“Ugh, Grandma, I’m so tired… can we just… head back down?” Baekhyun bent down and placed his hands on his knees; his breaths were heavy and loud.

            “You’re so weak,” his grandma called back and continued trekking the trail up the mountain. “I guess those Hapkido training didn’t cut out.”

            “That’s more like agility and strength, not cardio,” Baekhyun refuted.

            “You’re just whining,” she pointed out. “Come on, I’m 85 and have more stamina than you!”

            She shook her head and continued her way up. Eunbi stood behind Baekhyun and laughed. Baekhyun turned his head back to pout at her.

            “Come on, little child, let’s catch up with grandma,” she pushed Baekhyun forward.

            “We’ve been out here since 8 this morning and it’s currently, 1 in the afternoon! We’ve been out here for five hours, Eunbi! And we’re not at the top yet!”

            Eunbi rolled her eyes. “You can walk all the way down by yourself if you want because I’m not stopping!”

            “Grandma, wait up!” Baekhyun called out.

            “So how are you and Sehun-ah?” Grandma Byun asked Eunbi as Eunbi caught up with her.

            “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster lately,” she replied.

            “How is that?”

            “Oh, I don’t know…” she muttered.

            “Oh, I think you do,” she smiled. Eunbi looked away from her. “I’m sure that you know that you still very much love him and I think he does too.”

            Eunbi looked at Grandma Byun and realized that they had finally made it to the top of the mountain. Eunbi looked straight forward up the path to see a familiar figure at the top. He wore a white tank with gray sweats; a typical outfit of his. Baekhyun stopped in his tracks right behind Eunbi noticing the familiar figure as well.

            Eunbi didn’t notice Baekhyun’s close presences and walked forward towards him. “Sehun?”

            Sehun turned around with a smile on his face. “Hey, love.”

            “What are you doing here?”

            “Hiking. Why can’t I be here?” He chuckled.

            “It would be nice for you to not follow me around…” Eunbi muttered, looking down at her feet.

            “I missed you too,” he spoke again, curling a piece of hair behind Eunbi’s ear. He leaned down to plant a kiss on Eunbi’s cheek. She sighed. Oh, how she loved Sehun’s kisses.

            “Hey, I let you inside the house, honey,” Grandma Byun called out from behind.

            “I missed you too, Grandma Byun.” He winked at her.

            “Why?” Eunbi shuffled her feet, accidently kicking Sehun’s sneakers.

            “Eunbi, can you just let me explain myself?” Sehun cupped the side of Eunbi’s face with his rough hand making her look up at him. “We can walk down together and talk about this- talk about us.”

            “But I just got up here… it was so hard to get up here too…” she lowered her eyes so she wouldn’t be able to make eye contact with him.

            Sehun let out a same laugh at his girlfriend’s shy stubbornness. “We can stay up here and talk and then on the way back down we can talk some more. Eunbi, I really do have a lot to say.”

            “This was not planned, Oh Sehun,” Baekhyun butted in and crossed his arms.

            “Boy, get over here and help your grandma pick the berries. They aren’t going to pick themselves nor are they going to listen to someone else’s private conversation.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes and followed his grandmother through another trail on the summit.

            “You know, I’ve been coming here for forever. Baekhyun loves inviting people to his grandmother’s and sometimes, I find myself coming here by myself and hiking up this mountain to refresh myself and I love Grandma Byun’s cooking.”

            “Sehun, just tell me what you want. What do you plan to tell me? Where are you going to start first?” Eunbi questioned leaning against the cement railing that went around the edge to keep hikers from failing to their death. She stared off at the view of the greenery that surrounded much of the landscape.

            “I’m not so sure. There’s so much I want to tell you and…”

            “And why don’t you just tell me then, Sehun,” Eunbi whipped her head around to look at Sehun. Eunbi’s entire was written with stress. “I’ve been waiting for such a long time and I don’t know how long I can wait… I’m just tired of waiting and just hoping.”

            “I-I… I can explain,” he said and held her hand tightly.

            “I want to go down the mountain.”

            “Okay, let’s go down and I’ll tell you anything and everything that you want to hear.”

            Eunbi started walking down the trail with Sehun quickly running to her side. “Start on the very first day after Minseok’s party. Why did you leave?”

            “My parent’s called me that morning. They said it was an emergency and that I had to come home quickly.”

            “And you didn’t bother to leave a note, text me, or call me to alert me where you were going?”

            “I was meaning to, but I never got the chance. Really, I wanted to let you know.”

            “Why does it seem like you’re trying to cut the corners, Sehun? Stop being going around your points and tell me. What was the emergency and why didn’t you call or text me after all these weeks?”

