The Smile You Bring Me

Salvage

Dal Mi breathed deeply, "I can't lose them again!" she promised herself. It's not her intention to say what's in her mind out loud, but she did.

Ji Pyeong couldn't say he was thrilled by how she desired to have the boys back. Nonetheless, he's pleased to see her with that kind of determination. It was the Dal Mi he knew, the same one he liked—ever since they were young.

"Why does it have to be them?"Ji Pyeong suddenly asked her.

Dal-Mi was surprised by his question.

"Huh?"

"That's the first thing you have to ask yourself. 'Why does it have to be them?'. When you already find the answer to that question. Ask yourself again: 'Are they worth it?'. If your answer is YES. Then, you have to show them why they need Chung Myung," he said.

"You said you're not going to help me!?!" she said.

"You know me! I can't afford to see you banging your head on your window. Your car didn't do anything to you!" he joked.

Dal-Mi smiled at him.

"See, you're smiling now. It suits you more!" he said.

Ji Pyeong opened his door and stepped out of her car.

"I'll leave first! I think you needed time to think!"

Before he closed the door, Dal-Mi looked at him sincerely, "Ji Pyeong! you know how thankful I am to have you, right? — and I'll always feel that way!" she said.

He nodded and closed the door of her car.

Ji Pyeong walked into his car. Then he saw his gift for her—on the passenger seat. He sighed deeply, "She needs them. Chung Myung needs them!" he convinced himself and drove.

Ji Pyeong felt uneasy after he gave Dal Mi advice, and he could only think of Won-Deok to help him feel better. But when he arrived at their place, their lights were already turned off. He looked at his watch, "Are they sleeping already?" he asked himself. Unwanting to disturb them, he decided to drive away. Ji Pyeong found himself at Jangga —the pub he often went to.

In the pub, Ji Pyeong saw Min Ah and Jun Ki. They looked happy together for her to notice his presence. He sat on an empty table behind them. He could hear them laughing, and there was the clicking of their glasses. Then, all of a sudden Jun-Ki sounded different; he became serious.

"I need a favor to ask you!" he said. Ji Pyeong didn't hear a response from Min-Ah. "I know it's hard, but can you stay by my side too?" Jun Ki asked. He still couldn't hear anything from Min-Ah.

"You know how much you mean to me, right? You're the only one that stays at my side when I have no one to depend on. When my parents got divorced. And then Dal Mi also left me. You're always there to comfort me." Jun Ki paused, "I thought I could forget her because she's not around anymore, and you're the one who's here," he stopped.

"But?" Min Ah softly said.

Then Ji Pyeong showed up in front of them just before Jun Ki could give her an answer. He suddenly remembered how she cried for that guy, and he felt 'bad' for her.

"Ji Pyeong!" Min Ah exclaimed.

"Don't you think you're being selfish? How can you ask her to be on your side when you already have someone else?" Ji Pyeong said directly to Jun Ki. "Min Ah, let's go!" Ji Pyeong said, and he grabbed her by the wrist out of Jangga.