"Is...your...family name...Lee?" Ji Ah gasped as she realized what sort of a dumb question that was. But she had no choice... The man in front of her was already starting to leave. As the person in front of her watched her with utter disbelief, she felt that she could have just buried herself underground for two reasons.
Firstly, she had encouraged herself to ask a question and it came out wrong. And secondly, his unbelievable stare made her embarrassed.
Taking two deep breaths, Ji Ah shook her head. She gave a smile and stared at his face waiting for his answer. "Is it not?" She cursed herself as the questions left her mouth one by one involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Lee In Joon had started to get amused by her. He was trying his best not to laugh. 'She is still the same!' He inwardly thought and replied "I thought you had long forgotten me, 'Ji Ji'!" He emancipated more on the word 'Ji Ji' because that was what he used to call her back then. He couldn't call her Noona because she was way too smaller than him, nor he wanted to call her with her name... So, he just used to call her Ji Ji.
And right now, when he called her that, he noticed her fluctuate for a moment. He saw a shocked look on her face and within a few seconds, he saw her eyes gleaming with happiness. He saw her eyes twinkle and her mouth curving upwards into a beautiful smile.
The moment he saw her smile, he felt his face turning hot. Maybe, it was because he was blushing or maybe, it was because he hadn't seen her smile for so long... Nevertheless, he felt butterflies inside his stomach like a young girl who had seen something fluffy and lovely.
Ji Ah was completely taken aback. It had been 20 long years since, she heard someone call that name. At first, it was surprising but when she saw his blue eyes, she recollected that the boy from her childhood also had blue eyes of this sort. And that was when she started smiling thinking that she had found her long-lost friend after 20 years.
She wanted to cry but she held back her tears. It would have been embarrassing if he had seen her cry like that.
"You really are that boy from back then?" Not being able to believe, Ji Ah asked In Joon again. She actually didn't know his name. The one big mistake which she had done back then was not ask for his name.
They had met each other for one or two months and in those months, they had really become close to one another. Since, Ji Ah was the only child in her family, she had no one to play with. And when, a young boy had moved to her neighborhood.... she was very excited. Excited to know that there was going to be someone to play with or talk with....
Somehow, they both had met and had quickly become friends. Their friendship became so close that one day, they made a promise. A promise which Lee In Joon made by his heart and a promise which Baek Ji Ah didn't realize what it was back then and playfully agreed to it.
Their promise was to marry one another when they were to become adults.
She wasn't able to remember much of what happened in her childhood... It was like bits here and there but she was able to clearly remember that promise!
Now, when she was all grown and understood what it had meant, she wished that she had just forgotten that promise and remembered everything else in its stead.
If In Joon would have stayed in her neighborhood... he would have married Ji Ah and it wouldn't have had required him to investigate on her. But there were some family problems... so, he had to go.
After two months he had left but he had given her something saying that he would come back and be with her. But by the time... his family problems were solved, he had turned into a handsome and successful man yet, his love was nowhere to be found.
He had crazily searched for her until he got to know that she was married. That night, he had cried like anything. Due to his constant crying, he had become ill. A fever crawled his body and had decided to not let him go until the person was dead.
But her smile was the only thing that kept him alive. It took him days to recover and later, he started his hunt to find the woman who had promised him that they both would be married. He wanted an answer... An answer to his one question... He just wanted to know why she broke her promise?
And in need of the answer, he decided to meet her. But it seems like his love was more than anything. Because, when his eyes fell on her at the restaurant, he just wanted to make her his.
So, instead of searching for his answer, he started searching for a plan to make her his!
And right now, when he saw her standing just few inches away, he wanted to pull her by her slim waist and capture those tainted lips. He wanted to tear off her clothes and make love to her... HERE...AT THIS MOMENT so that she could be his.
But he decided against it. No rape was going to bring them together so, he wanted to play the role of a villain and snatch her away from her husband...
Nodding his head, In Joon replied "Yes! It has been a while, Ji Ji!" He looked at her with longing in his eyes and Ji Ah understood what it meant. 'If only I hadn't done something foolish at that time.' She thought and smiled.
Maybe this was the reason why she was taking out that locket and seeing it time to time whenever Min Hyuk wasn't around. Maybe it was a sign that she was going to meet In Joon again. She was happy to see him but not so happy.
She knew that being with this person would cause many misunderstandings in her life and even in his life. She was happy leaving with Min Hyuk and she didn't wanted that happiness to fade away.
"I don't think so I can call you, Ji Ji, now..." In Joon said in a low voice which was just like a whisper.
"Yeah!" She instantly agreed. Because after seeing that longing in his eyes, it was sure that he had come to her because of the promise. He hadn't forgotten about that promise at all. And there was no way, he would have!
In Joon's face twitched. He wasn't expecting any of that. 'Maybe you have changed, Ji Ji'
'I need to change myself in order to not hurt the one I love...' As if she had read his inner thoughts, her mind also started running along.
Sighing, In Joon kept his puppy down and smiled. "Let's introduce ourselves, then!"
He stretched his hand forward and said "I'm Lee In Joon! You can call me In Joon."
"I'm Baek..." As Ji Ah was introducing herself, she stopped midway. If there was something which she had to do in making him forget about the promise, she decided that she should introduce herself along with her husband's name. So, she said "Kang Ji Ah! You can call me Ji Ah."
Rather than shaking his hand, she deeply bowed and expressed her gratitude. 'Just because of a stupid promise, I won't be with you.' Ji Ah fiercely smiled with a violent look in her eyes.