            “I know I’m sorry. My parents…,” He paused for a second to regain his composure. He still was not used his dilemma. “Are getting a divorce…”

            Eunbi stopped her in tracks. Eunbi’s parents were always very old fashioned and told her that getting a divorced was a big disgrace amongst her family unless if it was serious then so be it. So to Eunbi, the idea of divorce was always a big no in her book. “I’m- I don’t know what to say… I’m sorry, Sehun.”

            “Don’t be sorry,” he shook his head and continued forward. “My mother cheated on my father and- and I don’t know anymore, but she’s an insane woman. My father wants to divorce her and of course, I’m involved because I’m their only son, however, they’re also fighting over me.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “They can’t divorce yet until they figure who will take custody of me.”

            “But you’re an adult now, they can’t claim you.”

            “Well in the business world, it’s more like who will be the heir of the company and with my dad having his trades company and my mom’s art academy, someone has to take over.”

            “And are you…”

            “I’m kind of siding with my dad, but my mom… and I don’t…”

            “You don’t want to take over any them because you don’t want to be a CEO or Headmaster of an academy. You want to be a veterinarian and have your own clinic in the quiet parts of the city,” Eunbi finished his sentence.

            Sehun let out a small smile acknowledging how well Eunbi had listened and retained all of that information. Not that he hasn’t been listening too. No, he loves listening to Eunbi talk about her future plans and goals because he believes that he’s somewhere along with her in those future plans.

            “Yeah… and about not texting or calling you that was my parents once again. They turned off all my connections until they came to some agreement with each other and me and that still hasn’t happened yet.”

            “My parents, mostly mom, have someone watching on my phone because she doesn’t want me telling anyone about this and have the media find out and she wants me to solve my own problems by myself.”

            “Isn’t that a bit harsh? Why doesn’t she trust you?” Eunbi questioned. “Something like this you don’t let go and tell the world about.

            “That’s exactly why I couldn’t tell you right away…” she knew Sehun didn’t mean to guilt trip her, but he was trying to understand that she shouldn’t be so mad at her.

            “You still could have talked to me though,” Eunbi replied trying to save face.

            “I know, I know.” He grabbed Eunbi’s hand and laced them together. “I haven’t talked to her in a while because of this whole divorce thing and she hasn’t been home either.”

            “And why did you ignore me since you seemed like you tried to get in contact me and why did you seem so upset all the time?”

            “Like I said, my mom is insane and drove me crazy. She made all these ‘what ifs’ that were impossible just so that I could take her side and I couldn’t help, but be reminded of the mean and ridiculous things she said to me,” Sehun replied. Eunbi couldn’t help, but feel a little guiltier herself for being upset with Sehun. She had no reason to be guilty when it was all Sehun’s fault. She couldn’t help it. “And since she cheated and she was really the only woman I looked up to, I lost faith and trust in her and all woman. I know it was wrong to do that, especially, to you. You’ve done nothing but care and love me for me.”

            They finally reached the end of the mountain, which was a faster trip down than up. Sehun turned to face Eunbi. “Eunbi, I never meant to hurt you, I was just hurt myself and didn’t know what to do.”

            Suddenly, a silver car pulled up alongside the road. Another familiar figure stepped out from the car. “Finally, Sehun, I found you!”

            “Who is she, Sehun?” Eunbi questioned crossing her arms. Sehun looked at Eunbi then at the girl.

             “Irene, how did you find me? You don’t know about this place,” Sehun furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

            “I don’t, but Bo Gum does,” she pointed to driver. “Father was looking for you and said that he might have a hunch of where you would be in a time like this. And the tracking on your car is another thing to add.”

            Eunbi scooted away from Sehun and was looking everywhere but Sehun and this friend of his.

            “Look before I want to give the news, I want to give some clarification first. Kwon Eunbi?”

            Eunbi made eye contact with Irene after her name escape the girl’s pink lips. “Yeah?”

            “Hi, my name is Bae Joohyun or Irene as I like to be called. I’m Sehun’s friend,” she greeted with a bow and Eunbi, awkwardly, ree as well. “Um… I don’t really know what to say, but please don’t get the wrong idea about us. We’ve been really good best friends since childhood and I’m very much engaged to someone already.” She lifted her hand with a silver band encrusted with small diamonds that lead up to one big diamond in the middle.

            “What? He proposed?” Sehun mouth dropped open. He ran over to the car and knocked on the window. The window rolled down and Sehun shook the driver’s shoulders. “Oh my god, you proposed!”

