Yerin panicked. she never expected such a confession from him. she stood in her place frozen from the shock. she has always looked up to him as her ideal senior cum best friend, never had she felt anything more. Her silence was killing him.
"Yerin say something"
after gaining some sense she spoke "No, I mean I don't understand anything. I am going home." she turned to walk away but Jonghyun grabbed her waist and pulled her closer "you can't run away like this. I know you love me"
Yerin glared at him "Sunbae calm down okay?"
He loosened his grip "Yerin don't be hesitant just say it, I know you love me I can see it in your eyes"
"Enough! I never thought in my wildest dreams that such irrelevant thoughts can cross your mind for me"
"yerin don't be so harsh" her words hit him like a knife in his chest that wounded his heart.
"However I owe you an answer and I will give you that. I have always looked up to you as my senior and best friend. I never thought about you in that way. I don't even know how you came to think about me like this still if my actions have ever made you develop these wrong kind of feelings then I am sorry."
Jonghyun was growing anxious with every passing second. "okay I get it, you haven't thought about me in that way but now that I have confessed my feelings atleast you can try to love me, we have been together for so many years already."
"there is already someone in my heart"
Jonghyun felt like someone was stabbing his already wounded heart with the same knife over and over again but he patiently asked "who is it?"
"BAEK SE-HUN"
Jonghyun clenched his fist "are you crazy? talking like a child? you are rejecting me over a mere celebrity crush? when will you come out of the fantasy world!!
you are turning 20 in a few months yet you having some one sided infatuation like this!!"
Yerin's face turned red, haven't she tolerated enough drama already. It seemed she was having a rotten luck that night. "sunbae have you forgotten who I am? isn't it quite common among our families to date and marry an A list celebrity?"
yes it was common. Kim yerin was an heiress of one of the most powerful family within the country. she can marry any guy in this world yet alone celebrities of the entertainment industry. Truth was harsh, Jonghyun was unable to accept the reality. He was still immersed in an illusion where he believed yerin would still somehow accept him.
"yerin don't do this with me, I have loved only you all these years. Think about all the time we spent together. Don't break us apart. No, don't break me apart"
Yerin felt weak, she didn't know how to handle him.
"Sunbae love can never be forced you know this better than anyone."
Jonghyun breathed heavily "yerin I had decided this a long time ago, if you accept me today I will stay but if you reject me I will just disappear."
"but why?"
"I can no longer face you with this truth neither can I see you with someone else so I am asking you for one last time. would you accept my love or not?"
when she saw the painful expression on his face she felt guilty. She had always given him a special place in her life. Why does it have to end like this? why some things are not meant to be forever? she was helpless but she must choose the truth, she cannot sacrifice her true feelings just to make him happy for a few moments. Even if she pretends to like him today, eventually in the end he will find out the truth and that will be more painful. It's better to break someone's heart rather than give him false hopes.
"NO sunbae I can't accept you I am sorry"
Everything was silent for a few seconds. Jonghyun can no longer control himself. The pain within him took the form of aggression.
"No! I can't loose you"
"you can't go away."
He turned the park bench upside down and threw it away in anger, like a monster he started breaking everything around him.
"I won't let you go. you can't. you are MINE" he roared. Yerin was scared to death, she had never seen this aggressive side of him "sunbae please stop it I beg you"
"don't touch me"Jonghyun pushed her. Yerin lost her balance and fell down hurting her ankle "aahh " she cried in pain. It was the first time she felt disgusted of her existence. everything around her was fading away. she was starting to feel nauseated.
"Yerin..oh No" someone called her name. Heo yun-ji rushed towards her. Thankfully he was on the way to his house when he saw Jonghyun's car and heard a commotion, he was shocked to see the scene in front of his eyes.
"Jonghyun" He addressed him in a rough voice.
"NO, brother don't. It's my fault don't say anything to him" yerin didn't wanted to drag the scene further for she had made enough damage already.
"Don't defend him like this. I know very well what's going on here" Heo yun-ji glared at Jonghyun with an ardent desire to smack his face.
"Brother please take me home"
Heo yun-ji had spent many years with yerin since she was young. He used to play games and help her in her studies whenever he visited their house but never in these years had she saw him cry like this before. she tried to get up, the pain in her ankle increased "aahh I can't" she gave up. Her dreadful situation was making Heo yun-ji more pissed every passing second, if wait any longer he would directly beat up Jonghyun. unable to control his anger he spoke "Jonghyun, you ungrateful monster!!! are you so blinded by a rejection that you forgot how to treat a girl? don't forget who you are, save some dignity for your father. How pathetic!!!"
It was too late until Jonghyun realised what he did.
"I am sorry" he broke down. Heo yun-ji picked yerin in his arms and left.
Inside the car yerin hugged Heo yun-ji's arm and cried "He will never forgive me. I lost him forever. It's all my fault"
"stop blaming yourself" Heo yun-ji patted her head. 'This poor thing' he thought. she had to go through so much in a single night, he felt pity. He then remembered how angry President Kim was after yerin escaped the scene earlier and thought "she better not face her father now."
***************
Kim yumi was half asleep after the tiresome night when the constant ringing of her phone disturbed her sleep. she knew only her fiancee would be calling her so late, without a glance at the screen she picked it up "Baby I am tired lets talk tommorow"
she was about to hang up when yerin's loud sob from the other side of the phone frightened her. she got up at once "what's wrong with yerin? why is she crying like that?"
Heo yun-ji quickly replied "I will tell you later. she is hurt and can't walk hurry up and take her through the back exit. don't let father see her, she can't face him now"
He hung up and carried yerin to the back exit of the mansion. Kim yumi rushed towards them in her night gown. even though her hair was a mess Heo yun-ji still found her tempting.
After making sure yerin was asleep in her room Heo yun-ji told her everything. Hearing what Jonghyun did with her sister made her angry.
"I will go to Jonghyun's house right now and slap him in his face."
These hot blooded sisters! Heo yun-ji signed "don't act stupid. How's her ankle now? is the injury serious?"
"No it's not but it will take a week or two to completely recover."
Kim yumi was really worried for her sister.
"she will be mad after knowing she can't dance for a while because of this. as if it isn't enough she have to face father. He seemed really mad this time. I have no idea what will happen next"
"Relax women" Heo yun-ji kissed her forehead.