The car ride was silent , Areum kept her eyes locked on her husband, smiling bitterly. Sehun noticed how sorrow her eyes are but he didn’t want to talk about it. Happy thoughts, happy goodbyes he reminded himself. Their other family members were already at the airport waiting for the couple.

As soon as they arrived, Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kris rushed to load the luggage on the trolley. Areum wrapped her arms around his waist while Sehun had his around her shoulder. They walked together towards their parents.

“Come back when it’s holiday, right hunnie?” his mother shed some tears while hugging him. Sehun kissed the side of his mother’s head. “Right omma, don’t worry too much about me.”

Areum stood by his side when he started to say goodbye to everyone. Baekhyun’s eyes were red but he pretended not to know about it earning a laugh from the taller guy, Chanyeol.

“I hope we get a better Director, right Baek? Not the fussy, poker face guy who’s obsessed about work and bubble tea”

“Chanyeol hyung I hope you get the worst ever” Sehun gave his two bestfriends a tight hug. “Look after my wife , don’t allow any man come near her.”

“No worries” Baekhyun patted his friend’s shoulder. “We’re…going to miss you brat.”

“I hope you get a few more inch taller in 2 years” he teased.

“I’m normal, you guys are just giants” the Diva crossed his arm, glaring at the others.

Sehun was surprised when his brother-in-law pull him into a hug. “You did a great job, I believe you’re the best for my sister. I’ll protect her, you just have to focus on your job.”

“Thanks hyung” Sehunhas only one person left to say goodbye, the love of his life, Wu Areum. She pull the hoodie of her sweater up to cover her face, she looks great in just the light-blue jeans and black hoodie. Sehun uncovered her face and cupped her flushed cheeks.

“Hey, guess it’s time to say goodbye”

She nodded holding his arms. “Promise me you’ll call me often”

“I promise, make sure you don’t skip meals and the sessions. I’ll be checking after you so don’t ever imagine you can run from it. Got it?”

Truthfully, he’s afraid to leave her when she’s not fully healed yet. She still get the nightmares time by time but she has stopped hurting herself. He had to send her back to her parents’ house because he couldn’t risk her living alone in the big house. Anything could happen, what if someone broke in and hurt her? He would be the one to blame and the guilt will be eating him alive.

“I have many pairs of eyes watching after me…but you have none”

“I’m a man, I can survive. Honey, I have to go now. I love you okay, no matter what happens…I will always love you. Remember my words, remember me” he planted a kiss on her forehead. Areum closed her eyes feeling his soft lips on her skin, trying to remember the feeling of it. She’s going to miss it for a long time now.

“I love you too” she hugged him tight, burying her face in the crook of his neck. “I’ll be waiting for you”

“I’ll see you soon”

With that they shared their last kiss for the long separation, neither of them say goodbye because they believe there will never be goodbyes. They belong to each other because no matter how far they are, they will always come home.

Kris and Amber sent Areum to her house after dinner, Amber wanted to stay with her but she refused saying that she wanted to spend some time alone in the house before going back to her parents. She bade goodbye to the two worried siblings before stepping in the empty house.

She sighed when the sight of Sehun’s running shoes greeted her at the front door. She the lights, brushing her fingers on the couch where they always lie down , cuddling while watching movies.

Moving to the kitchen, his favourite cup was in the sink, must be from the morning coffee. She pull her sleeves up, washing the black cup with a ‘Bubble tea’ design on the front.

“I miss you already”

Suddenly, she heard someone rang the bell of her home. She looked at the screen to see Kai holding a sleeping Nara in his arms. He smiled, pointing to the sleeping girl. Areum was hesitating to open the door but since he’s not alone, she let him in.

“Hey, let me put her down first” he whispered, following Areum who guided him to the guest room. He put his daughter down, kissing her goodnight.

“What brings you here?” asked Areum crossing her arms.

“Nara, she told me that Sehun is leaving today so she wants her weekend with you. She was all excited but her eyes gave up in the car. I’m almost here so why turn back?” he took off his coat, taking a seat on the couch.

Areum picked up the brown coat, handing it back to him. “Nara can stay but not you. Please…go. The last person I want to see now is you.”

She knew she’s being cold to him but she really need to chase him out of her house.

“I don’t want to be rude but I believe I deserve to make myself clear”

“What is there to say, don’t say anything to me if it does not involve Nara. What you and me have left is our daughter, nothing more. I am a married woman so having a single man in my house is very unpleasant, especially when my husband is not here. If you still respect me as a person, if you still care about me, please go. You can come and pick her up tomorrow.”

Kai looked up to see her standing on her ground, looking serious.

“I’ll give you some time alone now. Sorry for intruding your night” he took his coat from her, making his way out. “Goodnight pie.”

She froze at the nickname he called her, Kai sighed and with heavy steps he left the house.

Sehun was taken to the HQ to be introduced to the other employees he will be working with. He was provided with a penthouse and a car all he has to do is to move in. As soon as he arrived, they lead him up to the top floor where his office going to be for 2 years.

A feminine looking guy with doe eyes greeted him with a fluent Korean.

“Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Lu Han your secretary. I speak Korean and Chinese so I hope I can be a great help for you.”

Sehun smiled, patting the man’s back. “Nice meeting you because my Chinese are pretty bad. Please teach me a lot. I’m Oh Sehun.”

“You can count on me and if I may ask, I heard that you’re married”

Sehun nodded with a bright smile on his face. “Happily am so I’m quite sad to leave her back in Korea.”

“Don’t worry CEO Oh, 2 years will pass by quick. I assure you.”

Lu Han introduced him to the others, he felt welcomed by the others’ smiles and friendliness.

He looked around his office, a really big one compared to his previous. The view was priceless, he can see the entire city from his room. That just means that he’s here for an important reason, a big one. He has the full responsibility to make the company excel the market in 2 years and if he fails, the whole building will shut down and the employees will have to go for job hunting again.

“Can you leave me alone for a moment, I want to call my wife”

“Sure, if you need anything, I’ll be behind my desk outside.”

Nara was busy playing at the living room with the toys 

toys she bought from home, her raccoon plushie, Nana was in the room where she slept with her mother earlier. She wants the doll to accompany her mother to sleep.

She was combing her doll’s hair when she heard the sound of a cellphone ringing.

“Papa?” she wondered, running to the direction of the ringtone to find it on the kitchen counter. She didn’t know how to read yet but she knows how to answer a phone. Sliding the green button, she put the speaker on her ear.

“Papa?”

On the other line, Sehun was surproised to listen to the girl’s voice.

“It’s Uncle Sehun, where’s your Mama?”

Nara frowned, she wasn’t expecting for him. “Sleeping in the bedroom with Nana”

“Nana?”

“My raccoon doll”

Sehun chuckled after thinking that Nana is a person and wonders who dare sleeping on his bed.

“Can you wake Mama up for Uncle? Uncle misses her so much” he leaned his back on his chair, imagining the little one’s face.

“Ok but if mama got mad, I’ll tell her you told me to Uncle Sehun”

“Alright baby girl”

“I’m not a baby, Papa said I’m a lady now” she stomped her feet, running to the guest bedroom where Areum was still asleep.

Nara climbed on the bed, lightly patting her mother’s shoulder. “Mama, Uncle Sehun wants to talk to you”

Areum squirmed in her sleep, pulling the girl into a hug.

“Mama, Uncle Sehun is on the phone”

‘Sehun’

Areum’s eyes shot open listening to the name, Nara was struggling to free from her embrace with her cellphone in her grasp. Nara handed it to her mother and sat on her bottom.

“Hey honey, I just woke up,”  Areum tied her hair to a pony tail, switching the call to a video call.

“When did Nara came?” Sehun’s face was stern as usual.

“Yesterday, Kai dropped her here. She knew you’re leaving so she wants to keep me company.”

Sehun laughed looking at his wife’s disheveled hair and listening to her hoarse voice when the little girl behind her was peeking by time to time.

“Let me show you around”

He spun the screen around showing her the view and his large office. Areum gasp at how big it is.

“Congratulations, I’m so proud of you”

“Give me a kiss then” he pouted to see the girl behind her crossing her short arms. “Oppss, I see someone’s mad that I’m taking her mother’s kiss”

“Nara? She’s a lot more clever now, we better watch out and” Areum kissed the screen and Nara came running to hug her neck.

“Mama~” she whined.

Sehun giggled. “Sorry dear, your mother is mine too”

“No!”

“Sehun please, she’s just a child” Areum pull her daughter to sit on her lap. Nara kept on making funny faces earning a big laugh from the couple.

“Go get your breakfast , this fussy girl must be hungry”

“Yea sure, talk to you later. I love you”

“I love you too”

“Bye bye Uncle Sehun” Nara waved her hands at him. “Mama can we go get breakfast with Papa?”

Areum her daughter’s hair , thinking about the suggestion. She doesn’t want to let her daughter down sowith a heavy heart, she nodded.

“Papa is alone today”

“Why? What about the maids and your grandma?”

Nara lied back down on the bed, “Grandma went for a holiday 5 days ago and the others are going back home for a rest. Once a week, it’s the day just for me and Papa. Yesterday I forced Papa to send me here and now he’s all alone. Nara feels so bad Mama.”

“I didn’t know my girl can be this mature.” She couldn’t help but to feel proud with her daughter’s words. She cares a lot about her father everytime, seems like Kai did a good job in raising him and to be able to see her baby growing up to be a lively person. She is in the good hands and raise with love. 

