"It just feels like we're rushing through it all."

Ha Ni can't believe her ears. They have shared their marriage bed as man and wife for two amazing nights and Seung Jo is now having doubts and refusing to file their marriage licence. Ha Ni is so dumbfounded that she misses part of Seung Jo and Geum-hee's conversation.

"Let's register once you pass the test to change majors."

Ha Ni had just told the family that it could be months before a place even becomes available for her to sit the test, and hearing those words come from Seung Jo fills her with a mixture of fear, shock and anger. The shock wins out and Ha Ni stands frozen while Geum-hee argues Ha Ni's case.

"There is a chance she may not get to take it at all!"

"I'm sure it will happen…eventually." With that parting shot, Seung Jo gets up from the table to leave the room. At the bottom of the stairs he pauses and turns back around. Ha Ni raises her head slowly to find him watching her intently. Feeling numb, Ha Ni nods her head once and turns toward the front door.

"Ha Ni…!"

"I'm going for a walk."

"Do you want company?" This was not how he expected her to react. He expected whining and cajoling, not this quiet, pale shadow.

"No." For the first time, Ha Ni did not turn around to get one last glance of Seung Jo as she left him. If she did, she would have seen a look of uncertainty on his face.

When Ha Ni becomes aware of her surroundings, she finds herself at the park three blocks away. Taking a seat on the swing set, she gently rocks back and forth. She knows she has to calm herself. She is a married woman, well a woman, she reminds herself and no longer a teenager. Remembering how Seung Jo didn't want an officiant at their wedding makes more sense to her now. Ha Ni fights back the pain of Seung Jo's latest rejection, she needs to think this through rationally. The fact that he went through with the wedding ceremony at all should at least give her some hope, but knowing he felt pressured, leaves her cold. Why did he go through with it?

What should she do? Ha Ni bites her nails as she thinks. It's time to show Seung Jo that she is now an adult and won't let him manipulate her anymore. She wants him to see her as his equal, someone he thinks worthy to be his wife. Pulling out her phone, she presses a number on her speed dial and waits through the ringing.

"Ha Ni!"

"Papa!" Hearing her father's voice causes a few tears to slip free for the first time.

"Papa, I need a favour…"

Ha Ni quietly enters the front door of the Baek's home and tiptoes up the stairs. She is not yet ready to face anyone or deal with mom's concern. She dearly loves Geum-hee but she needs some time to strengthen her will against any persuasion that she may use to sway Ha Ni from her plan.

Reaching the bedroom that Ha Ni shares with Seung Jo, she strokes the bedspread as memories fill her head from the night before. Shaking her head, Ha Ni walks over to the wardrobe and removes her suitcase. Fifteen minutes later, she does a last sweep of their room to make sure she hasn't forgotten anything and zips up her suitcase. Ha Ni is so intent on her task that she doesn't hear the bedroom door open.

"Running away again Ha Ni? When are you going to grow up!?" Hearing the cold, harsh tone, Ha Ni spins around.

"Seung Jo…" Hearing how fragile her voice sounds, Ha Ni takes a deep breath and walks to the door. Taking Seung Jo's hand, Ha Ni pulls him into the room and closes the door behind him. Leading him to the bed they both sit on the edge. Ha Ni pulls his hand into her lap and plays with his fingers while admiring his hands. His perfect doctors hands. Ha Ni smiles softly at the memory of him telling her that he was going into Pre-med and remembers how happy she was to realise that her opinions mattered to Seung Jo.

"Ha Ni? What is going on?" Ha Ni is relieved that he had dropped that dreaded cold tone. She chides herself quietly for thinking that she would never hear it directed at herself after they were married.

"Ha Ni?"

"Seung Jo, I'm moving into the upstairs of papa's shop for a little while. Just until we sort out this marriage business."

Ha Ni feels Seung Jo shift towards her on the bed and finds that now she is no longer holding his hand, instead hers is gripped tightly in both of his.

"You don't have to leave." Hearing how unsteady his voice is, Ha Ni has to force herself not to look at him. She knows it would be her downfall. She has made a decision and knows that she should not be swayed from it. Seung Jo and she will be better for it in the long run.

"Seung Jo, it is no secret that I have loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. I have put up with a lot over the years. The constant humiliation and rejections. I thought that once we got married, all that would be behind us."

Seung Jo feels his heart tighten when he hears her whisper "Stupid!" with a bitter twist to her mouth. What has he done? He only wanted to give her an incentive to try hard, not for her to leave him.

"That is not what…"

"Please, let me finish. You must see that I cannot stay here and share your bed when we are not legally married. I don't want to cause upheaval to Eun-jo again. Not when I've finally earned a little of his respect."

"I will sleep on the sofa on the landing. Please. Don't leave. "

"I need some space to think. To decide where I go from here. My world has always orbited around you. It's time to decide what I, Ha Ni, really want out of life."

"Haven't you forgotten something?" Ha Ni flinched when she heard the anger in his voice. "Have you forgotten that you have shared my bed, quiet happily, for the last two nights? What if there are consequences?"

Ha Ni felt sorrow well up at his words. Her greatest wish is to have Seung Jo's babies. But not like this. "I'll let you know either way. In the meantime pray that I'm not. I never wanted my babies conceived out of wedlock."

"Have you forgotten the ceremony?"

"No, but without the legal documents, it was just a pretty party."

"Ha Ni! I'll go down…"Ha Ni cut him off.

"I have to go. Papa will be waiting downstairs by now."

Seung Jo was beginning to feel desperate. Ha Ni had not looked at him since she first saw him in the doorway. Eyes downcast, she turned toward him and kissed him on the cheek. She stood up and reached for her suitcase beside the bed.

"I love you."

At those whispered words, Ha Ni froze. She felt a tear escape onto her cheek. She had waited so long to hear him say those words to her. Taking a deep breath, Ha Ni stepped away from the bed and Seung Jo, who was still gripping her hand. When her arm was fully stretched out behind her, she gave a little tug until Seung Jo released her hand. She quietly exited the room and closed the door behind her.

At the bottom of the stairs, her father and the rest of the Baek clan were waiting for her.

"Oh Ha Ni! You're papa told me. I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

Ha Ni stepped into her mother's arms and gave a little squeeze. "Come visit me soon?" Geum-hee gave a watery smile and nodded her head. Next Ha Ni felt herself engulfed in a bear hug from Soo-chang. "Take care of yourself, my Ha Ni. We are going to miss you!"

After a kiss on her cheek, she felt herself released only to have Eun-jo collide with her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held on for dear life. "Everything will be ok. You'll see." After hearing these words whispered into her stomach, Ha Ni felt her eyes well up again. She bent down and kissed his head while giving him a squeeze. He let go of her and ran up the stairs. A few moments later, they heard his door slam shut.

"Come on Ha Ni. Let's go." With a nod at the last two remaining Baek's, Ha Ni walked out of the house with her father while Geum-hee quietly sobbed into her husband's shirt.

When they reached the restaurant, Ha Ni was glad to see that Joon-gu was not there. Her father carried her suitcase up the stairs and looked at her sadly.

"I wish I could stay here with you."

"I know papa. But with the renovations happening, I'm just glad that you kept this room as an office."

"Is it enough?"

Ha Ni looked around the small room. "I only need a sofa bed and a desk. I'll have my meals downstairs. I'll be fine."

Sensing that Ha Ni wanted to be by herself, Ki-dong gave his daughter a hug and kissed her on the head with an ache in his heart. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

When Ha Ni heard her father walk down the stairs, she collapsed on the sofa and finally let go of her anguish by quietly sobbing into a cushion. How is she going to get through this?