden cancelling of DBSK's activities maybe due to the rumored disappearance of one of the members namely Kim Jaejoong. We have not fully confirmed this news yet since Avex Trax and Sm Entertainment are both unavailable to give out any comments or official statements. But rest assured we will be following up on this news on the days to come. So this is . . . ."

Jaejoong suddenly turned off the TV before the news ended. He didn't want Lena to be worried.

"Why did you turn it off? We haven't finished the news yet . . ." she exclaimed.

"There's no need to finish the news. There's nothing we can do anyway," Jaejoong uttered.

"I'm sorry . . ." Lena uttered as she slowly lowered her head. She had a feeling that something like this was going to happen.

Jaejoong tried to put on a smile. "What are you saying sorry for?"

"Your group's current situation . . . I think it is connected with what we have done. I have a feeling Daichi's mother is already taking her grudge on your group. That's why I am saying sorry to you," Lena said sadly.

"You don't have to say sorry. It's not your fault. We have to be strong Lena. Daichi's mother maybe trying to lure us out of our hiding. That's why she's making problems. Honestly . . . I'm worried about Xiah, Micky, U-Know and Max. But I believe that they can face this kind of problem on their own. They already knew that our group may face different problems once I got involved with you. But they still tried to convince me to just forget about all my worries and just go after you. Have faith, Lena. Everything will be all right," Jaejoong said.

"I hope everything clears up soon. I really don't want your group to suffer all because of me," Lena said with a sigh.

"Don't worry . . . Everything will be fine. We just have to hide for a few days more," he said softly.

"But how much longer Jaejoong? How long are we supposed to hide? I'm already feeling sorry about your friends," she asked with a weak voice.

"Sssshhh . . . . Just forget about that news. Let's just pretend that we didn't see it. Please just put your mind at ease. I don't want you to be troubled," Jaejoong said lovingly.

"But Jae . . ."

"Sssshhhh. . . . ." he then hugged her tighter.

Lena just decided to stop talking. She knew that Jaejoong really didn't want to talk about his group's problem anymore. She let out a long sigh. All the things that Jaejoong was afraid of was starting to come true. And eventhough she wanted to be with him, after learning about DBSK's current situation . . . she was starting to have second thoughts.

"Are we really doing the right thing?" the question started to echo in Lena's mind.

Lena and Jaejoong silently sat on the couch until the sun appeared. Both of them had different things running through their minds. And eventhough no words were spoken, their hearts were doing all the talking. They were both afraid of the horrible things they knew were still going to come. . . .




CHAPTER 34



Two days passed . . .

Lena had been silently observing Jaejoong. She knew he was very worried about his friends, but was just trying to hide it. There were times she would catch him staring blankly into open spaces.

She had asked him many times if something was bothering him, but he would always answer with a lie. Somehow this made her feel more guilty and confused.

She was silently hurting as she continued to watch Jaejoong keep his feelings all to himself. She somehow understood why he wouldn't tell her the truth. She knew he was just trying to protect her. She knew he didn't want her to get upset.

Jaejoong had even asked her to avoid watching the news. He told her that it would only add more confusion into their already complicated situation. She just agreed without any further discussion. She didn't want to add more worry to Jaejoong.

It was already three in the afternoon . . . Jaejoong was standing near the window in the living room. he had been standing there for almost half an hour. He then let out a long sigh. He was obviously having deep thoughts about something.

Unknown to him, Lena was watching him from one of the rooms where their body guards had access to all the cameras installed in the house.

Lena had asked the men in the room to let her watch what Jaejoong was doing in the living room. They all agreed and just left her alone in the room.

As she continued to watch him, it was as if someone was slowly crushing her heart. She couldn't stand seeing Jaejoong so troubled. How she wished she could make things all better.

Suddenly . . . Jaejoong carefully took out his cell phone from his pocket. He then stared at it for several minutes . . . before finally opening it.

Lena just watched what Jaejoong was going to do. She had been expecting him to break the rules and just call his friends. She suddenly smiled. She was happy that Jaejoong finally had the courage to call his friends.

Jaejoong stared again at his phone. He then started to check his messages and the calls made to his phone.

There were more than a hundred messages waiting for him and more than fifty or more calls from different numbers. Most of the messages were from Micky, Xiah, U-Know and Max. While some of the other messages were from their manager. And some other messages were sent by unknown numbers.

But what caught his attention was a certain number . . . a number that had sent him more than twenty messages and had called him more than ten times. Curiously he opened one of the messages that the unknown number had sent him.

Jaejoong, you have totally ruined my family's reputation. Do you really think that I will let you have Lena so easily? Bring her back now! Or else I will be forced to use any means necessary to draw you out. Do you think you have the heart to see your friends and family suffer? Give Lena back to my son. You don't deserve her. I suggest you try to think fast before it is too late. I don't have much patience and I am certainly not fond of waiting.

As soon as he read the message, he felt as if his heart had suddenly stopped. And his whole body had suddenly turned cold.

Lena saw the sudden change in Jaejoong's facial expression. Fear suddenly filled her heart. She suddenly became curious as to what Jaejoong had read in his cell phone.

Then without any hesitation, Jaejoong dialled for Max's number. He needed to know what was happening with his friends and family.

Lena was suddenly surprised, because as soon as Jaejoong dialled a number on his phone, a ringing sound immediately came on one of the speakers in the room.

"Hyung . . ." Max happily uttered as soon as he answered his phone.

"Max . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

Lena was silent as she stared at the monitor and listened to the speaker. She immediately understood that both their phones were already tapped by the people who were protecting them.

"Hyung . . . how are you? How is Lena?" Max asked worriedly.

"I should be the one asking you guys . . . how all of you are doing . . ." Jaejoong said seriously.

"Well . . . " Max was hesitant to answer.

"Max, I already know that all of our group's activities have either been canceled or postponed. So you don't have to lie to me," Jaejoong said.

"Hyung . . .I really didn't want to say anything. But since you already know the truth about our group, I might as well tell you about . . ."

"Max!" a voice suddenly called out in the background as if trying to warn Max.

"Who was that?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

"It's Micky," Max answered with a low voice.

"Why? What's wrong? What else do I need to know? Tell me Max, please. . ." Jaejoong said with a trembling voice.

"HYung . . .I . . . I don't think it's a good idea to tell you . . .It might just add more burden on you," Max replied.

"Max . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"Hyung, I really can't," Max uttered again.

"Put Micky on the line. I want to talk to him," Jaejong said.

"Okay . . ." Max uttered. "Micky, hyung wants to talk to you," he said in the background.

"How is Lena?" Micky immediately asked as soon as he went on the line.

"She's fine. Don't worry. I am taking good care of her," Jaejoong replied.

"That's good," Micky uttered.

"Micky, please tell me what's going on. Please tell me the truth. I want to know everything . . .I need to know," Jaejoong begged.

Lena suddenly felt pity for Jaejoong as she heard him beg.

"Jaejoong . . . I thought you already decided to just leave everything behind . . . and everyone as well? You're supposed to be taking care of Lena . . . and stop worrying about us," Micky said angrily.

"But all of you are my friends . . . and our group is important to me too. How can I not be concerned with what is happening to you guys?" Jaejoong replied.

"Just take care of Lena. She's your responsibility now. We will take care of the problem regarding our group. So don't worry," Micky said seriously.

"Micky . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"You shouldn't be calling us. You might get traced or something," Micky said worriedly.

"Micky . . . do you guys . . . by any chance have any news about my family?" Jaejoong asked.

"I'm sorry . . . but I don't think I have any right to say anything," Micky said weakly.

Jaejoong immediately noticed that Micky was hiding something.

"Okay. . .I won't force you to say something you don't want to," Jaejoong said seriously.

While she was listening, Lena felt that her heart was getting heavier by the minute. Somehow she felt so guilty and responsible for everything that was happening.

"Bye . . . Jaejoong, Take care of yourself and especially Lena," Micky said.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of her," Jaejoong said as he closed his phone.

Jaejoong kept on staring at his phone. for more than ten minutes after talking with Max and Micky. Then she suddenly sighed. He was feeling totally helpless and worried about everything.

He then started to dial another number. He was determined to know what was going on with his family.

"Hello . . ." an old woman's voice answered.

"Mother . . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"Jaejoong is that you?" the old woman asked excitedly.

"Yes, mother. How are you?" Jaejoong asked worriedly.

"Where are you Jaejoong? Do you know I am worried sick about you?" the old woman said while crying.

"Mother . . . please don't cry," Jaejoong uttered as tears started to form in his eyes as well.

"How are you? How about Lena? Are you both all right? Your father and I already know about everything that happened . . ." Jaejoong's mother said.

"How? Who told you?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

"It's all over the news Jaejoong. You haven't been watching the news, have you? So I guess you still don't know about what is happening with your group?" the old woman asked

"About my group? I know all of our activities have been canceled . . . that's all I know. Mother, is there something . . . more important I should know about? I have already called Micky and the others . . . but they wouldn't tell me anything . . ." Jaejoong said with a trembling voice. He was afraid of what he might suddenly find out.

There was a long silence before Jaejoong's mother finally spoke.

"Jaejoong, my son . . . I . . . I really don't want to say anything but . . . I think you have a right to know . . . Your group Dong Bang Shin Ki is being disbanded," the old woman said.

"What?" Jaejoong exclaimed

"There had been rumors going around that your group is going to be disbanded by SM Entertainment, if you don't appear within the next few days. But they have already made a formal announcement yesterday. And they are giving you a week to return to Tokyo to clear everything out," the old woman said.

Jaejoong felt like a bomb had suddenly exploded infront of him. He totally became speechless.

"Jaejoong . . . Jaejoong . . ." his mother kept on calling his name.

Lena suddenly bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying out. Somehow she could feel the pain that Jaejoong was experiencing.

"Jaejoong, are you still there?" the old woman asked.

"Yes, mother," Jaejoong answered as he tried to control himself.

"What are you planning to do now? You and Lena can't possibly go on hiding forever. Sooner or later the two of you have to return and face everyone. But I suggest before you do that . . . try to explain everything first to Lena. I believe there are a lot of things she has to be responsible for when she returns. And I know it would be very hard for her. Her entire clan is outraged by what the two of you have done. And the mother of her fiancee . . . well she's basically threatening everyone," Jaejoong's mother said seriously.

"Threatening everyone? What do you mean?" Jaejoong asked as if confused.

"Frankly . . . I . . . I don't want to tell you this . . . But you know I don't keep secrets from you," the old woman started to say.

"What is it mother?" Jaejoong asked worriedly.

"Your father . . . and five of your sisters have all been fired from their work," the old woman weakly uttered.

"What?" Jaejoong asked. He felt his whole body was slowly weakening.

"We know it is connected with what is happening with you," the old woman said.

"I . . . I'm sorry, mother . . . I'm sorry," Jaejoong uttered as he slowly cried. He couldn't control himself anymore. Everything that he had learned had totally made him weak inside and out.

Lena was already crying as well as she continued to watch and listen. She couldn't think of anything else but the fact that everything was her fault.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I'm sorry . . . I didn't follow your advise. I know this was what you were afraid of when you told me that I should just be friends with Lena . . . nothing more, nothing less. I . . . I love her too much, Mother. I don't think I can live without her. Please forgive me," Jaejoong uttered as tears continued to fall from his eyes.

"It's okay, son. We all know that you love her. We have already known about it . . . for years now. We know how much you have tried to control your feelings. So don't worry about us. We still have some savings to live on . . . while your father and sisters find other jobs. You don't have to worry. Just take care of yourself and Lena. Make sure you take extra good care of her . . . You know how weak she is . . . She easily gets sick . . . Are you two eating on time? Make sure you cook nutritious foods for her okay . . ." the old woman said with concern.

"Yes, mother . . . I . . . I have to end my call now. Maybe I . . . I can call again some other day. Take care of yourself . . . and please say sorry to father and to my sisters . . . for me," Jaejoong uttered.

"Jaejoong . . .take care," the old woman uttered.

Jaejoong slowly closed his phone. And as soon as he closed it, he weakly leaned on the wall . . . and slowly he fell down on his knees. Then he started to cry uncontrollably. How he pitied his friends and family. Eventhough he didn't want to, he was somehow regretting everything he had done.

As Lena watched Jaejoong cry, somehow she wanted to comfort him. But she knew she couldn't let him know that she had heard and seen everything. She needed to pretend.

As Jaejoong cried in the living room, Lena was crying in a hidden room as well. Both of them were in so much pain. And eventhough how much they tried to stop it . . . regret was slowly creeping into their minds and into their hearts.

"Jaejoong . . . I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . . I know this is all my fault. I'm sorry for making your life so miserable. I'm starting to think that I shouldn't have entered your life . . . I'm sorry . . . Please forgive me . . . for ruining your peaceful life," Lena uttered as she cried.





CHAPTER 35


The next morning . . .

Lena slowly woke up and stared at Jaejoong. He was still sleeping soundly. She carefully arranged a lock of hair that covered Jaejoong's face. And little by little, her heart started to ache.

After Jaejoong's phone calls to his friends and mother yesterday, he continuously wept in the living room for almost an hour. Then he tried to calm himself down afterwards, and pretended that nothing was wrong.

She tried to ask him why his eyes looked like he had cried. But he just told her that he had a headache. Then he noticed that her eyes were swollen as well. And she just replied that she too had a headache.

Both of them lied to one another for the main reason that they wanted to protect each other's feelings. And somehow their act was slowly killing Lena.

"I'm sorry, Jaejoong," Lena weakly uttered as she continued to stare at him.

Half an hour passed . . . Lena decided to get out of bed and prepare breakfast. She carefully slipped out of bed and went straight to the kitchen.

She couldn't explain the strange feeling that she was having. Somehow she could sense that something terrible was going to happen. She didn't know what it was, but she was sure that it was going to come.

She silently continued to cook silently. And she just tried to brush away the fears that she was having. She tried to focus on what she was cooking. She wanted to make a delicious breakfast for Jaejoong.

Somehow she wanted to see him smile when he sees the different foods sh had prepared for him. She wanted to make him happy and she wanted to make him forget all his worries even for one moment.

She had finished working and was already setting the table when Jaejoong walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Jaejoong slowly asked.

"Preparing breakfast," she answered.

Jaejoong slowly walked up to Lena. Then he lovingly embraced her from behind.

"I should be the one doing all the cooking. I'm the one who's supposed to be taking care of you," he said sweetly.

Lena couldn't help but smile. "You're so sweet, Jaejoong. But I also want to take care of you too. I also want to do things for you. I want to make you happy."

Jaejoong slowly turned Lena around to face him. "You don't have to do things just to make me happy. Having you near me is enough to make me overflowing with joy."

Lena stared straight into his eyes. "Are you really happy Jaejoong?" she asked seriously.

Jaejoong tried to put on a smile. "Of course, why do you ask such a silly question?"

Lena smiled bitterly. "You can't hide your true feelings. Your eyes can't lie. Even since we were young, I can easily tell what your feeling through your eyes."

Jaejoong felt like a little boy suddenly caught with his crime. He slowly lowered his head as if ashamed of what he had done.

Lena slowly touched Jaejoong's face. And then she cupped his face with her hands.

"Do you know when you're sad . . . I am sad too. And when you're hurt . . . I am hurt too? What's wrong Jaejoong? Tell me what's on your mind?"

Jaejoong looked straight into Lena's eyes. Somehow he wanted to tell her everything. But a voice inside him was preventing him and was telling him to just keep quiet. He didn't want to give her any problems or worries. He wanted to just stay happy and contented in their new life together.

"Nothing . . . nothing's wrong. What makes you think that something is wrong?" he asked nervously.

Lena just smiled bitterly and shook her head in disappointment. She was somehow hurt that Jaejoong still wouldn't tell her the truth. Her hands that was holding Jaejoong's face suddenly lost all its strength and just fell down.

Jaejoong immediately noticed the hurt look on Lena's face. He hurriedly drew her closer and embraced her tightly.

"I'm sorry . . . Please forgive me," he uttered.

"Forgive you . . . for what reason?" she slowly asked.

"I . . .I . . ." he started to say when . . . .

A loud crashing sound was heard . . . .

"What was that?" Lena asked worriedly.

"I think it came from the living room," Jaejoong answered.

Hurriedly, Jaejoong and Lena went to the living room. Shock and fear suddenly entered their hearts as soon as they entered the room.

Lying unconscious on the floor were three of the men that were guarding them . . . and standing infront of them were several men . . . and a very familiar figure.

"Hello Lena . . . I've come to fetch you my dear," the old woman uttered.

Lena was about to turn back when two men suddenly appeared out of nowhere and immediately held her arms. She tried to break free but the men just tightened their grip on her.

Jaejoong saw the men who immediately grabbed Lena. He was about to help her when three large men suddenly blocked his way. One of the men instantly punched him straight in the face. Then the other men gave him a strong punch in his stomach. And the last man suddenly gave him a strong blow on his back.

"No! Please stop!" Lena suddenly screamed.

Jaejoong immediately fell down on his knees. Blood was oozing from his mouth.

Then one of the men suddenly picked Jaejoong up and started to punch him over and over again. Jaejoong tried to fight, but the men were larger and were much stronger than him.

The three men continuously gave Jaejoong different punches on different parts of his body. His face was already swollen and full of blood.

"No . . . please don't hurt him," Lena continuously begged.

She tried to break free, but couldn't. So she just cried as she watched Jaejoong being beaten to death.

Jaejoong was already very weak. He was already lying on the floor, but the men still continued to kick him over and over again.

Lena screamed. She couldn't take the pain anymore. She gathered all her strength and tried to break free again. This time she was able to set herself free. She immediately went to Jaejoong's side.

One of the men was about to kick Jaejoong, so Lena hurriedly embraced Jaejoong as if to shield him from the attack. She wanted to protect him. She didn't care whether she was going to be hurt or not. All she could think about was she needed to protect Jaejoong as much as she could.

The man who was about to hurt Jaejoong suddenly stopped. He didn't want to hurt Lena. They had strict instructions to never hurt her in anyway.

"Lena . . . get away from me. They might hurt you as well. Please . . ." Jaejoong slowly uttered as he tried to get up.

"No! I will always stay beside you. No matter what happens," Lena replied.

Lena carefully helped Jaejoong to stand up.

"Get away from her Lena," the old woman said.

"No! Please Mother . . . stop this," Lena begged again.

"Do you really think that I would let that man get away so easily? He has to suffer first," the old woman said.

Jaejoong tried to get Lena behind him. He was very concerned that she was going to get hurt if she continued to get in between him and the men who were hurting him.

"How . . . how did you find us?" Jaejoong asked Daichi's mother as he tried to control the pain he was feeling.

The old woman suddenly laughed. "Ah . . .yes! I should thank you for giving out your location. You basically told us where you were when you called your friends using your phone. Not a very clever move. And I actually thought you were smart. I guess I was wrong."

Jaejoong suddenly looked at Lena. He immediately became afraid of what she was going to say.

"Lena . . .I'm sorry . . .Please understand! I needed to call them. I was so worried . . ." Jaejoong tried to explain.

Lena just shook her head, then smiled. "It's all right. I understand. You don't have to explain."

"Lena . . ." Jaejoong uttered as he was about to say something else.

"Enough with your sweet talks! Lena . . . let's go," the old woman shouted.

"No! Please Mother, can't you understand? I don't love Daichi . . . and Jaejoong is the only man that I will ever love. I've already slept with Jaejoong . . . I'm no longer suited to be Daichi's wife. Please . . . I'm begging you. Please let me go," Lena said.

"But Lena . . . Daichi loves you. I've never seen him give so much to a girl before. That is how I knew how much you mean to him. He's always been the type to play around and leave the girls he's been with . . . without any reason. But with you . . . he's changed. totally changed. What does that Jaejoong have that my son doesn't? Why can't you just forget him and leave him?" the old woman said.

"Mother . . . I've loved Jaejoong since I was young. He's the only man I've been dreaming of since I was young," Lena replied.

"I'm sorry. But I can't let you be with him. You belong with my son and not that useless man," Daichi's mother said.

"No . . .I won't leave him! I love him! I want to be with him!" Lena shouted.

Daichi's mother smiled devilishly. "Take Lena away from that man," she instructed some of the men in the room.

Jaejoong tried to block the men who were trying to get Lena. But one of the men instantly gave him a punch on his stomach. He immediately cried out in pain.

"Jaejoong," Lena uttered.

Two men hurriedly took Lena away from Jaejoong.

"No, please . . . let me go," Lena screamed.

"Give that Jaejoong a lesson . . . a lesson he will never forget" the old man said to the men in the room.

Four men immediately drew in closer to Jaejoong. Two of the men her him by his arms, while the other two kept on punching him.

Lena cried uncontrollably as she watched in horror. "Please let us go . . . Stop hurting Jaejoong please," she continuously begged.

Jaejoong felt like his entire body was already getting numb. But he didn't care about the physical pain that he was experiencing. All he cared about was Lena. Somehow he couldn't stand seeing her crying so uncontrollably. He was more concerned about her than himself.

"Lena, please don't cry. Don't worry about me. I'm all right. . . I can take this," Jaejoong tried to utter.

Lena suddenly bit her lower lip as she tried to control herself. She could feel that her heart was already very heavy and she was somehow running out of air. She felt like she couldn't take seeing Jaejoong suffer anymore. She felt like she was going to lose her sanity any minute, if she continued to see him in so much pain.

Then one of the men suddenly appeared with a baseball bat. He immediately went straight to Jaejoong and gave him a strong blow to his back.

"Aaaaahhhh . . ." Jaejoong cried out in pain. He felt like he was about to fall down, but the men who were holding him still kept him standing.

Lena just watched in total horror. Her entire mind was already spinning. She was trying to think of a way to help him. How she wished she could help him . . . and comfort him. She could see that Jaejoong was already in so much pain.

"Please leave him alone," she uttered as tears fell down her face.

Then Lena noticed that the man holding the baseball bat was looking at Jaejoong's legs. Somehow she immediately sensed that the man was going to hit Jaejoong's legs next. Her mind started to think. She knew she needed to help him. Jaejoong had a knee surgery before and it would be totally bad for him, if he was to be hit on his legs.

The man was already making a move. He was smiling devilishly, as if he was having a good time making Jaejoong suffer. He had already raised his bat again and was about to hit Jaejoong when . . . .

Lena pulled herself free from the men who were holding her. And then she immediately rushed to where Jaejoong was. Without any concern about herself, she then blocked the bat that was about to hit Jaejoong's legs. The man was suddenly taken by surprise by what Lena had done. He tried to control his hands, but it was already too late. He had already hit Lena on her back.

Lena cried out in pain. Blood immediately rushed out of her mouth. Then she suddenly fell down on her knees.

Jaejoong couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Lena!" he cried out. Slowly tears started falling down his eyes.

During the time that the men were hurting Jaejoong physically, not even a single tear dropped from his eyes. But after he saw Lena being hurt, it was only then his tears appeared. He didn't care about how much pain they inflict on him, but what he couldn't take was seeing the only woman he loved suffer.

Lena stared back at Jaejoong. Her heart was somehow crushed as she saw him crying for her. Jaejoong's beautiful face was already ruined and his entire body was already covered with blood and bruises.

Lena's heart and soul was already crying out in pain, not for herself but for Jaejoong. She wanted everything to stop already. She then slowly looked at Daichi's mother.

"Look at you dear . . . You're not supposed to get hurt . . . Why do you have to be so stubborn? why do you have to sacrifice yourself for that man," the old woman said with pity in her eyes.

"Enough please! I can't take it anymore. I'll go with you . . . I'll do everything you want . . . Just let Jaejoong go . . .please," Lena tried to utter. She was trying to ignore the physical pain that she was feeling.

The old woman stared at Lena seriously. "Do I have your word?"

Lena nodded. "Yes, I'll do anything you want . . .I'll go with you . . . I'll leave him . . . I'll never try to see him ever again . . ." she suddenly stopped talking. She was already crying uncontrollably. "I will even kill myself . . . if you ask me to . . . just leave him alone."

"Lena, what are you saying? Please don't leave me. I . . . I can't live without you," Jaejoong uttered.

Lena stared at Jaejoong. Tears were continuously flowing from his eyes.

"Jaejoong . . . we can't do this anymore. Too many people are already getting involved. I know eventhough you're not saying anything . . . you're still hurting because of what is happening to your friends and family. I can't bear to see you suffer anymore. So we should stop here," Lena uttered sadly.

"No . . . I love you . . . I love you . . . That is all that matters to me," Jaejoong shouted.

Lena shook her head. Then she faced the old woman again. "I promise . . .I'll do everything you want. I'll marry Daichi. In exchange, leave Jaejoong alone and fix all the problems regarding his group and return the jobs that his family members lost. I know you're the one responsible for all of it."

The old woman smiled. "Clever girl! All right! I promise, I'll leave your precious man alone and arrange everything back to the way it used to be. But make sure you keep your promise as well."

Lena nodded.

"No! No! No!" Jaejoong continuously screamed. He couldn't accept what he was hearing.

Lena looked at Jaejoong as tears continued to fall down her eyes. She really didn't want to leave him. But she knew it was the only way to save him.

"Mother . . . can you please give us some time alone? Please . . . please . . . I want to say goodbye to him . . ." Lena begged.

Somehow the old woman's heart softened. "Very well. I'll be waiting for you in the car outside. I hope you keep your promise. Don't try to run away or else worst things might happen."

Lena smiled bitterly."Don't worry. I won't run away. I'll keep my promise. I just want to have some time alone with him . . . before I go."

The old woman stared at Lena. Then she looked at Jaejoong. "Let him go," she uttered to the men who were holding Jaejoong.

The men immediately released Jaejoong. He was already very weak that he just fell down on his knees.

"Let's go . . ." the old woman said to her men.

Within minutes, Lena and Jaejoong were finally left alone.

Lena immediately went to Jaejoong's side.

"I'm sorry . . ." she quickly uttered as tears fell from her eyes. She then pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and started to wipe away the blood that was oozing from Jaejoong's wounds. But Jaejoong suddenly grabbed her hand and stopped her from what she was doing.

"Why? Why did you do it? I thought you said you loved me . . . so why are you leaving me?" Jaejoong asked as he stared straight into Lena's eyes.

"I can't stand seeing you suffer anymore, Jaejoong. I've been watching you these passed few days. I know . . . you're very worried about your friends and family. And . . . and after I heard the phone calls you made to them . . . it was only then I started to realize that what we did was really wrong. I'm sorry . . . for ruining your life," Lena uttered in between sobs.

"How . . . how did you know about the calls I made yesterday?" Jaejoong asked as if confused.

"I'm sorry . . . but I've been observing you using the cameras installed in the house," Lena confessed. "And I heard everything about your phone calls to Micky, Max and your mother with the use of the wiretapping device they installed on our phones."

"Lena . . . we can still get away. Let's run away again," Jaejoong said as he held Lena's hard. Somehow he was losing sanity and he couldn't think straight.

Lena slowly shook her head. "No, Jaejoong. This is where we've got to stop. No matter where we go, they will still find us. And while we are hiding, we'll be making a lot of innocent people unhappy. I don't want that kind of burden on you . . . So let's just stop . . . and say goodbye now," she said sadly.

"Don't you love me anymore?" Jaejoong asked. He was hurting so badly, that he had released Lena's hand.

Lena looked straight into Jaejoong's eyes. "Look at me . . . Jaejoong," she said as she suddenly cupped his face with her hands. "Always remember . . . I love you . . . I will always have you in my heart. No matter where I go . . . no matter whom I'm with . . . you will be the only one in my mind, in my heart and in my soul."

Jaejoong suddenly embraced Lena. "I don't think I can live without you. What am I supposed to do when I am missing you? What am I supposed to do when I want to see you and talk to you? I'll go crazy without you, Lena. Please don't leave me," he begged.

Lena bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying out loud. Somehow she couldn't bear the kind of pain that Jaejoong's words were giving her.

"Sooner or later . . .you'll learn to forget me, Jaejoong. A girl . . . more worthy of your love will come your way. You will fall in love again . . . and you will forget me," she said as tears raced down her cheeks. Her own words were like thorns being stuck into her heart. The pain she was feeling was making her mind spin.

Jaejoong tightened his embrace. "No! I will never fall in love with someone else. If you leave me . . . I will never open my heart to someone else . . . ever again. You are the only one in my heart and that is the way it will stay . . . forever."

Lena sobbed. "God Jaejoong! It's so painful . . . but there's no other way. We've got to let go of each other. We've got to accept this. We don't belong with each other . . . ."

"No! I love you . . . I can't live without you. Before, I was afraid to love you . . . but you gave me strength to open myself and my heart. Before, I knew how to live without you . . . but after I experienced living my life with you . . . now I'm not so sure if I can ever live without you. You're my love . . . you're my life . . . you're like the air that keeps me alive . . . Without you, I won't be able to last a day. You say . . . another girl wil come my way and I will fall in love again. Well I say . . . no matter who comes along . . . I wil always stay in love with you," Jaejoong uttered.

Lena couldn't take the pain of hearing Jaejoong's words. She slowly broke free from Jaejoong's embrace. Then she stared at his face . . . one last time. She wanted to remember him forever.

"Goodbye . . .Jaejoong," she slowly uttered. Then she slowly kissed him for the very last time.

As their lips met, their tears started to fall continuously. They kissed each other with so much love and passion . . . while their hearts were slowly bleeding.

Lena suddenly stopped kissing Jaejoong. Then she drew herself away from him.

"Lena!" Jaejoong cried out.

Slowly Lena tried to stand up. "Goodbye, Jaejoong . . . Take care of yourself . . . Always remember I won't forget you . . . Goodbye," she said as she stood before him.

Jaejoong suddenly grabbed Lena by her waist, and then he embraced her while he was still kneeling down.

"Don't leave me! I beg you! Please I love you! I love you!" Jaejoong continuously cried out.

Lena cried uncontrollably. Then she slowly tried to set herself free from Jaejoong's embrace.

Jaejoong looked up at Lena with tears in his eyes. "Don't leave me!" he uttered.

Lena slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we've got to say goodbye . . ." then she slowly turned and started to walk away from Jaejoong.

"Goodbye . . .Jaejoong . . . I love you . . . That's why I am doing this . . . It's all because I love you," Lena uttered before she finally left the room.

Jaejoong just stared at the door where Lena disappeared. Somehow everything was just like a dream. He couldn't believe that Lena had left him. He couldn't accept that she no longer belonged to him.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!" Jaejoong screamed. He wanted to get all the pain out of his heart. He then started to cry uncontrollably.

"Lena . . ." he uttered continuously as his heart was slowly dying.



CHAPTER 36


Night time . . . .

A knock on the door suddenly attracted the DBSK boy's attention.

"Who could it be?" Max asked as he hurriedly opened the door, while the others followed him.

As soon as the door opened. Xiah, Micky, U-Know and Max were immediately shocked by what they saw.

"Hyung!!!" Max exclaimed.

Jaejoong was standing infront of them. His whole face was swollen and his arms had cuts and bruises. He was staring blankly at his friends. An old man was standing beside him and was holding him.

"Who are you? What happened to Jaejoong?" Micky asked the old man.

"He was beaten by the men who were following us," the old man replied.

Hurriedly . . . the other boys helped Jaejoong into the apartment. They were all very concerned about him. They carefully placed him on his bed. While he just stared blankly . . . at them. It was as if he wasn't himself. Somehow his mind and soul were somewhere else.

The old man and the other DBSK boys silently left Jaejoong's room. They wanted to give him some time alone. They all went to the living room, and there the boys started to ask the old man.

"What happened to Jaejoong? And where is Lena?" Micky asjed worriedly.

The old man just shook his head. "Jaejoong called you guys, didn't he? That's how the men who were chasing us was able to find out where we were . . . They arrived early in the morning. They took care of me and all of my men. Then they went after Jaejoong. Frankly me and my men were all unconscious when they confronted Jaejoong. And as you can see, he is badly beaten. I was only able to watch everything that occurred because of the camera that was installed in the room where everything that happened. Daichi's mother was able to find us . . . and she brought so many men with her that it was very easy for her to put us all down. Her men beated Jaejoong, over and over again. They even made a mistake of hitting Lena with a bat," the old man narrated slowly.

"Lena was beaten with a bat?" Micky asked angrily. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How is she? Where is she?"

"Lena willingly left with Daichi's mother. It was the only way she could save your friend," the old man answered. "Here take this . . . It's the video of everything that happened. Your friend still can't accept that Lena left him. I know there is a big possibility that he's angry with her. But please try to make him understand that if Lena didn't do what she did. He might be dead by now. So he should still be thankful. . . Try to help your friend . . . Frankly I don't want to say this. From now on, try to help your friend to forget Lena. She's someone he can never have in this lifetime. I should be going now. I still have my own men to take care of," the old man said.

The four DBSK boys just nodded. Then the old man silently left the apartment.

"Should we watch this?" Micky asked the others as he looked at the CD that he was holding.

"We should know everything, Micky. So we can help hyung," Max uttered.

Micky just nodded. Max was right. They needed to know what happened to their hand.

Minutes later . . . .

The four DBSK boys all watched in horror everything that happened to Jaejoong that morning. Their hearts were somehow being crushed and torn into pieces as they heard all the pitiful cries that Lena made.

They all felt that they somehow couldn't take what they are seeing . . . . It was such a horrible sight for all of them, especially when they saw Lena being hit by a baseball bat. It was like they all wanted to scream and shout . . . just like what Jaejoong was doing at that time.

They all continued to watch . . . until the very end. When Lena was already saying goodbye to Jaejoong. They all felt the pain that Jaejoong and Lena was feeling. Somehow they couldn't understand why such an extraordinary love have to end.

After watching, tears were all in the boys' eyes. They couldn't help but cry for their friend and Lena. . . . Such a beautiful love story suddenly turned inot such an unhappy ending.

"What do we do now?" Max asked.

"Just like the old man said. There's nothing else we can do . . . but help him . . . help him to forget Lena," Xiah answered.

"Do you really think that he would actually forget Lena that easily?" Micky asked.

"I know it won't be easy . . . but we've got to try . . . for his sake," Xiah answered again.

"I wonder . . . if Lena's all right . . . that blow she received was quite strong. She even coughed out blood," Max uttered.

"I know Daichi's mother will surely take care of her. Don't worry, she'll be fine. The one who we should be worried be about is Jaejoong. He's totally lost himself," U-Know said seriously.

Xiah and Max looked at the direction of Jaejoong's room. U-Know was right. Jaejoong was totally not himself. He had no reaction and just kept on staring blankly at everything and everyone.

The four DBSK boys suddenly felt so helpless. They wanted to help their friend, but there was nothing they could do. They knew what Jaejoong was going through was quite tough. They couldn't even try to imagine themselves being in the same situation that he was in.

Morning came . . . .

Jaejoong slowly opened his eyes. He immediately looked at the other side of the bed. Somehow he was expecting to see Lena still sleeping beside him.

But . . . no one was there.

"Where am I?" he uttered as if confused.

He then got up and started to look around. He was in his room back in their apartment. Somehow his head started to ache.

"How did I get here?" he asked again.

Jaejoong tried to think very hard what was going on. Somehow he couldn't remember how he was able to return to their apartment. All he could remember was . . . Lena.

"Lena . . . Lena . . . I've got to find her. I've got to bring her back," he uttered. He then slowly got out of bed, and went out of his room.

The other DBSK boys were already in the living room watching a show.

"Hyung . . . you're up all ready?" Max asked worriedly.

"You shouldn't be moving around. Go back to bed and rest," U-Know uttered.

Jaejoong shook his head. "No! I've got to find Lena."

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know exchanged glances with one another. U-Know and Micky quickly stood up and walked towards Jaejoong.

"Go back to bed. You're still very weak. Look at yourself. Have you seen your face? Try looking at a mirror . . . you wouldn't even recognize your own face. You can't possibly go out looking like that," Micky said.

Jaejoong looked at Micky. "How did I get here?" he suddenly asked.

"An old man brought you here. He said that he was the one protecting you and Lena these passed few days," U-Know answered.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. "Yes, the old man. Was he beaten too?" he asked with concern in his eyes.

Micky just nodded. "He also said that you should rest . . ."

"I've got to find Lena. I know she's hurt. I can feel it. I know something's wrong. I've got to find her," Jaejoong uttered.

U-Know suddenly shook his head. "Let it go, Jaejoong. She's already left you. Even if you find her . . . there is no guarantee that you will see her or even talk to her. She's probably in a well guarded place right now . . . Just let it go . . . Try to forget her . . . for your sake."

"No! I love her and I promised her that I will never leave her. I've got to find her. I need her! She's my life! I can't live without her," Jaejoong uttered.

The other DBSK boys felt like their hearts were being pricked with thorns. They all pitied their friend. How they wished that all the pain and suffering he was experiencing would all go away.

"Hyung . . . she loves you very much . . . That's why she decided to leve you. Please try to respect her decision," Max uttered slowly.

"And besides, Daichi's mother is quite ruthless. you can't possibly fight against her. She's too powerful," Xiah added.

Jaejoong suddenly felt very weak. Daichi's mother was really too powerful. She was rich and had many men that followed her every command.

Feeling totally beaten, Jaejoong leaned against a wall. His gaze was straight at the floor he was standing on.

"I'm totally useless," Jaejoong said bitterly.

"Hyung . . ." Max uttered.

"I can't even protect the woman that I love," Jaejoong said as tears started to fall from his eyes.

"Maybe the two of you aren't really meant to be together . . . So just forget her," Xiah uttered.

Jaejoong looked at Xiah with tears in his eyes. "Yes, I know don't deserve her. I am just a stupid useless guy with a pretty face and knows nothing but to sing. I've already told myself that . . . a million times already. But my heart still longs for her. Can you guys tell me . . . how I can forget her? She's inside me . . . in my head . . . in my heart . . . in my soul. So tell me how am I supposed to forget her?" Jaejoong asked.

Xiah felt that there was a huge lump in his throat. Somehow he didn't know what to say.

Slowly Jaejoong fell down on his knees. "I would trade everything I have just to have her back. That is how much I love her. . . But I know it's over. I lost! But the pain I am feeling is too maddening. I think I'm going crazy with the pain in my heart. Do you guys know what kind of pain I am going through? How I wished I could just die right now . . . so all the pain would go away. I can't forget her . . . I will never forget her. So please stop telling me to just try to forget her . . . Because I will never be able to do that! I love her and that is the way it is will always be," he uttered as tears continuously flowed down his face.

The other DBSK boys just silently watched as their friend cried uncontrollably. How they pitied him. They were all wishing that there would be a time that all their friend's suffering would eventually end.


CHAPTER 37



At Daichi's home . . . .

"Mother! What have you done?" Daichi shouted angrily as he threw the wine glass he was
holding in front of him.

The wine glass immediately shattered into tiny pieces and scattered all over the floor between him and his mother.

"I did it all just for you, Daichi. I know how much you love Lena. You're just too kind to take her away from that Jaejoong. So I decided to do it for you," the old woman answered.

"Mother . . . are you really going out of your mind? I'm beginning to think you're already
obsessing with this marriage thing," Daichi said angrily.

"Daichi! How could you talk to me in such a harsh manner?" the old woman angrily shouted as
well.

"Mother, I love you. But because of what you did . . . I'm starting to lose my respect for you.
How could you do such a cruel thing to Jaejoong and Lena? You almost beated Jaejoong to death and . . . and even Lena," Daichi said as he shook his head as if to wake himself up from the nightmare he was
experiencing.