They met at a nearby coffee shop that is just a walk away from the housing area, as soon as her father came in her sight Nara ran to hug him. Kai showered her with kisses and carried her in his arms. Areum followed the father and daughter from behind, feeling slightly jealous to see how close they are.

“What would you like to order?” asked Kai putting his princess down.

Areum looked at the menu behind the counter , “Hot latte and pancakes. Nara?”

“Papa knows my favourite” she grinned looking out the window swinging her legs back and forth.

“Hot chocolate, strawberry cake and chocolate chip cookies. You really do eat a lot for your size”

“You said that all the time Papa”

Kai ruffled her hair before heading to the counter when he heard

“Mocha frappe with extra whip cream, is that still your favourite?”

“Favourite? Papa drinks that everytime he comes to the coffee shop, grandma called it addiction”

Kai was frozen at his spot, she refused to talk to him but she remembered the things about him and that gives him hope, with a huge smile on his face, he walked to the counter.

“Oishii~” Nara sang munching her cookies, Kai wiped the crumbs on her cheeks clean.

“What did Papa said about speaking the language?”

“Sorry” she answered in Korean,winking at her mother. Kai is still clueless about how good his daughter’s Korean is.

“Did she force you to have breakfast with me?”

Areum shook her head, cutting her pancake. “She asked me and I said yes.”

“I just don’t want to, you know, you having the ideas that I ask her to ask you. But it’s really hard to turn her down when she shows you her puppy eyes, I lost to that most of the time”

“Everytime papa, everytime” she giggled when he tickled her, playfully sticking her tongue out.

“I have to say that you did a really great job raising her”

“I would say no but I tried my best” 

“How was your heart? I heard from her that you get a transplant, so you’re doing much better right?”

Truthfully, she’s curious about it. He has been sick for a long time and he’s far too good in hiding it. The least she could do is to ask about it when she can never help.

Kai bit his lower lip, “I’m still trying to take it slow, so I feel bad for not being able to play tag with her or jump around catching her like other dads do. There are just so many things I feel bad about. She saw me getting the attacks at time , seeing she cried so hard, motivates me to cure myself. I don’t want to say this but I’m glad that she’s with me, or I would have given up on living when I lost you 5 years ago.”

She knew it coming , he’s still looking at her like he did 7 years ago when they started become friends. His eyes reflect everything about him, he loves her and it never fades.

Areum sipped her coffee, letting out a sigh. “I’m not that good myself, I struggled a lot after you left. The neighbors said that your family moved out probably because you’re dead. They never saw you coming in and out of the house since you were admitted to the hospital. Somehow… I thought you were dead too and so does my baby.”

“So both of us get it bad, mid telling me how you met him? I’m sorry if I’m-“

“He was there for me when you wasn’t. I won’t mind talking about my husband”

Husband

It struck him like thunder, he wants to be the one holding the title. His eyes droop to the ground, Nara chose to play with the buzzer not into her parents conversation.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry for all the troubles I cause you. I know that we can never turn back time and my mistakes will never be forgotten but I want you to know that I regret about what happened. I’m telling you this knowing that my words will not change anything.”

Areum leaned backwards, staring at her former lover and their child. “You’re too late, my love for you is all gone but I still care about you,as the mother of your child. Sehun is a great man, I can never find someone like him. I don’t even deserve him but he wants me, he cares about me, he loves me. I hope that you will be fine with us being… friends. Let’s put all the past behind for the sake of Nara. “

“I can’t promise you that, call me fool, stubborn. I just don’t like the word friends come out from your mouth but I won’t be stealing someone else’s wife. I’m that kind of a gentleman.”

She didn’t know how to reply to that, he’s confusing her with his words. But he still has the same feelings for her and he shows it all crystal clear.

“Because I love you too much, and to see how happy you are with him. I’m putting a full stop for this long wait. “ He took a sip of his last drop, holding his daughter’s hand.

“Nara say goodbye to mama, we’ll come again next week”

Areum kneeled down letting the little arms wrapped around her neck, she kissed Nara’s cheeks finding it hard to say goodbye.

“Promise me that I’ll get to see you next week”

“Sure mama” with that she stood by his side, tangling her fingers with those big ones of her father.

“See you” he turned around to feel a pair of arms around his waist.

Areum was surprised of her own sudden action, somehow looking at those pool of sadness in the man’s eyes bring her to tears. “You promised to never leave me like my mother. So, we will always see each other right?”

He gently pull her arms away, turning his back to face her. “We will”

Areum watched the father and daughter laughing in their way to the car, he never once turn his back again. Nara kept on waving her hands excitedly to her mother unaware of the tears running down her mother’s cheeks.

‘ If you love someone, you have to learn to let go’

That day she understands what those words mean.

______

A long chappy right? I'm sorry for not updating

sighs* had my first ever heartbreak and been busy with assignments

Comments please it helps me a lot, subs and upvote ^^

You can ask me anything, I'll reply to you