Chapter 202 - The Talk Show (II)

"Answer us, Kwon Jiwon," Sedong demanded politely. But behind those words he was leering at KJ.  "Isn't it simply a business marriage?"  KJ was quiet. His insides were fuming with anger as he tried very hard to fight the urge to throttle the host.  "Why are you not responding?"  The audience began to murmur. Sedong's question was echoed around social media networks. "A farce marriage?" one user wrote.  "I knew something was off!" "Were they lying?"  Sedong grinned in victory. He was highly offended when KJ did not invite him to his wedding. After years of good relationship, he had expected KJ to send an invitation card. But when he received none, Sedong felt slighted.  Somi looked at KJ with a worried expression. If word reached Mirae, she would become a target of insults from fans.  "I'm sure you two will go on a honeymoon soon!" Sedong joked. The audience let out an uncomfortable laughter. They were unsure how to react to this.  "Your wife must be so happy though," he went on. "Married to the Nation's Idol. But the way you two act, it looks like this one will also be added to your many discarded relationsh.i.p.s!"  Sedong was inwardly gleeful as he noted KJ's silence. He wanted to insult KJ in front of everyone. He reveled at the reaction he was garnering.  "Don't mind KJ, it was all just a joke-"  "The first time I met her," KJ cut through. "Was when I was nine."  Sedong and Somi stared at him in surprise.  "My half sister and her friends pushed me into the mud," he continued. "They used to bully me everyday, but my pride kept me from complaining to my grandfather. I didn't want him to worry at all. So when he asked me what happened, I lied and told him that I fell." There was pin drop silence in the room as the audience held their breath, listening to his every word.  "But that's when a little girl with green eyes barged into my house. She was at the park that time and had seen everything. She came to my defense and told the truth. But I was afraid. Afraid of what my sisters would do to me. So I said that she was lying." "Her green eyes teared up when I branded her as a liar," KJ whispered. His voice was hoarse. "She was just a pure, innocent person who stood up for me. But I… I was a coward. I lied. So when that girl with the green eyes entered my life again, I knew I had to be a better person for her."  He looked directly at Sedong. There was not an ounce of anger in his eyes. The only thing he felt was regret.  "When she came into my life again, I was determined not to let her go," he went on. "At first, I didn't know what those feelings were. But I began to notice her little actions. The way she ties her hair when she is focusing hard. Her nose scrunches a little when she picks out the broccoli from her food. The way she smacks her lips when she eats her favorite dishes. Or when her eyes glitter everytime she has a crazy idea in her head. I wanted to see more sides to her… " His words held a sincere longing. Everyone in the audience held their breaths as they watched the Nation's Idol pour his heart out to them.  "When I was shot…all I could do is look into her eyes. All I could think of were her tears as she held onto my hand. At that moment, I would not have regretted it if I had died. Because I was glad. Glad that we met again. Glad that I fell in love with her. I had no regrets." "But that day…" his voice was quivering with fear. "That day when I saw her hurt… I was beside myself. I went insane with grief and anger. If I had lost her… I would have destroyed this world."  His chilling voice was enough to send shivers into the hearts of anyone who was watching the show. Those words were absolute. If Mirae would have died, Kwon Jiwon would have turned the entire country upside down to destroy Ash Park.  "I don't need to shower her with an extravagant honeymoon," KJ said. "We don't need to prove our relationship to the world by acting happy and display our affections publicly. That's not what love is. We will support each other's goals and make each other a better person. So what if we didn't have a wedding ceremony? So what if we don't get time to act as newlyweds? All we know is that time can never separate us. It couldn't then. It couldn't now." His words echoed into the hearts of everyone. Sedong was speechless. His brutal attacks were feeble against the powerful emotions Kwon Jiwon had for his wife. The deafening silence in the room was overwhelming him.  Not a single eyes were dry there. The audience did not realize that they were shedding tears at that confession. Somi, who was sitting beside KJ, was at a loss for words. She, too, had tears in her eyes. Slowly, she stood up and began to clap.  Following her suit, the audience stood up one by one and joined her in giving a standing ovation.  KJ himself was in a trance. He did not realize the depth of his feelings until he said it out loud. It was as if he was hypnotised by his own words. It took him a while to realize that everyone was clapping for him.  Sedong, who was stupefied, stood up grudgingly to clap. He was defeated.  ….  "You really meant those words," Somi stated when they got into the car after the shooting was over. KJ was about to lie but she held up her hand.  "Hyun already told me everything."  KJ sighed. There was no point in lying. "I did," he admitted.  Somi stared at him for a few seconds before stating, "Confess to her."  "I can't," KJ said. "She's still reeling over Ash's deception."  "She is," Somi said. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't even try to win her over. And to do that, you must be assertive. If you don't tell her, she'll forever keep being hung up on Ash."  "What if she feels offended?"  "She won't," Somi assured him. "She'll be surprised but won't be offended. It's not like she's gonna throw you off the roof for falling in love with her. It will take time, but I know she will fall for you!"  KJ was surprised at her words. "I thought you hated me," he joked.  "I didn't hate you," Somi said. "I simply thought you were a heartless jerk. And I admit I was wrong to have fueled her feelings for Ash. But now I want her to be with someone who truly loves her. Even if it's you."  "That's reassuring," he muttered. "But thanks for the support." He genuinely meant it. Even though they had a rocky start, he was glad that Mirae had a friend like Somi.  "How are things with Hyun Jung?" he asked.  "We're together again!" she revealed. "It's still a bit slow but we're…we're trying."  KJ smiled. "I'm sure you two would be very happy-"  His phone began to ring. He took it out to see Psycho's number flashing on it.  "Hello," he greeted.  "Oppa!" Psycho' s voice sounded like he was panicked.  "What happened?"  "The CEO… she fainted!"