"I didn't do it. . . My men did. And as for Lena, she wasn't supposed to get hurt. But she
interfered, so she was accidentally hit as well," the old woman replied as if everything she had done was normal for her.

Daichi angrily glanced at his mother. At that exact moment, he couldn't stop himself from
thinking that his own mother had suddenly turned into a monster.

"Mother . . . do you even realize what you've done? Lena doesn't love me! That's why I released
her! I wanted her to be happy with the man she really loved. And that man is Jaejoong, not me!" Daichi said angrily.

"Jaejoong? That man is nothing! He doesn't deserve Lena," the old woman uttered.

"What now? Are you happy now, Mother? Are you happy now . . . that you've finally succeeded
in getting even with Jaejoong? Are you happy now . . .that you've finally succeeded in getting Lena back?" Daichi asked while he tried to control his emotions. "Are you happy now . . . that Lena is still unconscious? Are you happy now . . . that Lena is in danger?" he slowly uttered as tears fell down his eyes.

"Daichi . . . it was an accident . . . What happened was just an accident. She wasn't supposed to
get hurt. Believe me, I had no intention of hurting her," the old woman slowly uttered.

"Why don't you just kill me, Mother? If you're doing all of this just for me . . . then just kill me.
So all of this would end. I don't want this! I don't want Lena to be hurt over and over again. I want her to be happy. Can't you even try to understand that? What's the use of having her with me . . . when I already know that her heart is somewhere else? Mother, I'm begging you. . . Please stop forcing Lena to marry me. Just let her go," Daichi slowly uttered.

Daichi's mother slowly looked at her son. Somehow she could feel the pain that her son was
feeling. Then she slowly lowered her head.

"I only did it for you," the old woman uttered.

"Mother . . . Lena is still unconscious. Maybe it is caused by the blow that she received
yesterday. Have you even thought about what would happen once her parents . . . her entire clan . . . knows about her condition? Aren't you even one bit afraid of what would happen . . .of what they would do?" Daichi asked her mother worriedly.

The old woman's cold expression softened. "She wasn't supposed to get hurt. It was all
an accident," she continuously uttered.

"Mother, you know very well that Lena's family is richer and more powerful than us. They can
easily shut down all our businesses in one night. . . if they wanted to. How could you possibly do such a foolish act without even thinking of the consequences that may arise," Daichi slowly said with concern.

"We just have to take care of Lena. . . until she finally wakes up. No one needs to know about
her condition. We can just keep her until . . . until she well again," the old woman said as she tried to brush away the fears that she was having.

Daichi suddenly shook his head in disbelief. "Mother, how can you even think of such an idea.
That's totally absurd."

"Then what do you suggest we do? If we tell Lena's parents about what happened to her, they
will surely blame me. And they may even file a case against me. Would you like your mother to go to
prison?" the old woman said with a raised voice.

Daichi's head was spinning. And somehow he felt like it was going to explode any minute. He
wanted to help Lena, but he couldn't possibly let his mother down. He felt so torn between doing the right thing and the obviously wrong one.

Daichi sighed heavily. "For now Mother . . . first, I want you to leave Japan as soon as possible.
If things get out of hand and Lena's family suddenly learns the truth, at least you would be safe in another country."

The old woman nodded. "Yes, I was also thinking of the same thing. But what about
Lena? who's going to take care of her?" she suddenly asked. It was very obvious that she truly cared about her.

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll take care of Lena. Just follow what I said. Leave Japan," Daichi
uttered.

"Fine, I'll leave Japan as soon as I finish putting things back in order," the old woman uttered.

"What do you mean?" Daichi asked curiously.

The old woman suddenly smiled bitterly. "I still have a promise to keep. I promised Lena that I
will arrange all the problems that I made for Jaejoong and his family once she returned with me."

Daichi closed his eyes for a few seconds. He really felt like he was going to lose his
sanity any minute. Somehow he couldn't think straight. He knew his judgment and reasoning were all clouded and were incorrect. Somehow he didn't want to think about the problems that were waiting for them. His heart was telling him to give priority to Lena's condition rather than his mother's situation. But his mind was telling him to do the opposite. He was totally confused on what he should do.

An hour later . . . .

Daichi carefully arranged the bedsheet that covered Lena. His mother had told him that Lena had been crying continuously from the moment she left Jaejoong up to the time that she arrived at Tokyo. Then she suddenly fainted and that was when his mother immediately called him.

Daichi had called a doctor to examine Lena. And somehow what the doctor said was still playing in his mind.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help her here. She needs to go to a hospital to have a proper examination.
She needs to undergo several examinations first before I can give out a final diagnosis regarding her real condition. But . . . I am already telling you that her situation now is really bad. As of now, there is a huge bruise on her back and a part of her back is swollen. I'm afraid that there is a big possibility that her spinal cord might have been injured during the attack that she received. And if this is the case . . . then there is also the possibility that she may never walk again."

" . . . .she may never walk again . . . she may never walk again . . . she may never walk again . .
." the doctor's words kept on repeating in Daichi's head.

"God! Please don't do this to her," Daichi uttered. Then he sighed heavily. Again he stared at Lena's beautiful face. Somehow his heart was aching as he silently looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Lena. I'm sorry for all the things my mother did. I'm sorry. . . I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll be the one paying for all my mother's sins. I'll take care of you. Whatever it takes . . . I will find a way to help you. Please open your eyes . . .I can't stand seeing you like this. You're breaking my heart, Lena. Please wake up . . . tell me what you want. I'll do everything you ask me to. I'll do everything for you. Please wake up. You have been unconscious for more than 24 hours now. I'm very worried now, Lena. I can't eat . . . I can't drink . . . I can't stop thinking about you," slowly tears fell down Daichi's face. "You can open your eyes now, Lena. Mother has already left Japan. She will be gone for a very long time . . . You don't have to be afraid anymore. Please wake up. I'm already going crazy, Lena. Please . . . please . . . open your eyes and look at me!"

The next day . . .

"Daichi . . ." a voice weakly uttered.

Daichi slowly opened his eyes. He was sleeping on a chair near Lena's bed. He immediately
looked at Lena.

"Lena . . ." he uttered as he hurriedly went to her side.

"Daichi, what happened? Where am I?" she asked softly.

"Everything is fine now, Lena. You're in a mansion I rented . . . You'll be safe here. And besides
Mother has already left Japan. She was so scared with what happened to you. You were unconscious for
more than a day. You really scared me too . . . do you know that?" Daichi uttered with a smile.

"I'm sorry . . .if I scared you. But why did your mother leave Japan?" Lena asked curiously.

"She was so afraid of what your family might do to her if they found out that you got hurt. She
knew it was her fault . . ." he answered.

"So she's gone?" Lena asked again.

Daichi nodded. "Yes, so you don't have to be afraid anymore.”

Lena was about to smile when she suddenly remembered someone. "What about Jaejoong? Do
you know what happened to him? He was beaten badly. How is he?" she asked worriedly.

Daichi tried to smile. "He's already returned to his apartment . . . And don't worry about the
problems my mother caused . . . She already fixed everything before she left."

Lena smiled happily. "That's good. I'm glad that Jaejoong's problems are finally solved."

Daichi slowly caressed Lena's face. "I'm also very happy that you're finally awake. I was really
planning to bring you to the hospital, if you still didn't wake up by tomorrow morning. Lena . . . I'm sorry if I just kept you here. I couldn't bring you to a hospital . . .because I was afraid that your parents might suddenly find out what happened to you. I'm sorry . . . I'm really sorry."

Lena smiled. "Don't worry. I understand. I know you're also thinking about your mother's
situation. Frankly I'm also glad that you didn't bring me to a hospital. Because I also don't want my parents to be worried about me. And I certainly don't want them to get involved in this mess that I am in," then she suddenly laughed lightly. "Believe me . . . I wouldn't want my father to get involved in this situation. My father is ten times more ruthless than your mother . . ."

Daichi laughed as well. "Thank you . . . Thank you for understanding. You're truly a very
extraordinary woman."

"Oh! Stop with the flattering . . .I'm hungry," Lena said with a smile.

"What would you like to eat?" Daichi asked sweetly.

"Anything . . . I'm starving!" she answered cheerfully.

Daichi immediately turned and was about to leave the room when . . . .

"Daichi . . . I just noticed something . . . Why can't I move my legs? And why is half of my body
numb?" Lena asked innocently.

Daichi suddenly turned around to face Lena, with horror in his eyes. And at that exact moment,
he felt that his heart had totally stopped beating . . . and his whole world had turned black.


CHAPTER 38


The next day Jaejoong went out of his room. It was already 7 in the morning. He knew he
needed to prepare breakfast. He was still not feeling well, but he needed to do something just to stop himself from thinking about Lena. Eventhough his wounds were already healing . . . his heart was still hurting.

He weakly entered the kitchen. But was quite surprised to see who were already up. All the other DBSK boys were already in the kitchen and were already having breakfast.

"Good morning!" Max greeted.

"You're up already? Sorry if we didn't wake you up to have breakfast with us. We figured that
you might not want to have breakfast yet . . . and would just want to sleep and rest instead," Micky
explained.

"It's okay . . . But why are you guys up so early anyway?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know suddenly exchanged glances with each other. Somehow they
didn't know if they should tell him the truth.

U-Know stared at Jaejoong seriously. "We're supposed to do a radio interview today at noon,"
he suddenly said.

"A radio interview? How? Oh . . . I remember . . .so Daichi's mother followed Lena's conditions.
So now I'm guessing that my father and sisters have their jobs back. I should be happy right?" Jaejoong tried to put on a fake smile.

"Our manager said that you need to see a doctor. So that your wounds would heal without any
scars, especially those on your face. He also said that he will bring you to a doctor this afternoon after the radio interview," U-Know said slowly.

"So does this mean that I'm not being removed from the our group anymore?" Jaejoong asked
sarcastically.

Xiah slowly shook his head. All of them could sense the unhappiness that their friend was feeling.

Jaejoong suddenly stared at the food infront of him. He then smiled bitterly.

"Lena cooked me a wonderful breakfast . . . and I wasn't able to eat it . . . even one small bite.
And now I don't know how it tasted. She must have spent hours making me those dishes . . . and it just all went to waste. I wonder what kind of food she's having now . . . or maybe she's still sleeping . . . or maybe . . ."

"Hyung . . . stop it! You're just hurting yourself. Stop thinking about her. For your sake and her
sake . . . stop it. Just let her go," Max slowly uttered.

Jaejoong tried to smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I can live without her . . . like the way she can live without me. I'm hungry . . .I want to eat," he said as he quickly sat and started to fill a bowl with different kinds of foods.

He had already swallowed a spoonful of food when his tears started to fall. As he continued to
eat, his tears continued to stream down his face.

The other DBSK boys just watched helplessly as their friend tried to eat. How their hearts ached
as they watched his tears slowly fall.

A week passed . . . .

All of Jaejoong's wounds had already healed perfectly well. No one could even tell that he had
been beaten badly just a few days passed. His total appearance was back to normal.

All of the DBSK boys' activities have been resumed and all of the reports and rumors about their group being disbanded were finally cleared out. They were all back to their normal busy schedule.

But despite of all the work that was keeping the DBSK boys busy . . . there were still times that
Jaejoong couldn't stop himself from thinking about Lena.

He was still wondering how she was doing . . . where she was . . . and if she was thinking of him too.

How his heart ached everytime he remembered her. How he wished that all his feelings would
just go away. He wanted to be free of the pain. He wanted to forget. He wanted to let go . . . But his heart was refusing everything that his mind was dictating. He still longed for her.

Every night, he would imagine that he was still holding her. And every morning, he would wake
up hoping to see her lying next to him.

"Where are you Lena? Whatever happened to you? I miss you," Jaejoong uttered as he stared
out of the window in his room.

In another part of Tokyo . . . .

"Lena, you should be resting. What are you looking at anyway?" Daichi asked softly.

Lena smiled. "Nothing. I couldn't sleep. So I decided to just stare at the sky for a while."

"Don't lie. You're thinking about him . . ." Daichi uttered.

Lena suddenly lowered her head. Daichi was right. She was thinking about Jaejoong. She was
wondering if he was thinking of her too. She couldn't stop herself. She was badly missing him.

"It's been a week Lena. He's already appeared in a show. He's back to his usual self again. So
you don't have to worry about him anymore," Daichi uttered.

"I know . . . I already watched that he was in," she replied. "I'm glad that he's already moved on."

"Lena . . . you don't have to be worried anymore. You can go back to him again. My mother has
already learned her lesson. And she already asked for your forgiveness, didn't she? . . . And aside from that, she said that she wasn't going to interfere in your relationship with Jaejoong anymore. So you can go back to him . . . I know you're missing him," Daichi sadly uttered.

Lena slowly shook her head. Then she smiled bitterly. "I can't go back to him anymore . . ." she
said sadly.

"Lena, it's obvious that you're missing him. And I know he's missing you as well," Daichi said.

Lena suddenly looked at Daichi with extreme sadness in her eyes. "Look at me, Daichi. I think
you're forgetting something . . . Even if I wanted to . . . I can't possibly go back to him now."

Daichi stared at Lena. It was only then he realized what was wrong. Lena was sitting on a
wheelchair. Half of her body, from her waist up to her legs was already paralyzed. They had already
consulted several doctors and all of them said the same thing. They couldn't find anything wrong with her physically. Her spinal cord wasn't injured like what the first doctor suspected. So there was no physical cause for her paralysis. They all recommended Lena to be sent to a psychiatrist for further evaluation.

After hearing this, Lena and Daichi went to several psychiatrists to have her examined. Tests
were done and repeated over and over again. Until finally, the doctors concluded that Lena's condition was just caused by a mental condition she was going through.

Daichi asked the doctors how Lena can be cured. And to Daichi's dismay, all of them replied
that Lena's recovery solely depends on her own will to be cured. It may take weeks, months, years and there was also a big possibility that she would no longer recover. The only thing that Daichi and Lena could do was wait.

"Lena . . . I'm sorry . . ." Daichi uttered hopelessly.

Lena smiled. "What are you saying sorry for?"

"For everything that my mother did . . . to you and Jaejoong," Daichi answered.

"Whatever your mother did . . . doesn't have anything to do with you. So you don't have to say
sorry. And just like what you said before, your mother already asked for my forgiveness and I already
forgave her. So there's no need to continuously say sorry. Just stop saying sorry and please stop feeling pity for me . . . I can see what you're feeling through your eyes," Lena slowly uttered.

Daichi suddenly knelt down infront of Lena. "Why are you so kind? Aren't you even bit angry
with my mother? Because of her . . . you might end up staying on a wheelchair all of your life. Because of her . . . you might end up losing the only man that you love."

Lena slowly shook her head. "I love your mother like my own mother. How could I possibly get
angry with her or even hate her? I believe what happened . . . happened for a reason. Maybe Jaejoong and I weren't supposed to be together. . . in the first place. That's why fate is already stepping in and separating us."

Daichi looked at Lena's beautiful face. Despite of the courage she was showing, sadness and fear were hidden in her eyes. "What do you plan to do now? Are you really sure you don't want to see him? I'm sure that he will gladly accept you despite . . . ."

“Despite of the fact that I'm already crippled? No . . . I don't want him to see me like this. I know the moment that he sees me . . . he will just pity me. He will somehow feel responsible for what happened to me. He will surely blame himself. And I don't want him to saty with me just because of guilt. If I enter his life again, I will just ruin everything for him again . . . his life . . . his career . . . his family. He's better off without me. I will only be a burden to him. I know . . . He will eventually learn to forget me. He will surely meet another girl that would be able to give him happiness without any complications. As time goes by . . .both of us will learn to forget each other," Lena said as tears slowly dropped from her eyes, one by one.

"I wish I could take all of your pain away. I wish I could take your place on that wheelchair. I
would gladly do anything . . . just to make you happy," Daichi uttered lovingly.

"Would you really do anything for me?" Lena slowly asked with sadness in her eyes.

"Yes," he answered immediately.

"Then . . . let's leave Japan as soon as possible. I don't want to stay here anymore. Take me
anywhere . . . as long it is far from Jaejoong. I don't want him to see me like this. I want him to live a happy life without me. If I stay here in Japan or in Korea, there's always the possibility of us crossing each other's paths. I don't want to bother him anymore. I've already decided . . . I'm already letting him go," Lena uttered as tears continuously flowed from her eyes.

Daichi suddenly embraced Lena. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you . . .I'll take care of
everything. We'll leave Japan and I'll help you to forget him."

Lena suddenly lost her self-control. She suddenly started to cry uncontrollably in Daichi's arms.
How she wished that she just died after separating with Jaejoong.

"Jaejoong . . . I love you. . . Goodbye . . . Goodbye . . ." she continuously uttered in her mind as
her tears flowed.



CHAPTER 39



Two months passed . . . . New York . . . .

"Lena, are you all right? You've been looking quite pale these passed few days. How about we go to the doctor today?" Daichi said worriedly.

Lena tried to smile. She wasn't really feeling well. But she was afraid to tell Daichi because she knew he would be worried. Somehow she didn't want to add more problems on him.

"I'm all right. Don't worry about me," she tried to assure Daichi.

"No, we're going to see a doctor today. I'm not accepting that 'I'm all right' line of yours," Daichi said seriously.

Lena suddenly let out a long sigh. "Very well . . ." she suddenly uttered.

Later in the doctor's office . . .

"Congratulations . . ." the doctor happily greeted.

Lena and Daichi exchanged glances with each other. They were both very confused.

"Congratulations? On what?" Lena asked.

"You're two months pregnant, Lena. You should take care of yourself more carefully starting from today," the doctor said with a big smile on his face.

Somehow Lena felt that her whole world started spinning.

"How can I be pregnant? What about my condition? Will my condition have any effect on the child that I am carrying?" Lena asked worriedly.

The doctor lightly laughed. "Don't worry. Your physical condition won't have any negative effect on the baby you're carrying. But I'm already telling you that you will have to undergo caesarian operation to deliver the baby. You won't be able to do it normally."

Lena sadly stared at Daichi. He had been silently looking at her, after hearing what the doctor said.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered as if asking his forgiveness.

An hour later . . . .

Lena and Daichi quietly left the doctor's office and went back to their home in total silence.

Lena didn't even dare to start a conversation with Daichi. She was very afraid of what he was going to say. She knew taking care of her was already very tiring for him. . . . and now with her new condition. She was surely going to add more burden on him. Somehow she pitied him. She knew she was already hurting him whenever she talked about Jaejoong, or whenever he caught her thinking about him. And now she was going to make him take care of another man's child. It was total madness. Their whole situation would drive a normal guy crazy, but Daichi tried to accept everything and bear all the pain without any complaint.

As soon as Lena and Daichi arrived home, Daichi immediately decided that both of them needed to talk.

"Lena . . . ." Daichi uttered.

Lena was looking out of the window again as if thinking of something. She slowly stared at Daichi after hearing him say her name.

Daichi walked up to Lena, then knelt down in front of her. He stared at Lena for a few minutes before finally saying what was on his mind.

"Lena . . . what are we going to do now? Aren't you going to tell Jaejoong about the child?" he asked.

Lena smiled bitterly, then she slowly shook her head. "What's the use of telling him? Both me and the child would only be a burden to him . . . I can't even dare to iamgine what would happen if a news about us broke out. Imagine . . . a famous band member with a crippled and pregnant girlfriend. That would be totally embarrassing for him."

"Can you please stop thinking about his image as a singer and start thinking about him as a man . . . a man who loves you. You're always deciding on your own. . . . on what's good for him or for both of you. You don't let him express his own opinions on the things that you do. For example, after learning half of your body is paralyzed, you just decide on your own that you shouldn't tell him. That he would be better off without you. And now . . . now that you're pregnant with his child, you're deciding on your own again. That child doesn't belong to you alone. . . . it also belongs to Jaejoong. He's the father so he has a right to know," Daichi said seriously.

"Daichi . . . I'm not taking away his right with the child. It's just that I'm quite confused and scared. If he knew about my real condition . . . will he still love me? Will he still accept me? And if he learns about our baby . . . will he accept the child? Or will he just be responsible for the child and not for me? There are a lot of questions racing in my head . . . questions I'm afraid to answer," Lena slowly uttered.

Daichi took Lena's hand. "You have to find the answers to your questions, Lena. It is the only way to let yourself be free of all the worries and fears. You can't go on hiding forever. If by chance . . . he doesn't want you back . . . I'm here . . . I'll take care of you . . . you and your child. I'll take care of your baby as if it is my own. No one doesn't even need to know that it isn't my child. Only you and I will know the truth."

"Thank you Daichi. . . I don't know what I would do without you. Thank you for being always by my side . . . for taking care of me. . . for understanding me . . . for always giving me advises . . . I don't think I can even repay your kindness . . . ." Lena sadly uttered.

Daichi smiled. "I'm not expecting anything. I did all these things so I could help you. So you shouldn't think about paying me back, returning my kindness. Because frankly, being able to be with you is already a big reward for me. Just having you near me . . . already makes my life complete. I have you . . . and I will continue to love you without any limitations or conditions."

"Then . . .let's return to Tokyo as soon as possible. You will still be beside me . . . . right?" Lena slowly uttered as if afraid of what Daichi would answer.

Daichi smiled. "Yes, of course. I will always be beside you . . . as long as you need me," then he slowly embraced Lena.

While Lena was in Daichi's arms, her mind was already being filled with so many questions and thoughts.

"How are you Jaejoong? I wonder if you're angry with me . . . Are you also thinking of me? Do I even cross your mind . . . even for a short time? Are you missing me? I miss you so much, Jaejoong. Please wait for me . . . I'll be there soon. We'll be meeting again. I can't wait to see your face again. I want . . . to touch your face . . . to touch your hand . . . to feel your warm embrace . . . I miss you. I'll be with you again. Just wait for me."

Back in Tokyo . . . .

"Hyung, where are you going?" Max asked as Jaejoong suddenly went out of his room, all dressed up.

"Out . . ." Jaejoong replied with a sweet smile on his lips.

Max shook his head. "You're going out again? What if our manager finds out that you've been going out almost every night? He will surely make a big fuss over it."

Jaejoong laughed. "I'm just having fun. And besides I'm not neglecting my responsibilities in the group right? So no harm done. I'll be out until midnight. So don't wait up okay."

"Who are you going out with?" U-Know asked.

"A girl . . . of course," Jaejoong answered with a laugh.

"Seriously . . . who are you going out with?" U-Know asked again.

"Her name is not important," Jaejoong replied.

"Yes, it is. So who is she?" Xiah asked.

"It's Keiko Tanaka, isn't it?" Micky suddenly asked coldly.

Jaejoong stared at Micky. "So what's wrong if she's the girl that I'm dating?"

Keiko is a famous model that he had met before, and who he had met again after Lena left. It was like Keiko was sent to him for a reason.

"Well you know it's a big problem for us to have a relationship with other famous celebrities. And second, well . . . she's a nice girl. Please don't hurt her. She doesn't deserve it," Micky answered.

Jaejoong lightly laughed. "Why would I hurt her?"

Micky stared straight into Jaejoong's eyes. "You should ask yourself that question. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Frankly you're not the same Jaejoong we knew before. You've totally changed. Ever since Lena left you . . . you've changed. You've become a total playboy. Even your image with the fans have totally changed. Frankly you've already surpassed my playboy image," Micky said as he shook his head in dismay.

Jaejoong smiled. "Don't worry. I really like Keiko. She's quite nice. And I don't have any intention of fooling around with her. As of now, all I can say is I'm just starting to know her better. And besides I've been going out with her for a month now . . ."

"We're not against . . . you dating other girls. It's just that we're concerned for you and the girl's sake. Don't try to rush things. Forgetting someone takes a lot of time . . . .Someone new can sometimes help, or maybe not. It totally depends on the situation," U-Know said seriously.

"Don't worry. I've totally gotten over Lena. That's why I'm starting to move on," Jaejoong said.

"Well, have fun and don't stay out too late," U-Know said with a smile.

Jaejoong smiled back at U-Know. "I'll be going then. . .bye."

As soon as Jaejoong left. Micky suddenly let out a long sigh. "Frankly I don't know what to do with Jaejoong. He's pushing himself too hard. It's quite obvious that he hasn't gotten over Lena . . ."

"We've got to respect his decision. If he wants to find a new girl . . . then all we can do is be happy for him," U-Know said.

"I just think that it's still too early for hyung to find a new girl. What if . . . Lena suddenly returns to him? What then?" Max voiced out his opinion.

Xiah slowly shook his head. "I'm also thinking the same thing. Frankly I still think that those two will meet again someday. I was kind of hoping that . . . when they do meet again . . . everything will be all right by then."

"We can't really decide for Jaejoong. All we can do is watch him . . . and try to support him," U-Know slowly uttered.

"I just hope he won't regret in the end," Micky uttered.

"Have you guys ever wondered where Lena might be? It's like she's totally disappeared . . . ." Max said with a strange expression on his face.

"The last thing that Jaejoong heard was that she left Japan with Daichi. Even her own parents and Yoora doesn't know what country she went to," U-Know answered.

"Poor Lena . . ." Max uttered.

"I have a feeling she'll be back. But I just hope that she returns soon . . . before it is too late. I
really think Jaejoong is starting to fall for Keiko,” Micky uttered.

Xiah, Max and U-Know just silently nodded their heads. They were all thinking and feeling the same thing. They somehow knew that Lena was going to return to Jaejoong. And how they wished that she arrives soon . . . . before Jaejoong falls in love with another girl.






CHAPTER 40



The next morning . . . .

All the DBSK boys were happily having breakfast when Jaejoong suddenly announced
something.

"I hope all of you would be happy for me," he uttered with a sweet smile on his lips.

"Why? What happened?" Xiah asked curiously.

"It's official . . . Keiko and I are a couple now. She finally agreed to be my girlfriend . . . just last night," Jaejoong said happily.

"What?" Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know all blurted out in total shock.

Jaejoong laughed after seeing his friends' reactions. "Why? What's wrong? Why are you all shocked?"

"Are you really sure about what you're doing? Aren't you rushing things?" U-Know asked
with concern.

Jaejoong laughed again. "Pushing things? No . . . I don't think so. Why? How long am I
supposed to wait until I'm allowed to have someone new in my life?"

"But hyung . . . it's only been two months," Max exclaimed.

"So?" Jaejoong asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought all of you wanted me to forget Lena already. So now that I've forgotten her . . . why are you guys acting like that?"

"Frankly . . . I was kind of hoping that you would just move on . . . But not totally forget her. I really believe that she would return again . . . And I am really hoping that the two of you could still be together . . . I believe that you two belong with each other," Max uttered seriously.

Xiah, Micky and U-Know all stared at Max. They had never seen him that serious before. And somehow they all could feel his sincerity and concern in his words.

Jaejoong smiled bitterly. His eyes became filled with a certain sadness that the other boys easily noticed. "I'm sorry, Max. But those kind of wishes are just a fantasy now. Lena will never return. If she could . . . she would have already done it a long time ago . . . .And even if by chance, she returns now . . . it is already too late. I've already committed myself to Keiko. I can't easily drop her just because Lena returned. It would be too unfair for her."

Micky suddenly laughed." Unfair? Whatever happened to what you were saying before? You
can't forget Lena. You will never forget her. You can't live without her. You love her and that is the way it will always be . . . Just two months passed and you suddenly forget everything and change? What a nice way to show your undying true love for Lena," he said with sarcasm.

Jaejoong's facial expression hardened. "Are you trying to imply something?"

Micky smiled. "Me? Implying something? Think . . . . I just hope you won't regret in the end," he suddenly said as he stood up and started to walk out of the room.

"Micky . . . are you forgetting . . . she was the one who left me," Jaejoong said.

Micky turned around to face Jaejoong, who was looking seriously at him.

"She left you . . . because she had to. And before I forget . . . like I've told you before . . . if you didn't go after Lena . . . then I would . . . If by chance, she returns . . . I've already telling you I'm going after her. So no hard feelings," Micky said with a cold expression on his face. Then he slowly walked out of the room.

Xiah, Max and U-Know exchanged glances with each other. They were torn between their two friends. Somehow they were totally confused on what they were supposed to do and and say, so they just decided to be silent.

Jaejoong just stared at the unfinished breakfast he was having. Suddenly . . . memories started to rush into his mind.

Totally confused, Jaejoong suddenly stood up and left the room as well. He then went straight to his room. Once inside his room, he sadly stared at the painting that Lena left him.

The painting was still hanging in his room. And eventhough he hated Lena so much for leaving him. He still couldn't find it in his heart to throw away the painting. Somehow it had a very special place in his heart. A place that he was afraid to leave empty.

A week later . . . .

"We're here," Daichi announced happily as they went out of the airport.

"Yes, we're finally here. But Daichi . . .I'm afraid," Lena slowly uttered as she looked at the people who were staring at her. Somehow she could feel and see pity in their eyes.

Daichi slowly squeezed Lena's shoulder as if to give her support. "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't leave you."

"Where are we going now? Where are we going to stay? We can't stay in a hotel. Someone
might recognize me, and tell my parents that I am here in Japan. And I certainly don't want to go to your parents house as well," Lena said worriedly.

"Well, we can stay in your apartment for the mean time, No one would even think that we would stay there," Daichi said.

"But I don't think I already have the courage to face Jaejoong. Give me a few more days please," Lena weakly uttered.

"We can hide in your apartment as long as you want. We don't need to go out. I can just hire someone to do everything for us. So we don't even have to go out, once we're there. So stop worrying," Daichi said with a smile. "And besides the two of you are supposed to meet anyway, let's just allow fate to take its course."

"You're right. But give me . . . even a day to prepare myself . . . please," Lena said again.

Daichi nodded. "Don't worry. It's already 3 in the morning. Jaejoong and his friends are already asleep by now. So no one will see us moving into the apartment."

Lena smiled. "You're right. So let's go . . ." she said with a smile.

An hour later, in Lena's apartment building.

Daichi and Lena got into the building without any problem. And as expected, everything was already quiet in the whole building. Everyone was already sleeping.

The two were already in their apartment unit when Lena suddenly noticed that her small bag was gone. She tried to think where she last saw it.

"Aaaahhh . . . ." she uttered as she finally remembered that she had placed her bag near the door of the apartment while waiting for Daichi to open the door.

Lena rolled her wheelchair out of her apartment. She quickly saw her bag and went near it, to pick it up. She was about to return to her apartment when something caught her attention.

Near the door of the DBSK boys' apartment were two people passionately kissing each other. The guy's face was turned against Lena so she couldn't see who it was.

But Lena's heart was already screaming out a name. She didn't want to believe it. But the man's figure was very familiar to her. No matter how she tried to deny it, she knew that the man standing infront of her . . . kissing another girl was no other than . . . Jaejoong.

Lena immediately covered her mouth to stop herself from making any sound. She didn't want to attract any attention to herself.

As if frozen . . . she continued to watch Jaejoong kissing another woman, while tears fell from her eyes. Somehow she could feel her heart was being shattered into pieces. She felt like she wanted to die right at that moment. She didn't have any reason to live anymore. Jaejoong no longer belonged to her.

"Lena . . . what are you doing there? Why don't you come in already?" Daichi asked as he slowly walked out of the apartment unit, and looked at where Lena's attention was.

Daichi's reaction suddenly hardened as he quickly recognized Jaejoong.

Surprised and shocked . . . Jaejoong immediately turned to see Lena and Daichi staring
straightly at him and Keiko.

"Who are they? Do you know them?" Keiko asked Jaejoong innocently as she looked back
and forth between Jaejoong, Lena and Daichi.

Bewildered, Jaejoong stared at Lena. Tears were in her eyes as her gaze continued to focus on Keiko. He could see the pain in her eyes, which in turn also hurt him as well.

"Lena, let's go inside," Daichi said coldly as he hurriedly pushed Lena's wheelchair into their apartment. And then he angrily closed the door.

Jaejoong's mind totally became blank after seeing Lena again. Somehow he wanted to go after her and talk to her. But he immediately remembered the scene that Lena had seen. He closed his eyes for a few minutes. He felt like his head was going to explode. Different things were running in his head. He couldn't think straight. He was totally confused.

"Jaejoong . . . are you all right?" Keiko asked worriedly.

"Yes, I . . . I . . . I'm sorry but I think you have to go now. I'm sorry I can't take you to your apartment anymore. I just remembered our group has an early appointment," Jaejoong nervously uttered as he tried to lie to Keiko.

Keiko stared at Jaejoong. she knew something was wrong. But she decided to be silent for the mean time.

"It's okay. Bye then," Keiko said with a smile as she lovingly kissed Jaejoong on the lips.

Jaejoong suddenly drew away as soon as Keiko finished kissing him. Somehow he felt
ashamed and nervous. He couldn't quite explain what he was feeling.

As Keiko left the apartment building, questions were continuously repeating in her mind.

"Who was that girl on the wheelchair? And why was Jaejoong so shocked when he saw her?
Why do I have the feeling that she's someone important to Jaejoong?"

Back in the DBSK boys' apartment . . .

Jaejoong silently sat on the couch in the living room. He was staring at the wine glass that he was holding.

She came back . . . .

"Lena . . . Why was she sitting on a wheelchair? What's wrong with her?" he continuously asked himself.

Jaejoong continued to sit in the living room. He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't notice that it was already morning.

"Hyung . . . you're up already?" Max asked as he slowly yawned.

Jaejoong stared at Max with a confused look in his eyes.

"Jaejoong, what's wrong?" Xiah asked worriedly.

"Jaejoong. . . ." U-Know uttered.

"She . . . she came back," Jaejoong said.

"She? Who came back?" Micky asked curiously.

Jaejoong then stared at Micky.

"Lena's back, isn't she? You saw her?" Micky asked as he suddenly realized the cause of Jaejoong's confusion.

Jaejoong gently nodded his head. He felt like he had no strength to think or talk.

Xiah, Micky, Max and U-Know suddenly exchanged glances with one another. This was what
they were all afraid of. Lena had finally returned for Jaejoong. But he could no longer be with her . . . for he already belonged to someone else. . . .



CHAPTER 41


"Lena, please open the door . . . Lena," Daichi shouted while he continuously knocked on the door of Lena's room.

He could still hear Lena crying. She had locked herself up in her room and had been crying ever since she saw Jaejoong kissing abother girl in the hallway of the apartment building.

Hours have passed and Lena still wouldn't stop crying. Daichi was already going crazy with worry.

"Lena . . . . please stop crying and open the door. Have you forgotten that you're pregnant? You can't possibly go on crying forever . . . Please think about the baby you're carrying. Lena, can you hear me? Lena!" Daichi shouted as he tried to open the door.

Daichi sighed. No matter how he tried to open the door, it still wouldn't open. Lena had locked the room using another lock inside her room.

"Lena . . ." he uttered hopelessly.

Then he suddenly heard Lena unlocking her door. Within minutes, Lena slowly opened the door.

"Lena . . ." Daichi said as he stared at the pitiful expression on Lena's face.

"Daichi . . . please. . . . Let's leave. I don't want to stay here anymore," she begged.

Daichi just nodded his head. He already knew that they needed to move again as soon as possible. Staying in that apartment . . . being near to Jaejoong . . . . was going to be pure torture for Lena.

"We can leave as soon as I find a suitable place to live. Just give me a day. I'll try to fix everything quickly," he said.

Lena nodded. She felt very tired . . . tired of everything . . . tired of thinking . . . . tired of crying . . . tired of hoping . . . tired of loving . . . and now she was even tired of living.

"Daichi , I'm tired . . ." she slowly uttered.

Daichi carefully stared at Lena. He knew exactly what she meant, but he just decided to avoid talking about what she was trying to say.

"You look pale. I suggest you go to sleep for a few hours. Have some rest. You and the baby need to sleep," he lovingly said.

Again Lena just nodded her head.

"Come on , I'll help you," Daichi said with a smile. He slowly approached Lena, then he carefully carried her in his arms. "Lena, whatever happens . . . Always remember I'm here for you."

"I know," Lena uttered as she gently rested her head on Daichi's chest.

Daichi suddenly felt like he didn't want to let go of Lena anymore. He felt like he wanted to have her in his arms forever. Slowly he walked to where Lena's bed was. Then he gently placed her on it.

"Go to sleep. I'll look after you. Don't worry," Daichi said as he lovingly caressed Lena's hair over and over again so to put her to sleep.

"Daichi," she uttered.

"Uhhmm?" he uttered back.

"Thank you," she said slowly.

Daichi smiled. "For what?" he asked.

"For everything," she replied.

Daichi's heart suddenly skipped a beat. "Go to sleep," he uttered again. Then he kissed her on the forehead.

An hour later . . . .

Daichi carefully stared at Lena's face. And somehow his heart ached after seeing the tired look on her face. He understood that she wasn't only tired physically, but also mentally and emotionally.

How he wished he could make everything all right for her. He was willing to do anything just to make her happy. But no matter how hard he tried to help Lena . . . it was as if fate always wanted her to suffer.

His gazed focused on Lena's abdomen.

"Poor child . . . I guess you will never have the chance to be happy with your mother and father at your side. But don't worry, I promise I will also take care of you," he slowly murmured.

Then the doorbell suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"Who could it be? Could it be Jaejoong? It certainly took him a long time to pull himself together," he thought.

The doorbell rang again. Daichi hurriedly went to the door. He didn't want Lena to awaken by the noise. As he opened the door, someone unexpected suddenly came into view.

"Hello . . ." Micky uttered.

Daichi stared at Micky. "Why are you here?' he asked coldly.

Micky tried to put on a smile. "I'm here to see Lena. Jaejoong told us she was here."

"Your friend surely have some guts. Where is he anyway?" Daichi asked.

"He's still in his room . . . shocked and confused, I guess," Micky answered.

"Lena's asleep," Daichi uttered.

"That's okay . . . I'll wait," Micky replied.

Unable to drive Micky away, Daichi slowly led him to the living room. The two men sat down, facing each other.

"So when did you guys arrive?" Micky asked casually.

"We arrive here in Tokyo . . . about quarter passed two in the morning, and we left the airport maybe passed three in the morning," Daichi answered.

"So . . . you guys just arrived when . . . . Lena saw Jaejoong with Keiko?" Micky asked.

"Yes, and frankly it was such a shocking way to greet someone," Daichi said with sarcasm.

"Shocking? Yes, I can only imagine what Lena's reaction must have been after seeing Jaejoong kissing Keiko," Micky uttered.

"She's been crying for hours. Good thing, I was able to put her to sleep. I was so worried that she might collapse or something, if she continued to cry," Daichi told Micky.

"I'm really sorry things have to end this way," Micky uttered.

"So is Jaejoong really serious with that girl?" Daichi suddenly asked.

Micky smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid so."

Daichi shook his head in disbelief. "What a nice way to show his true love for Lena. Just two months passed, and he immediately finds a new girl."

"You can't really blame him. A lot of things can happen in two months. He was so down after Lena left him and suddenly disappeared. Frankly Xiah, Max, U-Know and I are partly to blame for this. We encouraged him to move on and to forget Lena. But we never really expected him to immediately find a new girl and replace Lena. We were sort of hoping that he would just return to his normal self and continue living like before," Micky explained.

