Author's P.O.V
Flashback

Year 20XX
A week before Riel and In-Yeop's breakup

In-Yeop lounged in the living room, his fingers deftly tapping away at his phone as he immersed himself in a game. The house was unusually quiet with Hyunjin and Yeji out with their friends, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

The sudden ring of his phone broke the silence, jolting him from his game. The screen displayed an unknown number. He hesitated, his thumb hovering over the answer button, but curiosity got the better of him.

"Hello?" In-Yeop's voice was cautious.

"Is this Mr. Hwang In-Yeop?" A woman's voice, calm yet urgent, came through the line.

"Yes, what happened?" he asked, a sense of dread creeping into his chest.

"I'm calling from Seoul National Hospital," she continued. "Your mother and father were in an accident. They're in the operating room. Please hurry and come here."

In-Yeop's heart plummeted. "I-I'm coming!" he stammered, his voice breaking. He bolted from the house, barely remembering to grab his keys. As he sped towards the hospital, he called Hyunjin, his voice frantic. "Get to the hospital, now!"

Upon arriving at the hospital, In-Yeop dashed to the reception desk, breathless. "Hwang Eunsuk and Jung Soojung!" he blurted out.

"You must be their son. They're on the 2nd floor, operation room no. 03," the receptionist informed him.

Without wasting a second, In-Yeop sprinted towards the staircase, knowing the elevator would take too long. Every second felt like an eternity.

He reached the operating room just as two doctors emerged, their faces grim. They noticed In-Yeop, panting heavily, and one of them spoke up. "Are you their son?"

In-Yeop could only nod, his throat too dry to form words.

The doctors exchanged a glance, steeling themselves. "We're sorry, we couldn't save your parents..."

The words hit In-Yeop like a physical blow. His world shattered. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, unable to process the devastating news.

One of the doctors knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We tried our best, but we couldn't save them. We're truly sorry."

At that moment, Hyunjin and Yeji arrived. They saw their brother on the floor, a doctor beside him.

"Oppa!" Yeji cried, rushing to In-Yeop's side. Hyunjin stood frozen, the doctor's words echoing in his mind.

"Oppa?!" Yeji shook In-Yeop, but he didn't respond. Hyunjin finally found the strength to move, joining his siblings.

"Hyung," he whispered, sitting beside In-Yeop and wrapping an arm around him as tears streamed down his face.

---------

Three days had passed since the somber funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Hwang, leaving a void in the lives of those who loved them. Riel, however, remained oblivious to the turmoil brewing in Japan, her attention focused on her endeavors in Italy. Meanwhile, In-Yeop was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his parents, feeling abandoned and alone in his darkest hour.

Riel's absence weighed heavily on In-Yeop's heart. He yearned for her comforting presence, her soothing words, and her reassuring touch. In her absence, the pain of his loss felt overwhelming, and the darkness seemed to closing in around him. He needed her to help him stabilize his emotions, to find a way to move forward without the people who had shaped his life.

But Riel was far away, unaware of the depth of In-Yeop's sorrow. She wasn't there to offer a gentle ear, a supportive shoulder, or a loving embrace. She wasn't there to help him navigate the complex web of emotions that threatened to consume him. As a result, In-Yeop felt lost and forsaken, his heart aching with a deep sense of loneliness.

The distance between them seemed insurmountable, and In-Yeop couldn't help but wonder if Riel truly understood the extent of his pain. Had she abandoned him in his time of need? Did she not care that he was struggling to cope with the loss of his parents? The questions swirled in his mind, fueling his doubts and fears.

As the days passed, In-Yeop's sense of isolation grew, and he began to question the foundation of their relationship. Had they been truly connected, or was it just a facade? The uncertainty gnawed at his heart, leaving him feeling vulnerable and unsure of what the future held.

In-Yeop's P.O.V

Three days had passed since my parents' funeral, and Riel was nowhere to be found. I felt abandoned, just like I had when my parents left me. Where was she? Why hadn't she come to my side? She promised to always be there for me, through thick and thin. But now, she seemed to have vanished into thin air.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal. Had she lied to me? Was she just like the other girls - using me for my wealth and status? But why did my heart still long for her? Why couldn't I accept that she had abandoned me?

As I sat on the park bench, waiting for Riel, my emotions swirled like a tempest. I had decided to end our relationship, to cut ties with the one person who had brought me joy in my darkest days.

Riel arrived, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She wrapped her arms around me, seeking solace in our familiar embrace. But I disentangled myself, my gaze distant, my eyes hiding the storm within.

"Let's break up," I said, each word a dagger to her heart.

Confusion etched her face. "What? Why?" she stammered, desperation clinging to her words.

I removed the ring, a symbol of our commitment, from my finger and flung it away. "Sometimes love isn't enough," I said, my voice brittle. "We're drowning, suffocating in our own expectations. I can't bear it anymore."

Without another word, I walked away, leaving Riel shattered on the park bench. Her heart screamed after me, but I didn't turn back.

A month had passed since our breakup. I lay on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, memories of Riel flooding my mind. Tears slipped from my eyes as I recalled our laughter, our stolen kisses, and our first date.

A knock at the door broke the silence. I wiped my tears and opened the door to find my aunt, Jeon Yeo-Bin, standing with a nervous expression.

"Aunt, what's wrong?" I asked, sensing something amiss.

Yeo-Bin took a deep breath before revealing a long-hidden secret. "Your parents weren't just CEOs, In-Yeop. They were also mafias of the Philippines."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I couldn't process the revelation.

"There's more," Yeo-Bin continued. "Your parents' death wasn't an accident. It was a planned murder attempted by Ashley Kim and Choi Do-Ha."

Regret washed over me. I had doubted Riel, thought she was behind my parents' death. But she had told me the truth, wanted me to trust her. My parents hadn't accepted Riel, and now I understood why. Fate had other plans for us, plans that didn't include a simple love story.

As I sat in stunned silence, my aunt's words echoed in my mind. My parents, mafias? Their death, a planned murder? I felt like my world had been turned upside down.

But as I reflected on my recent breakup with Riel, I realized that life was full of imperfections and insecurities. No one was perfect, and no relationship was flawless. We all hid behind masks, concealing our true selves from the world.

I thought about Riel, about how I had doubted her, about how I had pushed her away. Had I been wrong to do so? Had I let my fears and insecurities get the better of me?

As I pondered these questions, I heard a faint voice in my head - the voice of Author Eun, the author of the book that Riel had given me.

"Everyone has to face consequences in their life," Author Eun wrote. "There are ups and downs in life. Life is an imperfect thing that everyone has. Love is also imperfect, you cannot say that this is a perfect relationship that everyone deserves just by looking outside. Inside, there are also imperfections and insecurities. Nothing and nobody is perfect. They just hide their imperfections and insecurities behind the mask..."

I smiled wryly, reading Author Eun's words. It was as if she had seen into my heart, into my struggles with Riel.

"*Sighs* Wah! I didn’t knew I would write this like I’ve gone through many breakups," Author Eun continued. "Your author is single since birth!
- Author Eun
- Love Ya!"

I chuckled, feeling a sense of solidarity with the author. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't alone in my struggles. Maybe love was imperfect, but it was worth fighting for.

With newfound determination, I closed the book and stood up. It was time to face my consequences, to confront my insecurities and imperfections. It was time to find Riel, to apologize, and to fight for our imperfect love.

——————
To Be Continued
Word Count: 1.5k

Just tried something new by breaking the fourth wall 🙂

– Author Eun
– Love Ya!