While Soo-Min prepared some refreshments for the group, everyone else has settled back in the living room except for Ha-yoon who still locked herself in her own room.
Cyrus was bumbed after talking with Lydia, and Seong-Min was secretly sniggering at his misery.
Nam-gil had actually came back into the house, he sat nervously hugging the two dolls he calls his children while avoiding eye contact with Jin.
Ha-joon was nervous as well, he looked more guilty than nervous as he sat down silently with his phone in his hand, browsing in certain medical websites about his sister's condition.
Nikolai was beginning to feel exhausted by all of this so he turned to an equally exhausted Jin, "Jin... I'm sorry I know this is selfish but I'm feeling overwhelmed by all of this."
Sighing, "Don't apologize Niko, this isn't your fault and it's not selfish, I'll take you home if you want to." Jin replied.
Seong-Min who overheard them, "Why don't you go lay in my room instead? My bed is really comfy and I'm not really using it right now since I'm here with you." She suggested.
"I guess that's a better option...if that's alright with you?" Nikolai replied.
"Of course!! I'll take you there myself" Seong-Min said standing up to help Nikolai
"Thanks Min-Min." Jin replied to her, "Don't mention it oppa." She said and began guiding Nikolai to her room, leaving the living room in the process.
Once his sister was away, Jin turned to the gloomy Cyrus and asked him, "What's gotten you pouting?"
"Lydia rejected me." Cyrus replied.
Surprised, "You're joking?! Are you sure that was Lydia?" Jin asked.
"What kinda question is that?! Of course it was Lydia, when I went to open the door earlier, it was her waiting to tell me she can't date me right after you said that things can't get worse!" Cyrus replied angrily.
"Are you blaming me for the rejection?!" Jin asked.
Suddenly, "FUCK!" Ha-joon shouted startling Nam-gil next to him.
Realizing that he scared his boyfriend, "I'm sorry, Are you alright?" Ha-joon asked and nam-gil nodded nervously.
"Why the hell did you shout like that?! Hell you scared me!" Cyrus asked, "I was just boogling that stomach cancer shit...why are the survival rate so low even with the treatment?!" Ha-joon replied.
"Could that be why Ha-yoon is rejecting the idea of the surgery?" Jin asked.
"Idk...it just feels like she wanna die! Like she's thinking she deserves to die or something?!" Cyrus replied.
"Deserves?" Jin questioned.
"Idk man...I begged her to get treated and she threatened to get back to Korea and disappear if I tell anyone about her sickness." Cyrus said.
"She said she'd go back to Korea?" Ha-joon asked.
"Yeah..."
"What's wrong Ha-joon?" Jin asked.
"It's just...Ha-yoon ran away from home when she was still technically a teenager.
When I escaped my parents, I actually tried to look for her...but I quickly gave up.
I had a feeling she was already abroad.
Our family has a huge influence in korea so Ha-yoon knew she needed to leave the country or else, she wouldn't have been here... Although I still don't get how she managed to leave Korea with barely anything to her name, I know for sure she wouldn't go back...because of both her and me, our family is resentful and they would easily try to hurt her if she came back.
Heck, they got influence even here in the US!" Ha-joon explained.
"That would explain why she was reluctant to get famous, the reason she would work from the shadows and hide from the spotlight despite being a good rapper and producer!" Cyrus said.
"Yeah, that makes sense...it also explains why Ha-yoon wanted to make my sister a star instead, while she could've easily been a star herself.
I know this sounds weird but I'm sure she managed to get here with my mom's help." Jin replied.
"You think lily helped her?" Ha-joon asked.
"Lily helped her? What are we talking about exactly?" Cyrus questioned.
All of the sudden, "At least Ha-yoon was brave enough to run away when she got the chance." Nam-gil spoke-up earning their attention.
Sighing, "You're right...I was so harsh on her earlier, I felt betrayed, that's my sister...and she left me behind but she was just scared as much as I was.
Yet she always stood-up for herself." Ha-joon replied.
"Listen, Ha-yoon is a kind person, I've known her for years now and she has a tendency to help people even if it hurts her, she says she would let the bus run you over but she's actually the one throwing herself at the bus and shoving you away to safety.
In my opinion, you should give your sister a chance.
I learned the hard way what's it like to have beef that lasts for years with family members.
It's not fun after a while, and it's just exhausting to keep dragging out the past, these aren't strangers, unless they hurt you real bad, you should be able to forgive them." Cyrus said earning a shocked expression from Jin.
"What?! Why are you looking at me like that?!" Cyrus asked.
"Are you dying too or something?! The fuck you getting all sentimental and wise for?!" Jin replied.
Rolling his eyes, "Gimme a break! Why does everyone think I'm a bad person?!" Cyrus said.
"Ugh...maybe you're right... she's dying I can't afford to hate her." Ha-joon said sighing.
"Yeah, just get things cleared out between you two.
It'll make it easy for you guys, who knows it could change her mind about letting herself die...at least she has a better chance than my dad." Cyrus replied.
"Your dad got cancer too?"