"Honestly, I know I don't have any right to be angry with Jaejoong. And I also know all of this wouldn't have happened, if my mother hadn't interfered. But I pity Lena . . . so much. You wouldn't even dare to imagine what she went through for the passed two months. And just when I thought . . . everything was already clearing out for her . . . She suddenly finds out that the man she's coming back for already belongs to someone else. During the time she was crying, my heart was slowly bleeding as well. I really can't stand seing her suffer," Daichi said.

Micky just stayed silent. Somehow he didn't know what to do or say. He also pitied Lena. And just like Daichi, he also wished that he could help Lena be happy.

"I guess . . . there's nothing else to do, but go and hide again," Daichi uttered with a sigh.

"Go and hide? What do you mean? Frankly I'm quite confused. Why is it that even Lena's parents doesn't know where the two of you were for the passed two months? And why is it that Jaejoong said that Lena was on a wheelchair when he saw her. Is there something wrong with her?" Micky asked nervously.

Daichi tried to hide the sadness in his eyes. "I don't know if I should tell you the whole story."

"Don't worry. . . Whatever you tell me . . . will stay a secret. So please . . . tell me what's wrong with Lena. You know that I also love her . . . That's why I'm concerned about her," Micky uttered as he stared at Daichi seriously.

"Lena is . . . is paralyzed from her waist down to her legs. And this is the reason why the two of us have been in hiding. Lena doesn't want her parents to know about her condition," Daichi told Micky with a serious expression on his face.

"What?" Micky asked in total shock. "Have you consulted a doctor? She can still be cured right? She can still walk again right?" he continuously asked.

Daichi smiled bitterly as he suddenly shook his head. "Honestly we've spent the whole two months going from one country to another, in search of a doctor who can actually cure her . . . During the time that she and Jaejoong were attacked by mother's men, she received a blow to her back. At first, all the doctors thought that her paralysis was due to a spinal cord injury. But after dozens of tests, they finally concluded that there was nothing wrong with her physically and that her condition was just a result of trauma or shock that she receive," Daichi suddenly stopped talking. Somehow he was trying to stop himself from crying. "So we continued to go to psychiatrists, physical therapists . . . anyone who could actually have an idea how to cure her. But they all said the same thing. Lena's recovery solely depends on her own will. And that it may take weeks, months, years . . . and there was also the possibility that she can never be cured. After hearing those words from the doctors, Lena became more depressed and withdrawn. It was then she decided that she can no longer go back to Jaejoong. She didn't want him to see her in such a pitiful situation. She didn't want him to stay with her just because of guilt or pity. So the two of us left and have been continuously travelling. We are still hoping to find someone who could help her."

"If . . . if there's nothing wrong with her physically . . . then there is always the possibility that she can walk again. Maybe she just . . . she just . . . maybe she needs more encouragement. Maybe she lacks the will to . . ." Micky tried to say. He was trying to make himself believe that Lena was going to be all right. But no matter how he tried, he still couldn't lie to himself.

"I know what you're feeling. Believe me, I've tried everything. And Lena really wants to be normal again. So she has been very patient and obedient to everything that the doctors told her. She's gone through different therapeutic sessions and drunk different medications. But still no effect. Do you have any idea how miserable Lena was for the passed two months? She was willing to do anything just to be able to walk again. She wanted to be normal again, so she could return to Jaejoong. Believe me . . . she has tried everything. There were nights that she would just cry herself to sleep. Her cries were so pitiful that if you heard it . . . it would actually tear your heart into million pieces. During the passed two months, I know the only thing that was keeping Lena sane was the thought that one day she could return to Jaejoong. But now . . . she has to learn to accept another painful reality," Daichi told Micky.

Micky stared at Daichi. Everything he heard was just too much for him. "If she's still in a wheelchair . . . then that means she's not cured yet . . . So why did she return? Did she finally decide that it is time for Jaejoong to know the truth about her? Why do I have the feeling you're still hiding something from me?"

Daichi couldn't help but smile. "You're really very perceptive. Yes, there is a reason why she suddenly decided to return to Jaejoong."

"And that reason is?" Micky asked curiously.

Daichi stared straight into Micky's eyes. "She's two months pregnant with Jaejoong's child."

Micky's world had suddenly stopped. And bit by bit, his heart started to fall apart. How he pitied Lena. And somehow he could feel the pain she was going through. How he wished that everything that he had learned wasn't true. How he wished that Lena was still the same Lena that he knew. Micky stared blankly infront of him. He knew Lena needed someone to be with her now. And he was determined to be that someone . . . .




CHAPTER 42


Lena slowly opened her eyes, and then a familiar face came into view. At first, she thought that she was seeing Jaejoong, but as time passed . . .her vision became clearer and another face appeared. She slowly tried to push herself up, Micky hurriedly helped her to sit comfortably onher bed.

"Micky?" she gently uttered.

Micky smiled as he gently took Lena's hands. "How are you?"

Lena tried to smile but she suddenly remembered Jaejoong. And the pain quickly became visible in her eyes. "I really don't know how to answer that question," she replied.

Micky gently squeezed Lena's hand. "Daichi already told me everything."

Lena looked at Micky. "Please stop staring at me with pity in your eyes. That's the last thing I want," she weakly uttered.

Micky lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you here?" she asked suddenly.

"To see you," he quickly replied.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked again.

"Jaejoong told us. We woke up this morning and found him all messed up in the living room. He wasn't himself . . . So we asked him what was wrong. And that was when he told us that he saw you . . ." Micky explained.

Lena smiled bitterly. "His girlfriend is very beautiful."

Micky felt that there was a huge lump in his throat. He didn't know how to react to what Lena said.

"So you already saw Keiko . . . Jaejoong has been going out with her for a month now. But their real relationship just started last week. So there is still a chance for you to . . ." Micky started to say.

"To what? To break them up? I'm not planning to do such a thing," Lena said as she shook her head in disapproval.

"But what are you planning to do?" Micky asked.

"Frankly, I don't know. Maybe Daichi and I can go back to New York. The only reason why I came here is to have Jaejoong back. But I guess . . . I'm too late. So there's no reason for me to stay here anymore. I might as well go back," she answered.

"So you're going back without clearing everything up with Jaejoong? Aren't you even going to tell him about the child that you're carrying? And aren't you going to tell him about what really happened to you after you left him? Do you know he hates you . . . for leaving him. He thinks that you have easily forgotten him and moved on with your life. That's why you never even tried to contact him for the passed two months," Micky said with concern.

"What's the use in telling him the truth? He has already moved on. He already had someone new in his life. If I told him the truth . . . do you think it would make any difference? He will just pity me . . . and I would end up ruining his peaceful life again," Lena replied.

"Think about the child . . . Jaejoong has a right to know," Micky uttered.

Lena smiled while trying to hide the pain she was feeling. "I don't want to cause anymore problems. I know once I told him about the child . . . his relationship with his girlfriend will definitely be affected. And frankly I don't want to hurt the girl."

Micky looked deep into Lena's eyes. "God! Why are you so kind? Why don't you think about yourself first? Who cares about Keiko? Do you know that whenever I see you hurting . . . it just breaks my heart into pieces? Before i just set aside my feelings for you because I thought you would be much happier with Jaejoong. But now . . . I'm starting to think that I made a wrong decision. Now I'm starting to think . . . that I should have fought for you. Then maybe . . . I would be the one taking care of you now."

Lena sadly stared at Micky. "Please Micky, stop! I've already hurt a lot of people . . . I don't want you to be one of them."

"Why can't I love you?" Micky asked weakly.

"Because I . . . I don't deserve to be loved. Anyone who gets involved with me always gets hurt or faces different kinds of bad luck. So please I don't want to hurt anyone . . . anymore . . . especially not you," she answered.

"Don't you know that you're already hurting me by refusing my love for you? And why is it that Daichi can be with you . . . and not me?" Micky asked with a hurt look in his eyes.

Lena suddenly looked away. Somehow her mind had totally gone blank. Micky's question started to echo in her mind.

"Micky's right. Why am I staying with Daichi when I already know that I'm hurting him over and over again. Why do I keep on hurting him? Is it time for me to leave him too?"

"Lena . . ." Micky uttered.

Lena gazed at Micky. "Please don't try to complicate things. You can't possibly fall in love with me. Look at me! I'm totally useless now. All the doctors say that there's something wrong with me . . . mentally. That's why half of my bopdy is paralyzed and I can't walk. And aside from that . . . I am pregnant. You can't fall in love with a disabled and pregnant woman, Micky. Use your mind!"

"Why is it that Daichi and Jaejoong are allowed to love you and not me? Don't you think you're being unfair?" Micky asked.

"I'm not being unfair. Micky. I'm just telling you what is best for you. I've already hurt and brought grief to both Daichi and Jaejoong. I don't want you to be like them. I want to spare you from the pain. So please try to find someone else. . . someone who is more suited for you," Lena begged.

Micky's heart was slowly breaking as he listened to Lena's words. He then gently embraced Lena.

Lena was totally surprised by what Micky had done. She felt pity for Micky, but she knew what she had done was the right thing to do.

"Micky . . . thank you for the concern and love. But I'm very sorry I can't return it," Lena uttered as she gently embraced Micky back.

"No matter what you say or do, I will still love you in my own way. Let me help you . . . I also want to take care of you, just like what Daichi is doing. I don't care if you only treat me as a friend. That's enough for me. I want to show you how much you mean to me, even if it hurts me. So please let me love you . . ." Micky said with a trembling voice.

Lena was confused. She wanted to stop Micky but she was afraid to hurt him. So she just decided to silently stay in his arms.

While Micky and Lena were in each other's arms, Daichi unexpectedly walked into the room.

Daichi instantly felt like his heart was going to explode after seeing Micky and Lena. But he decided to just set aside his personal feelings and deal with more important matters.

"Lena . . ." Daichi called.

Micky and Lena, both surprised, looked at Daichi. Lena could see that Daichi was trying to hide the pain he was feeling.

"Daichi . . ." Lena started to say.

"We have to go now. One of my men just informed me that someone had already reported to your parents that we have arrived here in Japan. Your parents' men are already searching for us. We have to move now or else they will find us," Daichi said with concern.

Lena worriedly looked at Daichi. "But where will we go? If they are already searching for us . . . we have nowhere else to go."

"Frankly I am a little bit confused myself," Daichi replied.

Micky stared at Lena, then at Daichi. "Maybe I can help," he uttered.

"How?" Daichi asked with a surprised look on his face.

"Well . . . both of you can stay in our apartment for the time being. You guys need a place to hide . . . Our apartment would be perfect for that. No one would ever think that you would actually hide in our place," Micky answered.

"You've got a point there. But . . ." Daichi said as he looked straight at Lena. He was still thinking about her condition and her situation concerning Jaejoong.

Micky stared at Lena as well. "You don't have to worry about Jaejoong. I'll take care of him."

Lena shook her head. "No! I don't want to be close to him. And I don't want to see him. I can't possibly stay in your apartment."

"Lena . . . Micky's got a point. No one would actually look for us in their apartment. We've got no choice . . . Unless you want your parents to know what has happened to you," Daichi said seriously.

Lena lowered her head. She didn't want her parents to know about her situation. She wanted to make them believe that she was fine. She was afraid that once her parents found out about her condition. They will surely make Daichi's parents pay dearly. And that was the last thing she wanted. Even though Daichi's mother had been cruel with her, she still loved Daichi's parents like her own parents. She didn't want anything bad to happen to them.

"Lena . . . you've got to decide now," Daichi said anxiously.

Micky didn't want for Lena's answer. He immediately carried Lena in his arms, and carefully placed her on her wheelchair.

"Micky . . ." Lena protested.

"Sssshhh . . ." Micky uttered, then he slowly pushed Lena's wheelchair out of the room.

Daichi quickly gathered all their bags and followed Lena and Micky out of the apartment.

Lena's heart was pounding wildly. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing. She was very much afraid of seeing Jaejoong once again.

"Micky . . . please don't tell him anything about the child . . . and my condition," Lena uttered before Micky opened the door of their apartment.

"Don't worry. I won't say anything," Micky replied.

Slowly Lena and Micky entered the DBSK boys' apartment first, followed by Daichi.

Xiah, Max, U-Know and Jaejoong were all in the living room. As soon as Micky walked in with Lena, a deafening silence suddenly appeared.

"Lena . . ." Jaejoong was finally able to utter.

Micky coldly stared at Jaejoong and the other DBSK boys."Lena and Daichi will be staying in my room for a few days. I hope there's no probelem with that."

Xiah, Max and U-Know were all stunned. They were totally shocked with what was happening.

Micky slowly pushed Lena's wheelchair to his room, while Daichi just followed them.

Lena felt the cold stare that Jaejoong was giving her. She lowered her head and tried to avoid looking at Jaejoong and the other DBSK members. She didn't have any choice, but to endure a few days in the boys' apartment unit.

After arranging Lena on his bed and a quick talk with Daichi, Micky left his room and went straight to where the other DBSK boys were.

"What are you planning to do?" Jaejoong quickly asked as soon as Micky sat down infront of him.

"Planning to do? Well I'm going to take care of her. That's what I'm planning to do," Micky answered sarcastically.

"Are you out of your mind?" Jaejoong asked.

Micky smiled as he looked straight at Jaejoong. "Like I told you before . . . I love her. And since you already have Keiko, then that means you no longer want her. So I've decided to make her mine."

Xiah, Max and U-Know felt a sudden chill. They knew Micky was serious and that he wasn't going to change his mind. He had been in love with Lena from the very beginning. But because of his friendship with Jaejoong, he had decided to let Lena go. But now . . . it seems he wasn't going to let anyone stand in his way again. No matter how . . . no matter what . . . it took, Lena was going to be his . . . and his alone.



CHAPTER 43


"Do you think it's really wise to stay here?" Lena asked Daichi as she worriedly looked at the door of the room.

"We don't have any choice. And besides we'll be staying here for only a short time . . . maybe two or three days will do. We just have to wait until things clears up. My men are already trying to fix everything. As soon as everything's fine, we can leave Japan again. IF . . . that is what you want . . ." Daichi said with hesitation.

"Frankly I don't want to stay here. I'm afraid of staying so close to Jaejoong. What if he suddenly starts asking questions . . . like why I'm on a wheelchair?" Lena said worriedly.

Daichi sighed. "Don't you think . . . it would really be better if he knew about what really happened to you? I think it would solve a lot of things."

"No! I don't want him to pity me. He has his own life now. Let's just leave everything as it is. I know telling him the truth will only complicate things," she said as she rolled her wheelchair near the window. Then she sadly stared out at the sky. It was almost night time, and the stars were starting to appear.

Daichi shook his head. His heart was somehow being crushed as he continued to watch Lena looking so pitiful. He then decided to just leave her alone. He slowly walked out of the room. He knew Lena needed some time alone to think.

He then went straight to where the DBSK boys were sitting. He instantly noticed that there was something wrong because of the expression on Jaejoong's face.

"Micky . . . " Daichi uttered.

Micky looked at Daichi and smiled. "Yes, what is it?"

"Look . . . we don't want to cause any trouble. We can leave and . . ." Daichi started to say.

"Nonsense . . . you and Lena can stay here as long as you like," Micky uttered.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Xiah, Max, U-Know and . . . Jaejoong. I will try to fix our problem quickly so that we can leave your apartment as soon as possible," Daichi said as he faced the other DBSK boys.

"Frankly, we're just shocked. Don't worry about us. And just like what Micky said, the two of you can stay here as long as you like. We are always willing to help," U-Know said as he secretly looks at Jaejoong's reaction.

"Thank you guys. I think two or three days would be enough, and we can leave Japan again," Daichi uttered.

"You're leaving again?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, there is no reason for us to stay here any longer," Daichi answered as he looked straight at Jaejoong.

Jaejoong stared back at Daichi. He was about to say what was running in his mind, when Max suddenly asked something.

"Daichi . . . why is Lena on a wheelchair? Is she sick or something?" Max asked curiously.

Daichi exchanged glances with Micky.

"She's suffered a bad sprain before going here . . . So she's on a wheelchair," Micky suddenly answered.

"Oh . . . I actually thought something was wrong with her," Max said with a sigh of relief.

Micky tried to laugh. "What could possibly be wrong with her. She's still the same Lena we all knew."

"So Micky where will you sleep? You can stay in my room if you like," Xiah said with a smile.

"I was really planning to ask you about that. Good thing, you already opened that topic," Micky said with a grin.

Suddenly a phone started ringing. Daichi hurriedly took out his phone and answered it.

Several minutes later . . . Daichi's expression had somehow changed after receiving the mysterious phone call.

"Micky . . . do you think you and I can talk privately? I really need to discuss something with you," Daichi said seriously.

Micky just nodded his head and stood up. "we can talk outside," he uttered.

Daichi and Micky both went out of the apartment unit. Then they headed straight to the nearby fire exit.

"What's wrong?" Micky asked worriedly.

"Do you think you can take care of Lena for a day or two? I really need to go and fix something," Daichi answered.

"Can I help? What's wrong?' Micky asked again.

"One of my men have informed me that a large group of men from Lena's clan are already being sent in different locations. So I need to go and make myself visible in another place. So I can lure those men away from here," Daichi explained.

"So you're going to leave Lena? Where will you go?" Micky asked.

"I don't know yet. But what is important now is to hide Lena. You know she doesn't want anyone from her family to know about her situation," Daichi said.

Micky nodded. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of her. It's a good thing! It's our day-off tomorrow. Nothing to do . . . So I can stay with her all day long."

"That's good. Thank you. I am really sorry for the trouble we are bringing you," Daichi apologized.

"It's nothing. Aren't you going to say goodbye to Lena before you go?" Micky asked.

"I am really in a hurry. I'll just call her and explain everything later. Oh! And before I forget . . . Lena can't be left alone in a room when she's sleeping. Ever since that day . . . when Jaejoong got beaten badly . . . she had started having nightmares everyday. That's why most of the time . . . she's afraid to sleep. So please . . . stay in the room with her. . . especially at night. I am really worried about her, especially now . . . with her being pregnant and all," Daichi said with concern.

"Just do what you've got to do. I'll take care of Lena and her baby," Micky said with a smile.

Daichi somehow felt relieved after hearing Micky's words. He knew Lena was safe with Micky around.

Ten minutes later . . . Micky entered the apartment unit alone.

"Where's Daichi?" U-Know asked.

"He had to take care of some personal matters. So he won't be around for a day or two," Micky answered.

"So he left Lena here?" Max asked.

"Yes, and he asked me to take care of her while he's gone," Micky replied with a smile.

Jaejoong felt irritated with Micky. He was jealous even though he was trying very hard to deny it. He quickly stood up and walked towards his room.

"Hyung, where are you going? It's dinner time already," Max said.

"I just lost my appetite. I'll just go to sleep," Jaejoong answered.

As soon as Jaejoong was gone, U-Know couldn't help but confront Micky.

"What are you trying to do Micky? We all know that Jaejoong still has feelings for Lena. So why are you trying to torture him?" U-Know asked.

"I'm not trying to torture him," Micky replied.

"But what you're doing is wrong. Why do you have to put yourself in the middle of Lena and Jaejoong's problem?" Xiah asked.

"If Jaejoong still wants her, there's no one stopping him from taking her back. He's free to do whatever he wants. As for me . . . I just want to be true to myself once and for all. I love you and I'm willing to do anything just to make her happy," Micky said seriously.

U-Know shook his head in confusion. "You and Jaejoong are both very stubborn. Okay we'll repect your decision Micky. But I do hope you already thought about the consequences that may arise from your actions."

Micky smiled. "I've thought about the things you're saying. And frankly I'm not scared and I've already decided . . . that there's no turning back."

Xiah, U-Know and Max all sighed heavily. They were all very confused on what they were supposed to do. They all cared about Micky and Jaejoong, and they were totally torn on who to side with.

Inside Jaejoong's room . . .

Jaejoong silently stared at the painting in his room. The more he looked at it, the more intense the pain he felt.

"Why Lena? Why?" he uttered. "Why did you come back? Do you still love me?" he asked as he covered his face with his hands. He was totally confused. He wanted to talk to Lena, and know the answers to all the questions that were running through his mind.

Back in Micky's room . . .

Lena was staring out of the window when Micky slowly entered the room.

"Lena . . ." Micky called.

"Yes?" she immediately replied as she turned her wheelchair around to face Micky.

"It's time to eat," Micky said with a sweet smile.

Lena lowered her head. Somehow she didn't feel like going out of the room. She was embarrassed and scared, both at the same time.

"I . . .I'm not hungry," she replied.

Micky knelt down infront of Lena. "You're not hungry . . . or you're just scared to go out?"

Lena stared straight at Micky. "Both," she quickly replied.

Micky sighed. "Jaejoong's in his room now. He said that he doesn't want to eat. So it's quite safe to go out now."

"But . . . I'm also scared of the others. I'm afraid of what they might say or what they might ask. I'm really confused right now. I don't want to think anymore," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Don't worry. I'm here for you. I'll take care of you while Daichi is gone. You do know that he's gone, don't you?" Micky asked.

Lena nodded. "Yes, he just called me, and he already explained everything. That's why I'm feeling more embarrassed now. I'm left all alone here. Frankly I don't know what your friends are thinking."

"You don't need to worry about Xiah, Max and U-Know. They won't interrogate you. And besides . . . they also care about you. So you don't have to be afraid of them," Micky said.

"But . . ." she uttered.

"No buts . . . your baby needs some nourishment. So you've got to eat whether you like it or not," Micky lectured as he carefully pushed Lena's wheelchair out of the room.

"Don't be scared . . . I will take care of you," Micky whispered to Lena before they went into the dining room.




CHAPTER 44


Lena was feeling very nervous as they entered the dining room.

"Hi Lena!" Max immediately greeted with a smile.

Lena stared at Max, U-Know and Xiah. They all had smiles on their faces. She knew they were really happy to see her again. Her fear suddenly disappeared and her heart had finally become at ease.

"Hello . . . I'm sorry for the inconvenience I'm causing you guys," she apologized.

Xiah laughed lightly. "Inconvenience? What inconvenience? You're always welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"Thank you," she uttered.

Micky pushed Lena's wheelchair near the dining table.

"Lena, can I ask? Is your sprain better now?" Max asked with concern.

Lena looked at Max as if confused. But she just decided to nod her head.

"Well come on, Let's eat! I'm hungry," Max said happily.

Micky started selecting some foods and placed it on a bowl. Then he pulled a chair near Lena and sat near her.

"Here you are . . . ." he said as he gave the bowl of food to Lena.

"Thank you," she replied.

"You should try to eat more . . . You have really lost some weight since the last time we saw you," U-Know said.

Lena stared at U-Know. She was touched by the kindness and concern that the four DBSK boys were giving her.

"Thank you guys," she uttered again.

"Oh! It's nothing," U-Know replied.

Several minutes passed, and they were all busy eating and chatting when the doorbell rang.

Max stood up and hurriedly went out of the dining room to open the door.

"Who could it be? Are you guys expecting any guests?" Micky asked Xiah and U-Know.

"No . . . Hey, maybe it's . . . ." Xiah uttered as he suddenly remembered someone.

But before Xiah could say the name on his mind, a familiar figure had already entered the room together with Max.

"Hello everyone! I see I am not late yet. I brought some additional foods. See!" Keiko said as she happily showed the assorted the plastic bags containing different foods from different restaurants.

Lena stared at Keiko. It was the first time she had seen her up close. "She's really very beautiful, and I think she's very nice too," she thought to herself.

Micky worriedly looked at Lena, then at Keiko. He didn't expect that the two would eventually meet again.

Keiko noticed Lena and smiled at her. "Hello, I"m Keiko . . . and you are?"

Lena just continued to gaze at Keiko. Her mind had totally gone blank.

"She's Lena. She's a friend of ours," Max uttered.

"Oh! I've already seen her early this morning. I was surprised because Jaejoong was quite shocked when he saw her," Keiko said.

"Maybe . . . . it's because Lena's been gone for a long time," Xiah tried to lie to cover up for Jaejoong.

"Oh! Well it's nice to meet you Lena," Keiko said cheerfully.

"Lena, please control yourself," Micky whispered to Lena.

Lena stared at Micky, then tried to nod her head.

"Where's Jaejoong? Why isn't he eating?" Keiko asked.

"He's in his room. He said that he's not hungry," U-Know answered.

"Here take this," Keiko said as she gave Max all the food she was carrying. "I'm going to check up on my baby now," she said sweetly as she left the room.

Lena felt like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't believe that she was actually staring at the girl who had taken her place in Jaejoong's heart.

"Lena, are you all right?" Micky asked nervously.

She looked at Micky with a blank expression on her face.

Micky gently caressed Lena's face. "You've become pale. Are you all right? Do you want to go to your room now?"

Lena nodded. She felt like she had no strength to talk. She somehow felt very weak and confused.

Micky took the bowl of food Lena was holding, and place it on the table. Then he stood up and was about to push Lena's wheelchair when . . . .

"Come on Jaejoong! Let's eat. I brought a lot of food," Keiko said as she dragged Jaejoong into the dining room.

Jaejoong immediately noticed Lena. The surprised look on his face was replaced with a dark and angry look after seeing Micky was behind her.

"Hey, where are you guys going? You're both finished already?" Keiko asked curiously.

"Lena needs to rest now. So I'll be taking her to my room now," Micky said.

"To your room? So is she your girlfriend?" Keiko teased.

Micky coldly stared at Jaejoong.

"No, she's not my girlfriend . . . but soon to be," Micky said with a serious expression on his face.

"Really? I'm so happy for you. Then the two of you shouldn't leave. Let's all eat together please," Keiko said. She then left Jaejoong's side and went to where Micky and Lena were. She carefully took Lena's wheelchair from Micky's hand and placed it back near the table.

"Please stay a little longer. I would really like to know you better," Keiko said to Lena.

Lena stared straight at Keiko. She could see the sincerity in her eyes. She didn't know why, but she couldn't say no to her.

"Okay," Lena uttered.

"Thank you," Keiko said with a smile.

Micky really didn't want Lena to be around Keiko and Jaejoong. He knew she was going to get hurt. He exchanged glances with Xiah, Max and U-Know. They were all thinking the same thing. All of them wanted Lena to leave the room.

"Come on, Micky . . . sit," Keiko said as she pulled Micky to sit down on the chair next to Lena.

"Keiko . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"Hmmm? Come on baby. Let's eat," Keiko lovingly said as she pulled Jaejoong to sit down next to her.

As soon as everyone was already seated, Xiah, U-Know and Max felt very tensed. It seemed a cold breeze was circulating in the room that was making all of them shiver in fear and anxiety.

Jaejoong and Micky coldly stared at each other. They were angry and were just controlling themselves for the girls' sakes.

"Hey, why are you all quiet?" Keiko asked as she noticed the strange atmosphere in the room.

"Let's eat . . ." U-Know uttered as he tried to break the silence.

Keiko took a bowl of food and started to sweetly feed Jaejoong. "Here's your food baby," she sweetly uttered.

Lena's heart suddenly stopped as she saw the sweet gesture that Keiko was doing. She tried hard to fight off the tears that were trying to form in her eyes.

Micky noticed the pain in Lena's eyes. He wanted to help her and make her forget the pain she was feeling. He then took the bowl of food that Lena was eating before and filled it with new kinds of foods. Then he turned Lena's wheelchair to face him.

"You've got to eat . . . " he said to Lena as he took a spoonful of food to her mouth.

Lena obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the food that Micky was giving him.

Jaejoong just watched as Micky fed Lena. He was both very angry and jealous at the same time. Somehow he felt like he wanted to just push Micky away from Lena.

Xiah, Max and U-Know just watched helplessly as their two friends continuously exchanged cold glances with each other. Somehow the three of them pitied Lena the most. She was obviously very hurt by what she was seeing, but there was nothing she could do.

Micky looked at Keiko. She was very busy talkinga nd taking care of Jaejoong that she wasn't even noticing that there was something going on.

Micky shook his head in disbelief. "Is this girl naive or what?" he asked himself.

As Keiko continued to be sweet with Jaejoong, Lena couldn't stop herself from feeling like she was being stabbed over and over again. She tried very hard to avoid looking at Keiko and Jaejoong. But she just found herself staring blankly at them. She was totally losing her self-control.

Micky noticed Lena's reaction as she stared at Keiko and Jaejoong. His heart ached after seeing the pitiful look on Lena's face.

"Lena . . ." he uttered.

Lena slowly turned to face him. "Please . . . I want to go back to your room now," she begged with a trembling voice.

Xiah, U-Know and Max stared at Lena. Somehow they all knew that she was just trying to control herself not to cry. But after hearing her voice, their hearts were immediately filled with pity.

"All right . . ." Micky uttered as he stood up and quickly went behind Lena's wheelchair.

"You're both finished already?" Keiko asked Micky.

"Lena's tired already . . . So we're going to my room now. Just continue eating and enjoy your dinner," Micky said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah . . . go to your room . . . and have fun . . ." Jaejoong uttered with total annoyance.

Micky angrily stared at Jaejoong. "Why you . . ." he was about to say something when Lena suddenly touched his hand.

"Please Micky . . . let's go," she begged again.

Micky tried to calm himself down. Then he slowly pushed Lena's wheelchair out of the dining room.

As soon as Lena entered Micky's room, she finally let herself free. Her tears started to fall, and then she finally cried uncontrollably.

Micky didn't know what to do. He wanted to make Lena stop crying. But he knew it was impossible. He then gently embraced her. It was the only thing he could do for her. He wanted to make her feel that there was still someone caring for her. He also wanted to let her know that he was someone that she could lean on.

As Lena's tears continued to fall, Micky's heart was slowly being crushed. One by one, tears started to stream down Micky's face. He couldn't stop himself from crying. The pain of hearing and seeing Lena cry was bringing him pain too. A pain that was too intense and too maddening.

Micky tightened his embrace. "Lena, I love you . . . I promise whatever happens I will never let you go."


CHAPTER 45


It was already four in the morning . . . .

Micky yawned and tried to stretch his body. Somehow some parts of his body were aching. He wasn't used to sleeping on a chair. But he had no choice. There was only one bed in his room. And Lena was already sleeping on it. He then sighed. He looked at Lena's direction. She was still sleeping. He was about to close his eyes again, when he noticed something. He suddenly stood up and went near Lena.

Lena was lying on the bed with her head turned on one side. Micky thought that she was sleeping soundly. But then he noticed that her shoulders were moving as if she was crying. He looked closely at Lena. Somehow she was constantly whispering something.

"Lena . . ." Micky uttered.

Lena just kept on whispering something.

"Is she having a nightmare?" Micky suddenly asked himself after remembering what Daichi had told him.

Then he noticed the sweat that were forming around Lena's forehead. He then became quite alarmed.

"Lena, wake up. . . Lena," Micky said with worry.

Lena continued to say something . . . something that Micky couldn't understand. Then he noticed tears were running down from Lena's eyes.

"Lena . . . for God's sake . . . wake up," Micky said with total confusion, as he tried to wake Lena up by shaking her shoulder.

Minutes passed . . . Lena was still in her own world. But her words were clearer now.

"Please stop . . . . Please stop . . . Don't hurt him. . . .Please stop . . . I'm begging you," she continuously repeated while sleeping.

Micky was already going crazy with worry. He didn't know what to do. No matter how he tried, Lena still wouldn't wake up. He suddenly rushed out of his room and went to U-Know's room first.

"What's wrong?" U-Know asked as he tried to brush off his dizziness.

"Something's wrong with Lena. Please you've got to help me," Micky said while panicking.

U-Know hurriedly got out of his bed. "Okay . . . Go back to Lena. I'll wake the others."

Micky nodded. He went back to his room, only to find Lena in a more frightening situation. She was crying and moaning, as if pain.

His heart was filled with fear. He tried to wake Lena. But she still wouldn't respond to anything he said or did. Lena's whole body was very cold and her whole face was covered with sweat.

Micky felt like he wanted to cry out in desperation. He was very worried with what was happening to Lena.

Xiah, Max and U-Know hurriedly entered Micky's room. While Jaejoong just stayed at the door of the room.

"Micky . . ." U-Know uttered.

Micky stared at U-Know. "She wouldn't wake up. I have tried waking her up. But she . . . just kept on . . ." he said nervously. His mind was already messed up. He couldn't think straight anymore.

Jaejoong just watched from a distance. He didn't want to get close to Lena. He was afraid of what his own emotion might make him do. But eventhough he tried hard not to show his emotions, he was still very concerned about her.

"Let's bring her to a hospital," Xiah suggested.

Micky was about to agree when he suddenly remembered that Lena wasn't supposed to go out of the apartment building. He then shook his head. " I . . . I'm not allowed to bring her out of the building," he uttered.

"What?" U-Know asked. "What are you talking about? Look . . . she's sick. Don't tell me we're just going to watch her until something worst happens to her."

Micky stared at Lena. U-Know was right. He needed to bring Lena to a hospital. He was just going to deal with the consequences later. He was about to carry Lena out of bed . . . when she suddenly screamed.

As soon as Lena screamed, she immediately opened her eyes and started to cry. She was scared. All the terrible memories were constantly playing in her mind.

"Lena . . . " Micky uttered worriedly. He then gently took her into his arms, and held her tightly. "Thank god, you're awake now. You scared me."

Jaejoong felt like he was dying as he silently watched Micky embracing Lena. He then decided to turn away and return to his room. He didn't want to see Lena and Micky together. Even though he was angry with Lena, he still couldn't stop himself from feeling jealous and hurt because of Micky. He knew he no longer had any right to feel such emotions. He already had Keiko in his life. And he belonged to her now. Whatever he and Lena had before could no longer be returned. She was only a part of his past now, and Keiko was his present and future.

Jaejoong sat down on his bed, and cupped his face with his hands. He then closed his eyes. He was totally confused. He didn't want to care about Lena anymore. He wanted her to be totally out of his life. He was already back to his normal life. His life was peaceful now. He just wanted to be free of all the pain.

"Why did you have to return Lena? Why are you destroying my peaceful life again? Why can't you just go back to where you came from and just leave me alone? I don't want to see you anymore. I already have Keiko in my life now. She have been with me during the time that you should have been the one taking care of me . . . I thought I have already forgotten you. But why is my heart still pounding very hard whenever I see you. And why am I hurting whenever I see you with Micky? Why is my heart restless now? Am I still in love with you? But . . . even if I still have feelings for you . . . I will just have to hide it. I don't want to hurt Keiko. I also love her . . . You are no longer a part of my life, Lena. I have already released you a long time ago. I'm sorry . . . I can no longer hold your hand and take care of you. You were the first one to let go Lena. I tried very hard to hold on . . . But you made me give up. I'm sorry, but Keiko is my life now. . . and you . . . no longer mean anything to me. I wish you will be able to find your own happiness. The happiness that I know I promised to give you, but I won't be able to give. I hope you will find another love . . . a love you will be able to keep," the words kept playing in his mind.

Jaejoong couldn't understand why, but his tears just kept on flowing. As his mind was trying to say goodbye, his heart was crying.

Back in Micky's room . . .

"Lena, please stop crying," Micky uttered as he caressed Lena's head.

"I want to die . . . I want to die . . . I'm tired . . . I'm very tired already. Why can't the pain stop? It's driving me insane," she said with tears in her eyes.

Xiah, U-Know and Max exchanged glances. Somehow they could also feel the pain that Lena was feeling. Pity filled their hearts. They wanted to help her, but they knew there was nothing they could do.

Micky closed his eyes. He pitied Lena. How he wanted to take all her pain away. "Don't say such things! You have to be strong. You can't die. You have to live . . . not only for yourself, but also for your child."

U-Know, Max and Xiah all looked at Lena with shock in their eyes. Then Max looked back at where Jaejoong was standing when they entered the room. He was no longer there.

"Hyung has left. Did he hear what Micky have said?" Max asked himself.

Lena sobbed. "I'm tired. I . . . I . . ." she tried to say.

"Stop it! Have you forgotten you have a child that's growing inside you. So what if Jaejoong has another girl now? It still doesn't give you any right to just throw away your life . . . and especially the life of your child. Life doesn't end with Jaejoong, Lena. You have to learn to move on," Micky tried to lecture her.

Lena continued to cry. She knew what Micky said was right. But she was too emotional to even think straight. She felt too weak and too useless. She just kept on wishing that everything that was happening was just a dream. And that somehow she would suddenly wake up and find everything back to that way it used to be.

Micky continued to caress Lena's head. "Lena, I'm here for you. Just put your mind at ease . . . I'll take care of you . . . you and your baby."

Lena just closed her eyes. She didn't want to cry anymore. But her tears just kept on falling. She felt her mind was already going to explode because of all the heartache. She buried her face on Micky's chest, that she could easily hear his heart beating. Somehow she wanted to hide and pretend that nothing was wrong.

Micky was surprised with what Lena had done. It made him feel such a feeling of happiness and contentment just having her in his arms. He felt like she was perfectly made for him, and that she truly belonged in his arms.

Xiah, U-Know and MAx continued to watch in total silence. How they pitied Lena . . . but then they were starting to think that Micky was taking advantage of Lena's situation.

Half an hour later . . .

Micky was finally able to convince Lena to stop crying and go back to sleep again. He carefully arranged Lena's bed first and made sure that everything was all right, before going out of the room with the other DBSK members.

"Let's talk in the dining room," Micky said to the others. He knew he needed to explain a lot of things to his friends. But he didn't want Jaejoong to hear it.

Max, U-Know and Xiah just followed Micky to the dining room. And as soon as they were all seated around the table. Xiah had already lost his self-control. "Micky, have you totally lost your mind?" he asked.

Micky looked at Xiah with a strange expression on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"She's pregnant with Jaejoong's child . . . and you're still trying to take her from Jaejoong," Xiah answered.

Micky let out a light laugh. "Let's get one thing straight. Jaejoong is with Keiko now . . . So Lena doesn't belong to Jaejoong anymore. So I'm not taking Lena away from Jaejoong."

"Micky, don't you think it's better if Jaejoong knows about Lena's condition? At least . . . maybe he can . . ." U-Know tried to voice out his opinion.

"He can what? He can just go back to Lena and leave Keiko? Is that what you're trying to say?" Micky asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's the right thing to do hyung," Max uttered to Micky.

Micky suddenly put on a maddening smile. "The right thing to do? Tell me . . . what is the right thing to do? Is it . . . sleep with your bestfriend, tell her you love her and then after two months of being separated from her . . . find another girl to sleep with? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Micky, you're already way out of line. Why are you being so selfish?" U-Know shouted.

"Me? Selfish? You should tell that to Jaejoong, not me!" Micky shouted back as he violently stood up.

"Micky . . . we know that you love her. But can't you see? She still loves Jaejoong, and she's carrying his child. Jaejoong should be the one beside her, taking care of her," Xiah tried to reason out.

"No! I have already let her go once. But Jaejoong didn't take good care of her. So now it's only fair that I try to fight for her now. Jaejoong has a life of his own now. He has Keiko to take care of. I love Lena and I don't care whether she's pregnant or not. I love her and I want her. And nobody can stop me," Micky said as he suddenly walked out of the room

Xiah, Max and U-Know looked at each other. All of them sighed. They knew things were going to become more complicated. And no matter who they decided to side with, Jaejoong, Daichi, Micky, Lena and Keiko were all going to get hurt, one way or the other..