            “And right there is my fiancé getting strangled by Oh Sehun, but in a good way,” Irene laughed. “I was called by Sehun’s parents to help deal with their divorce situation, but that only made Sehun more upset that I was involved. Our plan was for me to take over the art academy and Sehun take the company, but everything was so disoriented and Sehun refused to come home to talk things through so I had to take bigger steps and go over to him, which is why you saw me at the dormitory.”

            “Oh…” Eunbi was lost for words.

            Sehun came back with a big smile on his face. “I can’t believe my best friend and my dad’s personal drivers are going to get married.”

            “Not only is he you dad’s personal driver, but your best friend as well. Bo Gum and Sehun knew each other as young teens. At least I get to marry someone my age,” Irene said.

            “Irene, you’re only a year older than me. You’re nothing special,” Sehun shook his head.

            She let out a loud laugh that softened to a giggle. “Hey, you promised me when we were little that you were bound to marry me someday.”

            Sehun’s face reddened. “Anyway, I came all the way over here to tell you that your mother just wants things to end with no costs,” Irene announced.

            “What do you mean?” Sehun crossed his arms.

            “It means that she doesn’t want me or you to take over the art academy. The somewhat bad news is that her new daughter is going to take over…”

            Sehun scoffed. “So mom was cheating on dad with someone who already has a family. Unbelievable.”

            “Don’t be too angry, Sehun. She’s about your age and is majoring in art,” Irene explained. “So it kind of works out for her step-daughter, you know?”

            “I knew there was something up with her,” Sehun shook his head.

            “On the bright side, your father also agreed to let things loose and to not have you take the company and is actually going to be giving it to me and Bo Gum instead.”

            “Woah, for real?”

            “Yeah and it works well for me too because my business studies will really kick in and you get to be whatever you want to be.”

            “A vet,” Eunbi smiled at Sehun. Sehun beamed seeing her finally smile at him.

            “See? Even I didn’t know that,” Irene said. “I should be going back to go over things with father about the company.”

            “Bye, Irene,” Sehun waved her off as she walked back to the car.

            He looked back at Eunbi with another grand smile. “So I think that’s the whole story and here, you got to witness the ending of it.”

            Eunbi couldn’t help, but smile back. “Em… I think you’re missing one last thing?”

            Sehun’s face turned white. “I am? What else am I missing?”

            “This.” Eunbi wrapped her arms around Sehun’s neck as she tip-toed up to his face and place her lips on his; slow and smooth movements caused him to kiss her back. It was their first kiss in months since the whole divorce happened.

            Eunbi pulled back to take a breather. “But most importantly, I believe there’s a secret you have to tell me first.”

            “And that would be?” Sehun looked at her anxiously.

            “A little puppy told me that you had multiple times before,” Eunbi crossed her arms.

            “I’m not sure what you’re talking about Eun,” Sehun was now avoiding eye-contact with his girlfriend.

            “I think you know exactly what I’m…“ Sehun immediately pressed his lips back on hers to quiet her down.

            Sehun placed a hand on the small of her back and pressed her more into him and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

            Baekhyun stood in the background watching his best friends make up. The corners of his lips curled up. “Finally,” he breathed out; relief of all weight on his shoulders being lifted off.

            He shook his head and stepped toward the two, who were still going at it in a slow passionate manner. “Ehem, get a room, you dorks!”

            They parted and Eunbi stepped back and cleared while Sehun side-eyed Baekhyun for interrupting them.

            “So I see everything has finally gone back to normal?” Baekhyun questioned, placing the basket of berries under his arm.

            “Not quite, but we’re working on it,” Sehun putting an arm around Eunbi’s shoulder.

            “So, I’m guessing that you’re going to stay here as well?”

            “Well, I showed up randomly really with no invite and that’s a little rude to intrude and you invited Eunbi here to have fun,” Sehun answered.

            “No, bro, you have all total rights to stay,” Baekhyun exclaimed. “We can all have fun together like old times.”

            Sehun looked down at Eunbi who only gave him puppy eyes.

            “Fine, I’ll stay.”

=====================

HIIIIIIII! I'm sorry for being MIA for 13 DAYS!!!! School has been so stressful and hghgugugug! Tennis ended already so at least I'm able to come home early now! But I have state testing to come soon and block schedules where classes are 2 hours long instead of 1. I'm seeing half of my teachers for double the time huehuheuhueh!

Any way, YAYA you finally have learned what has been troubling Sehun for a month now! Um.... I'm not totally sure what to write next since I got down the major parts of the story that I wanted in sooooo we'll see what happens in the last few chapters of this story!

THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENCE !