Chapter 4. Finally the End (1)

POV: JunKoo

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

SooJin was still crying right in front of me, and JaeMin was looking at his phone almost as incredulous as I was.

"What do you mean, betrayal?" JaeMin asked, enraged. "What the hell is this that they wrote?"

"I-I swear... I swear I never cheated on him, Jae," SooJin said, sobbing. "SiJoon won't forgive this, he will never believe me."

"Who is this Kim Jun-myeon?" I asked. "And why are you two hugging inside a car?"

"It was a setup, JunKoo," he denied. "There were two paparazzi, and... Oh my god... how could they publish this? My career and family will be ruined now."

"SooJin, calm down. Of course, we'll deny this; it's absurd," JaeMin pleaded, hugging his friend. "JunKoo, get some water for him."

I walked to the kitchen, still not believing anything I saw or read, with my thoughts solely on my best friend and how he must be feeling with those news.

I grabbed the water, handing it to JaeMin, watching how he gently stroked SooJin's hair while he drank.

"How did this come up, SooJin? Where did these photos come from?"

"On that day... I thought SiJoon was cheating on me with his secretary, and we had just broken up."

"Broken up?" JaeMin asked, surprised. "Why didn't you tell me anything about this?"

"I never wanted to expose my problems with SiJoon, Jae... I always thought it was better that way. On that day... in those photos, Jun-myeon was just comforting me."

"SiJoon would never cheat on you, what made you think that he and the secretary were doing that?"

"He cheated on me once, but a long time ago..."

"SooJin, you should have told me this, buddy..."

"I'm sorry, Jae. But it was only because of that, I broke up with SiJoon that day. Jun-myeon comforted me and helped me. That's what led me to be in that car with Jun-myeon. My heart was already hurt because of SiJoon."

"You're blaming SiJoon for something you did?" I ask, standing up. "You can't do that."

"JunKoo, you're being irrational. Of course, it's not SooJin's fault!" JaeMin says, but I don't care.

"I'm not blaming him, JunKoo. I'm just saying that if I hadn't seen him with that woman, I wouldn't have ended up there."

"SooJin, you didn't know they were taking pictures of you. SiJoon didn't know either, so nobody is to blame for these paparazzi showing up."

"And this Jun-myeon? He didn't know either?" I ask, enraged.

"Jun-myeon would never orchestrate something like this, saeng, I trust him," SooJin says.

"You trust him, but you don't trust SiJoon? You said yourself that you thought he was cheating on you, so why don't you think this guy here also took the pictures?"

"JunKoo, please, stop. You have no right to speak to SooJin like that. You're not in their relationship, you don't know what he's been through. Isn't it enough to see the state SooJin is in because of these awful people?"

"I'm really sorry, but I can't accept that SiJoon is solely to blame for this. And how must he be feeling now? Don't you think about that? He's at home with two babies and must be just as devastated."

"JunKoo is right," SooJin says, wiping away tears. "Deep down, I'm to blame for everything."

"Of course you're not," JaeMin says, giving me a dirty look.

But I think he is.

However, I dare not speak up. JaeMin defends him, just as I want to defend my best friend.

With that in mind, I search for a jacket and the car keys, slipping on the first pair of shoes I see.

"Where are you going?" JaeMin asks.

"I'm going to SiJoon," I say, adjusting my jacket and planting a kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back later."

"But you're pregnant, you can't act like this."

"So are you, and you're acting. I just want to go and take care of my best friend, JaeMin. Just like you're taking care of yours."

"JunKoo," SooJin calls, coming over to me. "I'm sorry... You can hate me if you want, but don't believe that. I never cheated on SiJoon, never."

I sigh. As bad as it is, I can see the truth in his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I'm being arrogant. I just want to go to SiJoon and be with him for a while. I'm sure SiJoon will be just as shaken."

SooJin nods, and I give him a brief smile, finally deciding to leave once and for all.

I quickly unlock my car and start the engine.

"Please drive safely," JaeMin requests from the doorway. "My little piece is still inside you, and I can't lose either of you or I'll die, understand?"

I nod, weak smile, and blow a final kiss in the air, all before finally going to SiJoon.

***

Getting to my best friend's house was easy. Due to the early hour, the traffic was calm, which helped me a lot.

I didn't knock on the door when I entered. I knew they always left it open, so I just walked in and came face to face with SiJoon in the middle of the living room, his hair disheveled, looking around with his phone in hand.

"SiJoon?" I call him.

"Where's SooJin?" he asks. "Where is he? I..."

"You've seen it, haven't you?" I ask, approaching him and taking off my jacket.

SiJoon stares at me for a few seconds, then hands me the phone, showing me the same gossip page that SooJin had shown us, displayed on his screen.

"You don't believe it, do you?" I ask, watching him sit on the couch and desperately run his hand over his face.

"Why did it have to be him?" he asks. "Out of everyone, it had to be that fucking model?"

He believes it...

"Do you already know him?"

"And who doesn't, JunKoo? He's SooJin's damn teenage ex-boyfriend. The damn rich and handsome model who's always been around him."

"SiJoon, SooJin wouldn't betray you."

I think. My mind is so messed up that I don't know what to believe. But still, I value calmness.

"Was this revenge?" he asks, bewildered, reaching for his phone again. "Of course it was... Look at the date, it's the same day he thought I was cheating on him. He left with that guy, but I would never think of something like this. Not with SooJin."

"You need to calm down."

"He only let me stay to humiliate me," he denies. "I made a mistake once, Saeng, just once, and I've apologized a thousand times. And now my name, linked to his, is exposed like this. Did he think about our children? Did SooJin care about us?"

"Of course he cared. He still cares."

"And where is he? He left me here with the babies and disappeared. Did he run away? Run away with that Jun-myeon guy?"

"Stop being crazy, SiJoon!" I say, holding him by the shoulders, making him look at me. "SooJin is at my house with JaeMin. He only went there to ask for help. He also said he didn't cheat on you. He doesn't know where these rumors came from. They were just in a car together..."

"I don't believe him," SiJoon denies, standing up and pacing back and forth. "I can't believe he had to seek revenge in such a low way just to match me..."

"SiJoon, you're heated. Have you taken a shower today?"

"What?" he looks at me, still bewildered, but shakes his head. "No. I woke up to thousands of message notifications and missed calls. I don't even know what to do now."

"I know. Go take a shower, and cool down."

"No. But I... I need to..." he looks around.

"What do you need?"

"I need to prepare the baby bottles. The babies will wake up soon."

"Leave it to me. I'll do it. Now go," I push him. "Take care of yourself for a bit, and then we'll figure out what to do."

I watch SiJoon go, still walking aimlessly, staring at his phone.