CHAPTER 46


It was already 9 in the morning, but Xiah, Max and U-Know still sat in the living room waiting for Jaejoong, Micky and Lean to wake up and go out of their rooms.

"My stomach is growling already," Max complained. "Aren't we going to eat yet?"

"We have to wait for them," Xiah said.

"Oh . . . but what if they over sleep?" Max moaned in frustration.

Xiah laughed. "Okay, 20 minutes more and if they still don't wake up, we'll eat without them. Is that all right with you?"

"Yes! Oh, yes! Thank you," Max uttered happily.

Another fifteen minutes passed, but both Jaejoong's and Micky's rooms were still quiet.

Then the doorbell rang. Max weakly stood up and opened the door.

"Hello, good morning!" Keiko greeted.

"Keiko what are you doing here? You're so early," Max complained.

"Hmmm? Well . . . today is your day-off isn't it? I just wanted to have an early breakfast with my baby. Then have some nice and quiet time with him and you guys as well," Keiko answered sweetly.

Max suddenly touched his forehead as if he was having a headache.

Keiko looked at Max's reaction, then smiled. "I've brought breakfast," she said sweetly.

Max stared at the plastic bags Keiko was carrying. He then slowly took them from her. Then Keiko and Max went straight to the living room.

"Hello guys!" Keiko greeted.

Xiah and U-Know's reactions immediately changed after seeing Keiko. They knew she was certainly going to make an early commotion for everybody.

"Keiko, why are you so early?" Xiah asked also.

Keiko looked at the DBSK boys seriously. "Why are you guys like that? Why do I have the feeling that you don't want me here?"

Xiah tried to smile. "It's not like that Keiko. It's just that . . . you're really too early. Jaejoong hasn't even woken up yet."

"Oh really? Then let me wake up Jaejoong . . ." Keiko said as she quickly went to his room.

As soon as Keiko entered Jaejoong's room, Max let out a long and deep sigh.

"This is going to be a very long and complicated day. Why did she have to appear again? Everything is already messed up between Jaejoong, Micky and Lena. . . And now . . . I'm sure she's going to make things worse," Max complained again.

"Max be quiet! she might hear you," U-Know warned.

"We don't have any choice, but to just help out as much as we can," Xiah uttered with a sigh as well.

Several minutes later, Keiko happily went out of the room with Jaejoong right beside her.

"So let's eat," Keiko announced as soon as she and Jaejoong sat infront of the other DBSK boys. Then she noticed something. "Micky and Lena aren't up yet?" she asked.

"I don't think so," Max answered.

Keiko smiled mischievously. "They must be tired or something," she then said with a laugh.

Jaejoong's expression hardened. He didn't like the idea that Keiko was trying to imply.

"Lena had a nightmare. So I guess she's still tired," Xiah explained.

"Oh! Poor girl. I really do hate nightmares as well," Keiko uttered.

They were still talking when Micky suddenly walked out of his room.

"Good morning," Keiko greeted as soon as she saw Micky.

"Good morning," Micky greeted as well, as he sat down beside Max.

"Where's Lena?" Keiko asked Micky.

"She's . . . she's still sleeping," Micky lied.

"Oh . . . well. Let's have breakfast already. We can just set aside some foods for her when she wakes up," Keiko said as she pulled Jaejoong into the dining room.

Keiko and the DBSK boys had breakfast with Keiko being the only one lively enough to do all the talking.

"Hey! Why are you guys so quiet? Is something wrong?" Keiko curiously asked after finally noticing the strange atmosphere in the room.

"Nothing's wrong . . . we're just all tired, I guess. Today is our day-off. So we're supposed to rest and be quiet," Max tried to lie.

"Micky, aren't you going to wake Lena up?" Keiko suddenly changed the topic.

Micky smiled. "No, I'll just bring her food once she wakes up."

"Oh . . . you're so sweet! Lena is such a lucky girl. So how long have you guys known each other?" Keiko asked.

Micky gave Jaejoong a quick look before focusing his attention on Keiko. "Just a few months," he answered.

"Oh, just like me and Jaejoong," she uttered.

"Keiko stop asking so many questions," Jaejoong said with irritation.

Surprised, Keiko stared at Jaejoong. She had never seen him get irritated with her before. She then felt very embarassed that she just stayed quiet all throughout breakfast.

As soon as breakfast was over, Keiko hurriedly bade goodbye to Jaejoong and the other DBSK boys. She told them that she needed to go to a photoshoot, but will be back later in the afternoon.

The DBSK boys were already in the living room watching a movie when . . . .

"Micky, it's already 11 o' clok. Don't you think it's time for you to wake Lena up?" Max asked.

Micky smiled. "Honestly . . . she's already awake, even before I went out of the room."

"So she's already awake all this time? And she hasn't had breakfast yet . . . How could you allow her to skip meals? You know she's . . . " Max suddenly stopped talking after remembering that Jaejoong was with them.

Xiah and U-Know worriedly glanced at Jaejoong. He still didn't know about Lena's pregnancy.

Micky gave Max a warning look. He didn't want Jaejoong to know the truth.

"Micky, you should bring Lena some food . . . She might be hungry already," U-Know reminded.

"She says she's not hungry. She's quite stubborn. She wouldn't listen to me," Micky said.

Jaejoong suddenly let out a laugh.

"What's funny?" Micky asked.

"You," Jaejoong boldly answered.

"What? Why?" Micky asked while trying to control his temper.

"You're quite funny because you can't even control her," Jaejoong answered.

Micky's face suddenly changed. He was really mad. "I'm funny huh? Well, you're even funnier . . . Keiko still doesn't know who Lena really is, does she? You don't have any plans to tell her the truth do you? Why? Are you scared? Are you afraid to lose another toy?" Micky asked wickedly.

Jaejoong suddenly stood up. "How dare you say such things to me!" he said angrily. "Keiko is not my toy."

Micky laughed. "Really? Well, I'm sorry if I offended you. But I'm just saying what's on my mind."

Jaejoong rushed to where Micky was sitting. Then he pulled him up, with both his hands on Micky's front collar.

Xiah, Max and U-Know tried to stop their friends from fighting.

"You're really very out of line . . . Do you know that? I have tried very hard to restrain myself. Do you know that I just want to beat you up. I know you have been trying to provoke me, ever since Lena appeared again. So . . . you want her? She's all yours. . . I don't care anymore. So you don't have to be so harsh on me and Keiko. Lena means nothing to me now. I don't want her anymore. You're free to do whatever you want with her. Love her . . . Sleep with her . . . Leave her . . . I don't care. Just leave me and Keiko alone," Jaejoong angrily shouted.

Xiah and U-Know tried to separate Micky and Jaejoong from one another. But Jaejoong wouldn't let go of Micky.

"Jaejoong . . ." U-Know uttered as he tried to pull Jaejoong away from Micky. "Come on, let it go . . ."

"Don't worry . . . I'll leave your precious Keiko alone. I'm not going to tell her anything. So stop worrying about losing your precious doll," Micky said as a tease.

Jaejoong's face reddened with anger. He was about to punch Micky when . . .

"Stop Jaejoong . . . please," Lena screamed while tears continuously flowed down her face. She had been watching everything that happened.

All the DBSK boys' attention suddenly focused on Lena. She was staring at them with tears in her eyes. Jaejoong immediately released Micky, and slowly backed away.

"Lena . . ." Micky uttered as he worriedly looked at her.

"Lena . . . Jaejoong . . . I think it's time that the two of you talked . . ." U-Know said seriously.

"No!" Micky tried to say but Xiah had already placed his arms around Micky's shoulder.

"Come on, Micky. Let them have some time alone to talk," Xiah tried to persuade him.

"Micky . . . U-Know's right. I really need to . . . talk with . . . Jaejoong . . . for the very last time," Lena tried to utter.

Micky gave Lena a sad look then slowly lowered his head and walked away. The other DBSK boys all went to the dining room, leaving Lena and Jaejoong alone in the living room.

Lena stared at Jaejoong. She didn't know how to start what she needed to say. But she knew this was going to be the last time she was ever going to talk to him. After hearing everything that Jaejoong said, she already knew there was really no chance for her to have him back.

As she gazed at him, her heart was screaming his name and was slowly bleeding. She needed to say goodbye to all her hopes and dreams of having Jaejoong once again. She needed to face reality . . . even though it was going to be very painful.




CHAPTER 47


Lena gazed at Jaejoong. It had been such a long time since she last stared at him. How she had
missed looking at his handsome face . . . caressing the curve of his perfect nose and lips.

Lena's whole body shivered after she started to remember all the nights that they shared. How she missed him emotionally and physically.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena uttered. She was surprised with the way her voice sounded.

"What is it that you want? If you have something to say . . . just say it and get it over with . . . so I can leave already. I don't want to waste my precious time on useless things," Jaejoong irritatedly said while trying to avoid looking at Lena.

Lena felt like her whole world had turned black. She had never expected Jaejoong to treat her so
coldly.

"I . . . I'm sorry," were the only words that she could utter.

Jaejoong lightly laughed, while trying to control his emotions. "Sorry? Is that all you're going to say? Do you know that after you left . . . I had totally gone crazy . . . to the point that I even thought of committing suicide? Do you know how worried I was about you? Do you know how many nights I spent just wondering where you were and what you were doing? Tell me . . . during the passed two months . . . did you even think of me even for once . . .even for a second?"

"Jaejoong . . . you were always in my heart and in my mind . . . even though I was far away from you. You were the only thing that kept me alive all this time," Lena said with tears running down her face.

Jaejoong suddenly faced Lena, with hurt and anger in his eyes. "Really? I was in your heart and in your mind for the passed two months? You're making me laugh. If what you said is true then you would have at least tried to contact me . . . even once. So don't try to say such sweet things to me. I won't believe your lies anymore . . ."

"Lies?"Lena uttered. She looked at Jaejoong. "I have never lied to you . . . you know that," she felt hurt that Jaejoong no longer believe her.

"I'm with Keiko now. So no matter what you say or do, I will never return to you. I gave you my trust and my love . . . but you just threw it all away. So don't expect me to welcome you back with open arms. You're no longer a part of my life Lena. I'm sorry but I don't love you anymore," Jaejoong said harshly.

Lena felt her whole body had suddenly turned cold. She bit her lower lip very hard to try to stop
herself from crying out loud. She bit so hard that blood slowly oozed from the wound on her lip.

Jaejoong's expression softened after he saw the blood oozing from Lena's lip. He then looked away in another direction. Somehow regretting what he have said. He knew he was too cruel with her. But she just couldn't stop himself from releasing all the pain and anger that had stayed locked up in his heart.

"I'm sorry. I know you're angry with me, because I left you. But I . . . I only did it to save you. God knows . . . how much I love you. But during that time . . . it was the only way to save you and everyone you love. I'm sorry if I made you suffer . . . But please believe me . . .I also suffered as well," she tried to explain.

Jaejoong shook his head, as if trying to make himself wake up from a dream.

"Lena, it's too late . . .I'm sorry . . . But I've already learned to move on and . . . and I've already
gotten very intimate with Keiko. I don't think I can ever leave her . . .I have to be responsible for her," Jaejoong uttered with a very heavy heart.

Lena felt she was going to die right at that instant.

"But you have to responsible for me too . . . me and our baby," the words kept on echoing in her
mind. But she was already feeling very weak and hopeless to even try to voice out what was on her mind.

Lena felt totally lost. She never expected to hear such words from Jaejoong. She felt like her whole world had stopped and was now slowly crashing down on her.

She tried to control herself, but her tears just kept on flowing. She tried to stop herself from crying out loud. But she felt her heart was already too heavy. She needed to release the extreme emotion she was feeling or else she felt like she was going to collapse.

She tried to control her sobbing at first. But after a few minutes, her cry finally became uncontrolled. Her tears and her sobs were finally released.

Jaejoong glanced at Lena. His heart was totally being torn into pieces as he continued to watch the first woman he had ever loved cry because of him. He then looked away and closed his eyes. He wanted to pretend that he wasn't seeing Lena. He wanted to make believe that he wasn't feeling anything.

Lena looked at Jaejoong again. She felt like her heart was going to explode. He wasn't even looking at her. She slowly moved her wheelchair to where he was standing. She wanted to be close to him. She wanted to explain . . . . She wanted to make everything all right. She couldn't stand the pain anymore. She didn't want to lose him. She needed him to be beside her. She knew she couldn't live without him. If she needed to beg, she will do it . . . She was willing to do anything, just to have him back.

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena uttered as soon as she was close to him. Then she touched his hand.

But Jaejoong immediately brushed her hand away, and moved away from her. Then he looked at her with shock and disgust in his eyes.

Lena stared at Jaejoong's eyes, then she looked at her hand that had touched his hand. Her hand was still reaching out to him. She suddenly pitied herself. She closed her eyes, as she slowly lowered her hand. And as her eyes were closed, tears ran down her face. How she wished she could die where she was right at that moment.

As she slowly opened her eyes, more tears immediately rushed down her beautiful face.

"I still love you Jaejoong," she weakly uttered. "Please forgive me! I am willing to do anything . . . just forgive me. I love you and I need you. Please come back to me. I don't think I can live without you. Please . . . please . . . love me again . . ." she begged.

Jaejoong felt like he couldn't breathe. No matter how hard he tried to deny his true feelings . . . the truth was he still cared for Lena.

As he stared at her in such a pitiful state, his own heart was bleeding out for her. How he wanted to hold her and comfort her. But he knew it wasn't possible anymore. He already had Keiko to think about.

But his heart was more powerful than his mind. Somehow his heart was controlling his entire body. He approached Lena, and then he knelt down in front of her. He then carefully wiped away the tears on her face. He then lovingly caressed her face.

Lena stared straight into Jaejoong's eyes. She then wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to feel him near her again. She wanted to feel his heart beat again.

Jaejoong's entire body felt warm, and as Lena embraced him . . . memories started rushing into his mind. He then started to return Lena's embrace. He also wanted to feel the warmth of Lena's body next to his. How he had longed for the time that he would be able to have her in his arms again. And now that she was with him again. . . it was as if he didn't want to let go anymore.

At that exact moment, Jaejoong's cold heart had already melted and the anger in his heart had
disappeared as well. Everything was like a dream.

As he continued to embrace her, he wasn't thinking anymore. He just allowed his heart to take over. His lips immediately searched for Lena's lips. And as soon as their lips met, all their longing for each other was released. All the hurt were easily replaced with passionate kisses.

Jaejoong and Lena felt like their entire world had started spinning, as they continued to passionately kiss each other. Somehow they didn't want to stop. Jaejoong tightened his hold on Lena. He was so afraid that she was going to stop and let go of him. How he wanted their kiss to go on forever.

"Jaejoong!" a voice suddenly called out.

Surprised, Jaejoong and Lena both looked at where the voice came from. And as fast as they were able to forget, they immediately fell back into reality as soon as they saw Keiko standing in front of them with tears in her eyes.

Bewildered and hurt, Keiko kept on looking back and forth between Jaejoong and Lena, as if asking what was going on.

"Keiko . . ." Jaejoong uttered. He immediately let go of Lena.

Keiko brushed her tears away, and hurriedly rushed out of the room.

Jaejoong's heart was pounding very hard. He was so confused on what to do. He was about to stand up, but Lena immediately grabbed his hand. She then tightened her hold on him. She didn't want to let him go.

"Please stay . . . I love you . . . I promise I'll make up for everything I've done. Please just stay with me. I need you . . ." Lena begged as she tried to hold on to him.

Jaejoong slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry . . . But I've got to go," he uttered as he released himself from Lena's hold.

Lena violently shook her head. "No! No! No! Please don't go. I love you Jaejoong . . . I need you . . . Please just let her go. I love you. . . I can't live without you," Lena uttered as if she was going crazy.

Jaejoong stared at Lena, then at the door. "I'm sorry, Lena. . . . but I love Keiko," he said as he
hurriedly stood up and ran out of the room. He knew he needed to find Keiko. He needed to explain everything.

"No . . . Jaejoong," Lena cried out as she tried to reach out for him. She was totally losing her sanity. She wanted to ran after him. She wanted to stop him.

Lena tried to stand up. But her legs were still numb. She then started to hit her legs with her hands. She wanted to hurt herself. She wanted to make her legs feel again. She then tried to push herself up and out of the wheelchair. But her legs and her whole body immediately lost balance, and she instantly fell down on the floor.

As soon as Lena hit the floor, she again cried uncontrollably. She didn't try to stand up anymore. She just continued to lay down motionless, and wishing that she would just die.

"Lena . . ." Micky cried out after he saw her lying on the floor. "Lena, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" he worriedly asked as he gently carried her in his arms.

Lena continued to cry. She then wrapped her arms around Micky. "Please . . . I don't want to stay here anymore. I don't think I can bear to see Jaejoong again. Please help me . . . I want to go," Lena begged.

Micky's face was full of anger. "What did Jaejoong do to you? What did he say?"

Lena shook her head. "Whatever he did and said isn't important anymore . . . Keiko already knows about me and Jaejoong. I'm afraid I've done something wrong again. It's obvious that Jaejoong truly cares for her. I saw the love and concern in his eyes before he left and ran after her. I don't want to destroy his relationship with Keiko. That's why I want to leave."

Micky's facial expression hardened. "You're staying here and I'm taking care of you, that's final. I don't have the slightest concern whatever happens to Jaejoong and Keiko. The only person I am concerned about is you. So don't you even think of running away again just for Jaejoong's sake."

"Micky . . ." Lena uttered.

"Have you told him about your condition and about the baby?" Micky asked.

"No . . . I don't think it was necessary. I wanted him to return to me because he still loved me . . . not because of pity . . . and especially not because of the baby," she answered.

"Stupid Jaejoong . . . So he's left you . . . just to run after Keiko. Well that's it! I've already had
enough. He's just made the biggest mistake of his life. From now on, I'm never going to allow you to go back to him ever again. Even if he died begging, I will never give you back to him," Micky said coldly.

Xiah, Max and U-Know all sighed. This was what they were all afraid of. things were beginning to be more complicated. And everyone was obviously hurting. How they wished that all the problems would stop coming. They didn't want Jaejoong, Micky, Daichi, Keiko and Lena to get hurt anymore.

Lena felt very weak. She rested her head on Micky's chest and just silently cried again.

Micky just tightened his hold on Lena. He had decided that he wasn't going to let Jaejoong hurt her anymore. He was going to protect her in anyway that he can.



CHAPTER 48


Jaejoong hurriedly ran out of the apartment building. His mind was sort of spinning while his heart was beating very fast.

"Keiko . . ." he uttered.

He quickly ran to where Keiko usually parks her car. And there . . . he found her crying. He gently opened the door of the car.

Keiko was crying uncontrollably while her head was bent down on the wheel of the car.

"Keiko . . ." he uttered as he gently caressed her head.

Keiko slowly lifted her head and stared straight at Jaejoong. "Jaejoong . . . Oh . . . Jaejoong . . ." she uttered as she quickly embraced him.

Jaejoong's heart pounded very hard as soon as he felt Keiko's warm body next to his. He couldn't quite explain it . . . but he knew there was a big difference between his body's reaction towards Keiko and towards Lena.

"Lena . . . Oh god! What have I done?" he suddenly remembered her. Instantly his heart started to ache after realizing that he had hurt Lena when he left her to look for Keiko. He was totally confused.

"Jaejoong . . . I . . . I thought you wouldn't look for me . . . I thought . . . I thought you didn't love me anymore," Keiko tried to utter in between sobs.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry if I hurt you," Jaejoong slowly uttered.

Keiko looked straight into Jaejoong's eyes. "Please tell me the truth . . . Who is she? Why did you kiss her? Is she . . . someone from your past? Please tell me," she begged.

Jaejoong felt like there was something stuck in his throat. He was finding it very hard to answer Keiko's question.

"Lena . . . Lena was my first love. She was the very first woman I ever fell in love with. And she was also the reason why I was hurting . . . during the time that you met me," Jaejoong confessed.

"So . . . she's the girl . . . you were trying to forget?" Keiko asked as if unable to believe.

Jaejoong slowly nodded his head.

Keiko's eyes suddenly softened. She then cupped Jaejoong's face with her hands.

"Now . . .I understand . . . why you were so shocked when we first met her . . . I no longer want to know why you kissed her . . . because . . . I know what you will answer might hurt me more. And I'm willing to forget everything I saw and heard . . . in exchange . . .just promise me that you won't leave me. I love you, Jaejoong. You know that don't you? I don't think I can live without you. So please . . . don't leave me. I need you . . . our baby needs you," Keiko said with tears in her eyes.

Jaejoong stared at Keiko. What he had heard had suddenly exploded like a bomb. He hated himself for hurting her. But he still couldn't deny the fact that a big part of his heart was calling out for Lena. "You're pregnant?" he asked with a trembling voice.

Keiko just nodded. Then she saw the confusion in Jaejoong's eyes. She knew that he was still in love with Lena. But she was just trying to pretend that it wasn't real. She was constantly making herself believe that she was the only one in his heart. She gently wrapped her arms around Jaejoong. She wanted to make him forget. She wanted him to want her and forget about Lena.

Keiko slowly searched for Jaejoong's lips. She was willing to do anything just to make sure that he wouldn't leave her. She then tightened her embrace. She wanted to make him feel how much she loved him. She didn't care about anything else anymore. The only thing on her mind was that she loved him, and it was the only thing that matters.

Keiko's gentle kiss quickly changed into a deep and passionate one. Jaejoong was immediately drawn into Keiko's kisses and caresses that he momentarily forget about Lena and everything that had happened.

Back in the DBSK boys' apartment . . . .

Micky carefully placed Lena on her bed. She had been crying non-stop ever since Jaejoong left her to look for Keiko.

"You should rest now . . . And please stop crying. . . Crying will be bad for you and your baby," he softly said while caressing her hair.

"Can you . . . can you please stay beside me until I fall asleep?" Lena asked weakly.

Micky smiled. "Yes, I will certainly stay with you . . . even for a lifetime. So don't worry. Just close your eyes and try to forget everything."

Lena followed what Micky had said. But as soon as her eyes were closed . . . Jaejoong's image quickly appeared in her mind. One by one . . . images started to rush in . . . Jaejoong embracing her . . . Jaejoong kissing Keiko . . . Jaejoong kissing her . . . Keiko with tears in her eyes . . . Jaejoong running out of the room . . . Everything was just too maddening for her.

Lena's weak and tired body finally gave up and within minutes she was fast asleep.

Micky silently gazed at Lena's beautiful face. He still couldn't believe that someone would actually hurt such a beautiful angel. Somehow he couldn't stop himself from being angry with Jaejoong. He had already given him all the chances to have Lena back. But Jaejoong just threw it all away.

Micky gently caressed Lena's cheek, then his fingers travelled to her lips. "Such sweet lips," he uttered.

He stared deeply at her lips. He felt so drawn that he somehow couldn't stop himself. He slowly lowered his head, then he lovingly planted a long and sweet kiss on Lena's lips.

Micky was still kissing Lena . . . when the door opened. Xiah, Max. U-Know and Jaejoong slowly entered the room and were all stunned with what they saw.

Jaejoong's world suddenly became black. Then he instantly felt like his heart was being crushed and torn into millions of pieces. He had never imagined he would actually see Micky kissing the only girl he had loved with all his heart. The pain was just too much. Now he knew what Lena must have felt when she saw him kissing Keiko. He abruptly leaned on a wall. He felt like he was going to collapse. Somehow the scene he was seeing was making him enraged.

"Micky . . . " U-Know spoke softly but with a distinct warning tone.

Micky suddenly looked at the other DBSK boys. He was quite surprisedm, but was instantly delighted when he saw the pain in Jaejoong's eyes. He wanted to hurt him so much. He wanted to make him feel even a fraction of the pain that Lena was feeling.

"Micky . . . what are you doing?" Xiah asked with disgust in his eyes.

Micky grinned. "Can't you see? I was kissing the woman I love," he answered directly.

Max looked carefully at Lena. "But hyung . . . Lena is sleeping. . . You're taking advantage of her," he said angrily.

"I'm taking advantage?" Micky asked, then he lightly laughed. "Okay . . . let's say . . . I really am taking advantage of her . . . So what? . . . At least , even if I took advantage of her, I'm willing to be responsible for all my actions . . . And I'm certainly willing to be responsible for her unlike someone I know," he said tauntingly while staring at Jaejoong.

"Micky . . . let's all go outside. All of us need to talk . . . right now. This situation is already getting way out of hand," U-Know said with a serious voice.

U-Know and the other DBSK boys quickly left Lena's room.

And as soon as they all entered the living room . . .

"Micky . . . what the hell are you trying to do?" U-Know shouted angrily. "Have you really gotten so low . . . as to take advantage of a girl while she's sleeping?"

"U-Know . . . try to calm down yourself. And please lower your voice, you might wake up Lena," Xiah tried to remind him.

U-Know sighed. "What is happening to us? What is happening to the two of you?" he asked Micky and Jaejoong. "We all have been together for years now . . . We're like brothers . . . So how come the two of you are hurting each other?"

"The problem isn't with me . . . You should try to ask Jaejoong. He's the one with all the problems," Micky said sarcastically.

Jaejoong tried to control himself. He was already very furious with Micky.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked angrily.

Micky looked straight at Jaejoong. "I mean . . . you're the one making all the trouble. By the way . . . how is your precious Keiko? Have you comforted her? Are you satisfied that while you were consoling Keiko Lena was almost dying of crying," he said furiously.

Jaejoong's heart somehow stopped because of what Micky had said. He was suddenly hit by the truth.

"I . . . I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to hurt her," Jaejoong tried to utter.

"You didn't mean to hurt her? Are you kidding me? You practically threw everything right at her face when you left her just to look for Keiko. So you know how hurt she was? Can you even imagine what kind of pain she was feeling? I can still see it in your eyes that you still care for her . . . So why the hell are you still hurting her? She had already gone through so much . . . Why can't you just give her a break? Please stop causing her more pain. You don't know the difficult situation she is in right now. Have pity on the girl . . . She's . . . ." Micky quickly controlled himself. He didn't want to divulge Lena's secrets.

Jaejoong closed his eyes. Everything that Micky had said had stirred different emotions in him . . . emotions that he didn't want to feel. "I'm so confused," he uttered as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Confused? get your head straight Jaejoong! You're a man . . . act like a man," Micky said seriously.

"Yes . . . I admit I still have feelings for Lena. But I don't want to hurt Keiko. She's been so good to me . . . and I've . . . . I've already slept with her . . . and now she's carrying my child. So I can't just leave her. I have to be responsible for her," Jaejoong tried to explain.

"Responsible? Lena is the one you should be responsible for. She's also carrying your child," Micky said in his mind while staring at Jaejoong.

"You already slept with her? And she's pregnant as well? Way to go!" Micky said as an insult."You sure have a unique way of showing your love. So what if you already slept with Keiko . . . or she's pregnant? Are you even sure that the child is really
yours? You slept with Lena too . . . but look at her now. You're already moving on with your life . . . while she's still trying to hold on to your memories. Do you think that's fair?"

Xiah, Max and U-Know were all stunned with what Jaejoong had said. Keiko was pregnant as well.

Micky slowly approached Jaejoong. Then he stopped right in front of him . . . face to face . . . eye to eye . . . man to man . . .

"I know we've been friends for a very long time now. But please understand . . . I love Lena. I've never felt this way with anyone before. So I've decided to fight for her. I want her to be mine," Micky suddenly said with sincerity in his eyes.

Xiah, Max and U-Know were totally speechless. Their two friends were in love with the same girl. And Jaejoong had gotten two girls pregnant. They had never imagined that such a situation could happen to them.

Jaejoong didn't know what to say. Hearing Micky say that he loved Lena was making him insane with jealousy. "I still love Lena. . . . but I also love Keiko," he confessed.

"You're a fool! You can't possibly love two girls all at the same time. Decide Jaejoong! I'm going to give you one last chance. Choose . . . Lena or Keiko . . ." Micky said seriously.

Jaejoong felt like both his head and his heart was going to explode any minutes. He was totally confused. He still loved Lena and he wanted to have her back in his life. But he also cared about Keiko and she was pregnant with his child. He needed to set aside his own feelings and take care of Keiko for the sake of their child.

Jaejoong lowered his head. He had finally decided. Even if his heart was screaming out another name, his mind had only one name. "Keiko . . ." he weakly uttered.

Micky shook his head in disbelief. He was totally enraged with Jaejoong's decision. "So you're really choosing her over Lena?" he asked Jaejoong with anger in his eyes.

"Yes . . ." Jaejoong uttered softly.

"Congratulations! I think you just made the biggest mistake in your life. You're really a fool! How I wish I could see your reaction once everything blows up in your face. I know there will be a time that you will realize what you just threw away is really the most important and the only real thing in your life. Go and take care of your Keiko . . . I hope the two of you will be happy . . . in hell . . ." Micky said with such fury in his eyes that Xiah, Max and U-Know were all scared.

Jaejoong suddenly looked at Micky. He wanted to say something, but nothing was coming out of his mouth.

Micky grinned with a scary look in his eyes. "Oh! And before I forget . . . I want to give you something . . . you will always remember . . ." and with those words he violently punched Jaejoong straight in the face.

Micky's punch was very fast that Jaejoong wasn't able to avoid it. He was hit very hard on the face that his lower lip immediately bled. Jaejoong tried to wipe away the blood that was coming out of his wound. He knew he deserved what Micky had done.

"From now on . . . You're no longer my friend. I don't want to know you or your Keiko. And starting today . . . don't you dare go near Lena again . . .Our friendship ends here, Jaejoong . . . With your decision, you didn't just lose me . . . as your friend . . .or Lena as your lover . . . but you also lost a very special part of your life . . . a part which you will never know . . . a part which you can never replace . . . Your pain is just starting Jaejoong. Once you know the truth . . . I hope you will have the courage and the strength to face what you have done. When that time comes . . . even if you beg a million times . . . I will make sure that you will never have Lena back. I will do everything . . . I will make Lena my wife . . . I will make sure of that," Micky said as he finally walked out and went back to his room.

Jaejoong was left still unable to believe what just happened. How he wished he could turn back time, so that he could be free to love Lena again.

Slowly his tears started to fall. He still loved Lena. But he was no longer free to love her. He wanted to scream and let out the pain he was feeling. Micky was right. Letting Lena go would be the biggest mistake in his life . . . but there was nothing he could do. He needed to set her free . . . and he needed to bind himself to a love that he just realized wasn't real. . . . all for the sake of a child . . . his child.

Jaejoong's tears continuously fell. How he wished he would become numb. He felt so tired . . . tired of all the pain. "I'm sorry Lena. . . " he tried to utter.




CHAPTER 49


The next day . . . .

"Lena . . ." Micky lovingly uttered while he caressed her hair. "Wake up, let's have breakfast."

Lena slowly opened her eyes. She immediately saw Micky's smiling face. Somehow his sweet smile brightened up her day. "Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning . . ." he greeted back. "I already brought breakfast . . . I want us to eat forst before I go."

"Go? Go where?" Lena asked curiously

"We have an interview to go to at 10 o' clock. Then we have a Tv guesting at 2pm. I think we will be finished by 4 . . . So we will be back here before 5. We can have snack by then okay," Micky said sweetly.

Lena felt her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She was deeply touched by Micky's sweet gesture. She smiled and just nodded.

"Oh, before I forget . . . I've already ordered from a restaurant. Your food will be delivered here before lunch time. I'm sorry . . . I won't be here to have lunch with you. Promise me, you'll eat your food. I don't want you to skip your meal okay," Micky said with love in his eyes.

Lena smiled, then she carefully sat up on her bed while Micky still helped her. "Are you leaving already? Can you help me to go to the bathroom first? I really want to take a bath first before we have breakfast."

Micky bowed his head in approval. "Of course, I knew you might say that so I already prepared the bathroom for you."

Lena smiled. Micky was really such a gentle and caring person. Somehow she felt glad that he was beside her. He was just like Daichi. . . She then remembered Daichi. "Where could he be?" she started to ask herself.

Half an hour later . . . .

"Micky . . . I'm already finished," Lena called out.

Micky then carefully lifted Lena out of the bathtub, and out of the bathroom. She was only wearing a bathrobe that was covering her naked body.

Micky's whole body felt tensed as he carried Lena in his arms. He could smell the sweet scent coming from Lena. EVen though he tried to control himself, his manly desires were still trying to take over.

He tried to shake himself awake from the fantasies and thoughts that were flooding his mind. He gently placed Lena on her bed on a sitting position. Then he placed the clothes she was supposed to wear on one side of the bed near her.

"Thank you," Lena uttered.

Micky smiled, then he gently caressed Lena's face. "I hope you will be all right . . . while I'm gone. I'm very sorry that I have to leave you alone."

"It's all right. I'm used to being left alone. Daichi sometimes leaves me alone whenever he needs to go somewhere," Lena tried to reassure Micky.

"I'll only be gone for a few hours. You can just sleep or watch TV while I'm gone," Micky uttered.

"I can still take care of myself Micky. So don't worry too much," Lena said with a sweet smile.

"I'll go out now . . . while you put on your clothes. Then I'll transfer you to your wheelchair . . . and then we can have breakfast," Micky said.

Lena nodded. "Okay."

Micky slowly went out of the room. As soon as he was outside the room, he let out a long sigh. Then he leaned against the wall. He was losing his control whenever he was around Lena. Somehow while he was carrying her in his arms, he was feeling like he really wanted to kiss her and make love to her.

He closed his eyes. He needed to clear his head. He needed to pull himself together.

"Micky . . . what are you doing there?" U-Know asked.

Micky suddenly opened his eyes. He then saw Xiah, Max and U-Know staring back at him.

"Oh . . . I'm waiting for Lena to finish putting on her clothes," Micky carelessly answered without thinking.

"What? Why are you waiting for her to finish putting on her clothes?" Xiah asked curiously.

Micky started to realize what mistake he had made. His friends still didn't know that Lena's half body was paralyzed. He started to think of a perfect excuse.

"I'm supposed to help her sit on her wheelchair. Then we will be having breakfast so I'm waiting here . . . Is it time to go already?" Micky asked. He was trying to divert their conversation to another topic.

"Oh . . . not yet," Xiah replied.

"Before I forget . . . where's Jaejoong? I haven't seen him after we had breakfast," U-Know asked Max.

"Hyung already went downstairs. He said he will just wait for us there," Max answered.

"Oh . . . Micky, have you told Lena that we will be gone for a few hours. Do you think it would be all right to leave her alone?" Xiah asked with concern.

"I already told her, and she said that she will be all right," Micky answered.

"Oh . . . what's that?" Max suddenly asked as they all heard a loud crashing sound inside Micky's room.

Micky hurriedly opened the room. They were all surprised with what they saw. Lena's wheelchair and the table near her bed were both turned over. And Lena was sitting on the floor, trying to pick up the pieces of broken glass and plates that were scattered all over the floor.

"Lena, what happened?" Micky asked worriedly.

Lena slowly looked up at Micky. It was only then that Micky realized that Lena was crying.

"I'm sorry . . . I accidentally knocked over the table. I wanted to get on the wheelchair . . . by myself. But I . . . I . . . I'm sorry . . . I've totally wasted over breakfast," Lena said in between sobs.

Micky gently carried Lena in his arms. "Max, can you please arrange her wheelchair," he then said.

Max immediately followed Micky's request.

Then Micky carefully placed Lena on her wheelchair.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm totally useless . . . I always cause a lot of trouble," Lena uttered.

Micky knelt down in front of her. Then he lovingly wiped away all her tears. "Don't worry about it. I can always replace our breakfast. What would you like? I can always order . . ."

Lena looked deep into Micky's eyes. "Sorry," she uttered.

Micky smiled. "Stop saying sorry. It's all right."

Max, Xiah and U-Know had already started to clean up the broken glasses and plates when . . .

"Blood? Xiah . . . there's blood here," Max uttered.

Xiah and U-Know hurriedly went to look at the piece of broken glass that Max was holding.

"Micky . . . I think you should check Lena's hands. She might have a cut. We found a piece of glass with blood on it," U-Know said to Micky.

Micky then hurriedly took Lena's hands.

"I'm okay. I don't have any cut," Lena said as Micky carefully examined her hands.

"Micky . . . I . . . I think I already know where the blood came from," Xiah said seriously.

"Where?" Micky asked.

"Look at her left leg," Xiah uttered as he stared at the wound that Lena had.

Surprised . . . Micky looked at Lena's left leg. And there he found a long cut that was bleeding steadily.

Max had already handed Micky the medical kit that they had in the apartment.

"Maybe we should bring her to a hospital," Max suggested.

"Make sure that you clean her wound carefully," U-Know said tried to remind Micky.

"Yes, I know. I dont think it is deep. So we don't need to bring her to a hospital," Micky said seriously.

Xiah, Max and U-Know exchanged glances with each other. They had already noticed that something was wrong with Lena. But they just kept silent, thinking that they were just making a mistake.

Micky had already finished cleaning and bandanging Lena's wound. He then arranged Lena on her wheelchair. He made sure that everything was fixed before turning to his friends, who were silently watching in a corner of the room. "Thank you for helping," he uttered to them.

Max couldn't control his curiosity any longer. "Lena . . . Micky . . . can you guys be honest with us," he uttered.

Lena worriedly stared at Max. Somehow she already knew what he was talking about.

"What are you talking about Max? Be honest with what?" Micky asked.

Max stared at Micky seriously. "I have a feeling . . . something is wrong with Lena. How come . . . if she only has a sprain . . . then why won't she even try to move her legs. And why is she acting like an invalid or something. And why didn't she react while you were cleaning her wound? It's like she didn't feel a thing . . . which is very impossible . . . unless . . ."

Lena closed her eyes. She knew this time would eventually come. "I'm paralyzed . . . from the waist down," she weakly voiced out.

U-Know, Xiah and Max were all shocked by what they heard. They never expected Lena's answer could be so unbelievable.

"Paralyzed? How? Why?" Max asked as if very confused.

Lena just lowered her head. She didn't have the strength to narrate everything that had happened to her that might have caused her situation now.

Micky looked at Lena. He knew she didn't want to say anything. So he just decided to do the talking for her.

"Let's all go out. If there are things you want to ask. You can just ask me. Let's leave Lena alone so she can rest," he said to the other DBSK boys.

Xiah, Max and U-Know all followed Micky out of the room. Then they went straight to the living room.

"How did she become paralyzed?" Xiah asked immediately.

Micky sighed. "She became paralyzed after she and Jaejoong got separated."

"How long have you known all about this?" U-Know asked Micky.

"The day . . . she and Daichi arrived and Jaejoong saw them, I immediately went to see them. Daichi was kind enough to explain everything to me," Micky answered.

"What happened to her?" Xiah asked again.

Micky slowly started to tell his friends about everything that happened to Lena right after she and Jaejoong got separated. He told them everything that Daichi told him. . . including the hardships that Lena went through just to find a cure for herself.

"So the reason . . . why she disappeared for the last two months was because of what happened to her?" Max asked out loud. Somehow he couldn't believe what he just found out. It was too cruel for a fate to have happened to an innocent and kind girl like Lena.

"Micky . . . what are you really planning? Don't you think it's time that Jaejoong knows about the truth? He has a right to know. He needs to know about Lena's condition . . . and about the baby she's carrying. He is the father. And no matter how hard you try to hide it, he will still know about it . . . sooner or later. I know and I understand that you love Lena. But please don't be selfish. Think about what is good for both Lena and her child. Jaejoong must know the truth . . . before it is too late," U-Know tried to put some sense into Micky's clouded mind.

