Love in Autumn

As a veteran, Detective Jo quickly split the workload between everyone. Ji An and Jun would start to look into the diary once again, while Detective Jo and Ahn Song Ho, with the help of Ha Na would start looking at the past case following Ji An's father accident.

All this while, Ahn Song Ho kept the documentation under safe deposit box inside the bank. When he lost Ji An father, his mentor in work and life, he found no meaning to continue doing something so useless. Additionally, he felt responsible and guilty towards Ji An, who lost her father at such a young age.

With a huge responsibility burden on his shoulder, he could not play around and be self-centered, only focusing on things he would like to achieve. None of those thing was no longer important, and to keep his promise to Ji An father, he started to become Ji An godfather. As time passed by, with the long interaction between them, he also could not stop his heart from looking at Ji An in different manner. She was no longer a little girl, she was a woman now. A strong woman who had a past, who always stood for justice, who was cheerful and could brighten up his cold and lonely days.

Ji An would never know. He was not the one who saved her life from despair. It was the other way around, with Ji An, his meaningless life suddenly found a new direction. Because of her, he found out that life was worth living after all.

After splitting up their work, Detective Jo excused himself with promise to bring Ha Na home safely. Ahn Song Ho was still standing outside the balcony, contemplating on the cigarette on his hand. Should he or shouldn't he?

His left hand had kept the cigarette while his right hand had flickered the lighter on and off a few times. He was lost in his thought, did not even aware that Ji An had slowly approaching him.

"Oppa."

"Ji An." Song Ho was startled. Ji An calm voice seeped into his messy mind and he quickly hid his cigarettes on his back pocket.

"No need to hide it. I have seen you flickering your lighter for a good five minutes."

"Oh...." Song Ho awkwardly replied. He felt embarrassed that even himself had lost sense of time.

"Can we talk?" Ji An carefully approached him and now both of them were standing side by side, on the balcony. Ji An had let her gaze wandering to see the beautiful lights glimmering amidst the night. No matter what happened to her world, or other people, no matter whether people cried or laughed, happy or sad, the city light remained the same. The world would also remain the same.

"Um, sure." Song Ho knew he would not be able to run away forever. Sooner or later, they would need to face it together. He had reenacted this moment a few times inside his head, with different background and scenario but still none had really matter during the confrontation itself.

Silence engulfed both of them, as if calm before storm. In between, Song Ho heartbeat had been irregular.

"Oppa, I just wanted to tell you that I did not blame you. And there is no need for you to ask for forgiveness. It should be me. Sorry that I am not aware of your pain, sorry for being such a nuisance and sorry to bring your bad memory up."

"And also, thank you, Oppa. Thank you for being my guardian angel, thank for being a dad's figure in my life and thank you for always staying by my side and believe me."

Ji An went closer and gave Song Ho a friendly hug. Song Ho did not expect Ji An to say such encouraging words to him. He was standing there still, stoning, did not know what to do.

Slowly, his hand moved by itself and returned Ji An friendly hug. He also pat her head like how Ji An used to like it. Ji An eyes was glistened with tears, not tears coming from sadness but from gratefulness. The heavy burden was lifted from Song Ho shoulder and there was no more secret between them. Only one thing for sure, their spirit to fight was awaken. Congressman Park beware!