UNDODGEDBULLET | nine

“Come on Joohyun, try to remember...”

She closes her eyes and forces her brain to recall back something...anything. She’s standing in the middle of their bedroom and it feels like home, yet she doesn’t remember a single thing about it. 

Wait.

“What, Hyun—?”  A flash of them standing in front of the bathroom door suddenly appears in her mind out of nowhere, blurry and grey like something out of a dream. He was in a white shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows, and she was wearing a blue silk bathrobe...? Why was he stuttering like an idiot? .....Ommo, why was she undoing her belt!?

"Owwh..!"

It’s only a few seconds, not enough for her to make sense of anything but then suddenly everything turns black and she can’t think anymore, her already spinning head starts to sting with a sharp ache that she almost collapses to the floor. She takes a deep breath as she rides the pain and then slowly opens her eyes. 

Was that a real scene from her life? She has no idea. 

She swallows as her head keeps on hurting. Ugh... Maybe she should go to the closet and find something to wear for sleep later. 

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Sehun silently leans against the closed bedroom door, his hand touching the phone in his pocket. He hopes Joohyun is doing okay inside. He wants to give her a few minutes to herself as she explores their room. Maybe he should call his brother first and see how he’s doing. 

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"Oh my God...what in the world is this...?"

To say that Joohyun is very close to hyperventilating would be an understatement. She is alone inside their large walk-in-closet while Sehun is outside in the hallway talking to his brother on his phone. 

Right now she's kind of having a shocking moment of revelation inside their closet. 

She keeps staring into the top drawer of the dresser on what she assumes is her side of the closet, her eyes as wide as saucers. She knows ten months have passed and that she's married now but can she really change this much? 

Her hand hesitantly reaches out to touch the black Agent Provocateur nightdress folded neatly inside. She gingerly uses the tip of her fingers to pull the garment up against the light so she can see it better. And then she nearly chokes on her own spit.

What kind of a pajama is this! It's so...short and see-through! What’s the point of wearing a nightdress if you can see everything?

She's a conservative girl and her sleeping attires are usually pastel-colored cotton pajamas with pictures of cupcakes or sheep or unicorns on them.

No way, I would never wear something like this.

But then she remembers how her husband had left love bites all over her and she's not too sure of herself anymore. 

Or would I?

She is very close to panicking already. He can’t expect her to wear this to bed, right? Oh God, take a deep breath, Joohyun. Maybe this isn’t yours. 

But unless Sehun has a penchant for wearing transparent baby-doll dresses half his size then this thing is definitely hers. She looks down and realizes the whole drawer is stacked neatly with nightdresses similar to the one she was holding. Somehow she has a feeling that her husband is partly responsible for this complete change in her wardrobe selection. 

I can’t only own this kind of byuntae nightdresses. I'm sure there are normal, non-byuntae pajamas somewhere around here. 

She opens another drawer and her hand flies to cover when she sees the assortment of y lingerie inside. 

I-is that a garter belt? Oh my God, Bae Joohyun what were you doing with that?!!!

She slams the drawer close, her heart pounding as she remembers Sehun's words about her being a 'troublemaker' and not always as sweet and innocent as she looks. And the way he had looked at her when he told her how much he likes it when she's like that. 

Her face suddenly turns bright red.

Err, maybe it's better to pretend I haven’t seen this and just stay in the bedroom for now. 

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"Hello. Hyung?"

"Sehunnie!"

"Are you okay? What happened? Where did you go? What did Appa say?"

Jongin chuckles at the onslaught of questionings from his little brother. "I'm okay... We went to get coffee at the hospital’s cafeteria. And then we sat down and talk... He's not mad because I ran anymore but he's still pissed because I didn’t say anything from the beginning.”

Sehun nods. He understands that. Their father is hurt and it’s a wound that runs deep.

Jongin sighs, but there’s a positive determination in his voice that wasn’t there before this. “He still hasn't 100% forgiven me yet, but I’m going to stop being a coward from now on. I'll come and have dinner at home tomorrow night. And I owe Joohyun's parents an apology too for all the trouble I've caused."

Sehun takes a deep, relieved breath as he leans against the wall in the hallway outside the bedroom, his phone clasped to his ear. Joohyun will be happy to hear that Jongin is okay. Her concern for his brother had at first sent a blaze of jealousy in him especially with her in her current condition but then again he’s always been a little irrationally possessive about his wife.