Micky tried to hide the pain he was feeling with a fake smile. "Tell him the truth before it is too late? Are you making me laugh? Don't you think it's already too late? He's already involved with Keiko and she's pregnant. What's the use of telling him the truth now? Do you actually think that once he learns about Lena and their baby . . . things will change? It will only make things much worst. He would only be faced with two women who are both carrying his children. Frankly I'd hate to be in his position. That kind of position would be totally maddening for me. Imagine . . . the first woman I've ever loved is disabled and pregnant with my child . . . and the second woman is also carrying my child . . . Who do you think I should choose?" Micky said with sarcasm.

"No matter what or who Jaejoong chooses is entirely up to him. The important thing is . . . he should be given the chance to know everything . . . and to choose. The two of you are both our friends. We are not taking anyone's side. We just want what is best and fair for everybody involved. Please Micky . . . give Jaejoong the chance to choose," Xiah said.

"A chance to choose? Do you think I haven't given him that so-called chance? I've already given him the chance to choose . . . and he chose Keiko," Micky said with anger in his eyes.

"But hyung . . . he doesn't know about Lena's condition and that she's also pregnant. The only thing that he knows is that Keiko is pregnant. So of course, he would automatically choose her," Max voiced out.

Micky ran his fingers through his hair. He was totally confused. He knew what his friends were saying were right. But he somehow couldn't accept the thought of losing Lena once Jaejoong finally knows everything and suddenly chooses her again.

"Micky, we are not doing this because we are on Jaejoong's side. To be honest, we are doing this because of Lena and the child she's carrying. We want to give her and her child to be happy. I know we are somehow being unfair with Keiko and her child by pushing Lena back into Jaejoong's arms. But let's all be honest with each other, we all know that Lena and Jaejoong should be the ones who end up together . . . not you and Lena . . . or Lena and Daichi . . . or keiko and Jaejoong. Micky, if you really love Lena . . . give her what she wants . . . what she loves. . . give her happiness. More importantly, give Lena's child a chance to be with his real father. Have a heart . . . pity the child. Set Lena free. She doesn't belong with you," U-Know said with a sad voice. He knew he was hurting Micky with the words he was saying. But there was nothing he could do to avoid it. He needed to open Micky's eyes . . . even if it meant hurting him. He wanted to make him realize his mistake and accept everything he was trying to say.

Micky closed his eyes. His heart was pounding very hard, and he felt like it was going to explode. Everything he was hearing was bringing him unimaginable pain. As he suddenly opened his eyes, tears immediately ran down his face.

"Hyung . . ." Max uttered with pity in his eyes.

"All right. . . tonight . . . after dinner . . . I'll tell Jaejoong everything. I just hope . . . this time he finally realizes who he really loves."

U-Know nodded his head in approval. Then Xiah suddenly gave Micky a hug to show him his support.

Micky tried to control his tears. Somehow he wanted to cry out loud. His heart was aching badly. It was already time for him to say goodbye to Lena. His tears ran down his cheeks. He couldn't accept that he already needed to say goodbye when he haven't even started yet.

"I love her," he weakly uttered. He felt like he wanted to die. It was really very hard for him to let Lena go. He loved her too much.

Xiah tightened his embrace as Micky continued to cry. "It is for the best Micky. Just let all the tears out, it will somehow help to ease the pain. We're here for you. We will help you to mend your heart," he said as tears were also filling his eyes. Somehow he could feel the pain that Micky was feeling, and he was also hurting just like his friend.

Max and U-Know just silently watched. They pitied Micky, but they knew his sacrifice was needed for more people to be happy.

"Micky. . . what's wrong?" Lena asked with concern. She had decided to follow the guys to the living room.

Micky slowly looked at Lena. Xiah had already drawn away from him to give him space.

One step at a time . . . Micky walked up to Lena. Then he knelt down in front of her.

"Micky . . . what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Lena asked as she carefully wiped away his tears, and started to caress his face.

Micky gently held Lena's hand that were caressing his face, then he looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you . . . Lena. No matter what happens, always remember . . . I will always love you," he uttered with so much emotion that he felt like his heart was going to stop any moment.

"Micky . . ." she uttered. She pitied him, but she didn't know what to do. She knew she couldn't return his love for her. Jaejoong will be the only man she will ever love.

Micky slowly embraced Lena. He wanted to feel her body next to his for the very last time. He wanted to cherish the memory of having her in his arms. . . for the last time.

Lena just silently returned Micky's embrace. She wanted to comfort him. She knew he was in pain, and it was the only way she could think of to help him.

"Lena . . ." Micky uttered. "Can I . . . can I kiss you? This will be the first time . . . and the very last time . . . that I will ask something from you . . . please," he said with a trembling voice.

Lena's heart had suddenly ached. It felt like Micky was already saying goodbye to her. "Micky . . ." she uttered.

Micky was already staring straight into Lena's eyes. "I love you," he lovingly said as he lowered his head to cover Lena's lips.

Their world had started spinning as their lips met. Micky tried to keep the feeling he was having locked up in his heart. He wanted to keep the special memory of having Lena in his arms and kissing her . . . all locked up in his heart and in his mind forever.

"Xiah, Max, U-Know . . . the van's already waiting downstairs," Jaejoong uttered as he suddenly entered the room.

Xiah, U-Know and Max all turned to look at Jaejoong with concern and fear in their eyes. They didn't want him to see Micky and Lena kissing each other again.

But it was too late . . . Jaejoong was already staring at Micky and Lena with his eyes wide open with shock and pain.

"Hyung . . ." Max said with concern. He could see hurt in his friend's eyes.

Jaejoong hurriedly turned away after seeing Micky and Lena. He could feel his heart was very heavy, and was somehow being crushed. He didn't want to feel such emotions. He no longer had any right to feel hurt or jealous. Lena was no longer a part of his life . . . She no longer belonged to him.

As he quickly stepped out of their apartment . . . his tears appeared again. Even though how hard he tried to deny it . . . the fact still remains . . . he still loved Lena and it was killing him to see her with another man. How he wished he could wake up from the nightmare he was having . . . He wanted to be with Lena again . . . But he knew she was only a dream now that he could no longer obtain.


CHAPTER 50

Lena was suddenly startled by the continuous ringing of the doorbell. Micky and the others had already left hours ago, and the food that Micky ordered had also been delivered.

"Who can it be?" she asked herself as she hurriedly pushed her wheelchair out of the room. She then went straight to the front of the door, and opened it. She was totally surprised with what she saw.

Keiko was standing in front of her. "We need to talk," she immediately uttered as she entered the apartment.

Lena just silently followed Keiko into the living room. And as soon as they entered the room, Keiko confronted her.

"You should leave," Keiko said with a serious tone.

Lena looked straight at Keiko. She could see anger in her eyes.

"Just go back where you came from. You have already caused so much trouble. Ever since you arrived, our peaceful lives have been turned upside down. And frankly . . . I hate you . . . and I despise everything about you. Do you actually think that people . . . especially Jaejoong will pity you if you appear on a wheelchair? Are you really injured? Or are you just playing to be one? Your tricks are already old-fashioned dear . . . Why don't you try playing a new one? But I suggest you better play your game somewhere else . . . and with someone else. Jaejoong belongs to me now. He will never go back to you. So just forget about your plans of winning him back . . . because it won't work. We're going to have a baby soon. . . So get lost! I don't want you here! And I certainly don't want you near Jaejoong. You're just making him confused. I know he will soon ask me to marry him. But that won't happen with you around. So I suggest you find another place to stay. I want you gone before they return," Keiko said while looking straight at Lena's shocked expression.

"You're . . . you're pregnant?" Lena asked.

"Yes. that's why I want you to leave. I need Jaejoong . . . Our baby needs him," Keiko answered.

Lena tried to control her tears that were forming in her eyes. She didn't want Keiko to see her crying.

"Fine . . . I'll leave right now," she weakly uttered.

A sweet smile suddenly appeared on Keiko's lips. "That's good. At least, you know when to accept defeat. I never thought you could be so easy to persuade."

Lena suddenly gave Keiko an angry look. "I'm not leaving because of you, or the things that you have said . . . I'm leaving . . . because of your baby."

Keiko smiled. "Fine . . . whatever . . . just get lost. I don't want to see your face again."

Lena hurriedly turned her wheelchair around. "I'm just going to take some of my things in Micky's room . . . and then I'll leave."

"Sure . . . just make sure you don't take too long. I want you gone before they arrive," Keiko uttered coldly.

Lena silently went to Micky's room. She gathered some of her personal belongings and hurriedly placed all of it into her bag.

She then sadly looked around Micky's room for the very last time. Slowly she picked up Micky's picture near her bed.

"Goodbye, Micky. Thank you for all the love and care you've given me. I'm sorry that I can't love you back in the way that you want me to. But please keep in mind . . . that I will always love you . . . as a friend," Lena softly uttered as she traced Micky's face in the picture she was holding. Then she planted a kiss on Micky's picture.

Sadly . . . Lena returned Micky's picture frame on the side of the bed. "Please take care of yourself Micky," she uttered before she finally closed Micky's room.

"Are you leaving now?" Keiko asked coldly as she stared in front of the door of the apartment.

"Yes," Lena replied.

"Good," Keiko uttered as she quickly opened the door.

Lena gradually pushed her wheelchair out of the apartment. She felt like she was slowly dying inside. But she still tried to control herself. She didn't want to appear so pitiful in Keiko's eyes.

"Goodbye . . . I hope I will never see you again," Keiko uttered.

Lena stared at Keiko. "Keiko . . . please take good care of Jaejoong," she softly said.

Keiko felt her heart had suddenly softened for Lena. She somehow pitied her. But she immediately regained her cold heart and sneered at Lena.

"Of course, I will take good care of him. You don't even have to remind me," she uttered angrily.

Lena tried to smile, even though she felt like her whole world was slowly crumbling. She then turned her wheelchair and went straight to the elevator.

As Lena moved farther and farther away from the DBSK boys' apartment, her tears quickly appeared. She was totally lost and confused. She didn't know where to go. The only thing she knew was she needed to get away from that place. She didn't want to see Jaejoong anymore. How she wanted to forget him.

Lena sobbed. Somehow her heart couldn't take the pain anymore. Jaejoong was also the father of another woman's child. The thought was too sickening for her. She wanted to hate him and forget him.

As she was having those thoughts, she suddenly felt a weak movement in her abdomen. And slowly she smiled, then she started to caress her abdomen.

"I'm sorry . . . baby. I know you don't want me to hate your father. But I'm hurt . . . very hurt. Please try and understand," she uttered with a trembling voice.

Several minutes passed and Lena was already outside of the apartment building. She sadly stared at the building. Memories then started to fill her mind.

"Where do I go now?" she started to ask herself. Then she looked at the people passing by. Fear started to creep into her heart. She knew once she leaves that place . . . she can never return to it ever again.

Lena let out a long sigh. She didn't want to cry anymore. She was very tired of crying. She tried to put on a smile on her face. "Come on, baby. . . Let's see where the road takes us. Let's leave this sad place and find another place where we can both be happy. As long as you're with me . . . I know I can endure anything. So stay strong baby . . . I promise I will stay strong as well," she uttered as she slowly pushed her wheelchair along a large group of people passing by.

She didn't care about what will happen to her once she leaves. The only thing she cares about is that she won't be alone. She will always have a special memory that will stay with her forever.

Lena continuously pushed her wheelchair farther and farther away. She didn't care about the pity in the eyes of the people that saw her. She didn't care where she was heading. She wanted to get away . . . and forget.

Her tears were already streaming down her face. She couldn't help it. She needed to cry, or else she wouldn't be able to bear the pain. She had finally decided to let Jaejoong go. Even though her heart wasn't accepting her decision, her mind was telling her it was the right thing to do.

A cold breeze suddenly made her shiver. She then thought that she will never have the chance to feel the warmth of Jaejoong's embrace again. The thought brought pain into her heart.

She then tried to console herself with the thought that even though she will never have Jaejoong again . . . she will always have the memories they shared . . . and she will always have a special part of him with her. She will always have their child with her . . . their baby will be the everlasting memory that will bind her and Jaejoong forever. No matter where she was . . . or who Jaejoong was with. They will always share something special.

"I will always keep you in my heart, Jaejoong," she uttered.

The cold breeze continued to make Lena shiver. But she just ignored the cold.




CHAPTER 51


It was already passed 5 o' clock in the afternoon . . .

Micky and the other DBSK boys were finally finished with their schedules activities for the day. And they were already on their way up to their apartment unit.

"I'm so glad we're already finished with our work. I can finally have some time alone with Lena," Micky said out loud while they were in the elevator.

U-Know worriedly looked at Jaejoong, then gave Micky a warning look. But Micky just shrugged his shoulders and ignored his friends. Then he continued to smile while thinking about Lena.

As soon as the boys entered their apartment, the sweet aroma of food being cooked immediately greeted them. Xiah, Max, U-Know and Micky were all surprised. They knew Lena couldn't possibly be the one who is cooking.

"Who is cooking?" Max asked curiously.

"Maybe Daichi's back," Xiah replied.

The boys quickly went to see who was in the kitchen.

Max, Xiah, Micky and U-Know were all dismayed with what they saw.

"Oh . . . it's you," Max uttered with disappointment.

Keiko was happily cooking in the kitchen. Somehow the four boys didn't like the idea of having her around. They all felt that she always appears at the wrong time. And they also thought that whenever she was around, problems were surely to arise.

Max sighed. He was actually hoping that Lena was the one who was cooking. How he had missed the delicious foods she had prepared for them before.

"Hello . . . I'm preparing our dinner. I think everything will be ready in ten minutes. Are you guys hungry yet? We can have an early dinner if you want . . . ." Keiko said sweetly to the boys.

Micky frowned. "Good thing I already bought dinner. I'll be in my room with Lena, if you guys need me. Oh . . .don't bother to call us out for dinner. We will just eat what I bought," he said coldly as if unconcerned about Keiko's feelings.

Keiko gave Micky a sharp look. She didn't like what he had said.

Micky immediately turned around and went out of the kitchen. He was too disgusted with Keiko. Somehow there was something about her that makes her repulsive but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He then just brushed aside his thoughts regarding Keiko and went straight to his room.

Back in the kitchen . . .

The four DBSK boys were already sitting around the table.

"Jaejoong I hope you will like the different foods I prepared. I really worked hard to learn how to cook. I know my cooking skills isn't as good as yours . . . But I'm willing to learn. And I know in due time . . . I will eventually improve," Keiko uttered sweetly as she continued to stir the dish she was preparing.

Jaejoong smiled. "Thank you for preparing our meal today. Don't worry. I will always appreciate everything that you will prepare for me."

Keiko smiled. She felt so happy after hearing Jaejoong's words. Somehow she felt that everything was already perfect . . . until . . .

"Where's Lena?" Micky shouted as he suddenly bursted into the room.

The other DBSK boys were all stunned.

"Is Lena missing? Have you checked the other rooms?" Max asked worriedly.

"Yes, I've already checked the whole apartment. Keiko . . . where is Lena?" Micky asked with a hard tone.

"She left," Keiko replied coldly as if she didn't care. She just continued to look over the different dishes she was preparing.

"Left? What do you mean she left?" Micky asked irritatedly.

"She left . . . She went out of the door . . . and left," Keiko replied sarcastically, and with a raised eyebrow.

Micky was already red with anger. "What did you do? Why did she leave? What did you do to her? Tell me!"

Keiko stopped what she was doing and faced Micky. "What makes you think that I did something to her? She left . . . on her own free will. I didn't force her."

Micky quickly walked up to Keiko and hastily grabbed her arm. "What did you say to her? I know she wouldn't leave without any reason. What the hell did you do to her?" he continuously asked while his grip became tighter.

Jaejoong hurriedly tried to pull Micky's hand away from Keiko. He knew Micky was already hurting her. But Micky's grip was too tight. He wouldn't let go.

"Micky, you're hurting Keiko!" Jaejoong warned Micky.

"I don't care! Keiko, what did you say to Lena? Answer me!" Micky said again.

Micky's grip on Keiko's arm was really starting to hurt. Keiko couldn't stand the pain.

"Okay, I just told her that I'm pregnant . . . that's all," Keiko finally answered.

All the DBSK boys were shocked.

Jaejoong suddenly felt weak. He quickly leaned against the counter next to him. Somehow he could imagine the kind of pain that Lena might have felt after learning about Lena's pregnancy. The thought also caused him to feel pain. He pitied Lena. He knew it was the reason why she left.

Micky also felt like all his blood drained out of his body. He weakly released Keiko. His heart was pounding very hard. He knew Lena must have been hurt badly with what she learned. He suddenly felt miserable knowing that he wasn't able to protect her from Keiko.

Keiko started to massage her arm that was hurting because of Micky's grip. She was irritated with Micky and somehow she wanted to get even with him.

"Frankly I'm glad she already left. She's just a nuisance here. Why are you so concerned about her anyway? Aren't you glad she's gone? Have you ever thought that maybe she's just using your feelings to her advantage . . . so she could win Jaejoong back?" Keiko asked Micky seriously.

"Don't say such things about her . . . You don't know her. She's not like that," Micky replied with a glare.

"she's not like that? Why? is she an angel or something?" Keiko suddenly laughed. "It seems she's really fooled you huh? I think she's just playing her game with that injured drama effect. So all of you will pity her and be kind to her. She's nothing . . . She's just a bitch . . . a total wretched bitch!" Keiko said angrily.

Micky quickly lost his self-control. He slapped Keiko so hard that she instantly fell down on the floor.

"Micky . . ." U-Know uttered with shock.

Jaejoong suddenly became angry. He immediately gave Micky a punch on the face. But Micky quickly returned his punch. Xiah, U-Know and Max rushed to separate their two friends.

"Micky, stop it," xiah uttered as he gently held Micky arm.

"Jaejoong, calm yourself. The two of you are friends. You don't have to fight each other," U-Know tried to remind Jaejoong.

"Friends? How can you say that he's my friend? He just hurt the woman carrying my child," Jaejoong said angrily.

"Micky, no matter how angry you are with Keiko . . . It still doesn't give you any right to hurt her physically. It is too unacceptable, hyung. . . I think you should apologize to her," Max tried to put some sense into his friend.

Keiko had gotten up and was already beside Jaejoong. "Are you insane? Why did you hurt my Jaejoong? You're crazy . . . just like your Lena," she shouted at Micky. "Good thing . . . I told her to leave . . ." she unconsciously blurted out.

All the DBSK boys surprisingly looked at Keiko.

"So you told her to leave?" Max asked Keiko as if unable to believe what they all heard.

Confused and frightened . . . Keiko looked at Jaejoong. Somehow she was asking his help.

But Jaejoong had already released his arm from Keiko's hand. Suddenly he found Keiko's touch to be repulsive. He lowered his head and ran his fingers through his hair. All the emotions that he was feeling was driving him insane. He didn't know who to side with . . . the woman carrying his child or the woman he truly loved. He felt like his entire world was spinnig in different directions. How he wished he could just melt away on the spot he was standing and disappear totally. So that he would no longer need to choose.

"I . . .I . . . I just told her about the baby . . . and that it would be better . . . for everyone's sake . . . if she leaves . . . I didn't force her," Keiko uttered with a trembling voice as if she was about to cry.

"How could you do such a thing? I actually thought you were a nice person, but I guess I was wrong," Xiah said with disappointment.

"I didn't do anything wrong. She doesn't belong here anyway. Why are you all concerned about her? I'm the one carrying Jaejoong's baby," Keiko said as if she hurt. "I'm the one you should be concerned about."

"Why should we be concerned about you? Because of your baby? Frankly I don't give a damn about you or your so-called baby," Micky uttered furiously.

Keiko started to cry. Jaejoong immediately became concerned about her. He was still thinking about their baby.

"Keiko, please don't cry. It will be bad for our baby," Jaejoong tried to console her.

Micky couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was very angry with the way Jaejoong was still caring about Keiko.

"Jaejoong, you're really unbelievable! You're still taking her side?" Micky uttered.

"Micky stop it already! Keiko's already hurt . . . So just stop," Jaejoong furiously shouted back at Micky.

Micky let out a laugh. "Fine . . . The two of you really deserve each other. You're both stupid and conceited."

Keiko cried harder after hearing Micky's words. While Jaejoong became angrier with Micky.

"Are you still trying to start a fight? Stop hurting Keiko with your words," Jaejoong warned.

Micky looked straight at Jaejoong. "You're so concerned about Keiko . . . because she's carrying your child. But I wonder . . . what you would do once you know the truth."

Jaejoong became confused. " What truth? What do you mean?"

Keiko suddenly grabbed Jaejoong's hand. "Jaejoong, I want to leave . . . please," she begged.

Jaejoong looked at Keiko. "Fine . . . we'll leave," he uttered.

Micky shook his head in disbelief. "That's good. Leave with your precious Keiko. Console her. . . Take care of her . . . Take care of your baby . . . While you're doing that . . . Somewhere out there . . . God knows where . . . Lena might already be shivering in the cold . . . But still trying to keep herself warm just to protect . . . your child growing inside of her."

"What?" Jaejoong exclaimed as he looked at Micky, eyes open wide with shock.

"She's also pregnant with your child . . . That's why she came back for you," Micky finally revealed the truth.

Jaejoong's body unexpectedly lost its strength. He then suddenly fell down on his knees. What he learned was just too much to bear. He felt like he wanted to scream. Both his heart and his mind were telling him different things that he just couldn't understand.

Keiko was also shocked by what she heard. "Lena is pregnant . . ." the words kept on repeating in her mind.

Micky stared at Jaejoong's pitiful reaction. "Lena didn't tell you about the baby . . . because she wanted you to return to her because you still loved her, and not because of the baby."

Jaejoong cupped his face with his hands.

"And the reason why she disappeared for two months is because . . . she wanted to find a cure for herself first before she returned to you," Micky continued.

Jaejoong quickly raised his head and looked at Micky. "What do you mean? Is . . . she sick?"

The anger in Micky's eyes was instantly replaced with sadness. "She's not playing around or faking her condition, just like what Keiko is trying to imply," he uttered.

"You said . . . she suffered a sprain," Jaejoong said as if totally confused.

"No, the truth is . . . she's paralyzed from the waist down to her legs," Micky said weakly.

"What?" Jaejoong asked. He felt like a bomb had suddenly exploded right in front of him.

"After she left you, she suffered a condition that lead to her paralysis. It was the main reason why she didn't try to contact you. She didn't want you to worry or to feel responsible about her. She tried to undergo different treatments just to cure herself, but everything failed. It was only after she found out that she was pregnant . . . that she decided to return to you . . . But she was already too late. You already had Keiko in your life," Micky tried to explain everything.

All the things that Micky had said finally cleared all the questions that were left unanswered in Jaejoong's mind. He finally understood Lena. All the hurt and anger in his heart were immediately replaced with pity and remorse.

Somehow he couldn't even try to imagine the kind of hardship Lena went through. How he wanted to ask for her forgiveness.

"I've got to find her," Jaejoong uttered as he quickly stood up.

"No, don't leave," Keiko said as she tried to hold on to Jaejoong's hand.

Jaejoong gently shook his head and released his hand from Keiko's hold. "Please understand, Lena needs me more that you do. And she . . . is the one who I truly love . . . I'm sorry. I will still be responsible for our child. I will give you and our baby everything you need . . . but please . . . let me go."

"I need you . . . Our baby needs you. I will never let you go. Never!" Keiko uttered as tears continued to flow down her eyes.

Jaejoong quickly drew away from Keiko. "I'm sorry . . ." he uttered. He then hurriedly went out of the apartment unit.

Micky's heart was being torn into pieces as he just watched Jaejoong leave. He knew Jaejoong had finally decided to go back to Lena. And the thought was stabbing him over and over again. He was going to lose Lena all over again.

"Good luck, Jaejoong. I hope with all of my heart that you find her . . . and once you find her. Please give her the happiness that she deserves. And don't you ever let her go again," Micky said in his mind as tears slowly rushed down his face.


CHAPTER 52

Jaejoong hurriedly went out of the apartment building. He tried to look for Lena . . .hoping that she would still be around. As he continuously walked, looking from left to right. . . people started to take notice of him.

"Where are you Lena?" he asked in his mind.

Then memories started to rush into his mind. The same thing had happened before. The only thing missing now was the rain.

As soon as he thought about the rain . . . tiny raindrops started to fall.

"The park . . ." he quickly uttered. He had a feeling that she was there. "Lena, please wait for me. Please wait for me . . . I promise I'm going to make everything right," he uttered as he ran to the park as fast as he could.

In the park . . .

Lena had been staring blankly at the people passing by. Somehow she had totally lost her mind. She couldn't even think straight.

She sighed. "Where do I go now? It's almost dark. I can't possibly stay here all night . . . and even if I stayed here all night . . . I would still have the same problem tomorrow . . . I would still be homeless."

A cold breeze suddenly made her shiver.

"I wonder where Daichi is right now. But if I call him . . . I would only be pushing all my problems back to him . . . I've already caused him so much trouble . . . And I really think he deserves to have a break from me and my problems . . ." she said to herself.

She started to gently rub her abdomen.

"Do you think I am a bad person baby? Why can't I be happy? Why does my life have to be so complicated? Why can't I be with the man I love? Sometimes I can't help but think . . . that maybe I've done something wrong. That's why I'm being punished now . . . Problems seem to always follow me wherever I go . . . And everyone who becomes involved with me . . . seems to suffer different problems too. Maybe I am really cursed. . . cursed to live my life alone."

Slowly tears started to form in her eyes. "Here I go again . . . Why am I such a cry baby? Even if I don't want to cry . . . I always end up crying anyway," she uttered as she tried to laugh.

A young couple with a baby suddenly passed in front of Lena. Her heart ached as she saw them. Somehow she couldn't help but envy them.

"I'm sorry baby. You will never have the chance to be with your father. Frankly I don't know if you will even have the chance to know or meet him. Things are so complicated . . . It would be better if we just stayed away," she uttered sadly.

Then . . . Lena's phone started to ring.

"Hello . . ." she uttered as she answered her phone.

"Lena, I'm going back to you now. I'll be with you . . . in a few minutes . . . So do you want me to buy you something? What do you want to eat?" Daichi happily uttered. He was so glad that he was finally going to be with Lena again.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered. Somehow she didn't know how to tell him that she wasn't in the DBSK boys' apartment anymore.

"Lena . . ." Daichi said as he tried to figure out the noise that he was hearing from Lena's phone. "Lena . . . where are you? Why is it so noisy there? What are you doing?" he asked continuously.

"Daichi . . . I . . . I'm not in the boys' apartment anymore," she finally confessed.

"What? Where are you? What happened?" Daichi asked worriedly.

"I'm in a park . . . near the boys's apartment," she replied.

"Turn around . . . and go to the park. I think we just passed it," Daichi said to his driver.

"Yes, sir," the driver replied.

"Lena, stay where you are. I'll come and get you. Tell me where you are exactly . . ." Daichi said with concern.

"I'm near the playground . . . near a bench," she answered.

She then stared at the bench near her. It was only then that she realized that it was the same bench where Jaejoong found her crying . . . months before.

"Jaejoong . . ." she started to remember him again.

"Lena . . . I'll be there in a few minutes okay," Daichi said.

"Okay . . . don't worry. I won't go anywhere," she uttered as she finally closed her phone.

"Hurry," Daichi told his driver.

Lena quietly looked at the sky. "I think it's going to rain . . ." She then started to remember the past. All the sad and painful memories started to rush into her mind.

Tears quickly fell down from her eyes after remembering all the things that Keiko said.

And as her tears fell . . . tiny rain drops started to fall as well. Lena just lowered her head and started to sob. She didn't care about the rain or whether she was going to get wet and sick afterwards.

Pity, slowly crept into her heart. She was thinking that even the rain was trying to hide her tears. She pitied herself . . . but she pitied her baby the most.

While Lena was crying in the rain . . . someone suddenly sheltered her with an umbrella.

Lena slowly looked up at the man standing in front of her.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered with joy and relief.

Daichi's heart ached as he looked at Lena's pitiful condition. He quickly took off his coat and carefully wrapped it around Lena.

"You're so cold . . ." he uttered worriedly.

"I . . . I'm fine," she tried to say while trying to control the quivering of her voice.

"Why are you here? What happened? Why isn't Micky taking care of you?" Daichi asked continuously again.

"It's not Micky's fault. I left while they were all gone. I left . . . because I wanted to," she tried to explain.

"But why? Did something happen?" he asked again.

Lena didn't know what to say. She didn't want to lie to Daichi.

"I left because I'm constantly ruining Jaejoong's relationship with Keiko . . . I don't want to interfere anymore . . . especially now . . . that Keiko is pregnant with Jaejoong's child," she confessed.

"What?" Daichi asked in total disbelief. "Jaejoong got that girl pregnant too?"

Lena tried to smile. "I guess we're really not supposed to be together . . . Even fate is trying to set us apart. The only thing I regret now . . . is that my baby won't have a father."

Daichi slowly bent down in front of Lena. "I'm here . . . I'll be the father of you child, if you allow me to. You know I'm willing to do anything for you."

"Daichi, aren't you tired yet? Aren't you tired of constantly taking care of me?" Lena asked weakly.

"No, I will never get tired of taking care of you," he lovingly answered.

"Daichi, I . . . I . . . I don't know if I can ever learn how to forget Jaejoong. It would only be unfair to you . . . if we stayed together," she uttered.

Daichi's heart suddenly felt a sharp pain. "Are you trying to say goodbye to me too? Because if you are . . . I'm already telling you . . . I won't accept it."

Lena started to cry again. "But it's so unfair to you . . . to be with me . . . when I can't give you anything back in return. I'll just be making you tired, day after day. And I know there will come a time . . .that you won't have any strength left because you've wasted all of it on me. Do you understand me, Daichi? I know I won't be able to make you happy . . . So why do you still want to waste your love and your time on me?"

Daichi suddenly let go of the umbrella he was holding.

"Lena," he uttered as he finally knelt down in front of her.

Drop by drop, the rain continued to soak both Daichi and Lena.

"Daichi, you're getting wet," Lena said with concern as she tried to wipe away the rain drops that were falling down on his face. Then she suddenly stopped. . .

As her hands were touching Daichi's face, it was only then that she noticed something . . . Daichi was crying.

"You're crying? Why?" Lena asked.

"Because of you . . . I can't live without you Lena. Even if the whole world laughs at me or despises me . . . I don't care . . . as long as you're near me. I'm willing to endure any pain or hardship. I was willing to let you go because I know you would be happier if you were with Jaejoong. But now . . . now that you can't be with him. Don't you think it would be more unfair to me . . . if you didn't stay with me? I love you . . . I'm willing to give the world to you. So please don't leave me. I'll die if you leave me," Daichi uttered with pain and sadness in his eyes.

Lena's heart suddenly melted with Daichi's words. She knew she couldn't match the kind of love and attention he had given her . . . but she had finally decided to give it a try. He had already done so much for her . . . It was time for her to pay him back.

"Lena, let's get married. I know I won't be able to match Jaejoong in your heart. But I'm willing to wait even if it takes a lifetime," Daichi slowly uttered.

Lena closed her eyes for a few seconds. Somehow her whole world was spinning. Both her heart and her mind were screaming out different names. But she knew she needed to make a choice.

As she gently opened her eyes, Jaejoong's image was the first thing that she saw . . . But as time passed by, Jaejoong's image was replaced with Daichi's pitiful image. Her heart ached as she realized that she was day dreaming again.

"Lena," Daichi uttered as he took her hand. "Will you marry me?"

Lena's heart pounded after hearing those words.

"Lena?" Daichi repeated again.

Slowly . . . Lena nodded her head. Even though her mind was telling her that it was the right thing to do, she still couldn't stop her heart from crying and calling out Jaejoong's name.

Daichi's face suddenly lit up with joy. He then embraced Lena tightly.

"Thank you . . . I promise I'll take good care of you and our baby," he happily said.

Lena just returned Daichi's embrace and continued to be silent. She was afraid that he might notice the sadness in her voice.

Then Daichi started to kiss Lena. A familiar and comforting feeling suddenly filled Lena's soul. Daichi's kiss was sweet and gentle. But there was still something missing.

A few meters away, Jaejoong was already soaked in the rain. He had been standing in the same spot for more than fifteen minutes already. He had been watching Lena and Daichi. Somehow he felt like his heart was going to burst because of the pain he was feeling. His eyes were filled with tears, as he continuously watched Lena and Daichi kissing each other. The scene brought so much pain and sadness that he wanted to cry out and scream.

He had tried very hard to find Lena . . . to make up with her . . . to have her back. But he was too late. She was already in Daichi's arms when he found her.

Jaejoong's entire body was somehow numb to the cold. He was like a statue standing in the rain, with tears streaming down his face. How he wished that everything he was seeing was just a dream.

"Let's go . . . You're already soaked. You might get sick, if we stay out in the rain any longer," Daichi said lovingly to Lena, after finally releasing her from his kiss.

Lena nodded. Suddenly the rain stopped. Daichi had already turned Lena's wheelchair, and was about to go to their car when . . .

"Lena . . . can we talk . . . please?" Jaejoong begged.

Lena felt miserable as she looked at Jaejoong's face.

"What do you want?" Daichi asked coldly.

"I want to talk with Lena . . . even for a few minutes," Jaejoong answered.

"You don't have anything to talk about. We're leaving. So please get out of the way," Daichi said indifferently.

"No, we have a lot of things to talk about. Please just a few minutes," Jaejoong begged again.

Daichi looked at Lena, then at Jaejoong again. "I'm sorry, but she doesn't want to talk to you."

Jaejoong stared at Lena. Then he hurriedly knelt down in front of her. "Please, we've got to talk. There's so many things we need to clear out. I need to explain . . . and ask for your forgiveness."

"Jaejoong . . ." Lena uttered. Somehow her heart was feeling very heavy seeing the agony in Jaejoong's eyes.

Jaejoong took Lena's hands and tightly hel them. "I'm sorry . . . Please forgive me," he uttered.

Slowly tears flowed down from Lena's eyes. "Jaejoong, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Keiko."

Jaejoong stared straight into Lena's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you hide? Do you think I would love you any less if you were on a wheelchair? Why did you have to hide the truth from me?"

"I . . . I didn't want you to feel burdened with my condition. I was afraid that I would be too embarrassing for you. I didn't think I was good enough to be beside you," Lena tried to explain.

Jaejoong gently kissed Lena's hands. "I love you . . . with all my heart. How could you possibly thought that you would be a burden to me? I love you Lena . . . Do you hear me? I loved you before and I still love you now."

Lena tried to control herself. She didn't want to cry uncontrollably in front of Jaejoong.

"You love me? If you truly love me . . . tell me . . . why is Keiko in your life right now? And if you truly loved me . . . tell me . . . why is Keiko pregnant with your child?" she asked with a trembling voice.

Jaejoong felt there was a huge lump in his throat. Somehow he didn't know how to answer Lena's questions. He knew she had a point, and he knew he had hurt her badly with Keiko.

"I'm sorry . . . After you left, I was angry. I wanted to forget. So I played around. I know I was weak. I made a lot of mistakes. But I was really hurt . . . I thought you had totally abandoned me," Jaejoong tried to explain.

Lena tried to smile. "I . . . I don't blame you. I know I also made some mistakes. But there's nothing we can do now. You have Keiko to think about now. You have to be responsible for her . . . and the child she is carrying."

Jaejoong looked at Lena. "But you're carrying my child as well. And now, now I know everything . . . I want to make it up to you. I want to be the one who takes care of you. . . you and our baby."

"But it's too late, Jaejoong," Lena uttered as she finally broke down. "Can't you see? We're not meant to be together. . ."

"Too late? What do you mean?" Jaejoong asked, quite confused.

"She's already agreed to marry me, Jaejoong," Daichi suddenly revealed.

Bewildered, Jaejoong looked at Daichi, then at Lena. "You can't possibly marry him Lena. I'm the one you love . . . I'm the father of the child that growing inside of you. Please take back what you said. Tell Daichi that you're not going to marry him. Tell him . . . you're going to marry me," he uttered with tears in his eyes.

Lena looked deep into Jaejoong's eyes. "I'm sorry, Jaejoong. But . . . Keiko needs you . . . Please understand . . . I have to give you up for the sake of an innocent child."

"But what about our child? What about the baby inside you? Don't you think you're being unfair to our baby?" Jaejoong asked persistently.

Lena tried to control her sobbing. "Sorry, Jaejoong. I'm sorry . . ." she then looked at Daichi. "Let's go."

Jaejoong quickly tried to hold Lena's wheelchair. "No, I still need to talk to you. You can't go. I won't let you go," he cried out as he placed his head on her lap. "Please, don't go. I beg you . . . Don't leave me . . . I'm sorry for all the hurt I've caused you. I promise you . . . I'll make it up to you. Don't go . . . I love you . . . I don't want to lose you again. Please don't leave me," he continuously said while tears flowed from his eyes.

Lena bit her lower lip. She pitied Jaejoong. She felt her heart was already bleeding as she watched Jaejoong.

Daichi had already called his driver and bodyguard. The two men tried to pull Jaejoong away from Lena, but Jaejoong resisted.

"Please don't hurt him," Lena cried out to the men. "Jaejoong, it's over. Just accept it . . . Go back to Keiko . . . She's your life now."

"No! You're my life. You're the one I love. Please don't do this. . . I need you. Don't go. Don't leave me," Jaejoong begged once again.

Lena had started to cry uncontrollably again. Daichi quickly took Lena away from Jaejoong.

"Lena! Lena! Lena!" Jaejoong shouted as he tried to break free from the men's grip.

Lena glanced back at Jaejoong as she moved farther and farther away from him. "Jaejoong," she uttered as tears streamed down her face.

Daichi and Lena were already in the car when the men hurriedly released Jaejoong and ran to the car.

Jaejoong tried to catch up, but the men had already gotten inside the car, and had quickly started the car.

"Lena . . . please don't leave . . . I beg you . . . Come back to me . . ." Jaejoong begged as he tried to keep pace with the moving car. He was already banging on the window of the car just to get Lena's attention.

Lena looked at Jaejoong for the very last time. With tears in her eyes, her lips moved to say I love you.

"What are you guys waiting for? Let's leave," Daichi said angrily to his men.

The car moved faster . . . Jaejoong ran and tried to catch up.

"Lena! Lena!" he kept on shouting her name.

But no matter how hard he tried, the car easily left him behind.

Jaejoong fell down on his knees. Then the rain slowly started to fall again. As his tears fell down, the rain tried to hide it with its own drops. Jaejoong felt like it was the end of the world fro him. How he wished that he would wake up already from the bad dream he was having. How he wished that everything wasn't real. . . How he wished . . .

"Lena!" he screamed one last time before finally breaking down.

The rain continued to pour, as if trying to hide Jaejoong's tears, and it was somehow trying to make his heart numb from all the pain.

Lena stared blankly at the rain, as it fell down on the window of the car. She couldn't help but picture Jaejoong still crying in the rain. Her heart ached . . .

"Jaejoong . . ." she uttered as she cried for him for the very last time.



