“Oppa, wait!” Ji Eun called out, running up to him.

Her husband was quiet that morning as he woke up before his wife could do so. He haven’t spoken a word to her since what happened last night. He even ate his breakfast, half-heartedly. Ji Eun felt her heart sunk when he ignored her, she knew that she had disappointed him.

Yunho turned around when he was called as Ji Eun approached him. She could see that he was frustrated with her from the look in his eyes. Her own eyes was starting to water at the sight. She didn’t want to make him hate her. She tried to choke back the tears and gave him a smile.

“What is it? I’m late already,” Yunho asked, almost grumbling at his wife.

“I… uhm… can you come home a little early today?” she requested, full of hope.

Her husband glanced at his watch and sighed. “I’m not sure, but I can’t promise,” he replied.

Ji Eun frowned, was he trying to avoid her? “Please oppa… promise me that you will come home early today,” she pleaded.

“Why? What’s the matter?” he asked, not sounding even a hint of curiousness.

“You’ll see when you get home,” his wife gave a smile. “Please…”

Yunho replied with a defeated nod. “I’ll try,” he simply replied.

As usual, Ji Eun would stand on her tippy toes to give him a peck on his cheek. This time, she gave a kiss on both his cheeks and a warm hug. Her husband was taken aback at the hug, she was burying her face in his chest, trying to hide the sad look on her face. When she pulled away, he bid goodbye with a simple ‘see you’ and left.

Ji Eun watched him walk away, feeling very sad about his attitude towards her. “I’ll miss you too…” she replied the words he would usually say to her before going to work.

She walked back to the kitchen, picking up the used plates and bowls. She glanced at the bowl of seaweed soup she made that morning, he barely ate much of the breakfast. I guess oppa didn’t notice the seaweed soup I prepared…

“Nevermind Ji Eun, you just have to prepare and get ready for tonight,” she encouraged herself, she had a lot of work to do that day.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, she opened the door thinking that it was her husband. But she saw the same delivery boy that gave her flowers the other day.

“Here’s another flower for today miss,” the boy smiled and handed the flowers.

Ever since that day, Ji Eun has been receiving flowers every single day. It was the same red rose. She would get a single red rose for a day. “Wait! Can you please tell me who sent this?” she asked.

“I’m sorry miss, but I really don’t know. I’m just a delivery boy,” the boy replied and bowed to her before he left.

Yunho couldn’t concentrate on his work, his mind was occupied of what happened last night and that morning. Was he rushing her about it? He didn’t really think so since they have been married for a few months already. Was he overreacting that morning? He knew that she sensed him giving her a cold shoulder. She looked hurt with what he did.

“But it’s not my fault!” he grumbled to himself. “I reacted normally…” he reasoned.

Then he remembered her request. She wanted him to come home early that day… why? Maybe she was finally ready? A small smile crept on his lips at the thought. But he knew he shouldn’t give too much hope. Yunho thought of other resons why, but he couldn’t come up with any. In the end, he just waited for his work to end so that he could get home early.

Cake. Check.

New dress. Check.

A wonderful dinner. Check.

Husband. Not check.

Jung Ji Eun was checking her list of the preparations for that night. The kitchen table was full of delicious cuisine, comprising of her husband’s favourite dishes and a cake that she made by herself. She fixed the new dress she just bought when she hung out with Jihye and Ayumi the other day, checking herself in the mirror more than ten times already.

“Oppa should be home by now,” she glanced at the clock and took a seat in the living room.

“Maybe I should check everything again. Just to make sure,” she stood up and started to check back everything all over again.

Suddenly her phone rang as she picked it up. “Yoboseyo?”

“Happy Birthday Ji Eun-ah!” Ayumi squealed through the receiver and made her best friend smiled.

“Thanks Ayumi,” she greeted, liking the fact that she remembered her birthday. “I thought you forgot,”

“Of course not! We’re best friends right?” she replied. “About your present, you’ll have to wait because I’m currently busy this week,”

“That’s ok. The birthday wish is good enough for me,” Ji Eun replied, smiling at her thoughtful friend.

“But I guess you must want to celebrate this year’s birthday with Hubby Jung Yunho right?” Ayumi teased, she knew Ji Eun would blush even though she couldn’t see it.

“You know me too well Ayumi-ah,” the girl sighed in agreement.

“Sir, we are boarding now,” the man in uniform informed the CEO who was seated in the waiting area.

He nodded in reply and stood up, heading for the awaiting plane. He suddenly stopped in his tracks when he remembered something important. He immediately took out his cellphone and dialed a number, glancing at the plane now and then.

“Man, how did I forget about Ji Eun!” he scolded himself while waiting for his wife to pick up the call.

 **

Ji Eun was pacing up and down in the kitchen and around the house while occasionally peeking down towards the road for any signs of Yunho’s car. She lost count how many times she checked the clock for the time and she has been waiting for two hours already. The nervous wife fixed her dress for the hundredth time that night, checking back all her plans for the night.

She went to the kitchen, making sure all the food prepared was already in place eventhough they already turned cold after two hours. Ji Eun wanted to call him, but she wanted it to be a surprise so she just stared at the screen of her cellphone. Suddenly the screen lit up, showing her husband’s name on the screen. She picked up the call with a big smile on her face.

“Oppa, where are you? I’ve been waiting for-”

She was suddenly cut in the middle of her sentence. “Ji Eun-ah, I’m sorry… I forgot,” he mumbled.

“Huh? Well… that’s ok. Hurry home oppa!” she exclaimed sounding very excited.

“Baby…” Yunho muttered with a heavy sigh.

“Y-yes?” Ji Eun replied, she didn’t like the tone of that voice.

“I can’t come home right now,” he informed.

Those words struck her like a lightning. “W-waeyo?” she asked.

“I suddenly got a call. There’s something going on in Japan and I have to go and check it out. I’m at the airport right now,” he explained, feeling sorry.

“W-what? B-but… you p-promised…” her voice cracked as her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach.

“I’m sorry baby, but I really have to go,” Yunho said, feeling guilty when he heard her melancholic voice. “I’ll keep that promise when I get back okay?”

“But w-when will y-you get b-back?” her tears were pooling in her eyes and were threatening to fall.

“Maybe in two or three days. It could even take a week,” he replied. “Baby they already called me, I have to go. I’ll see you when I get back okay?” he said the last words.

“But oppa wait-” she tried to stop him but he already hung up. “Yoboseyo? Yunho oppa? B-but… t-today is my b-birthday…” she mumbled, staring at the birthday cake in front of her.

Ji Eun frantically dialed his number again. “Hello? Yunho oppa!”

“Hello, this is Jung Yunho. I’m not currently available to answer your call. Please leave a message after the beep,” her husband’s recorded voice responded to her.

Yunho probably shut off his phone because of the flight. She dropped on her knees as tears fell down her cheeks. “But you promised…” she sobbed.

With that phone call, her plans were ruined. Her plans of celebrating her birthday for the first time with her husband were ruined. Ji Eun didn’t dare to look at the preparations she made and dashed into the bedroom. She dropped herself on the bed and cried harder.

“Did you leave because you’re mad at me oppa?” Ji Eun cried, staring at Yunho’s side of the bed as tears poured harder.

Looks like you’ll be celebrating this year’s birthday alone again Jung Ji Eun. Alone again…

here's the next one! sorry for the short update, i had to make it short since the other parts couldn't be put in the same chapter. hope you guys will enjoy!

i will try to update as soon as possible. i think my muse is coming back slowly now.