#15

It was painful. When Yejin walked past him without saying anything nor glancing in his way, it was extremely painful for Sehun.

He wanted to say something, at the very least just saying a simple ‘hi’ would do, but his tongue felt heavy. He did not expect to run into her at all when he decided to come here. He had held himself back for the past few weeks because the felt to at least get a glance of her was overwhelming him and he tried so hard to not act on his feelings.

But, that day he was just walking aimlessly in the city after getting his late lunch and without him realizing his feet had brought him right to her apartment and he just stood there staring at the building wondering how Yejin was doing these days.

He wished he could just walked into it and get up to her apartment like he did before and have her welcome him with a hug and a kiss like how she always does. If he hadn’t left, he might still have all those things.

Sehun was an idiot and there was not a day where he did not regret his decision. He had actually felt it the moment he got onto the plane but had ignored it and listened to his mom’s words.

‘She’s always belonged to Jongin, Sehun. She might tell you she loves you, but first loves are always hard to get over and she’s not going to get over Jongin. Just let her go.’

There might be some truth in her words, but he should’ve known better and at least fight for her and trust her because at the end of the day, she still showed up to the wedding.

Jongin was right too. Leaving was the biggest mistake he’s ever done.

There’re times when Sehun blamed himself for not putting aside his huge ego and actually listened to Jongin’s words no matter how pissed he was at him. Times where he wished he wouldn’t have followed his head telling him that following Jongin’s words would only make him weak and he’ll always be second to him.

He really wished he had listened to Jongin.

When Yejin started to move, Sehun started to panic. When she took the first few steps, Sehun wanted to block her path. When she walked past him, Sehun wanted to stop her. And when she walked away from him towards her apartment, Sehun wanted to turn around and call her name.

But he didn’t.

He couldn’t.

He glanced towards the entrance of the building and saw her back entering the glass doors.

Sehun waited until she fully disappeared out of his sight before turning around and walking away.

Yejin was wondering if it was a dream. If everything was just an imagination, her mind playing tricks on her and Sehun hadn’t actually been there in the first place. But she knew it wasn’t.

It felt too real for it to be an imagination.

She entered the apartment in a hurry and straight away went to the dining table to set the cake on it with her hands shaking uncontrollably.

Yejin grabbed onto the sides of the table with a tight grip as she felt like her legs might give out and she was breathing harshly as if she had just ran the few blocks back to her apartment.

Her head was a cluttered mess and her heart’s beating rapidly in her chest to the point Yejin was afraid if it was going to fall out of her chest at how fast it was.

Jongin didn’t lie when he said that he saw Sehun.

As she thought more about it, Yejin wondered did Jongin saw him in passing or did he actually run into Sehun the way she did? If they did, what did they do then? Did Jongin tried to talk to him and asked him why is he back here? Or did Sehun ignore Jongin? Could Sehun still be angry at Jongin and hating him for returning?

She felt a headache coming as more questions kept coming up in her head.

Yejin closed her eyes as she tried to regulate her breathing and calm her racing heart but then she heard the sound of the door opening notifying her that Jongin and Taeoh is here.

She ran her hands through her hair, not wanting Jongin to realize that something happened and asking her about it. And she doesn’t want Taeoh to worry either. It’s Jongin’s birthday party, she should it up a little until the end of the night at least.

‘Aunt Yejin!’ Taeoh shouted, running towards her and appearing next to her at the table, staring excitedly at the cake. ‘Did you get the cake I wanted?’

‘Cake you wanted?’ Jongin repeated. ‘I thought this was my birthday?’

‘But you like what I like. Right, appa?’ Taeoh asked as he lifted his head to look up at him and Jongin ruffled his hair.

‘Of course.’ Jongin nodded. ‘You’re my son, after all.’

Taeoh grinned at him before turning back towards the cake and reaching out to it but Yejin stopped it with a hand on his arm.

‘No, no,’ she said to a frowning Taeoh. ‘Go wash your hands first and then you can help me set up.’

The boy nodded and head towards the sink.

‘What is there to set up?’ Jongin asked. ‘You only got the cake, right? There’s not going to be any decorations whatsoever, right? Cause I think I’m a little old for that.’

Yejin chuckled, and it sounded a little weak but she hoped Jongin didn’t notice it. She avoided looking at Jongin as she took the box out of the paper bag and set it on the table again. ‘No one’s too old for birthday decorations.’

She was about to head to the kitchen to get a couple of plates when she made that mistake of looking at Jongin’s face and with that short glance she knew that he knew.

‘You saw him.’

It wasn’t a question. Sometimes it still amazed her how he knew exactly what’s going on with her and what’s running through her mind with just a look.

Jongin opened his mouth to say something more but then Taeoh came scurrying back with a huge grin on his face and stopped in between the two of them.

‘I’m ready for cake!’

Yejin smiled down at him and when she looked back at Jongin, the look in his eyes were telling her that they were going to continue this conversation later and she nodded slightly as a reply.

Jongin and Yejin sat on the couch, each with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands, as they looked down at a sleeping Taeoh with his head in Yejin’s lap. After they had their dinner and sang the birthday song four times as Taeoh requested, they finally got to eat the cake which what the little boy had been looking forward to all day long.

They looked in amusement as he gobbled up the slice of cake on his plate before asking for another slice which Jongin had said would be his last piece since it was getting late and Taeoh has to sleep soon and he doesn’t want him to be buzzing with energy because of the sugar rush.

After they had given Jongin his birthday gifts, Taeoh had insisted that they watch a movie together which made Yejin decided to make hot chocolates to drink as they watched the movie but Taeoh didn’t get a chance to taste it since he had fallen asleep as soon as the movie starts.

Yejin combed his hair out of his face with her hand and she watched with a smile as the boy snuggled closer towards