CHAPTER 53

Jaejoong slowly entered their apartment. His whole body was still wet from the rain. But he didn't care about anything anymore. He had lost Lena once again. And this time he knew it was already impossible to have her back.

As soon as he entered the living room . . .

"Hyung . . ." Max uttered with concern. "What happened? Where's Lena? Did you find her?"

Jaejoong stared sadly at his friends. "I . . . I was too late. Daichi was already with her when I found her."

"Daichi? So what? He doesn't interfere at all. And he's always supported you and Lena. So why didn't you talk with her?" Micky asked.

Jaejoong suddenly sat down on the sofa. He felt very weak. "I . . . I . . . I tried to . . . But she didn't want to talk to me anymore. I guess I've already hurt her so much . . . She's already tired of me."

"Hyung, don't say such things. Lena loves you so much. She will never grow tired of you," Max said as he gently covered Jaejoong with a towel.

Jaejoong tried to put on a smile. "I guess this is what you call bad karma. I've done so many bad things to her . . . and I've already said so many hurtful words. I guess I deserve this. Now I know how painful it is . . . to see the one you love with someone else," he uttered as tears slowly filled his eyes.

"You're being a fool again, Jaejoong. Don't tell me you're just going to give up so easily. She loves you. You love her. That is all that matters," Micky said as he tried to put on a brave face.

Jaejoong closed his eyes. The memories of Lena's beautiful face . . . her eyes filled with tears . . . Then he saw himself as he begged her to stay . . . Then he saw himself while he was running after the car where Lena was . . .And finally he saw himself crying in the rain . . . so pitiful . . . that his heart started to hurt again.

As his eyes were closed, tears traced down his face.

Max saw Jaejoong's tears, then he sadly looked at the other DBSK boys. Their hearts were silently bleeding out for their friend.

"Jaejoong . . ." Micky uttered.

"She . . . she already accepted Daichi's marriage proposal. She said that we weren't supposed to be together. And that I should be responsible for Keiko . . . and the baby she's carrying," Jaejoong said as he opened his eyes.

"What? Marriage proposal?" Micky asked in disbelief.

"I was already too late. I'm such a fool . . . How could I have so many stupid things? If I didn't mess around with Keiko . . . then maybe she would have stayed with me . . . maybe she would still be here . . . maybe I would be the one taking care of her and our baby," Jaejoong said as he started to cry. "It hurts . . . It hurts . . . I still love her . . . And I actually thought that everything would finally be all right. I thought I would finally have the chance to hold her one again. I miss her so much. . . that it's making me crazy. I love her . . . Please make the pain stop. I can't take it anymore. Why did things become like this? Why can't we love each other freely? Why does things always end up being so complicated? God . . .I want to die. I think I'm going crazy with all the pain I'm feeling. I don't think I can continue another day without her . . . and our baby."

U-Know sat down beside Jaejoong, then he gently embraced him. How he pitied his friend . . .

Jaejoong continued to cry as memories started to fill his mind.

"Be strong . . . You'll get through this somehow," U-Know softly uttered.

Micky looked at Jaejoong. His heart was breaking too . . . not only for Jaejoong, but for himself as well. Lena was going to marry Daichi. He knew Daichi was a good man and that he was going to take good care of her. But the thought still brought pain to his heart. He loved Lena, and it was painful for him to know that she was with another man.

In the airport . . . .

"What are you thinking?" Daichi asked Lena.

Lena looked at Daichi. "Nothing . . .I was just thinking about something."

Daichi gently held Lena's hand. "Please stop thinking about Jaejoong. You'll only hurt yourself, if you continue to think about him."

Lena nodded her head. "Don't worry. . . from now on . . . I'll try to forget him," she said as she tried to put on a smile.

"Once we leave Japan . . . I hope you will also leave all his memories behind. Let's start a new life together . . . New memories, for me, for you and for our baby," Daichi said lovingly as he tightly held her hand.

Lena's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She knew she was doing the right thing. But she still couldn't deny the fact that her heart was longing for Jaejoong.

An hour passed . . .

As Lena silently looked out of the airplane window, her heart was constantly crying out Jaejoong's name.

"I'm sorry, Jaejoong. Always remember that I will always love you and keep you in my heart and mind. I hope you will be happy with Keiko. I know you will be a wonderful husband to her and a very loving father to your child . . . Maybe someday . . . you will also have the chance to meet our baby . . . But I'm sorry that I won't be able to tell our child who you really are . . . Take care my friend . . . I'll always be praying for your happiness."

A week later . . . .

Max, U-Know, Xiah and Micky all sat in the living room while waiting for Jaejoong to wake up.

"I'm really concerned about Jaejoong. He's returning to his condition before," U-Know uttered.

"Don't worry. I don't think he's going to get another girl pregnant again," Micky said with sarcasm. "With the way Keiko is constantly watching over him. He wouldn't even have the chance to talk with another girl."

Max sighed. "I wonder where Lena is right now. I hope she's doing fine."

"Frankly how I wish that everything will be back to normal again. If I could only turn back time, I would surely fix everything between Lena and Jaejoong," Xiah said with a certain glitter in his eyes.

"Honestly . . . how I wish that Keiko would just disappear from the face of the earth. I think she's a devil disguised as an angel," Micky said with hatred.

Max couldn't help but laugh. "You know I'm also starting to think that way too. What a pity! Such a beautiful face with such an ugly character."

"Tell me do you guys really believe that she's pregnant?" Micky suddenly asked.

Xiah, U-Know and Max looked at each other.

"Somehow I have the feeling that she's lying," Max answered.

"But Jaejoong believes her," Xiah added.

"Jaejoong is a fool . . ." Micky uttered. "He's been drowning himself in self-pity and liquor again ever since Lena left with Daichi."

"What can we do to help him?" Max asked.

"Nothing. He's the one who should help himself," Micky answered.

Max sighed. "What time is it? I think any minute now . . . Keiko will be appearing again. . . acting like nothing ever happened. I can't help myself, but I just find her so disgusting and annoying."

Xiah nodded his head. "Honestly I feel the same way. I know it's quite bad that we're actually despising her. But I still can't accept what she did to Lena."

U-Know sighed as well. "Maybe we can just pretend . . . There's nothing we can do anyway. Lena's gone, and Keiko is still pregnant. No matter how much we dislike Keiko, there's nothing else to do but accept her."

"Everything that is happening is total madness . . . And whatever happens, I will never learn to like Keiko. I will never accept her . . . her and her child," Micky said coldly.

"Hyung . . . you're being harsh. The child shouldn't be blamed for Keiko's mistakes. That's too unfair," Max still tried to put some sense into Micky.

"Unfair? Lena is paralyzed . . . pregnant . . . and going to marry someone she doesn't love . . . now that is unfair!" Micky voiced out.

The other DBSK boys suddenly became silent. They knew what Micky said was right. Deep inside their hearts, they all wished that Lena could be the one beside Jaejoong right now . . . and not Keiko.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Micky quickly got up and went to the door.

Several minutes passed, he returned into the room holding a big brown envelope. The expression on his face was quite dark and scary. He was obviously very angry, and somehow his eyes couldn't hide his emotions.

"What's wrong?" Xiah asked with concern.

"What's that you're holding?" U-Know asked as well.

Micky just continued to stare blankly at his friends, as if thinking of something very important.

"Why? What happened? Why are you suddenly angry?" Max asked curiously.

Micky tried to control himself. "I just found out something very interesting."

"What?" Max asked again.

"You will all find out . . . as soon as Keiko shows up . . . I want it to be a surprise," Micky answered as he gritted his teeth in anger.

Xiah, Max and U-Know exchanged glances with one another. They didn't know what was going on . . . But they had a feeling it was something very important.

Time ticked away . . . All of them patiently waited until Keiko finally arrived.

As soon as she entered the room, a devilish grin appeared on Micky's face. "The show has just begun," he finally uttered.


CHAPTER 54


Jaejoong sadly stared at the painting that Lena gave him. Memories were constantly playing in his head, as if trying to torture him, day and night.

"I'm sorry, Lena. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to take care of you . . . I'm sorry that I easily gave up on our love. I know I've hurt you badly because of the foolish things I did . . . Somehow I can't help but wonder . . .Where are you now Lena? I know you're with Daichi. And just thinking that he's beside you right now is already killing me," tear slowly started to race down Jaejoong's face. "I'm sorry, Lena. I know that even if I say it a million times, I can never undo all the foolish things that I did and all the hurtful words that I said. My mind is all messed up . . . that I can't seem to think straight."

He suddenly cupped his face with his hands. "What should I do Lena? What should I do? I can't move on. . . No matter how I tried. . . I can't get you out of my mind . . .Now I know you're the one I truly love. So please tell me . . . how am I supposed to continue living when my heart is constantly crying out for you? How can I continue holding Keiko's hand . . . when it is your hand I am searching for? Please tell me, how can I hide the truth? I don't want Keiko to get hurt over and over again because of me . . . How can I pretend? What should I do? How I wished that I could just die here . . . right now. I don't want to feel the pain anymore. And I certainly don't want to hurt Keiko and our child. Please god . . . help me . . .I'm so confused," he uttered as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Several minutes passed . . . Soft knocks were suddenly heard. Jaejoong tried to wipe away his tears.

"Come in," he tried to utter.

Keiko slowly entered his room. "Jaejoong, aren't you hungry yet? How about if we have breakfast already? Your friends are already waiting for you," she said sweetly.

Jaejoong tried to act normal. He didn't want to hurt Keiko's feelings anymore. He was still constantly reminding himself that she was carrying his child.

"I'm not hungry yet," he just replied.

"Oh come on, Jae . . . Let's eat already. Our baby is hungry already. You don't want anything bad to happen to our baby, would you?" Keiko said with a sweet smile.

Jaejoong sighed. "Fine . . . let's eat," he said in defeat. Keiko had been using her condition to constantly push him to do things she wanted him to do. And because he was very concerned with their baby, all he could do was follow her every whim.

Xiah, Micky, U-Know and Max were already eating in the dining room when Keiko and Jaejoong entered.

"Hyung, let's eat," Max said with a smile.

Jaejoong sadly stared at his friends. He already knew what they were thinking. Just like him, they were already tired of Keiko as well.

Ever since Lena left, Keiko had been acting weird. She became more possessive and demanding. And she had been continuously monitoring and checking all of Jaejoong's moves.

"Let's eat, baby," Keiko lovingly said to Jaejoong.

Micky tried to control himself. He needed to wait until the right time came.

Keiko continued to act sweet and caring to Jaejoong, while they were eating. Somehow Keiko's act had already made Micky's temper rise.

"You're really quite good in acting. Maybe you should try acting instead of modelling," Micky said to Keiko with a hint of anger in his voice.

"What? What are you trying to say?" Keiko asked irritatedly.

"Aren't you tired yet? Why don't you stop pretending and just be honest with yourself," Micky said again.

Keiko looked at Micky with a strange look on her face. "Can you stop pestering me? You're ruining my appetite . . . and you're upsetting me and my baby."

"I'm upsetting you . . . and your baby? Oh really? What baby? And whose baby are you referring to?" Micky asked with sarcasm.

"Micky, stop it. Enough with your foolishness," Jaejoong tried to warn his friend.

"My foolishness? If there is someone who is being a fool here . . . it isn't me . . .It's you," Micky answered back.

"Micky . . . please no more fighting. We're eating," U-Know tried to calm down Micky.

"Yes, just shut up Micky. You're ruining everyone's breakfast," Keiko said with irritation.

Micky laughed. "You're really funny, Keiko. Frankly you're one extraordinary woman. Tell me, do you even have a conscience?"

"What?" Keiko asked angrily.

"Micky, that's enough," Jaejoong said with a raised voice.

But Micky was already very angry as well. He wasn't going to stop, no matter how hard his friends tried to stop him.

"Tell me Keiko . . . how does it feel to actually cause someone else's suffering? Doesn't it bother you that while you're trying to fool somebody . . . a woman and a child is suffering? Are you really that evil . . . that you don't even care?" Micky continuously asked Keiko.

Keiko stared at Micky. Her heart was pounding very hard. She didn't know how to respond to his questions. Somehow her whole body was already trembling in fear.

"So . . . why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Am I already hitting on your conscience? Or maybe you're just afraid . . ." Micky continued.

"Micky, what are you talking about?' Xiah asked, quite confused.

Keiko looked at Jaejoong. She didn't want to lose him. She was willing to do anything for him.

"Look, Micky . . . I don't want any more trouble. Just leave me and Jaejoong alone please . . . for the sake of my baby," Keiko said in a soft voice.

"Baby? What baby?" Micky asked with a maddening grin.

Keiko's eyes were already wide with shock. And her heart was already beating very fast.

"Micky . . ." Xiah uttered with concern.

"Just shut up! If you want to cause more trouble, be my guest. You're crazy! I think you've totally gone mad," Keiko said with anger in her eyes. She had suddenly become so desperate to defend herself.

"If I'm crazy . . . then you're much worst . . . A beautiful creature . . . yet so deceitful and evil," Micky said with a hidden meaning.

"Come on, Keiko. I've had enough of this. Let's leave," Jaejoong said as he was about to stand up.

"Wait . . . Before you go, I have a gift for both of you . . ." Micky spoke.

"A gift . . . Micky, what's happening to you?" Jaejoong asked with worry.

Micky slowly stood up and went out of the room. After a few minutes, he returned with a big brown envelope in his hand.

"What's that?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

"This? This is my gift . . . for you and Keiko," Micky replied.

"Jaejoong . . ." Keiko uttered with fear.

Micky then gave the envelope to Jaejoong. "See . . . what is inside," he said.

Jaejoong slowly took out the papers that were inside the envelope. He read all the papers . . . one by one.

"Why?" Jaejoong couldn't help but utter. His whole body was already trembling with anger that was building inside of him.

"Jaejoong . . ." Keiko uttered as she slowly tried to touch his arm.

But Jaejoong quickly drew away from her.

"Why?" he asked again while staring straight at Keiko. "Why did you lie to me? How could you lie to me?"

"Jaejoong, what are you talking about?" Keiko asked in total denial.

"What's the meaning of this?" Jaejoong shouted as he violently threw the papers he was holding at Keiko.

Shocked and scared . . . Keiko picked up the papers and read what was written on it.

Slowly . . . her eyes became wide with shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was the result of the medical examination she had two weeks before.

Keiko stared at Jaejoong with tears in her eyes. "Jaejoong, please let me explain," she said with a trembling voice.

"Explain what? That you've been fooling me all along?" Jaejoong asked angrily.

"I only did it because I . . . I love you," Keiko tried to utter.

"So . . . it is really true? You're not pregnant? You just lied to me? So that I will stay with you . . . is that it? How can you be so selfish?" Jaejoong shouted.

"I love you, Jaejoong. . .I love you," Keiko uttered.

Jaejoong felt his entire world was spinning and somehow the anger he was feeling was too much to bear.

"Get out . . ." Jaejoong shouted at Keiko.

"Jaejoong, please let me explain," she begged.

"Get out! Please leave . . . before I lose myself . . . and I end up hurting you . . ." Jaejoong shouted with anger.

Keiko started to cry uncontrollably. "Please forgive me . . . I only did it because I didn't want to lose you. I love you, Jaejoong. I'm sorry. Let's just start all over again . . .please."

"Leave! While I still have some remaining respect for you . . ." Jaejoong weakly uttered.

"Jae . . ." Keiko softly spoke.

"Please leave Keiko. And from now on . . . I don't want to see you ever again," Jaejoong said as he slowly stood up and walked out of the room.

As soon as Jaejoong left, the remaining DBSK boys slowly walked out of the room as well.

Keiko cried . . . She knew what she did was wrong. But she loved Jaejoong, and she knew lying to him was the only way she could be sure that he would stay with her. She was desperate just to have him.

"Jae . . . I'm sorry . . . Please forgive me," she uttered as tears continuously flowed down from her eyes.

The lie she made up was finally over . . . And she knew no matter what she did . . . she could no longer hold on to Jaejoong's love . . .In reality, it was never really hers in the first place. She just borrowed his heart . . . And now . . . it was time to return it to its real owner. Her tears continued to flow.

"Goodbye, Jaejoong . . . I'm sorry."


CHAPTER 55


Another week passed . . .

Max, U-Know, Xiah and Micky were all in the living room, discussing what to do with Jaejoong.

"Hyung hasn't eaten since yesterday. I'm very worried about him," Max said with frustration.

"I've already talked to him. But he still wouldn't listen. He's totally lost himself. He won't eat . . . He won't drink. All he does is stare at that painting that Lena gave him. I'm very much worried about him as well," U-Know said as he shook his head.

"It's already been a week . . . He's been drowning himself again in self-pity ever since he found out that Keiko tricked him," Xiah added with a sigh.

"He's a fool. He's wasting his time crying in his room, when he should be searching for Lena. He's free to love her again . . . He no longer has to worry about Keiko. So I don't really understand why he's just in his room . . . acting like a fool," Micky uttered with a cold tone.

"Micky, you're being harsh again. How can Jaejoong search for Lena . . . when he doesn't even know where to start. She could be here in Japan, in Korea or any country she chose," Xiah said to Micky.

Micky looked at Xiah. He knew what Xiah had said was right. If he was in Jaejoong's situation, he wouldn't know where to start looking for Lena as well. He suddenly ran his fingers through his hair. He was hurting as well. But he just kept his own emotions to himself. He was more in control compared with Jaejoong.

"Do you . . . guys think that Lena . . . has already married Daichi by now?" Max suddenly asked out of the blue.

Micky immediately looked at Max. His heart had suddenly pounded as soon as he heard Max's question. Somehow he had been trying to avoid thinking about that possibility. But Max had unexpectedly brought that fear into his heart again.

"Oh. . . I hope not. It would totally destroy Jaejoong, if that were to happen. I don't even want to iamgine what would happen is she ends up marrying Daichi," Xiah said with worry.

Max nodded his head. "Judging by the way hyung is acting right now, I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly decides to commit suicide once Lena marries Daichi," he said out loud without thinking.

"Max!" U-Know said angrily. "Don't say such things!"

"I'm sorry," Max quickly apologized after realizing what he had said.

"We've got to do something. We can't just stand by and watch Jaejoong destroy himself," Xiah spoke.

"What do you suggest we do? Just like what you said earlier . . . we don't know where Lena is," Micky voiced out.

"How about . . . if we talked to his mother? Maybe if we told his mother about what is happening to him . . . maybe she can help to put some sense into him," Max suggested.

U-Know and Xiah exchanged glances. Max had a wonderful idea. And somehow they hoped it would actually work.

"That's a great idea. Let's call his mother right now," Xiah uttered excitedly.

U-Know and Max nodded their heads in agreement. While Micky just kept silent. Even though he was hurting, he was still concerned with his friend. He still wanted to help him.

An hour later . . . .

Jaejoong was staring out of the window in his room.

"Lena, where are you? Everything is cleared up now. I no longer need to marry Keiko. She's not really pregnant. Where are you? Are you married to Daichi now? Why did you have to leave me? I'm going crazy just thinking about you. You should have stayed with me. You belong to me . . . you and our baby. How am I supposed to live now? You're the only thing in my mind right now. It's like I can't breathe whenever I think about you and Daichi. I can't accept that he's the one beside you now. Please come back to me. I'll do anything you want, just come back to me. I'll give up everything I have now, even my career, just to have you back. I can't live without you Lena. I would rather die than live my whole life without you. Where are you? I need to see you . . . I need to talk to you . . . I need you in my life. Please come back to me. I'm begging you . . ." he uttered as tears streamed down his face.

Unexpectedly his phone started to ring. Somehow he wanted to just ignore it, but he suddenly thought that maybe it would be Lena calling him. He hurriedly picked up his phone and answered it.

"Hello . . ." he uttered as he tried to control his voice.

"Jaejoong," a woman's voice spoke.

"Mother?" Jaejoong asked.

"How are you?" the old woman asked with concern.

"I . . .I'm fine. Why are you calling me all of a sudden? Is there something wrong?" he asked with concern.

"I think I should be the one asking that question. Your friends called me, and they told me about what is happening to you. They are all very concerned about you," the old woman spoke softly.

"Mother . . ." Jaejoong uttered. "I . . .I'm sorry."

"Why are you saying sorry?" the old woman asked.

"I'm sorry I'm acting like this. I'm sorry that I'm making you worried," he simply replied.

"Jaejoong, I understand that you're hurt. But you shouldn't punish yourself like this. I know Lena wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," she tried to reason with him.

"Lena . . .Lena . . . She already left . . . for the second time. I'm hurt, Mother. I'm in so much pain that I think I'm going insane. I love her so much. I don't think I can ever learn how to forget her. What am I supposed to do, Mother? I can't do anything else except think about her. She's constantly in my mind. I know I need to find her. . . but I don't know where to start. I'm going crazy . . . I need to find her before she marries Daichi," Jaejoong uttered as tears fell from his eyes.

The old woman's heart ached. How she pitied his son.

"Jaejoong . . . do you really love Lena?" she asked.

"I love her with all my heart and soul. I would gladly give up my life for her. That's how much I love her," he quickly answered.

"Then . . . if you really love her . . . go and find her," she uttered softly.

"I don't know where to start. I don't have any idea where she is . . ." he replied with frustration.

"You don't have to go far, my son. As soon as your friends told me everything, I immediately talked with Lena's mother. . . She's here in Korea, Jaejoong. Lena is here . . . back in her house," the old woman revealed.

"What?" Jaejoong asked. He couldn't believe what he just heard. "Lena is in Korea?"

"Yes. It seems the man she's going to marry brought her home first. But there is a big problem," the old woman slowly uttered.

"What? What's the problem?" Jaejoong asked nervously.

"She will be leaving Korea tomorrow. . . and even her mother doesn't have any idea where she will be going afterwards. You only have a few hours before she leaves . . . You will need to act fast. Her flight will be early in the morning. You don't have much time left," the old woman said.

Jaejoong suddenly felt alive again. It was like a new kind of strength and determination filled his entire soul. He suddenly found the will to fight again.

"Thank you Mother," he uttered happily.

"Jae . . ." the old woman uttered.

"Yes Mother?"

"Try your best to win her back. I wish you all the luck . . . I hope you'll be able to win back your happiness," the old woman spoke.

"Yes, Mother. I'll do anything just to have her back in my life again. I won't let her leave me this time. . . Even if I have to beg her a million times . . . I will gladly do it. I'll make sure that she returns to me. . . I need her . . . her and our baby," Jaejoong said with so much emotion.

"Good luck, my son. Be careful on your way here . . . You have to go now . . . Get Lena . . . Get your happiness . . ." the old woman said as tears were slowly forming in her eyes.

"Goodbye, Mother . . . and thank you," Jaejoong said as he slowly closed his phone.

Jaejoong quickly grabbed his things. He needed to go to Korea fast.

"Hyung, where are you going?" Max asked, quite surprised.

"I'm going to Korea," Jaejoong replied.

"To Korea? Why?" Xiah asked as well.

"My mother told me that Lena is back in their house. But she will be leaving in a few hours so I need to get there as soon as possible," Jaejoong explained.

"We will go with you," U-Know uttered.

"No! I need to do this alone," Jaejoong uttered.

The other DBSK boys quickly looked at each other. Somehow they understood what Jaejoong wanted.

"All right . . . Just make sure you get her this time," Micky said with a smile.

Jaejoong looked at Micky. It had been such a long time since he saw Micky smile at him.

"Thank you . . . and don't worry. I'll make sure that she ends up with me," he quickly replied with a smile as well.

Xiah, Max and U-Know stared at their two friends. They were all very happy that somehow the barrier between Micky and Jaejoong had finally been broken.

"Good luck," Xiah uttered happily.

Jaejoong quickly nodded.

"Good luck, hyung," Max said with a smile.

"Go . . . and get her," Xiah added.

"Be careful," U-Know uttered.

Jaejoong nodded once again before finally going out of the apartment. His steps were quick and full of energy and hope.

His heart was pounding very hard and beating very fast. He knew he needed to get to Lena before it is too late again.

"Lena . . . wait for me. Please wait for me . . . I'm coming . . ." he continuously uttered.





CHAPTER 56


Lena had been staring out of the window of her room for more than an hour. She couldn't understand what she was feeling. It has been a very long time since she was able to peacefully stare at the sky. . . no fear . . . no worries.

She was finally home now. Her parents already knew everything. She didn't need to hide anymore. Daichi had already told her parents about what happened to her. And he had also cleared out the matter concerning Jaejoong and the child she was carrying.

Lena sighed. No matter how much she tried to avoid thinking about Jaejoong, he just keeps on appearing in her mind . . . over and over again.

She sadly looked at the spot where the painting she gave Jaejoong used to be placed. A smile suddenly appeared on her lips. She suddenly remembered the first time that they saw that painting. Somehow she could still remember their faces as they both stared at that painting. She loved that painting and she was missing it badly.

"How are you Jaejoong? What are you doing right now? I miss you . . ." she slowly uttered.

"You're thinking about him again?" Daichi suddenly asked as he placed his hands on Lena's shoulder.

Lena turned her wheelchair around. She was too busy thinking about Jaejoong that she didn't realize that Daichi was already standing beside her.

"Daichi . . . how long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Long enough to hear what you said," he replied with a hurt look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry . . . I just can't help it. Everything I see . . . everything I do . . . reminds me of him," she said as she lowered her head in sadness.

Daichi looked out of the window as well. His heart was aching badly, but he couldn't show it. He didn't want to cause Lena any worries. He loved her too much that he was willing to sacrifice his own emotions.

"We'll be leaving in a few hours . . . Get some rest," he said as he slowly looked at Lena.

"Where are we going Daichi?" she suddenly asked.

"Far away . . . in a place where you will never think about Jaejoong ever again . . . A place where we can start our own memories," Daichi replied.

Lena looked straight into Daichi's eyes. "Daichi . . . are you really sure . . . you want to do this?"

"Are you hesitating again?" Daichi suddenly asked with a hint of irritation.

Lena immediately noticed the sudden change in Daichi's face.

"I'm sorry . . . Please don't get mad," she apologized.

"I've already done everything for you . . . And I'm willing to do anything for you . . . What more do you want? You're killing me, Lena . . . You're killing me with your actions and your words . . . But because I love you, I just try to accept everything . . . the humiliation, the pain, the fear, the self-pity . . . Don't I deserve some happiness? Can't you just forget about Jaejoong? What does he have that I don't? Tell me! I'm willing to do anything just to have you," Daichi said with anger and desperation in his voice.

"Daichi, I'm sorry if I'm hurting you . . . I'm sorry," she quickly said.

Daichi slowly closed his eyes. He then drew in a deep breath. He was being emotional and harsh with Lena, and he didn't want that. He tried to control all his emotions and tried to erase all the things that were clouding his mind. He then opened his eyes and stared directly at Lena.

"I'm sorry too. . . I shouldn't have said those words. I'm sorry, Lena. . . Do you think you can forgive me?" he asked with a low voice.

Lena moved her wheelchair next to Daichi, then she took his hand and gently held it.

"Let's just forget about what happened . . . We have been through so much already . . . We both need a fresh start," Lena uttered.

Daichi nodded, then he gently kissed Lena on the forehead. "Go to sleep and get some rest," he lovingly uttered.

Lena smiled. "I'll sleep after I'm done looking at the stars . . . besides I'm not tired yet."

"After you're done looking at the stars?" Daichi asked, then he laughed. "Lena, you'll never grow tired of looking at the stars . . . It's like your addiction."

Lena lightly laughed. "You really know me . . . All right . . . I'll sleep after an hour, okay . . .promise," she said with a sweet smile.

Daichi's heart jumped with joy after seeing her beautiful smile. Somehow he still couldn't believe that she belonged to him now.

"Fine. Just don't stay up too late. We have an early flight and you're not supposed to get yourself tired. It's bad for the baby . . ." he lovingly said.

Lena nodded, then she smiled again. "Yes, sir . . . I understand," she lovingly said.

Daichi gently kissed Lena on the lips, then he carefully touched Lena's abdomen. "Goodnight, baby . . . I love you . . ." he uttered.

Lena laughed. "Why are you saying goodnight to my baby already?"

He stared at Lena's eyes. "I've promised myself that starting from today . . . I'm going to say good morning, good night and I love you to our baby everyday. So that our baby will know how much I love her . . . or him," he said with the sweetest smile.

Lena's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Somehow what Daichi had said touched her heart deeply. She knew what Daichi said was true. She could easily see it in his eyes. He loves the child growing inside her like it was his own child.

"Daichi . . . what did I do to deserve you?" she suddenly asked while gazing directly into his eyes.

"Lena?" he uttered.

"You've done so much for me, while I haven't done a single good thing for you. You've also been hurt because of me . . . But why? . . . Why are you still beside me? Aren't you tired? You've already given me all your love . . . that you didn't leave even a small part for yourself. You've given me so much kindness, understanding and love . . . that I don't even know if I can return even half of it . . ." she said with a low voice.

Daichi let out a sigh. "You don't have to return anything. I loved you without any conditions . . . ."

"Daichi, I don't know if I can ever be a good wife to you," she said with concern in her eyes.

"You'll be the perfect wife and mother, I know it. So don't worry too much," he lovingly said as he caressed her face.

"Thank you . . . Thank you for loving me," she slowly uttered.

Daichi smiled. "I need to go downstairs first. Your father and I need to discuss something. I'll just come back after an hour to help you go to bed okay?"

Lena nodded. "What are you going to talk about with my father?" she asked curiously.

"Lots of things . . . but mostly about our wedding. He wants the wedding to be done here in Korea. And he's saying that we should have the wedding before this month ends," he replied.

"Oh, I see. Just bear with my father okay? I know he can be a little bit demanding and authoritative. He always wants to be the one in control of everything," she said.

Daichi laughed. "Don't worry. I'm already used to your father's attitude. My mother is much more worst than him remember?"

Lena giggled. "Yeah, I know."

"I'll go now . . ." he uttered as he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Don't drink too much . . . If I'm correct, my father will surely offer you a glass of wine before you guys talk," she lovingly reminded him.

Daichi nodded. "Don't worry . . ." he replied with a smile before leaving the room.

As soon as Daichi left, Lena sadly stared at the sky again.

"I still can't believe this is happening to me. This is like a dream . . . a very bad dream . . . I wish I can wake up and find myself back to my former life. . . A life where I can freely love you, Jaejoong . . . where there is no Keiko to think of . . ." she uttered as tears slowly started to fall.

She continued to gaze at the twinkling stars, but her tears were already clouding her eyes.

In the living room downstairs. . .

"Is she asleep already?" Lena's father asked Daichi.

"No, she said she will sleep after an hour. I'll just go up again later to help her go to bed," Daichi answered as he sat down in front of the old man.

"Don't spoil her . . . You should learn how to handle her. You should be more strict with her," the old man uttered as he handed Daichi a glass of wine.

Daichi smiled. He suddenly remembered what Lena had said.

"I'm not spoiling her, Father . . . I'm just respecting her decisions," Daichi uttered as he slowly tasted the wine he was holding.

Lena's father nodded. "You're really a good man, Daichi. My daughter is very lucky to have you."

Daichi shook his head. "I'm the one who is lucky . . . Lena is a very special woman. I'm very grateful that she finally agreed to be my wife."

"Are you sure . . . you're really going to marry Lena inspite of the fact that she's carrying Jaejoong's child? Are you sure you've already accepted Lena's condition?" the old man asked seriously.

Daichi took a big gulp from his glass before answering. "I love Lena with all my heart and soul. I love everything about her . . . all her perfections and all her faults . . . I have already accepted her child like it is my own flesh and blood. You don't have to worry . . . I will treat the child like it is my own. No one will ever know that the child isn't mine."

Lena's father nodded his head in approval. "That's good. Now I see that I don't have anything to be worried about," he said with a sudden smile. "Where do you plan to go while I'm arranging your wedding?"

"Frankly I still don't have any specific place in mind. We'll just go traveling from one country to another . . . so to avoid Jaejoong from being able to track us down. Just in case, he suddenly changes his mind and comes looking for Lena again," Daichi answered.

"Why? Do you think there's a chance that he will actually return to Lena? Didn't you say that he already got that girl pregnant? With that given situation . . . how could he possibly go back to Lena?" the old man asked as he continuously shook his head in disbelief and regret of what happened to Jaejoong.

Daichi stared at Lena's father. He could easily see that the old man had some sympathy for Jaejoong.

"Jaejoong loves Lena very much . . . And the only thing that’s preventing him from going back to Lena is the child that his current girlfriend is carrying . . . As for his girlfriend, I think he doesn't really love her at all . . . Let's just say, it was just a little game for him . . . that suddenly became serious," he uttered.

The old man looked at Daichi. "Even if it wasn't serious for him . . . he still got that girl pregnant . . . and now he has to pay for it."

Daichi nodded. "I just hope that he doesn't bother us anymore . . ."

Lena's father was about to say something when . . . .

"Sir, a young man is shouting outside and calling out for Miss Lena," one of the guards reported.

Daichi felt his heart had suddenly stopped. Fear immediately crept into his heart. Then he exchanged glances with Lena's father.

"It's already late . . . No one knows she's here . . . Who could it be?" the old man asked curiously.

"Could it be?" Daichi uttered. "No . . . please . . .no," he said again as his heart started to beat very fast. Somehow he already knew who it was . . . but he still couldn't believe . . . he didn't want to believe . . . .


CHAPTER 57



Jaejoong was outside the gate of Lena's home. He was continuously asking for the guard to let him in and let him see her. But the guard just ignored him.

"Lena . . . Lena . . . Please I need to talk to you . . . Lena . . . I love you . . ." Jaejoong shouted as he stood outside the gate,

"Be quiet! Miss Lena isn't here. How many times do I have to tell you . . . she's not here. Go home. You're just wasting your time, and you're disturbing the people inside. It's already late. They are already sleeping," the guard said with irritation.

"I know she's inside. Please let me in. I just need to talk to her. . . even for a few minutes. I just want to tell to her something . . . something very important . . . Please . . ." Jaejoong begged.

The guard shook his head. "Sorry. Just go home. You're just wasting your time. You will never see her."

"Lena! Lena! Lena!" Jaejoong shouted again. He knew if he shouted loud enough she would be able to hear him, since her room was faced in front of the gate.

In Lena's room . . . .

A voice suddenly caught Lena's attention. It was a very familiar voice . . . her heart immediately recognized it.

"Impossible . . ." she uttered as she quickly went ot the window where the gate was seen.

As soon as Lena saw who was standing outside of the gaet, her heart quickly started to get confused. She didn't know what to do.

"Jaejoong . . ." she uttered with a trembling voice.

As if he heard her, Jaejoong suddenly looked up at Lena's room. His heart instantly regained its strength after seeing Lena.

"Lena . . . Lena . . . Please let's talk," Jaejoong shouted with desperation.

Lena didn't know what to do. Somehow she wanted to go and talk to him. But she also knew it wasn't right. She just continued to stare at him with pity in her heart.

"Stay away from the window!" Daichi said as he quickly moved Lena away from the window.

"Daichi," she uttered. She then looked at the worried expression on his face.

"I'll talk to him. . . I'll make him leave. . . Just promise me, you won't go to him," Daichi said with fear in his eyes.

Lena didn't know what to do or say. So she just nodded her head and just kept silent.

Daichi quickly covered all the windows with the curtains. He was afraid that if Lena continued to see Jaejoong, she would suddenly decide to return to him.

"Just stay here . . . Ignore everything you hear . . . I'll make him stop . . . Don't worrry," he said to her. Then he hurriedly went out of the room.

Lena closed her eyes. she could still hear Jaejoong shouting outside . . . begging her to come out and talk to him even for a few minutes. Her heart was slowly being crushed as she tried to ignore what she was hearing. Somehow she wanted to pretend that she wasn't hearing anything. And somehow she wanted herself to be numb to the pain that was stabbing her heart over and over again.

Jaejoong already belonged to Keiko. He has a responsibility to her and their baby . . . Lena kept on telling herself just to make herself hold on and stop herself from going back to Jaejoong.

As Jaejoong kept on shouting outside, Lena felt like she was dying. As she slowly opened her eyes, tears immediately streamed down her face.

"Jaejoong. . . I'm sorry. . . Even if I still love you . . . I can't go back now . . . You have to learn to move on . . ." she uttered.

At the gate . . . .

Daichi hurriedly approached the gate. He was having mixed emotions as he walked up to where Jaejoong was. He was angry, sad and scared all at the same time. How he wished that Jaejoong would just leave and let him have Lena without anymore problems.

"Daichi . . . please let me see Lena. I've got to tell her something. Please let me talk to her even for a few minutes . . . even a minute will do . . . Please," Jaejoong begged desperately.

Daichi somehow felt pity for Jaejoong. But he still tried to keep his heart cold and numb. He didn't want to give in to his emotions. Because he knew if he did, he might lose Lena forever.

"Jaejoong, please leave. Lena doesn't want to see you anymore. You're already disturbing a lot of people here. Just leave Lena alone . . . Just leave . . . us . . . alone. She doesn't belong to you anymore. So just accept it," Daichi said with a very cold tone.

Jaejoong shook his head. "No! I won't accept it. I love her and she loves me too. Please let me talk to her. I've got to tell her that Keiko isn't really pregnant. She was just lying to stop me from leaving her. I've already separated with Keiko. I've already cleared everything concerning Keiko. Lena and I can love each other freely now . . . She can return to me now . . . she and our baby . . . Please Daichi let her go . . . She belongs with me. I'm the one she loves and I'm the one who should be responsible for our baby. Please return her to me. . . I need her . . . I can't live without her," Jaejoong begged as tears unexpectedly rolled down his face.

Daichi's expression hardened. "Do you actually expect that Lena will return to you after she learns that your girlfriend was just lying? Are you even thinking, Jaejoong? Or have you really lost your mind? Wake up, Jaejoong . . . Even without Keiko in your life now . . . Lena, will never . . . ever return to you again. You've already hurt her many times . . . I won't allow her to go back to you again."

"But Daichi, she's carrying my child . . ." Jaejoong uttered.

"So what? The child won't be a problem. . . I'll take care of the child and treat it like my own," Daichi immediately replied.

"No, Daichi. Please return her to me. Our baby needs me . . . I'm the real father . . ." Jaejoong tried to reason with Daichi.

"Father? What a good father you have been. . . Lena just disappeared for a few months, and you already got yourself a new girlfriend . . . plus you've already slept with the girl . . . What a good example you make," Daichi said with irritation.

Jaejoong suddenly lowered his head. He felt beaten and he knew what Daichi had said was true.

"Leave . . . Jaejoong . . . It is the best for everyone . . ." Daichi said coldly.

"No . . . I will wait here . . . Until she comes out and comes back to me," Jaejoong uttered with determination in his voice.

Daichi gave Jaejoong a cold stare. "Suit yourself . . ." he said as he quickly turned around and left.

Jaejoong's heart was already being filled with doubt as he silently watched Daichi go back inside the house. He knew that there was a big possibility that Lena will not see him, even if he waited the whole night for her.

"I've got to hold on . . . I've got to wait . . .I've got to believe . . . I know she still loves me . . . She will come . . . I know she will . . ." he uttered to himself.

Inside the house . . . .

"Why didn't you make him leave?" Lena's father asked Daichi.

"I already told him to leave. But he's quite stubborn. He said that he won't leave and will just wait outside . . . until Lena comes back to him," Daichi replied.