"I think Abeo-nim and Eomma-nim will definitely forgive you. I mean, they traded up for a superior son-in-law in exchange anyway.”

"Yaah...this brat!"

Sehun laughs. "Are you sleeping here tomorrow night? Your room is still the same, you know. I wanted to change it into a game room or a nursery for our baby but Eomma won't let me touch it."

"Three other spare rooms in that house and you still want to disturb mine? I’m really going to kick your when I see you tomorrow." Jongin suddenly changes the topic, his voice teasing. "By the way, yesterday you were all freaking out about Joohyun not remembering yet today you’re already making out? Damn, you moved fast bro!”

Sehun rolls his eyes. “It was just a kiss, not a makeout, although it could have been one if my stupid big brother didn’t barge in—“

“How the hell was I supposed to know you were making a move on her, haish. Try again tonight then. Are you guys sleeping in the same bed?"

Did he really just ask me that? "Err, none of your business, Hyung."

Jongin hums knowingly. "That means no then."

Sehun’s ears start to redden in irritation. "I’ve told you it's none of your business, seriously..."

"Ommo....soooo grumpy, so it's definitely a no then. But at least our parents can finally have their beauty sleep again, huh."

"...What does that suppose to mean?"

Jongin suddenly starts to cackle. "Oh my God...you really didn't know? Eomma told me once that they’re seriously thinking of putting up soundproof walls around your room. But I guess there's no need for that now since you won’t be making any loud noises with Joohyun, haha for you!”

Sehun groans out loud. Why the heck is his family casually throwing jokes around about what he and his wife do in private? And he’s already so miserable, does his Hyung really need to rub it in his face like this?

“...God, maybe I should be the one running away from this house now. That’s it, goodbye everyone, I'm bringing Joohyun with me.”

“You can run if you want but leave my ex-fiance there okay, she’s one hell of a chef.”

“Yaah, didn’t I tell you to stop calling her that!”

Jongin continues cackling.

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“Is this why Abeo-nim said to ask the walls about us...?”

Sehun's hands are in the pockets of his jeans, his ears straining to catch the barely audible words that Joohyun is mumbling under her breath. He has been watching her like a hawk since he had come back to their bedroom a few minutes ago. His wife’s eyes are wide with something akin to amazement as she walks around in the spacious space where they have spent the past five months weaving intimate memories together.

The room looks much different now than it was six months ago when he was still a bachelor. Her feminine touches are everywhere now; his rigid and masculine greys and blacks are now softened by her purples and fuchsias. Deep down he had secretly harbored a tiny, ridiculous hope that everything would come back to her instantly once she's back here again, back within these four walls that have borne witness to them ever since their wedding night, the night when he had truly make her his.

She is staring at the cluster of framed pictures hanging on the wall opposite their comfortable bed. The bed that I won't be sleeping in tonight, he mentally sighs to himself. He quietly moves until he's standing right behind her, stealing a whiff of her scent as he bends down low until his mouth is just next to her ear.

Don't her, idiot.

The thought barges into his mind just as he is absentmindedly about to take a playful nip at her ear. The old Joohyun would giggle and melt into a puddle if he did that but this Joohyun who doesn't remember his touch will probably freak out and slap him in the face instead. He shakes the thought off before he ends up in a pity party for one. She doesn't notice him yet, still too preoccupied with staring at their pictures.

"What did Appa say about the walls?"

"--Eek!"

He keeps a straight face while she turns around, her eyes comically huge before she lands a harmless smack on his arm. His hands twitch as he resists the instinct to tug her hand until she's pasted to his side, right where she belongs.

"Haish, when did you come back? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He chuckles. "I can't help myself, you always make the funniest face whenever you're surprised. It's like watching a cartoon show. Who needs a TV when I can just watch your face?"

"Yaah--!"

She is about to smack him again so he quickly changes the topic. "What was it that you were mumbling to yourself about, hmm? What did Appa say to you?"

Her face quickly changes from indignant to panicky in an “oh no, he heard that?” kind of way. She blinks slowly like she's confused by his question before she shrugs and turns around again. "Uhm, what? I didn't say anything."

He raises his brow and wonders why does she even try lying to him when she's so terrible at it. He looks up to see what exactly has she been staring at before his heart starts to clench in realization.

It's a picture of them on a swing in his uncle's lush back