Chapter 18: Said I Loved You, But I Lied...

I could only stand there and watch as Han Kyung kissed Sierra’s forehead affectionately and told her he’d be back to pick her up after school. He glared at me, as if warning me to stay away from her before he got into the car and drove off.

“Sierra?” I called her name, questioningly.

She turned to look at me, but she didn’t smile. There was no expression on her face. It was blank… but most of all… it was cold.

“We’re going to be late for class,” she said, and walked off without looking back.

Music: TVXQ – 하루달 (Harudal)

What did she mean? I was utterly bewildered. After all that we went through last night, she’d decided to get back with that thug. She hasn’t asked me for a breakup, but she’s not exactly holding my hands and telling me that she was with me either. What the hell is going on?

“Wait up,” I finally said, and ran up to her side. “What was that?” I asked her.

“What was what?” she said, as if the scene she’d set before me a minute ago hadn’t happened at all.

“Are you back together with him?” I asked her.

“What does it look like?” she said, coldly.

“Sierra… you said we’d stick together,” I reminded her.

“Situations change, life goes on,” she said.

“Not overnight!” I exclaimed.

She stopped walking and turned to face me.

“Jae Wook… it was fun while it lasted, but you’re obviously no match for Han Kyung. He’s rich and powerful, and you are… let’s say… close to nothing. You need to get your head on straight.”

“You think I don’t know that? I know I am nothing next to that rich thug… but at least I had your support. You promised we’d stick together and weather it out together,” I said.

“I have no power to support you. Even my family would have to bow to his. So let’s make this painless for all of us, shall we?” she said.

“I really can’t believe you’d do this,” I said. “I thought you had more integrity.”

“Integrity’s for those who have nothing else in life. I have a long future before me, and if surviving means having to be with him, I will survive,” she said.

She said those words with such conviction. She’d obviously become another person overnight. The girl I’d held, the girl I’d kissed last night… she was gone. She’d been replaced by the kind of girl I’d expected someone like her to be, a selfish and callous brat.

“I hope you’re happy,” I said simply, and walked off without looking back at her.

Last night, I was ready to lay down my life for her. Last night, we’d shared a bond that I thought was unbreakable. Last night, I gave my heart and soul to her… and today… she threw it all in my face.

[Sierra’s POV]

I watched as Jae Wook walked off. My heart was beating like crazy. I’d successfully driven him away. I lied, I put on my best poker face, and said the words I needed to drive him away.

“Mianhae…” I whispered, as he walked off.

I trailed behind him slowly. Watching his proud but defeated figure walk towards the building where our homeroom was. Halfway there, I was intercepted by Hee Chul. If he hadn’t found me then, I’d probably had run off to the bathroom to cry.

“Sierra,” he called out. “Why aren’t you walking with lover boy?”

“Shush…” I hissed at him, and he looked at me, at Jae Wook’s back, and then back at me with a look of confusion.

“Don’t tell me it’s over,” he said in a hushed tone.

“It’s over,” I said.

Music: TVXQ - Kissしたまま、さよなら

I walked towards a nearby bench and sat down. Hee Chul came and sat next to me.

“You know…” he said, “you can cry if you want to,” he smiled warmly.

“I don’t think tears would help now,” I said.

I looked down at the ground, staring at my shoes, trying to distract my eyes so that the tear ducts wouldn’t give in.

“Sierra…” he said and put a brotherly arm around my shoulder, “it’s alright. It’s just us. You can cry if you want to.”

“Stop it, Hee Chul,” I said. “I don’t want to cry.”

No sooner had I said it, the tears started pooling in my eyes, and a single tear found it’s way down my cheek. Hee Chul pulled me closer so that my head rested on his shoulder, and the tears just continued flowing as I cried silently.

We sat there for about half an hour, until I’d calmed down. Then Hee Chul started interrogating me.

“So? Are you telling or not?” he asked.

“You can’t tell anyone,” I said to him, and he nodded. “Not even Sung Min and Shin Dong,” I emphasized.

“Araso…” he said.

“I’m back with Han Kyung,” I said, and his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

“Back with Han Kyung?” he exclaimed. “I thought you didn’t like him.”

“He was threatening to kill Jae Wook. I had no choice.”

“Ah… so this is about Jae Wook,” he smiled.

“I can’t let Han Kyung go around killing guys for me.”

“Yea… even Ee Teuk isn’t that scary.”

“Ee Teuk is nothing, compared to Han Kyung,” I said.