Lena's father laughed. "He's a fool. Let him wait then . . . Just make sure that Lena doesn't go out of her room."

Daichi nodded. "But I'm really curious as to how Jaejoong knew that Lena is here . . ." he suddenly uttered.

"Yes, I'm quite curious as well. I'm sure one of the people working here inside the house told him. . . If I ever find out who that person is . . . I will surely fire him and make him regret what he did . . ." the old man said with an angry tone.

"It's a her, dear . . . not a him. . . And you can't possibly fire me . . . but you can divorce me. And as to making me regret what I did . . . I don't think I will ever regret helping my daughter. . ." Lena's mother said as she slowly walked up to the two men.

"You? But why?" Lena's father asked with shock and disbelief written all over his face.

Lena's mother looked at her husband, then at Daichi.

"I'm sorry, Daichi. I know how much you love my daughter . . . and I'm very grateful for everything you've done for her. But my heart . . . a mother's heart . . . still tells me that you're not the one for Lena. Yes, Jaejoong made some mistakes. But I still believe that everyone deserves a second chance. My heart tells me that Jaejoong will be the only man who can make my daughter truly happy. Please understand . . . that even if Lena ends up marrying you . . . her heart will always be somewhere else. Her heart will always be with Jaejoong. No matter how hard you try to patch up all the differences and barriers between the two of you . . . there will still come a time that you will eventually grow tired. You may say you love her now . . . but what happens when you can't pretend anymore . . . and your heart has already grown tired of believing? Will you still have the strength to live with her? . . . To take care of her? Think hard, Daichi . . . I'm not only concerned about Lena or Jaejoong . . . but you as well. I don't want to see the three of you end up living the rest of your lives in regret and pain. Stop pretending, Daichi. . . We all know that Lena still loves Jaejoong. Just set her free . . . for the very last time," she said with mixed emotions visible in her eyes.

Daichi stared at Lena's mother. Somehow everything that she had said made him more confused. He knew she had a point . . . but his heart was still telling him to just hold on to Lena. He loved her too much, and he didn't want to let her go.

"I'm sorry, Mother. But I love Lena . . . I won't let her go," Daichi uttered as he quickly left the living room.

Lena's mother sadly watched as Daichi left silently.

"What were you thinking? Why do you still want Lena to end up with Jaejoong? Are you blind? Daichi is a much better man than him," the old man said to his wife angrily.

The old woman stared back at her husband with a blank expression on her face.

"I don't care who is a better man . . . What I care about is my daughter's happiness . . . I only want the best for Lena . . . I want her to be happy . . . And I know Jaejoong is her only happiness," she replied.

The old man didn't know what to say. He was suddenly lost for words.

"Let Lena decide again . . . I believe this time she will make the right choice," the old woman said to her husband as she slowly left the room.

Upstairs . . . in Lena's room . . .

Daichi slowly opened the door. He was already expecting to see Lena crying, but his heart still ached after actually seeing the miserable condition she was in.

Lena was crying uncontrollably on her wheelchair. Somehow the sight made Daichi's entire being sick. Daichi decided that he couldn't face her now . . . Somehow he couldn't bear to face her and just watch her cry. He then closed the door again. It was better to just leave Lena alone, he decided.

As Lena cried miserably inside her room, Daichi was just standing outside the door of her room . . . listening to her pitiful cries.

Daichi's heart was bleeding as he continued to listen to Lena's cries while leaning on the door. He felt so miserable as well. He wanted to make Lena stop crying . . . It was driving him insane, knowing she was hurting. He knew he needed to decide . . . whether to continue or to let go . . .

Slowly tears rolled down from his eyes . . .




CHAPTER 58


Three hours passed . . . .

Jaejoong was still patiently waiting outside of Lena's house, despite of the cold and hunger he was feeling. He hasn't taken any food or water for more than a day. But he didn't care. All he cared about was getting Lena back.

Jaejoong shivered as a cold wind passed. He tried to make himself warm by rubbing his palms together. Somehow he felt like his body was going to give up any minute.

The two guards at the gate just shook their heads, as they silently watched Jaejoong. They pitied him, but there was nothing else they could do to help him.

Then . . . as if nature was teasing Jaejoong . . . rain started to fall.

Jaejoong stretched his arm and opened his hand, then he stared at the tiny rain drops slowly falling on his hand. Suddenly his arm fell down to his side again. He was already losing all his hopes of seeing Lena again.

"Why is it . . . rain always falls whenever Lena and I are in pain?" he started to ask himself and wonder.

Jaejoong continued to just stand still. He didn't care about himself anymore. He didn't care that he was already soaked in the rain. His whole body trembled, but he just ignored it.

In Lena's room . . . .

Lena had already noticed the sound of rain falling. She hurriedly opened the curtains and looked out of the window.

Somehow her heart immediately stopped after seeing Jaejoong's pitiful condition. He was still standing outside the gate . . . soaked in the rain . . .

"Fool . . . why are you still standing there? Just leave . . . Forget about me . . . You'll get sick, if you continue to stand there . . . Just go, Jaejoong . . . please," Lena uttered with concern. She continued to watch Jaejoong, while hiding behind a curtain.

Another hour passed . . . .

Tears were already streaming down from Lena's eyes.

"You'll get sick, Jaejoong . . . Don't do this please . . . Just go . . . Stop your foolishness . . . I don't want you to get sick . . . Come on, Jaejoong. . . Don't be stubborn," she continuously uttered with concern.

Then . . . unexpectedly Jaejoong fell down on his knees. He was already very tired and weak.

"Jaejoong!" Lena cried out in fear.

Suddenly Lena's wheelchair moved away from the window. Lena looked at who was behind her.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered.

Daichi then slowly pushed Lena's wheelchair out of her room.

"Daichi, where are you taking me?" Lena asked.

"I'm taking you . . . where you truly belong," he simply replied with extreme sadness in his voice.

Daichi slowly took Lena into his arms, then he gently carried her down the stairs.

"Daichi," Lena uttered with a trembling voice. She could easily see that he was hurting.

As soon as they were down the stairs, Daichi then placed Lena into another wheelchair. Then with a heavy heart, he pushed her wheelchair towards the front door.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered again, as if questioning him what he was doing.

But Daichi just continued to push Lena's wheelchair until they reached the door. Then before he opened the door, he knelt down in front of Lena. . . .

Tears were already forming in his eyes.

"Daichi . . .why? Why are you crying?" Lena asked with concern. She gently caressed his face, as if to comfort him.

Daichi took Lena's hands and gently kissed each hand. Then as he held her hands, his tears started to fall.

"Daichi . . . what's wrong? Please . . . don't cry . . ." Lena uttered as tears were also forming in her eyes.

Daichi looked deep into Lena's eyes. Somehow he felt his heart was going to explode. At that moment, how he wished that he could just wither away and die.

"Lena . . . I want you to remember that I love you . . . No matter who you are with, I will always love you and keep a special part of you locked in my heart. If there comes a time that you will need me again . . . always remember . . . I'm here for you. I will gladly do anything for you," he said as tears continuously flowed from his eyes. Then he lovingly touched Lena's face, and he started to look at every part of her face. He wanted to memorize all of it, and keep it locked away in his heart and mind. "Take care of yourself, Lena. . . I love you . . ." he said as he finally broke down into a sob, and placed his head on Lena's lap.

"Daichi . . . why? Why are you saying goodbye?" Lena asked as she tried to comfort him by caressing his head.

Daichi tried to control himself. He tried to stop himself from crying and looked at Lena again.

"Promise me, you'll take good care of yourself . . . Always eat on time . . . Don't stay up too late . . . Don't do things that might make you tired . . . Promise me, you'll remember me . . ." he said with extreme sadness so visible in his eyes.

"Why are you saying those things?" she asked again, as if totally confused.

"Because . . . because I'm letting you go again. . . for the very last time . . . I'm returning you to Jaejoong. I know how much you love him, and I can see that he loves you too. Even if my heart doesn't agree with my decision, I know I'm still doing the right thing. The two of you . . . belong together. I know he's the only one who can give you the happiness you deserve," he uttered with sadness.

"But . . . he already has Keiko . . . What about the baby she's carrying? I can't possibly return to him now . . . I don't want an innocent child to suffer because of me," she said sadly.

Daichi shook his head. "You don't have anything to be worried about anymore . . . Keiko isn't pregnant. She was just lying so she could keep Jaejoong beside her . . . There's no child to worry about . . . You're both free to love each other now . . ."

Lena stared at Daichi. Somehow she couldn't believe what she just heard. "How? How did you know?" she asked with a trembling voice.

"Jaejoong told me. That's the reason why he's here. He wanted to tell you that Keiko was just lying," Daichi answered.

Lena's heart suddenly jumped with joy. But her happiness was immediately replaced with confusion.

"But Daichi . . . what about you? I've already agreed to marry you. . . I can't possibly leave you again," she said with concern.

Daichi tried to put on a smile. Then he tightly held her hands. "You don't have to worry about me . . . I'm much stronger that Jaejoong. I . . . I can live without you . . . and I know he can't. That's why I'm setting you free . . . I'm giving you back to him. I know he can't live without you . . ."

"Daichi . . ." Lena uttered as she started to sob. "I'm sorry . . . for hurting you again . . .I'm sorry . . ."

Daichi shook his head. "No, don't say sorry . . . You still gave me something very special. . . something I will treasure forever . . ." then he wiped away Lena's tears. "You taught me how to love sincerely Lena. You made me a better man. . . And that is something I will be forever grateful for . . ."

"Daichi . . ." Lena uttered as she embraced him tightly.

"Lena, I love you. That's why I'm doing this . . ." he uttered as he took in a deep breath. He was trying very hard to control himself. He didn't want to cry endlessly. He wanted to show Lena that he was strong.

For the very last time . . . Daichi tightly held Lena in his arms. How he wished that time could just stand still so he didn't have to let her go. But he knew it was impossible . . . He had to release her . . . even if his own heart was crying because of it.

Slowly he started to search for her lips. He wanted to kiss her for the very last time. . . He knew he will never have the chance to do it again.

Lena willingly gave in to his kisses. And while they kissed each other, both their tears started to fall again.

Somehow their hearts were saying goodbye to each other for the final time. Even though their hearts never found the right path to each other as lovers . . . they still found another path . . . a much stronger one . . . a path that will keep them together . . . Their hearts found the path of eternal friendship.

Daichi slowly drew away from Lena. He knew if he continued to kiss her . . . he might never have the courage to set her free again.

He tried to wipe away his tears, then smiled. Afterwards he also gently brushed away Lena's tears.

"From now on . . . I want you to be stronger . . . I don't want you to ever cry again . . . It's time . . . I'm giving you back to the man you really love," he said with a smile.

As Daichi slowly opened the door, he felt his heart had suddenly died. With heavy hearts, they went out of the door . . . .

Back at the gate . . . .

Jaejoong was still down on his knees. He didn't have the strength to stand up anymore. His entire body was already beginning to numb.

But despite of everything that was happening to him, he still tried to stop himself from giving up. He loved Lena, and he was willing to do anything for her.

His body shivered once again. Somehow he was already feeling hopeless and alone. He just stared at the ground as the rain continued to fall.

Suddenly . . . the rain drops stopped falling. . .

Jaejoong slowly looked up . . . someone was sheltering him with an umbrella. Somehow he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Lena . . ." he uttered as his heart was beating fast.

"Jaejoong . . ." she said with tears in her eyes.




CHAPTER 59


Jaejoong continued to stare at Lena, in total disbelief. She was finally in front of him. But he had suddenly lost all the words he wanted to say to her.

"You're already very pale, Jaejoong. Are you sick?" Lena asked with concern as she quickly touched his face to see if he had a fever.

Jaejoong gently took Lena's hand from his face, and lovingly kissed it. "I missed you Lena . . . I missed you . . ."

"Jaejoong," she uttered softly. Her heart was beating wildly as well. Everything was like a dream to her. She couldn't believe that Jaejoong was beside her now.

"I knew you couldn't bear to leave me . . . I knew you would eventually come back to me," he said with joy in his eyes.

"Your hands are so cold," Lena said. "I'm worried about you, Jaejoong. . . YOu might get sick, if you continue to be out in the rain like this. Please you have to go home now . . . You have to rest," she said softly.

Jaejoong's eyes became filled with fear again. " No! No! I won't go . . . I don't want to go . . . I don't want to go home without you. Please don't make me leave. I'm begging you. . .I have something important to tell you . . .Please just give me a few minutes," Jaejoong said with desperation. He quickly tightened his hold on her hand. "Keiko's not really pregnant . . . She was just lying. . . . I'm free now Lena. . . We can get married . . . and I can take care of you now . . . you and our baby . . . Please come back."

Somehow Lena's heart couldn't bear to see Jaejoong in such a pitiful manner.

"I already know Jaejoong," Lena said softly.

"You know? How?" he asked, quite confused.

"Daichi told me," she replied.

"Then . . . if you already know the truth. . . why are you still asking me to go home?" he asked with hurt in his eyes. It seems Lena really doesn't want to return to him anymore.

"Who said you were going home alone?" Lena said with a smile.

Jaejoong looked straight into Lena's eyes. He was very much confused and hurt.

"What? I'm not going home alone? What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm going home with you Jaejoong . . ." Lena replied with a smile.

"What?" Jaejoong asked again. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Lena's going home with you, Jaejoong. So you better make sure that you're fit enough to take care of her," Daichi suddenly said.

Jaejoong quickly stared at Daichi. It was only then that he noticed that Daichi was standing behind Lena's wheelchair.

"I'm returning Lena to you now, Jaejoong. I hope this time would be the very last time. Please take good care of her . . . Because if you don't, I'll surely come and take her away," Daichi said seriously.

Jaejoong didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.

"Please give her all the love she deserves . . . Please make her happy . . ." Daichi uttered as he tried to stop his tears from falling. How his heart ahced as he watched Jaejoong hold Lena's hand tightly.

"Thank you Daichi . . ." Jaejoong finally said.

"You're such a good man, Daichi. I know you'll find a better match for you . . . a woman who will love you and take good care of you . . . Thank you Daichi. . . Thank you for everything. I'm sorry for all the pain and trouble I've caused you . . . I hope you will also find your happiness. And please take good care of yourself," Lena softly uttered with tears in her eyes. Somehow her heart was feeling very heavy. She had been with him for a very long time now, and it was very hard for her to say goodbye.

Daichi tried to put on a smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Just promise me, you'll be happy Lena. . . that is all I want," Daichi uttered.

"Yes, I promise I will be happy," she replied with a smile.

Daichi nodded. "My car will arrive in a few minutes. I've already instructed my driver to take you wherever you want to go," he said with a smile.

"Thank you once again Daichi," Jaejoong said as he quickly stood up. Somehow all his strength has returned.

"You don't have to say thank you. Just make sure you love her and treat her right . . . that's the way I want you to thank me," Daichi said with a smile.

"I will love her with all my heart. . . I will make her happy for the rest of my life . . ." Jaejoong replied seriously.

Daichi nodded. "Goodbye . . . Lena . . . Remember I'll always love you," he spoke sadly.

As soon as Daichi turned and started to walk away, his tears immediately fell. Somehow his whole world had turned into gray. But despite of the pain he was feeling, there was still a part of him that was happy. He knew his sacrifice was going to make an innocent child happy. And somehow this thought eased some of pain in his heart.

Lena and Jaejoong silently watched until Daichi went inside the house.

"Jaejoong . . . you're going to get sick. Come on, get under my umbrella," Lena said with concern as she tried to give the umbrella to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong smiled sweetly at her. "The umbrella isn't big enough for the two of us. So just try to cover yourself. You need it more than I do. You're the one who shouldn't get sick."

"You're really stubborn," she said with a pout. She then closed the umbrella she was holding and tossed it away.

"Lena, what are you doing?" Jaejoong asked.

"If you want to continue to soak yourself in the rain, then go ahead. But I'm joining you . . ." she said with a serious expression on her face. "From now on, we are going to do everything together . . ."

Jaejoong felt his heart had started to beat very fast. He was very happy to hear such sweet words from Lena's lips. It was like his world had suddenly lit up with an unexplainable joy. He slowly knelt down in front of her.

"You're really stubborn as well, do you know that?" he asked with a smile. "But no matter how stubborn you are . . . I will still love you . . . forever . . ." he said seriously.

Lena caressed Jaejoong's face. "I love you Jaejoong. Do you know how many times I have prayed to have you back in my arms? I thought I was really going to spend the rest of my life without you . . ." she said as tears slowly appeared in her eyes.

"You don't have to cry anymore. I am here now. . . And I will never leave you again . . . I promise, I will never hurt you again. . ." Jaejoong said as he gently wiped away the rain drops that were falling down on her face.

"I love you Jaejoong . . ." she uttered with love in her eyes.

"I love you Lena . . ." he softly spoke as he gently kissed her.

The moment that their lips met . . . the rain miraculously stopped. Somehow everything became filled with a sweet sense of love and harmony. Even nature was showing its happiness, for finally . . . two long lost lovers were back in each other's arms. Jaejoong kissed Lena with the love and longing that he had been kept locked up in his heart for the whole time that they were separated. Lena was finally in his arms once again. . . and he was never going to let her go . . . ever again.

Back in the house . . .

Someone was watching in one of the windows . . .

"Good luck Lena . . . I wish you all the happiness . . . I love you . . . my friend . . ." Daichi uttered as he slowly turned away from the sight that was breaking his heart into million pieces.

In another room of the house . . .

Lena's father lovingly embraced his wife from the back, while both of them stared out of the window.

"Now . . . that is love . . . Can you see it dear? Can you feel it? That is what I want for our daughter . . ." Lena's mother said gently.

Lena's father nodded. "Now I know what you mean . . . It's a pity that Daichi was hurt in the process . . . But like what you said, love can't be forced. Now I have seen what can truly make my daughter happy . . . Thank you for making me see my wrong doings . . ." he said to his wife.

The old woman laughed lightly. "You're a wonderful and a very good man, dear. . . A little stubborn, just like your daughter . . . but I still love you without any complaints."

The old man laughed as well, then he tightened his hold on his wife. "Jaejoong is a very lucky man. I know Lena will be a very loving wife. . . just like you dear."

"They're both lucky . . . They have been in love with each other since they were young. And now they finally have the chance to love each other freely," the old woman said with a smile.

Back at the gate . . . .

Jaejoong slowly stopped kissing Lena after realizing that Daichi's car had finally arrived.

"Let's go home, Lena. . ." he said with a smile.

Lena nodded. "I'll go anywhere you want me to . . ." she said sweetly.

Jaejoong carefully carried Lena into the car, and then he quickly got into it as well. He then instructed the driver where to go.

"Let's go home to my family's house first . . . I know Mother will surely be thrilled to see you," Jaejoong said to Lena.

"Do you think your parents won't have any objections?" she asked worriedly.

Jaejoong shook his head. "Mother was the one who told me that you were here. She was the one who told me to do everything . . . just to win you back."

Lena then placed her head on Jaejoong's chest. "I'm so happy Jaejoong. I hope nothing will separate us again."

Jaejoong lovingly caressed Lena's head. "Don't worry . . . I will never let anyone or anything stand in our way again. I will fix everything . . . As soon as we arrive at my house, I will immediately talk to my parents. Then I will personally go to your parents' house to talk with them and get their permission. I want us to get married as soon as possible Lena. That is the only way I can put my heart and mind at rest."

"Jaejoong . . ." she uttered with so much joy.

"I want to marry you as soon as possible . . . because I don't want to lose you ever again . . ." Jaejoong said with love in his eyes, as he stared deep into her eyes.

Lena took Jaejoong's hand and tightly held it. Somehow everything had already fallen into its right place . . . Her heart was finally at ease. . . and all the pain, fear and anger had all disappeared.

"I love you . . ." she uttered.

"I love you . . . and our baby . . ." he said with the most wonderful smile.



CHAPTER 60


As Jaejoong laid down on his bed, he couldn't stop himself from smiling sweetly at Lena. She was also lying down beside him on his bed.

"Why are you smiling like you're crazy or something?" Lena teased.

Jaejoong faced Lena and lovingly traced her nose, then his lips with his finger.

"Because I can't believe that you're finally back in my life again . . ." Jaejoong replied seriously.

Lena smiled. "I hope this time we won't be separated again," she said with fear in her eyes.

Jaejoong lovingly took Lena into his arms. "I promise you . . . I won't let go of you ever again . . ."

Lena rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, and somehow this brought such a wonderful feeling . . . a feeling that she had been longing for . . . a very long time.

"Jae . . ."

"Hmmm . . ." he uttered.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Sorry for what?" he asked curiously.

"Sorry for everything . . ." she replied.

"Let's just forget about everything that happened. Let's leave all the unhappy memories behind, and make new and unforgettable memories that we will treasure for the years to come," he said lovingly.

Lena closed her eyes. She had never felt so peaceful and safe. This was the very first time that she wasn't thinking about anything. Both her heart and mind were finally at ease. She no longer had to worry about her parents or Daichi's mother or Daichi or Keiko or Micky . . . She was finally free of all the worries . . . She felt such unexplainable happiness.

"Jaejoong, I'm so happy . . . I really thought I was going to spend the rest of my life without you by my side," she uttered.

"Do you really think that I would be able to live without you?" he asked.

Lena opened her eyes and stared at Jaejoong. "What was I supposed to think? You already had Keiko in your life?"

Jaejoong gently kissed Lena on the forehead. "Would you believe me if I say that while I was holding Keiko in my arms . . . I was imagining that . . . you were the one I was holding?"

"What?" she asked, eyes wide with shock.

"I know I was a total jerk when I fooled around with Keiko. But you have to forgive my foolishness. . . I was sad, angry and confused . . . I wasn't really thinking straight. When you suddenly disappeared, I thought you had really abandoned me. And somehow I wanted to forget you, so I fooled around with a lot of girls. . . and then I met Keiko. She was really a nice girl when I met her. She helped me to momentarily forget all the pain I was feeling," Jaejoong confessed.

"If I didn't get pregnant . . . maybe I would have stayed away longer . . . and maybe . . . if that happened . . . you might have really ended up getting Keiko pregnant . . . Somehow just thinking about it . . . makes me shiver in fear," Lena said.

"Do you know that while you were missing . . . there were nights that I just couldn't sleep. I was always thinking about where you were . . . if you were in Daichi's arms like this . . . if he was kissing you . . . if he was touching you . . . Just thinking about those things made me insane," he continued to say.

"Daichi is the most wonderful man I ever met . . . next to you, of course. He was a total gentleman while I was with him. He never took advantage of the situation I was in, and he really took good care of me. Frankly . . . I'm so ashamed that I just sort of used him while I needed someone to lean on. I think I'm such a bad person whenever I think about what I made him go through . . ." Lena said sadly.

Jaejoong sighed. "Somehow I feel the same way about Keiko. I totally regret that I actually started a relationship with her just to fill up the missing part of my life. I thought if I got another girl into my life again, I would then be able to totally forget you. But I was wrong . . . because the moment our relationship became serious . . . it was only then I realized that I just missed you more. I started comparing her to you . . . I started to compare all the things she did with the things you used to do . . . It was too maddening to actually be with someone who you don't really love . . . to kiss her . . . to make love to her . . . I am sorry if I am saying these things to you . . . But I want to be honest with you . . . I hope you understand," he said with a low voice.

"It's all right. This is much better . . . At least, we don't keep secrets from each other anymore. Promise me, from now on . . . we will always be honest with each other. I don't want to anything to come between us again. I don't think I can take another heartbreak . . . if I lose you again," she said with a low voice as well.

"I love you, Lena . . . I will do everything I can so that I can always have you by my side. I would gladly give up everything I have now . . . just to keep you with me. So don't be afraid . . . I will always protect you and take care of you," he said lovingly.

"I feel so happy . . . Is this a dream?" Lena suddenly asked.

Jaejoong laughed lightly. "No, this isn't a dream. We're finally back in each other's arms again, Lena. This is reality . . . and nothing can ever change this," he said seriously.

"I hope all the people we hurt can find their own happiness . . . I hope they can all find the love they truly deserve . . . Keiko . . . Micky . . . and Daichi. I wish that they will be happy too. . . just like us," Lena said with a gentle voice.

Jaejoong sighed. "Yes, I do hope that they will also find their own destiny."

"Jaejoong . . ." she uttered.

"Hmmm?" he asked.

"Tomorrow . . . when you wake up . . . make sure to wake me up also okay? I want to prepare breakfast with you. And honestly . . .I just don't want to wake up without you by my side. I don't want to cry again . . . like what I used to do before. Somehow whenever I open my eyes and I don't find you near me . . . my heart just fills up with such intense fear that it makes me cry," she said seriously.

Jaejoong stared at Lena's beautiful face. "I'm sorry for making you feel such horrible things . . . From now, I will try my best to erase all the fears in your heart. I will try my best to fill all empty spaces in your life with wonderful and happy moments . . ."

Lena gazed deeply into Jaejoong's eyes. "I love you . . ."

"I love you too . . ." he uttered as he slowly moved on top of Lena. Lovingly, he started to kiss her.

Lena closed her eyes and just accepted Jaejoong's kisses. She was finally in heaven . . . She was finally with the man she truly loved.

Jaejoong's kisses were sweet and gentle. He was trying to erase all the fears and insecurities that he knew Lena was feeling. His sweet kisses became more exploring after awhile. Somehow he had totally lost all his self-control. His physical longing for Lena had finally taken over.

Lena felt like her entire soul was on fire. She was feeling such strong emotions again . . . emotions that she had been missing for a very long time.

Jaejoong hands started to explore Lena's body. His hands sent shivers down her entire body. She was feeling such familiar sensations . . . sensations that were finally making her heart feel complete.

He slowly began to take Lena's clothes off . . . one by one . . .

Lena felt like her whole world was spinning . . . everything was moving very fast. Their kisses had already became more passionate. And they were already drowning in each other's longing. Somehow everything was already perfect. . . almost perfect . . . .

Gently and lovingly . . . Jaejoong started to make love to Lena. Everything was finally complete. . . There was no pain and fear anymore . . .And while all their emotions were soaring high . . . Lena suddenly noticed something . . .

"Jaejoong . . ." she cried out in a sudden.

Startled, Jaejoong stopped and looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"I . . . I . . . I think I can feel my legs again . . . I think I can move them . . ." she tried to utter with extreme excitement and joy.

A big smile quickly appeared on Jaejoong's lips appeared. "Is it true? You can feel your legs again? Try to move . . ." he said excitedly.

She tried to move her legs. She took a blanket and covered her body, then she tried to sit up . . . and she slowly got out of their bed. . . .all on her own. "Jaejoong . . . I can stand again . . . I . . . I can walk again . . . Jaejoong, I can walk again. . . I'm normal again, Jae. I can walk again," she said happily.

Jaejoong felt his heart was going to explode with so much happiness. He happily got out of bed and embraced Lena. Now . . . everything was truly perfect.

"Lena . . ." he uttered happily as well..

"Jaejoong . . . you're my miracle . . .thank you," she said as she gazed at him.

A sweet smile instantly appeared on Jaejoong's lips. "No, I'm not the miracle you should thank . . . this little one is the true miracle . . ." he uttered as he gently touched her abdomen. He was pertaining to the baby inside her womb.

Lena nodded, then smiled as well. "Yes, this baby is truly a miracle. A special angel sent to us."

Jaejoong tightened his embrace. They were finally free. Their worlds had suddenly brightened. There were no worries, frustrations, fears, jealousies, and heartaches. There was only love. A love, he knew he was going to keep for the rest of his life. He lovingly kissed Lena again. He wanted to make her feel how much he loved her, and how much he longed for her.

Suddenly the blanket covering Lena's body fell. And both their naked bodies were finally reunited once again . . . Somehow as they were making love to each other, all the angels in the sky were singing a beautiful melody . . . a melody specially made for them.

Outside . . . the stars shone brightly . . . starting that night Lena was never going to sadly stare at them . . . ever again . . .



CHAPTER 61



The next day . . . .

Lena slowly opened her eyes . . . Her heart immediately relaxed after seeing Jaejoong was still sleeping beside her. She had been awake for a few minutes already, but she was too afraid to open her eyes. She was afraid that maybe . . . everything that happened was just a dream . . . She was scared that once she opened her eyes . . . Jaejoong wouldn't be by her side and she would still be paralyzed. . .

A smile instantly appeared on her lips. Her happiness was overflowing that she just wanted to shout, laugh and smile. It was like she was going crazy because of so much joy.

Everything was finally back in its proper place. Jaejoong was finally back in her life again. She stared at his face. Then she traced his nose and then his lips with her finger.

"You're so cute . . . even when you're sleeping," she uttered to Jaejoong with a low voice. She didn’t want to wake him

She then lightly kissed him on the lips. But then she was surprised when he started to kiss her back.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked as they ended their kiss. They were already embracing each other tightly while they were lying down on the bed.

"I had been awake for hours already. But you were still asleep and I didn't want to leave you. . . so I just pretended to be asleep," he answered with smile.

"Silly! I told you to wake me up remember," she uttered.

"But I didn't want to wake you . . . You looked so beautiful . . . just sleeping so peacefully . . ." he teased.

Lena giggled. "Frankly I can just watch you sleeping all day long as well. You're more beautiful than me," she jokingly said.

"No one can be more beautiful than you . . ." Jaejoong uttered with love in his eyes.

"Jae . . ." she uttered.

"What?" he asked.

"What happens now?" she asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" he asked again.

"I mean . . . what happens to us now? We already cleared up everything with your parents . . . But there is still the problem with my parents . . . And there is also the problem with us getting married . . . Will your manager and company allow it?" she asked worriedly.

Jaejoong sighed. "I told you . . . you don't have to worry about anything. I will try my best to fix everything. About your parents, I'll be going to your house today with my parents to ask their forgiveness and also to tell them that we will be marrying each other as soon as possible. Then after I settle the problem with your parents, I will personally talk with my manager and company . . . I'll tell them about my decision to marry you, and if they don't agree, then there is only one solution. I will quit the group," he said seriously.

"Quit the group? Jaejoong . . . you can't do that," she cried out in protest.

"Yes, I can quit. I would gladly give up my career, if it would mean that I can have you in my life forever," he said with the most beautiful smile.

"But what about Max, Xiah, U-Know and Micky? They will be affected by your decision . . . Don't you care about them? You don't have to quit, Jaejoong. Maybe we can find some other ways . . . But please don't quit . . . Don't give up your career, just because of me. I don't want to be the one who hinders your success. I want you to be able to achieve everything that you wanted . . . I know how much you love your career and your friends. So please let's try to find other ways to make our situation work out," she tried to say as she took his hand and held it tightly.

"All right. . . Don't get upset, okay. We will try to think of something . . ." he uttered.

"What time is it? Maybe we should get up already. Your mother maybe waiting for us already," Lena said with concern.

"I already told her last night that they don't have to wait for us for breakfast. I said we will be sleeping late . . . very, very late . . ." Jaejoong said with a grin.

Lena looked at him with shocked expression. "What? Oh, Jaejoong . . . you're so naughty," she said as she started to pinch him.

Jaejoong laughed while he tried to stop Lena's hand from pinching him. "Hey! I was just joking," he said as he tried to catch his breath. He had been laughing continuously.

Lena laughed as well. "Oh! You're so cute! I just want to pinch you over and over again. I hope our baby looks exactly like you," she said with a smile.

"I hope our baby looks like you . . ." Jaejoong said as he gazed lovingly at Lena.

Lena giggled. "I wonder what our baby will look like . . . if she ended looking like you and me . . . combined."

"She? Is our baby a girl?" he asked curiously.

Lena smiled. "Let's just say that I can feel it. Our baby is a girl."

"I want a boy too . . ." Jaejoong suddenly said.

Lena laughed. "Sorry . . . but I am sure our baby is a girl. Our baby will surely be very beautiful," she said dreamingly as she started to picture what her child would look like.

"Well, it's okay. We can always make another baby . . ." Jaejoong said with a naughty smile.

"Jaejoong . . ." she shrieked. Then they both started to laugh again.

"Whatever . . . a girl . . . a boy . . . I don't really have any complaints . . . as long as our baby is healthy, I will love our child with all of my heart," Jaejoong said lovingly as he kissed Lena's hand.

"What name do you want for our baby?" she asked suddenly.

"Hmmm . . . What about Rain?" he asked with a smile.

"Rain? Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because I think the rain has a special connection to all our most unforgettable moments," he answered quickly.

Lena smiled as she started to think about what Jaejoong had said. "You're right. We always end up soaking in the rain . . ." she said with a light laugh.

"But Rain is boy's name isn't it? Then I guess it won't work. How about you? What name do you want for our baby?" he asked curiously.

"Me? Hmmm . . . I want Star . . ." she replied instantly.

"Star? Let me guess why you chose that name," he said with a smile.

"Okay . . . tell me, why I chose that name," she teased.

"You chose the name Star because you always look up at the stars at night," Jaejoong answered.

Lena was shocked. "You know? How did you know?" she asked, surprised.

Jaejoong lightly laughed. "Ever since we were small, you had always been in love with the stars. You always stare out of the window of your room for hours . . . almost every night . . . Sometimes I just fall asleep, watching you while you stare at the sky," he suddenly blurted out.

"Hmmm? What do you mean? What do you mean . . . you fall asleep while watching me stare at the sky?" she asked with curiosity written all over her face.

Jaejoong looked straight into Lena's eyes. "Ever since we were small, I was already in love with you. There were nights that I would hide among the plants infront of your house, while I waited for you to stare out of your window. I just loved watching you . . . as you dreamingly stare at the sky. You looked so beautiful and it's like I was watching an angel," Jaejoong confessed.

"So you were really in love with me all along? And I actually thought that I was the only madly in love at such an early age," she said with a giggle.

Jaejoong sighed. "Do you know how many times I wanted to tell you about how I truly feel for you? But I just end up being scared and just decide to keep it all to myself. I was always thinking that I wasn't good enough for you. You're so beautiful and rich . . . while I have nothing. It is also one of the reasons why I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to make myself worthy enough to have you."

"We could have spared each other all the heartaches . . . if we became much braver and more honest right from the start . . ." she suddenly said.

"Yes, but that's all in the past now. We're here now . . . We're finally in each other's arms where we truly belong. We don't have to regret anything . . . Because everything we experienced made us a better person. All the heartaches made us stronger and gave us a new meaning in life. I think we should be grateful that eventhough we suffered . . . we were still able to pass all of it," he seriously said.

"You're right. We're together now . . . and I don't think we will be separated ever again. All the sad times are over and the happy moments are just about to begin," she said sweetly.

Jaejoong was about to say something when . . . . a knock on the door suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Jaejoong . . . Lena . . . Someone wants to talk to you," Jaejoong's mother softly uttered.

Lena and Jaejoong looked at each other. They were both curious as to who wanted to talk to them.

"We'll be out in a few minutes, Mother," Jaejoong shouted.

"All right. Don't be too long okay," the old woman said.

Lena and Jaejoong hurriedly got out of bedand started to get dress. Then Lena suddenly remembered something.

"Jaejoong, your parents still don't know that I can walk again," she said with confusion on her face.

"So what's wrong?" he asked back.

"Wouldn't they be shocked . . . if they suddenly see me walking out of the room?" she asked.

Jaejoong started to think, then smiled. "Don't worry. I know they will surely be thrilled once they know that you're finally able to walk again."

"But frankly I am a bit embarrassed. They might think that I was just faking my condition before," she said with worry.

Jaejoong slowly walked up to Lena and lovingly embraced her. "You don't have to worry. They will be delighted. Frankly I am already sure that your parents will also be thrilled to know that you're back to normal again," he said as he quickly planted a kiss on her forehead. "Give yourself a break. Stop worrying about things . . . It's bad for our baby," he then smiled.

Lena nodded, then sighed. "Yes. you're right. I'm just worrying about senseless things."

"Come on, let's go. We don't want our guest to wait," he said with a smile.

"Who could it be?" she asked with curiosity in her eyes.

Jaejoong smiled. "Let's find out," he said as he gently pulled Lena out of the room.

Hand in hand, Lena and Jaejoong went out of the room. Then they went straight to the living room. Both of them were surprised after seeing who were waiting for them. Jaejoong immediately tightened his hold on Lena's hand.

"Mother . . . Father . . ." Lena uttered with shock.

"Lena? You're walking again? You're cured?" Lena's mother continuously asked with tears already forming in her eyes.

"Lena. . . Jaejoong . . ." Jaejoong's parents uttered as they looked at her and then at Jaejoong. Somehow they were both confused and surprised at what they were seeing.

"Mother . . ." Lena uttered as she looked straight at her. "You're not here to take me away again . . . right? Please I don't want to be separated with Jaejoong ever again. I don't think I can live without him," she uttered as tears were starting to form in her eyes.

Lena's mother suddenly stood and walked up to her daughter. She looked directly at her, then smiled.

"We're not here to take you away, dear. We're here to fix things. We already talked with Jaejoong's parents . . . When and where do you want to be married?" she asked softly.

Lena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Somehow all the remaining fears and heavy burden in her heart had finally disappeared. "Mother. . .is that really true?"

The old woman smiled sweetly. Then she lovingly caressed her daughter's face. "I can see that I made the right decision to help you. I haven't seen such joy in your eyes for a very long time. I was right . . . Jaejoong is really the only one who could make you complete . . ."

Lena quickly embraced her mother. "Thank you so much, Mother. Thank you . . ." she uttered as tears flowed down her face.

Lena's father also stood up, then approached his daughter. "Lena, I just want to say sorry for all the things I made you go through. Now I know it was a big mistake that I kept on forcing you to marry Daichi, when I already knew that you were in love with Jaejoong. Can you forgive your foolish father?" he said with a low voice.

Lena stared at the old man, then embraced him as well. "Oh Father, you don't have to say sorry . . . I know you just wanted to keep your promise to your father . . . and you just wanted the best for me. Let's just forget everything that happened and make a fresh start."

The old man hugged her daughter tightly. "Thank you for being so understanding . . ."

Lena's mother smiled sweetly at her husband, then at Jaejoong. "So let's set the wedding plans already . . . I don't want my grandchild to be born out of wedlock," the old woman said with a light laugh.

Lena suddenly laughed as well. "Mother . . . I'm still far away from giving birth . . ."

Lena's father looked at Jaejoong. "By the way, what happened? What did you do . . . to make Lena walk again?" the old man asked curiously.

"Yes, how did you do it?" Lena's mother also asked.

Jaejoong and Lena suddenly exchanged glances with one another. Somehow they were both confused and embarrassed to tell the truth. They knew what happened was too awkward. It was totally inappropriate to be discussed.

"Mother . . . Father . . . let's just say it is a little secret between me and Lena," Jaejoong answered with a mischievous smile.

"Jaejoong . . . ." Lena shrieked, then she quickly started to pinch him.

Jaejoong tried to avoid Lena. But she just kept on following him and pinching him while they laughed continuously. Both their parents just silently watched. Somehow they could easily see and feel the love and happiness that were emanating from Lena and Jaejoong, and they knew that it was going to last forever.

Another day passed . . . .

Max, U-Know, Xiah and Micky were all sitting in the living room of their apartment. Jaejoong still hasn't returned from Korea. Somehow they were all worried about him. They were all wondering what happened to him and Lena. They were all hoping that he had finally succeeded in getting Lena back.