"Yeah...bone cancer, Shit hurts really bad he can't walk no more."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Ha-joon said, "Yeah well...he and I didn't have the greatest relationship...and I found out he's sick around the same time I heard about Ha-yoon's cancer...he too don't wanna get treated and it's even less helpful in his situation to get treatment.
So he just wanna die too...and now the only girl I Know that my dad liked, who has been in love with me for years now, don't wanna date me and I lost my chance at making my dad's dream of seeing me get married happen." Cyrus replied.
"I know this sounds a bit evil...but why not fake a wedding, if your dad still got time you can build a fake relationship with someone, pay them to get with you and fake marry or something?
Lots of people do that." Ha-joon suggested.
"I didn't expect that suggestion from you." Jin said, "I'm just trying to be helpful...I know a buddy of mine from Korea, he did the same thing, his grandma that raised him all by herself was dying and her wish was to see him get married to a beautiful girl, so he rented a girlfriend and for months they pretended to be a couple and eventually had a wedding.
I was against the idea at first but when I attended the wedding and saw how happy his grandma was, I thought to myself that it was a great idea after all.
The poor woman was so relieved to see her grandson happy, she passed away with a smile sometimes after the fake honeymoon period." Ha-joon replied.
"Do you think if I ask Lydia, she'd agree to this, to pretend so that my dad could be happy?" Cyrus asked Jin, "Umm, are you actually considering this?" Jin asked back.
"I know you like my dad because he took care of you when you came back to this town, but I want you to understand I'm not planning to deceive him to hurt him!
Jin I genuinely want him to be happy! Do you realize what I'm saying?! I'm losing my dad!" Cyrus said angrily.
"But think about it?! Even if Lydia said yes, What if Joe finds out before the wedding or while it's taking place?! Don't you think he'll be disappointed?! Sad?! Guilty?! He'll think it's his fault you tried to get fake married to please him!" Jin replied.
"But he'll also realizes that I give a shit about him because why else would I put my life in jeopardy and make up a whole Ass lie that doesn't benefit me personally?! I'm doing it just to make someone I love happy!" Cyrus said.
Hearing his words, Something clicked In Jin's head, "I get it now...." He said as he turned to look at his father, "You were really trying to protect me...weren't you?"
In an unexpected move, Nam-gil smiled at Jin, "That's what your mother would have wanted, Yu-Jin."
...Meanwhile...
Seong-Min ended up staying in her room with Nikolai as he layed in her bed.
"I guess I'm really... tired today." Nikolai said, he was yawning very often, few tears of exhaustion left his eyes with each yawn.
Sitting by the edge of the bed, "Some people get sleepy when they stress out...I used to sleep a lot at the mental hospital." Seong-Min replied.
"Oh yeah...Jin told me about it, when I first met you, he said I should be careful cuz you're a junkie." Nikolai said making her scoff.
"Ex-junkie and I can't believe that traitor told you about it and even warned you!" Seong-Min replied.
"Seong-Min, Jin was just worried about you, he was afraid you'd do something stupid which you eventually did."
"Humph, whatever!"
"Hey...how did you become a junkie?"
"Happened after my first kidnapping...I was drugged a lot, and I ended up liking the high."
"Oh...I heard that could happen." Nikolai said.
"Yeah, at least it happened with me!
I was traumatized by the whole kidnapping ordeal but the drugs and the disassociation from reality...I remember it felt good, so I stared trying to get drugs but the only thing I could get without immediately raising suspicion was tranquilizers, like sleeping pills and anxiety medication and shit...
because I was kidnapped I was prescribed those stuff and I started taking more than I should...
Before I knew it I was becoming addicted, luckily for me, mom noticed earlier than most people would've and she intervened.
She got me sent to the hospital, even though my grandpa was against it because he was afraid our reputation would get tarnished if people find out the heiress to his money was hospitalized for addiction." Seong-Min explained.
Yawning, "That must've been...a scary situation." Nikolai said.
"Yeah it was...hehe when you yawn every few seconds like that, you make it sound like my story was boring." Seong-Min joked.
Smiling weakly, "It's not, you're really brave...I admire that about you.
I wish sometimes...I was as half as brave and headstrong as you are...when I was your age." Nikolai replied.
"Aww thanks!"
"Hey Min-Min...is it okay if I call you that?"
"Sure?"
"Can I asked you something Min-Min?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are you my fan?... what do you like about my work?" Nikolai asked.
"For starters, you're a Cool dude, I like how diverse you are as person and I like the fact that your star is shining despite all of that.
You're a great actor in the sense, you do your job wonderfully...I loved every single movie and show you worked in.
But as I got to know you personally, I like the normal you more than actor you... You're completely different outside work, you're a little hotheaded but who isn't, and if my brother loves you, you must be a good person." Seong-Min said but to her surprise, Nikolai had fallen asleep while listening to her.
She chuckled at him, "I may have started as your work fan, but I'm becoming a bigger fan of the real you, Nikolai Parmar.
The real you that gave my brother hope."