“But you like Han Kyung, don’t you?” he said.

I never knew that Hee Chul was able to see through me. All this while, I thought that I’d put on a pretty good act when it came to my feelings for Han Kyung.

“What do you mean?” I said.

I had to try again, anyhow.

“I’ve noticed your reactions whenever he appeared,” he smiled. “You tried too hard to hate him.”

“It’s a long story,” I sighed.

“One that you won’t be telling me,” he said.

“Yep…”

“Oh well…” he laughed. “So what’s the plan now? Do we need to handle Jae Wook for you?”

“No… just let him be. Hopefully, he’ll get over it.”

“Get over you?” Hee Chul said. “That’s going to be some feat,” he laughed.

“You know…” I smiled. “Your flattery isn’t going to do anything for you at this point.”

“I know…” he laughed. “It’s just fun to see your expression when I say stuff like that.”

“Let’s get to class,” I said as I stood up.

When we walked into class, the teacher just looked up briefly, then continued teaching. They would never reprimand us for anything. As Hee Chul and I took our seats, I could feel Jae Wook’s gaze. I turned around, briefly, to hang my blazer on the back of my chair, and I saw him watching me. I looked up at him, and he didn’t turn away. I could hear the words from his mind just by looking at him.

“Why did you do this to us?” he said.

[Han Kyung’s POV]

I skipped classes today. I wasn’t in the mood to go to school since my mind was working overtime. Now that I’ve promised Sierra that we could be together, how was I going to make that happen? I’ve never brought her up in front of my father. He’d told me how he got rid of her. That was all he did. He told me… no explanations, no sympathy.

“She’s not the girl for you,” he said, and left it at that.

I was too stunned to react or do anything. When Sierra broke up with me, I was devastated and bewildered. I hadn’t seen it coming at all. A few weeks later, my father casually told me that he’d warned Sierra off, over dinner.

My instincts told me not to react immediately. My father obviously realized how much Sierra meant to me. He’d have expected me to blow up, but I decided to play it cool and just pretend it didn’t affect me that much.

“If you see her again,” he said, “I’ll ruin her whole family.”

“Araso…” was all I could say.

He would ruin her whole family… I’ve seen him do this before; mercilessly ruining the lives of those who opposed him or stood in his way. I wasn’t sure how I could change his mind, or how I could protect Sierra and her family from his wrath. My best bet at the time was to stay put, and bide my time.

The time is now…

My father had recently transferred the majority of his assets to me, much to the annoyance of the rest of the family. I’ve been put in charge of a larger territory, and I been overseeing the majority of the projects we’re working on. Now he has given me more responsibility, I was pretty sure that I had more bargaining power when it came to my life.

“Hyung?” Ryeo Wook looked at me questioningly.

“My father’s office,” I said, and he nodded.

I had to set it straight with my father today, or Sierra and I may never have a future together.

We arrived at my father’s office. As I walked in towards his room, the staff all stood up to greet me. Each and every one of them probably sneered at me behind my back since they knew I was an illegitimate child, but at the end of the day, I will get the last laugh since they’d all report to me and take my orders.

“Toryeonnim… the Chairman is receiving guests,” my father’s assistant greeted me as I approached his door.

“Who?” I asked her.

“A Chairman Lee and his daughter,” she said. “You should wait here.”

“I don’t like waiting out here,” I said. “I’ll join them.”

I opened the door and strode in before she could stop me. My father and his guests looked up at me, and my father smiled.

“Han Kyung,” he said. “Just the person we were looking for.”

“I wasn’t aware we had guests today, father,” I said, and bowed.

“I was going to invite them to dinner with us, but now we can just have lunch instead. Chairman Lee is a busy man.”

“Han Kyung… I have heard so much about you,” Chairman Lee beamed and offered to shake my hand.

“Really?” I smiled and shook his hand.

“This is my daughter, Eunice,” he said.

“Annyeong,” Eunice smiled.

She was slim and of average height, but I suppose you could classify her as pretty.

“Eunice will be relocating to Seoul, and I’ve recommended that she attend Dae Sang High since it’s near your school.”

“I’ll be depending on you to look out for my Eunice,” Chairman Lee said as he patted Eunice on the head.

“Appa!” she exclaimed, embarrassed by her father’s show of fatherly affection.

I began to take in the scene. What Sierra had predicted had come true. My father had found me a bride.

Music: TVXQ – All in Vain