Max sighed. It was already lunch time, but they didn't care. They weren't hungry at all. Somehow they were all just spending their time worrying about Jaejoong and Lena.

"What do you think happened to hyung? Why hasn't he called yet? Good thing that our manager agreed to cancel all our appointments until tomorrow. Frankly I am so nervous that I don't think I can actually go on a live performance or do an interview when I am this nervous. I hope hyung will call us soon. I really want to know what happened to him and Lena," Max said with so much concern.

"I've tried calling his phone . . . But it just keeps on ringing. Maybe he forgot it somewhere or maybe lost it. I really don't know what to think anymore. I am really very worried about him too," U-Know said to the others.

"Well, if he still doesn't return by tonight . . . I suggest we all go to Korea to look for him," Xiah said seriously.

"Let's just give Jaejoong some more time . . . We might never know . . . he might actually be in Japan already. We don't have to panic," Micky said calmly.

"You're right. Maybe he's just busy spending some time alone with Lena. That's why he won't answer his phone," Xiah said with a smile.

"Or maybe he's lying unconscious somewhere in Korea. . . beaten . . . and . . ." Max started to say as his imagination was taking over.

"Max! Stop it . . . We don't have to think like that," U-Know said.

"Sorry, I just can't help it. . . Ooohhhh! I am going crazy. Let's just go to Korea already . . . Let's see what happened to hyung," Max uttered as he suddenly stood up.

SUddenly someone walked into the room . . .

"Hyung . . . ." Max exclaimed. He was very happy to see his friend.

Jaejoong smiled. "Missed me?" he asked jokingly.

"Hyung, what happened to you? Why haven't you called us? We tried calling you . . . but you wouldn't answer your phone . . . Hey! Why are you alone? Where's Lena? Don't tell me you didn't get her . . ." Max continuously said.

Jaejoong laughed. "Max . . . slow down. Lena is here . . . she just went to her own apartment to get something," he said with a sweet smile.

Suddenly Micky's heart skipped a beat. Lena was back with Jaejoong again . . . and no matter how hard he tried not to be hurt . . . it still brought a sharp pain in his heart.

"You shouldn't have left Lena alone in her apartment. . ." Micky said with concern.

"Don't worry, Micky . . . I can take care of myself . . ." Lena suddenly said as she entered the room.

Xiah, Max, U-Know and Micky were all shocked with what they saw. Lena was standing in front of them . . . smiling.

"Lena, you're standing . . ." Max exclaimed with joy.

"You can walk again?" Micky asked in disbelief.

Lena nodded, then smiled.

"How? What happened?" Xiah asked as he looked at Jaejoong and Lena.

Jaejoong laughed. "It's a secret . . . Frankly . . . you guys wouldn't want to know . . ."

"Oh . . . Jaejoong," Lena exclaimed in total embarrassment. He had been constantly teasing her whenever the topic of how she was able to walk again was brought up.

"Hyung . . . come on . . .tell us," Max pleaded.

Jaejoong looked at Lena. "Sorry . . . it's a secret between me and my future wife."

"Future wife??? You mean . . . the two of you are getting married?" Xiah asked with a big smile.

"Yes," Max uttered happily.

"Finally . . . you're able to do the right thing," Micky said with a smile as well. Somehow eventhough his heart was aching, happiness still filled a certain part of his heart because he was able to see the overflowing joy in Lena's eyes.

"So when is the wedding?" U-Know asked excitedly.

"Three days from now . . ." Lena replied sweetly.

"What? Three days? Wow! That's fast . . ." Max uttered in total amazement.

"Hey! I need to get this lady tied to me already or else she might get away from me again," Jaejoong jokingly said.

The other DBSK boys laughed. They were all very happy that finally their friend had found his true love.

"So we just went here to get you guys . . . Better start packing . . . We have a lot of things to do once we return to Korea . . ." Jaejoong said with a smile.

"Korea?" Xiah asked.

"We're getting married in Korea . . . So we have to return there quickly," Lena tried to explain.

"So . . . everything is really set? What about your parents Lena? Are they really going to let you marry hyung? And what about our manager . . .hyung? Have you told them about your decision to get married?" Max asked worriedly.

Lena lightly laughed. "Oh . . . Max . . . you're really very sweet . . . My parents already accepted Jaejoong. In fact, they are the ones arranging our wedding back in Korea."

"And as for our manager and our group . . . I already talked with President Lee and he already agreed . . . Lena's father helped me to persuade him to let me marry Lena. So there's nothing to be worried about anymore," Jaejoong added.

"That's great . . . Oh! This is just wonderful," Max said happily.

"President Lee gave you guys a one week vacation . . . So to prepare for the wedding and a little time off as well after the wedding . . . while Jaejoong and I are on our honeymoon," Lena said with a smile.

"This is going to be so exciting . . . Come on . . . Let's start packing . . . I can't wait to go back to Korea," Max said with a big grin on his face.

Xiah, U-Know and Micky just laughed. "Okay . . . let's go . . . We have a wedding to attend to . . ."

Jaejoong lovingly stared at Lena as they both held each other's hand. He had never felt such a comforting feeling in all of his life. Somehow just standing beside her was bringing him such a strong feeling of contentment.

"I love you," Jaejoong suddenly whispered in Lena's ear.

Lena stared at him, then sweetly smiled at him. "I love you too . . ."



CHAPTER 62 (ILYMF)


Wedding day . . . .in the park near Lena and Jaejoong's homes . . . the place where their memories started . . . .

In the middle of the park, a beautiful stage decorated with flowers was set. Then leading to it was a long red carpet supposed to be the aisle where Lena will be walking . . . . In front of the stage, more than a hundred beautifully decorated tables were placed. Everything was perfect . . . Somehow everyone who saw the place couldn't help but gasp in total disbelief and amazement. The whole park was suddenly transformed into a dream land . . .

The whole park was arranged beautifully and was guarded by more than hundreds of private personnel. Lena's father had made sure that the wedding will only be open to guests, and was going to be safe from reporters and other unwanted media people. They wanted Lena and Jaejoong's wedding to be perfect and very memorable.

"This place is totally unbelievable," Max commented as he started to gaze around the whole park. "Is this really an ordinary park before or a theme park?" he asked with amazement.

"And look at those security personnel, they are very strict indeed," Xiah added.

"And the guests . . . have you seen some of the guests? Most of them are well known personalities, both in the entertainment and business industry," U-Know also said.

"Yes, I already noticed that. I even saw some of the well known politicians from Korea and Japan as well," Xiah uttered as he nodded in agreement with what U-Know said.

"No wonder they have such tight security all over the place . . . The place is basically filled with high profile guests," Max said.

Micky lightly laughed with his friends reactions. "What else do you expect? Lena's father is quite rich and a very powerful man . . .He's basically known all over Korea and Japan. So if his one and only daughter gets married . . . it's no surprise that a lot of powerful and well known personalities will be invited . . . Plus we're forgetting the fact that Jaejoong is already a well known personality as well. So the attraction to a lot of people is doubled . . . I heard that some people actually asked that they be invited as well."

"Really? Wow! I never thought that hyung's wedding will be this spectacular . . . It's like a one in a million dream wedding . . ." Max said with awe.

"Even President Lee is here . . . I saw him with our manager . . ." Xiah said.

"President Lee would never miss this event. All the well known people from both Korea and Japan are here. So it is basically an honor for him to be invited to this event," Micky added.

"Such a very extraordinary wedding for a very extraordinary couple . . ." U-Know commented.

"But . . . haven't you guys noticed something?" Max asked suddenly with a worried face.

"I know what you're going to say . . . I already noticed it as well," U-Know said.

something was wrong, the wedding was already more than fifteen minutes late . . . .

"What's wrong? Why haven't they started the wedding?" Max asked the other DBSK boys. He was already feeling very impatient.

Micky laughed lightly. "You're being over excited Max . . ."

Xiah let out a laugh as well. "Don't worry, Max. Nothing is wrong . . . They say they are just waiting for some of Lena's relatives to arrive."

"Oh, I was really getting worried. I really want this wedding to happen. Hyung and Lena deserve to be together. And I don't want anything bad to happen to them again," Max said with concern.

U-Know suddenly placed his arm around Max's shoulder. "Don't worry, Max. Jaejoong and Lena's hardships are all over. They are going to walk down that aisle with the most sweetest and memorable smiles we will ever see," he said as he looked at where Jaejoong was standing.

Jaejoong was already feeling anxious as well. Lena was still in the dressing room. Her parents had asked that their wedding be delayed for half an hour because some of Lena's relatives still haven't arrive yet.

"What's taking them so long?" he started to ask himself, over and over again.

Jaejoong started to look around. He was very nervous and scared. Somehow he wanted to just go and look for Lena. His heart was already beating wildly with so much worry.

The guests continued to wait patiently until . . .

After more than thirty minutes of waiting . . . Lena's father suddenly approached Jaejoong.

"Jaejoong, everything is set . . . We can go on with the wedding now," he said with a smile.

Jaejoong suddenly let out a sigh of relief. He was already very worried that their wedding might not continue. "Thank you, Father," he said with a smile.

The old man quickly went back to where Lena was waiting . . . and within minutes . . . the wedding finally started.

Everyone held their breaths as everything started to unfold. . . .

A very familiar music unexpectedly filled the whole park . . . U-Know, Xiah, Max and Micky quickly exchanged glances with one another. Then smiles instantly appeared on their lips. "Looking at the Sunset" was played.


After the after glow sets,
I'm going towards you,
Following the lights which turn on one by one

I'll embrace you,
Before the cold wind makes your shoulders flinch

I love you,
The foolish you,
You're so precious to me


As soon as the music started, Lena appeared with her father and had started to walk down the aisle. Everyone couldn't help but gasped. Lena was very beautiful and was somehow just like an angel in her white wedding dress. She was smiling sweetly at everyone. Her happiness was overflowing and was easily felt by everyone who saw the sweet smile on her lips.


As much as the sun that rises above you,
I'll keep you safe as much as you've waited for me, with this glaring heart,
All the dreams I've prayed for,
They're going towards you with my sincere scent

I hope that my wishes of smiling next to you every new morning,
Will be able to come true

I'll wait for you,
I'll never let go of your hands,
Even if it's only tears,
I'll wipe them away for you

Although we are not able to see the end,
No matter how bumpy our road is,
I'll promise you, please be mine

As much as the sun that rises above you,
I'll keep you safe as much as you've waited for me, with this glaring heart,
All the dreams I've prayed for,
They're going towards you with my sincere scent,
More than the air I breathe,


As Lena slowly approached Jaejoong . . . their hearts were already beating wildly. Everything was like a dream to both of them. Somehow they couldn't believe that everything was finally over. They were finally going to be together . . . for the rest of their lives.


'I love you' 'You're the only one',
I want to yell those words out into the sky
I love you, my heart which feels like bursting is calling out to you

No matter how many times they find us,
No matter if we can't breathe,

Like those invisible flower-like smiles,
Which shine just like the stars,
I'll keep you safe beautifully

As much as the sun that rises above you,
I'll keep you safe as much as you've waited for me, with this glaring heart,
I love you, I love you,
You're the most beautiful in this world,
This dream-like heart,
More than the air I breathe


The song had already ended . . . Lena's father gently gave Lena's hand to Jaejoong.

"Take care of my daughter . . . Love her with all of your heart," the old man softly said to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. Then he carefully tightened his hold on Lena's hand. Somehow he couldn't help but look deep into her eyes.

Lena smiled sweetly at him. "Don't stare at me like that . . . You're making me nervous," she said with a light laugh.

Jaejoong couldn't help but laugh as well. "You're so beautiful," he uttered with love in his eyes.

"Jae . . ." she uttered.

"Hmmm?" he asked.

"I love you," she said sweetly.

"I love you too . . ." he said softly.

Then they happily approached the waiting priest in the center of the stage. Instantly the giant screen on the stage opened, and Lena and Jaejoong were shown upclose.

"This wedding is so grand . . ." Max couldn't help but comment.

U-Know laughed. "Yes, this wedding is really very extraordinary. Jaejoong and Lena are quite lucky."

"It's like we're watching a fairytale wedding," Xiah said with a smile.

Micky seriously looked at Lena. His heart was still aching . . . but he was happy. He was happy . . . that Lena had finally found what she had been searching for. He quickly shook his head, as if to erase the different thoughts that were running in his mind. He then stared at Lena and Jaejoong. "I'm happy for both of you," he suddenly uttered with a low voice.

Near the DBSK boys . . . Daichi was quietly sitting next to his parents. Just like Micky, his heart was also bleeding. But he knew he needed to be strong. He chose to let her go . . . and he knew his sacrifice was worth it. Just seeing the sweet smile on Lena's lips . . . and seeing her walk again . . . was enough for him . . . He knew he made the right decision. And even though he was hurting, he didn't care . . . as long as the woman he loves was happy. . .

The whole wedding went by quickly . . . . The priest had already announced Jaejoong and Lena as husband and wife.

He was already about to kiss her when . . . . a helicopter appeared . . .and started circling around the area of the stage.

Everyone attending the wedding were suddenly alarmed. They all thought that the helicopter was a part of a media crew.

"Jaejoong," Lena said with worry . . . .

Jaejoong gazed up at the helicopter . . . then . . . rose petals started to fall . . . .

Then another song started to play on the large speakers around the stage . . . ."You Are My Song"


When I close my eyes, the quiet sounds which are audible,
Your feelings, your small thoughts

I'm sorry, I'm sorry; I couldn't hear you due to the unnecessary sounds of my heart
The times of tears is now history, don’t worry, because

You’re my melody; I’ll perform you, on & on,
You’re my song, my life’s soundtrack,
I love you, for you brighten up my life’s stage,
I’ll continue to sing you, you’re my song


All the guests were surprised. But all their worries immediately disappeared after seeing the thousands of red rose petals that the helicopter was spreading.

The times when my pride didn’t want to say ‘I’m sorry,’
My heart was extremely poor,
Will you come to me when my spirit is drying up?
When I’m about to break down?
Even the saddest times have an end just like a song, because

It’s your love, your love, how you showed me love,
You’re my rhythm, my life’s present,
Please become the beautiful dream of my life timelessly,
I’ll continue to sing you, you’re my song

The numerous sad love songs,
Although they seem to be about us,
You’re the most special person right now by my side,
When you close your eyes, the sounds you hear, your heart, I’ll sing them now


Jaejoong smiled and then faced Lena again. "So what was I supposed to do?" he asked with a grin.

Lena lightly laughed. "You were about to kiss me . . . Or maybe you don't want to do it anymore," she said with a pout.

Jaejoong laughed. Then he gently pulled Lena closer to him. "How can I not kiss my lovely wife?" he asked teasingly.

Lena gazed straight into Jaejoong's eyes. He then slowly lowered his head to give her the kiss that was going to seal their fates forever . . . .

While the rose petals continuously fell from the sky, Lena and Jaejoong lovingly kissed each other . . . in front of the hundreds of witnesses. They were finally husband and wife . . . and nothing was going to separate them ever again . . . .

Everyone who saw the wonderful scene . . . just clapped their hands. They had never seen such a sweet and beautiful wedding scene before. Jaejoong and Lena's wedding was truly a one in a lifetime moment. . . an unforgettable memory . . .


You’re my melody; I’ll perform you, on & on,
You’re my song, my life’s soundtrack,
I love you, for you brighten up my life’s stage,
I’ll continue to sing you, you’re my song

It’s your love, your love, how you showed me love,
You’re my rhythm, my life’s present,
Please become the beautiful dream of my life timelessly,
I’ll continue to sing you, you’re my song

It’s your love, your love, how you showed me love,
You’re my rhythm, my life’s present,
Please become the beautiful dream of my life timelessly,
I’ll continue to sing you, you’re my song


Five years later . . . .

"Rain! Star!" Lena called out as she started to look around the house. "Where are those kids?" she started to ask herself.

"What's wrong?" Jaejoong suddenly entered the living room.

"Have you seen Rain and Star? I just left them playing here," Lena said with worry.

"Rain is with U-Know and Micky. There are teaching him how to play the piano. While Star is with Xiah and Max. They are also busy teaching her how to reach the high notes she wanted to sing," Jaejoong said with a smile.

Lena couldn't help but smile. All of Jaejoong's friends took care of the twins, Rain and Star like they were their own children.

"What time is Daichi coming?" Jaejoong asked.

"He said his flight was going to be arriving early than scheduled . . . so he should be here in an hour or so," she replied.

"It's been such a long time since you last saw him right?" he asked with something hidden in his eyes.

"Yes, quite a long time. Three years to be exact . . . I wonder what he looks like now . . ." she started to wonder.

"I'm sure, he's still quite good looking just like before. . .Just make sure you don't fall in love with him okay?" Jaejoong said as a joke, but with a hint of jealousy.

Lena suddenly looked at Jaejoong with a smile on her lips. "Don't tell me you're still jealous of him?"

Jaejoong quickly looked away. He didn't want Lena to see the fear in his eyes. He was somehow feeling very nervous that after five years Lena and Daichi will be seeing each other again.

After he and Lena got married, Daichi quickly left Japan and started his own publishing company in New York. Jaejoong knew that Daichi just wanted to focus on something else and try to forget Lena. That's why he left and went to another country. After a year, Daichi's business became a big success. He then started to venture into other related businesses and within a year, he was able to climb to the top five most successful businessmen of New York. But even though he was far away, he still kept on calling Lena. They still continued to keep their friendship inspite of the distance and busy schedules.

"Daichi said that he had a surprise for me . . ." Lena said softly.

"Surprise? What kind of a surprise?" he asked.

Lena just shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know . . . Let's just wait and see . . ."

"Maybe he has finally found a girlfriend . . ." Jaejoong suddenly uttered as a joke. Then he gently sat down on the couch.

"Oh . . . I really hope so. . ." she suddenly voiced out.

"Mama . . . Papa . . . I'm hungry . . ." a little girl suddenly wailed as she entered the room.

Jaejoong and Lena exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh. Somehow Star was very much like Max when it comes to eating. She had such a large appetite for any kind of food. Max had already noticed their similarities and he just found this so adorable. That's why he just loves taking care of her.

"Star . . . where's Max and Xiah?" Lena asked.

"We're here," Max answered as he and Xiah entered the room as well. Then they both sat down on the long sofa in the center of the room.

"So what did you guys do? My baby is quite hungry . . ." Lena asked with a smile.

"Mama, they made me sing such high notes . . . It was quite fun . . . But then it also made me very hungry . . . What are we having for dinner?" Star asked sweetly.

Jaejoong laughed lightly. "Oh god! She's just like Max," he said as he continued to laugh.

Lena laughed as well. "Don't worry baby . . . We will be eating dinner in an hour or so . . . I'll just prepare a light snack for you okay?"

"Okay, Mama," the little girl replied sweetly.

"Uhmmm, Lena . . . do you think you can prepare a snack for me too?" Max said in a low voice.

Lena smiled. "Sure, Max . . . I was really going to prepare a snack for you too."

A large grin immediately appeared on Max's face. "Thanks."

Xiah tried to control his laugh. "Max . . . you're such a bad influence on Star . . . when it comes to eating. She's starting to eat exactly like you."

"Better put Star on a diet . . . or else she might end up being fat . . ." U-Know jokingly uttered as he, Micky and Rain entered the room.

"Rain, I'm going to prepare a light snack . . . would you like one too?" Lena asked her son.

"Yes . . . I'm hungry too. I was really going to ask for one," the little boy said with a grin. He then sat down beside his father.

Lena couldn't help but smile. "I think my twins are starting to be just like Max," she said softly.

Micky and Xiah laughed. "That's the effect of letting him take care of the twins often," they both commented.

"Hey, that's unfair. Eating isn't bad. So there's nothing wrong, if I teach them how to be familiar with the different kinds of foods," Max said with a light laugh as well.

Star suddenly giggled, and went to Max's side. Then she happily sat on Max's lap. "I love food . . . and that's going to be my motto for life."

"Uh-oh . . ." Micky said with a laugh.

Lena and all the DBSK boys laughed. The twins were really the source of all their joy and laughter.

"Am I interrupting?" a man's voice suddenly asked.

Lena quickly turned around and happiness instantly filled her heart.

"Daichi . . ." she uttered as she happily walked up to him.

"Lena . . . it's been a long time . . . You're still beautiful just like before," Daichi said with a smile. Then he gently embraced her as a greeting.

Lena smiled. "And you're still the same Daichi . . ."

Daichi let out laugh. "Not the same Daichi . . . . A lot of things have changed . . . You may not notice it easily," he said with a grin.

Lena's eyebrow raised. "A lot of things changed? What kind of things?" she asked curiously.

Daichi suddenly laughed. "You're still the same, Lena. Quite the same . . ." He then looked at Jaejoong and the other DBSK boys. "Hello . . . Jaejoong, Micky, U-Know, Xiah, Max . . . How are you guys?"

"Hello . . .Daichi," Jaejoong said with a smile.

U-Know smiled as well. "Fine . . ."

"Okay . . ." Xiah answered.

"Quite good," Micky replied.

"Hungry," Max said as a joke.

"Yes! I'm hungry," Star suddenly remembered her stomach.

Xiah, Micky and U-Know suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh . . . Star," Xiah uttered as he shook his head in disbelief.

Daichi looked at the little girl sitting on Max's lap. She was very beautiful. Her facial features were both taken from Lena and Jaejoong. But what was very attractive about her were the two dimples on her cheeks, that easily showed whenever she talked and smiled.

"So you're Star? You're really very pretty . . . just like your mother," Daichi complimented the little girl.

Star giggled. "Pretty? Really? I am not only pretty, I can sing and dance too. . . Someday I want to be a singer and a real star just like Papa," she uttered with dreamy eyes.

Daichi couldn't help but smile. "Still very young . . . but already full of dreams and ambitions."

"Star and I will be the first twins . . . brother and sister group that will be very famous not only in Korea, Japan or Taiwan . . . but the whole world as well," Rain said with a big smile.

Daichi laughed. He was totally amused with Lena's children. Rain was a handsome boy. He was more good looking than Jaejoong to be exact. The little boy had the features of both Lena and Jaejoong as well, and also had dimples just like his sister.

"I'm sure the two of you will be very successful and very famous when the time comes . . ." Daichi said to Star and Rain.

"Daichi . . . did you come here alone? You said you have a surprise . . . What is it?" Lena asked curiously.

Daichi suddenly looked at Lena, then he smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot. . . My surprise . . . I think she will be coming in any minutes now," he answered.

Lena looked at Jaejoong and shook her head in confusion. "She? Who?" she then asked Daichi.

"Sorry . . . I'm late . . . I wanted to fix my gifts for the kids first," a familiar voice suddenly said.

Lena looked at the woman who just walked into the room with two big boxes in hand.

"Yoora? . . ." Lena happily uttered, as she quickly ran up to her best friend.

"Hey, be careful with my gifts," Yoora said as she quickly put down the gifts she was carrying. Then she happily gave Lena a big hug.

Jaejoong and the other DBSK boys smiled. They knew that Lena was very happy to see her old friend once again. They haven't seen Yoora for more than a year since she started working in Paris as a fashion model.

"I missed you," Lena uttered.

"I missed you too Lena . . . Do you know I bought so many dresses for you . . . I know you will surely look gorgeous in all of them . . . and I also bought some shoes to match," Yoora said with a giggle. "And of course, I bought gifts for the twins," she added with as she looked and smiled at Star and Rain.

"Oh Yoora . . . You're still so sweet," Lena said with a smile as well.

"Oh my . . . Rain and Star have already grown so fast . . . I guess they're already big enough to take care of a little sister or brother," Yoora uttered with a giggle. She had already released Lena from her tight hug and was now just holding Lena's hand.

"Yoora," Lena uttered, quite shocked.

Yoora laughed. "I was just joking. I know what you're going to say," she said with a wink.

Jaejoong looked at Lena, as if curious with her reaction to Yoora's joke. But then he just brushed away what he was thinking and continued to concentrate on what was happening.

"So Yoora . . . you came here with Daichi?" Max asked suddenly.

Yoora stared at Max, then she smiled. "Yes, sort of."

"Where did the two of you meet? I thought you were in Paris?" Lena asked Yoora.

Yoora looked at Lena with mixed expressions on her face. Somehow she was quite confused on how to answer Lena's question.

Daichi unexpectedly let out a light laugh. "I think you should just tell her the truth," he said to Yoora.

Yoora looked at Lena. "Lena, I . . . I . . ." she started to say.

Daichi smiled, then he walked up to where Lena and Yoora were. "Lena, remember I told you I had a surprise for you . . ." he said to her.

"Yes . . . So what is it?" Lena asked with a smile.

Daichi slowly took Yoora's hand away from Lena's hand and tightly held it instead.

"Lena . . . Yoora is my surprise . . ." he uttered as he stared seriously at Lena.

Lena was totally taken by surprise. She looked back and forth between Daichi and Yoora. Somehow she couldn't believe what she just found out.

"You mean . . . Yoora is involved with you now?" Lena asked Daichi directly.

Daichi nodded, then smiled.

"Lena, I hope you won't get mad . . ." Yoora said with a low voice. "I really didn't expect to fall in love with him. It just happened unexpectedly while I was doing this pictorial for his magazine . . . last year," she tried to explain.

Lena shook her head, then smiled sweetly. "You don't have to explain anything. I don't have any right to be mad . . . whatsoever. The truth is . . . I am very happy. . . . I'm happy that my two best friends have finally found their own happiness," she said softly.

Daichi lovingly embraced Yoora in front of everyone. "See . . . I told you . . . there's nothing to be worried about," he said sweetly.

Jaejoong felt like a thorn had suddenly been lifted out of his chest. He smiled happily as he watched Daichi holding Yoora in his arms.

"Guess . . . you don't have anything to be jealous about anymore . . ." Micky suddenly whispered to Jaejoong.

Jaejoong stared at Micky and grinned. "Yes, now . . . that only leaves . . . you . . ." he said with a light laugh.

Micky laughed as well. He had already gotten over Lena, and had already accepted that she was not destined for him. He was also very happy to see both Lena and Jaejoong happily living their lives with their children. He was glad that he made the right decision to let Lena let go. He knew he could never give Lena the kind of happiness that Jaejoong was giving her.

"Jealous of me? I'm already in the past now . . . You're her present and her future," Micky said with a smile, as he shook his head in disbelief with what Jaejoong had said.

"Just joking," Jaejoong uttered with a laugh. "I know everything is in the past now . . . You don't have to be so serious."

Yoora suddenly looked at Jaejoong and Micky, as the two men were whispering to one another.

"Hey, what are you guys whispering about? Want to share your little secret with all of us," she said with a grin.

Jaejoong surprisedly looked at Yoora. "Oh . . . it's nothing important. Just a little joke . . . between us guys," he uttered.

"Really now? . . . well, Lena and I also have a little secret between us girls . . . Would you like to find out what it is?" Yoora said teasingly.

"Yoora . . . stop it," Lena uttered.

Jaejoong instantly became curious. "What is it? Okay . . . tell me . . . what is your little secret?"

"Do you really want to know?" Yoora asked again.

"Yes," Jaejoong replied.

"Really?" Yoora asked for the third time.

"Yes," Jaejoong answered again.

Yoora laughed out loud. "If I told you . . . then it wouldn't be a secret anymore," she said with a grin.

Jaejoong cupped his face. Somehow he didn't know how to react. Yoora was still the same Yoora he had met years before . . . She was still very playful and naughty.

Daichi laughed. "Sorry, Jaejoong. You know how Yoora loves to play and tease people."

Jaejoong smiled at Daichi. "I know . . . she's still the same Yoora I met when I was just a kid."

"Mama, I'm hungry . . ." Star wailed.

"Me too . . ." Rain cried out as well.

Suddenly all the attention were drawn to the twins. Everyone laughed out loud. The cute expressions on Rain and Star's faces were just too adorable.

"Oh . . . sorry little angels. Mama got a little preoccupied," she said gently to the twins.

"Can we have dinner now? I'm starving," Rain asked with a grin.

"My god Lena, you're kids are just too cute. Rain is more handsome than Jaejoong and Star is more beautiful than you . . . I'm already wondering what your other kids will look like," Yoora said.

"Yoora, stop it. . . Let's just go and have dinner already . . ." Lena said with a smile.

"Okay . . . but you said you're going to give Jaejoong a surprise today . . . right?" Yoora asked with a mischievous smile.

"Oh . . . Yoora, I shouldn't have told you . . . You can never keep your mouth closed whenever Jaejoong is around," she said with a sigh.

"Tell me what?" Jaejoong asked curiously.

Lena looked at Jaejoong. "Nothing . . ."

"Nothing? Are you sure?" Jaejoong asked seriously.

Lena sighed. "I was going to wait for the perfect moment to tell you . . . but then . . . since Yoora had already been spilling everything already . . . might as well tell you my little surprise . . . But I'm going to tell you later okay . . . after we finish eating our dinner," she said with a smile.

Somehow Jaejoong's heart started to beat very fast. He was very curious as to what Lena was going to tell him.

"Can't you tell me now?" Jaejoong asked with a trembling voice.

"Nope . . . after dinner . . ." Lena replied.

"Don't worry . . . Lena won't be asking for a divorce," Yoora said as a joke.

Jaejoong suddenly became pale. Somehow he didn't like Yoora's joke. It had made his heart heavy with worry.

The dinner that Lena had prepared for hours was already finished in just half an hour. All throughout dinner, Jaejoong was very quiet and nervous. He just wanted their dinner to be over already so that he could know Lena's surprise for him.

"We'll take care of the dishes . . . Just go on and have a talk with Jaejoong already . . . I think he's going to faint, if he waits any longer," Yoora said teasingly.

"Yes, go on . . . talk . . ." Daichi said with a smile.

Lena nodded, and then smiled. "so Jaejoong . . . let's just talk in the garden," she said seriously.

Jaejoong felt his heart was going to burst any minute. He quietly followed Lena into the garden.

And as soon as Jaejoong and Lena left the dining room . . . Max and Yoora quickly burst out laughing.

"Did you see Jaejoong's face? I thought he was going to faint . . . He was so scared . . ." Yoora said to Daichi.

"I think hyung was thinking Lena was going to tell him something bad . . ." Max uttered between his laughs.

"Max . . . you know . . .about Lena's secret?" Yoora asked curiously.

"Yup, just found out about it this morning," Max replied.

"How?" Yoora asked again.

"I woke up early this morning, and accidentally found Lena in the kitchen while she was having a hard time with her morning sickness," Max answered.

"Morning sickness?" U-Know, Xiah and Micky all asked at the same time, with their eyes wide with shock and their mouths open.

Yoora and Max looked at the other DBSK boys. Then they both laughed.

"Do you think Jaejoong will have the same reaction?" Yoora asked Max.

"Maybe . . . These guys reactions are just too much . . .but I know hyung will be very happy," Max answered.

"Well. . . Lena is a little bit concerned with Jaejoong. It seems Jaejoong doesn't want to have any more kids for the time being . . . That's why Lena is very reluctant to tell him the truth," Yoora said with a sigh.

"Really? Well . . . knowing hyung . . . he will instantly welcome the news with open arms . . . I know he will be delighted . . ." Max said with a smile.

"Lena's pregnant again?" Xiah asked, as if unable to believe.

"Yes, she's pregnant again. . . Two months pregnant to be exact . . ." Yoora uttered.

"Mama's pregnant? So we will be having a new baby sister or brother to take care of?" Rain asked curiously.

"Yes, you're going to have a little baby to take care of . . . in a couple of months," Daichi answered Rain.

"Oh . . . goodie . . . I am going to be a big sister . . ." Star started to chant happily.

All the people in the room started to laugh. They were all very happy for Jaejoong and Lena.

In the garden . . . . Lena and Jaejoong were facing each other.

Lena was already nervously looking at Jaejoong. "Jae . . ." she started to say.

"What is it? Look . . . if I did something wrong . . . please forgive me okay . . . I know I haven't been home lately, and I've been very busy with my work . . . the song writing, the concerts, the TV guestings, the interviews, the pictorials, the album launching . . . I know I have been neglecting you and the kids . . . I'm sorry . . ." Jaejoong said with fear in his eyes.

Lena slowly walked up to Jaejoong. Then she lovingly caressed his face.

"Jaejoong . . . I have something very important to tell you," she said with a low voice.

"What . . . what is it? If you're . . . you're going to ask for a divorce . . . I'm already telling you . . . I won't agree to it. I promise I will try to make up for everything," Jaejoong said with a quivering voice.

Lena lightly laughed. "What makes you think I would want to divorce you?"

"Well . . . Yoora said . . ." he started to explain.

Lena placed her finger on his lips to stop him from talking.

"Yoora was just joking. I will never divorce you . . . I can never do that . . ." she said sweetly.

"Really? Then what are you going to tell me? What is the surprise that you're supposed to tell me?" Jaejoong asked.

"Jaejoong . . ."

"Hmmm???" he uttered.

"I know you might get upset with what I'm going to tell you," she said with concern.

"Why are you scared? What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Jaejoong . . . I . . ."

"What?" he asked.

"I. . . I'm pregnant," she said with a low voice.

"What?" he asked, as if unable to believe what he was hearing.

"I said . . . I'm pregnant," she said, this time with a louder voice.

"You're pregnant?" he asked with his eyes wide with shock.

Lena nodded.

"You're pregnant? You're pregnant! Lena's pregnant! I'm going to be a father again . . ." he started to shout out happily.

He then took Lena in his arms and started to swing her around.

"I'm going to be a father again," he repeated over and over again.

Unexpectedly . . . rain drops started to fall. . . .

Slowly . . . Jaejoong placed Lena down. Then he looked deep into her eyes.

"So this is your surprise for me?" Jaejoong asked Lena.

Lena nodded her head.

"Do you know how scared I was? I was really thinking that you were angry with me or something . . . and that you were going to leave me . . ." he said with a trembling voice.

Lena smiled. "Silly . . . I can never leave you . . . I love you . . . and I can never live without you," she said with love in her eyes.

"I love you . . ." he suddenly uttered.

"So . . . you're not angry that I'm pregnant?" she asked with worry.

"Why should I be angry?" Jaejoong asked with a smile.

"But you said that you didn't want any kids for the time being . . . That's why I was so scared to tell you . . . I didn't want you to think that I was tying you down with more responsibilities," she said with a low voice. Then she lowered her face, as if embarrassed.

Jaejoong couldn't help but smile. He carefully lifted Lena's face to meet his eyes.

"I just said that I didn't want anymore kids for the time being because I didn't want to miss more important events with you and our children. I know I'm always far away and busy most of the time . . . that the twins are already complaining . . . And I don't want the same thing to happen to our other future children . . . But what I said, didn't mean that I don't want to have more children . . . I love you . . . and our children signifies the love we have for each other . . . so how can I be angry? In fact . . . I'm very happy. . . because this only means that our love just keeps on growing," he said with such a sweet smile that just made Lena's heart jump with so much joy.

"Jaejoong . . ." she uttered happily.

"I love you," he said sweetly as he slowly kissed her.

Back in the house . . . Daichi and Yoora were watching in one of the windows facing the garden . . .

"God . . . they're so sweet . . ." Yoora uttered.

Daichi lightly laughed. Then he lovingly embraced Yoora from behind. "We can try to be much sweeter . . ." he whispered.

Yoora gazed at Daichi. Then she looked deep into his eyes. Her heart started to skip whenever she gazed at him. "Daichi . . . I love you . . ."

"I love you Yoora . . . Thank you for entering my life . . ." Daichi said with love in his eyes.

In another window facing the garden . . . Max, Xiah, Micky and U-Know were watching as well.

"well . . . that's it . . . We better send the kids to bed early," Micky said with a grin.

Xiah, u-Know and Max lightly laughed.

"Oh Micky . . . you and your naughty thoughts," U-Know uttered, as he shook his head.

Micky let out a laugh. "Well . . . do you actually think that Lena and Jaejoong will have the time to send the twins to bed . . . in that kind of state?" as he suddenly pointed outside of the window.

Xiah and U-Know sighed. "You're right . . . They're too busy . . . We better not disturb them . . ." they both uttered.

Max laughed. "I wish Lena will have twins again . . . two sweet little angels with angelic faces . . ." he said with dreamy eyes. "I just love taking care of twins," he said again with a sweet smile on his face.

Micky. Xiah and U-Know suddenly exchanged glances with one another. Then they all looked at Max and laughed out loud.

"Oh Max . . . another set of twins? I think you're asking for more trouble," Xiah said with a smile.

"Asking for more trouble? Why? I don't mind taking care of the kids," Max said with a confused expression on his face.

Micky laughed again. "The trouble isn't concerning you . . . it's concerning the kids . . . Imagine another set of twins will be exposed and will get influenced with your eating habits."

"Hyung . . . you're so bad . . ." Max complained.

Xiah and U-Know smiled. "Come on . . . we better get Star and Rain to bed . . ."

The other four DBSK boys happily turned away from the window and lovingly faced Star and Rain. They knew in a few more months . . . they will be having more joy in their lives with the new baby or babies. All of them were very happy that Jaejoong and Lena had found the kind of love that only comes once in a lifetime. And they were all wishing that Lena and Jaejoong will always stay in love with each other . . . forever. . . .

Back in the garden . . .

"Jaejoong . . ." she uttered as she slowly drew away from Jaejoong's kisses.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Silly . . . It's raining . . . You might get sick . . . You still have a concert to attend to in two days remember . . ." Lena said with a sweet smile.

"Oh . . . so what if it's raining? It always rains . . . whenever I'm with you," he said teasingly.

"Jaejoong . . . you might get sick," she said with concern.

Jaejoong grinned. "Hey . . . it's not like everyday I can get the chance to be told that I am going to be a father again . . . plus I can never pass up the chance to kiss my beautiful wife."

Lena laughed. "Oh . . . Jaejoong . . ." she uttered with so much happiness.

Jaejoong quickly took Lena into his arms, and lovingly kissed her again.

The rain had already started to pour very hard . . .

But Lena and Jaejoong didn't care. They didn't mind the rain falling down on them and soaking them. What they cared about was the love and joy they were both feeling at that exact moment.

Jaejoong tightened his hold on Lena's body . . . He loved her with all his heart and soul . . . He knew he was the luckiest man in the world for having her in his life. And he had already made a promised to himself that he will do everything just to make her happy . . .

Lena returned Jaejoong's kisses . . . She was feeling so much love and joy that she couldn't explain. Her life was already complete. She couldn't ask for anything more. She already had a loving husband, two wonderful kids . . . and now another angel was going to enter their lives.

Lena and Jaejoong allowed themselves to drown in each other's kisses. They were already contented being so close to each other. Inspite of the rain, they continued to express their love for one another. They knew their destiny together was just starting, and that they haven't even come to one part of it. They knew their lives weren't going to be always happy and sunny. They were already expecting that there would be times that problems will enter their lives. But inspite of it all, they had already promised each other that they will always stay together no matter what happens. They would go through all the hardships together . . . and they would make sure that they will surpass all the obstacles that were going to enter their lives. And they had also vowed to one another that each time a trial passes their lives, they will make sure that they will come out of it . . . much stronger and with much more love for one another.

As the rain fell, they both continued to share sweet and warm kisses with one another. And as their lips met, somehow their hearts were also singing a similar tune . . . a tune that they were going to remember for the rest of their lives. . . .

The tune of everlasting love . . . .



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>THE END<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<