“How are you doing baby?” Jung Yunho asked for the nth time that day.

 

“Fine~” Ji Eun mumbled in reply, tired of answering the same question over and over again.

 

“Have you eaten?” it seemed that he wasn’t tired of asking the same question over and over again.

 

“Oppa~ would you stop worrying so much? I’m fine here,” the wife whined, she was getting annoyed with his overprotectiveness.

 

“I’m not with you. How am I supposed to not worry?!” he yelped silently through his phone, being extra careful not to disturb the meeting in progress.

 

Jung Ji Eun could only sigh heavily at her husband, how she wished she could smack him right then. But she couldn’t help to smirk at his attitude. After the news about her pregnancy, Yunho has changed a lot. He is more protective around Ji Eun. It was as if he was the one who is pregnant. 

 

Today, he turned even more protective since he just left to Japan that morning. Yunho has been calling her every three to four hours to check on her condition. To ease his heart a bit, he even sent both Ji Eun and Yuri to stay at Hyesun’s house. Ji Eun personally think there’s nothing he should worry about since she’s just about five weeks pregnant.

 

“Aish, I wish I could smack you right now,” Ji Eun warned.

 

“Oh please do. I miss you so much baby~” the husband playfully teased, adding more to her anger.

 

“Oppa you- ” before she could bark at him in reply, Ji Eun was already running towards the nearest toilet.

 

“Baby? Kwenchana? Hello, Ji Eun-ah?!” Yunho yelped through the phone in panic when he heard no reply from her after a few minutes.

 

Hyesun gently picked up the phone left by Ji Eun and held it to her ear. “Yoboseyo?”

 

“Mum? Where’s Ji Eun? Is she okay?” he immediately recognized the voice.

 

“It’s her usual morning sickness. You don’t have to worry much Yunho-ah,” Hyesun replied in a calm voice, his panic subsidized a bit.

 

“I don’t feel at ease leaving Ji Eun by herself,”

 

“You’ve done more that she asked for Yunho-ah. No need to worry about neglecting your duties as a husband. Let me take care of Ji Eun for now, just focus on work,” Hyesun’s wise words made Yunho sigh heavily.

 

“Well, is she there? I need to talk to her before I continue my meeting,”

 

Ji Eun just came out of the toilet with a towel over . Hyesun handed her the phone as she shook her head in response. “Honey, he’s worried about you,” her mother pleaded.

 

Ji Eun sighed heavily as she finally took the phone from her mother and held it to her ear. “Oppa, you don’t have to worry. I’m living with omma and Jae oppa. I’ll be fine,”

 

“Arasso… but I’ll still call you everyday. Is… that okay?” Yunho tried to compromise, fearing that she might get mad at him.

 

“Hmm, ok. But just once a day,” she heard him groan into the phone. “Alright, twice a day. Or just wait till I call you,” she won’t hear no for an answer.

 

“Take care, I love you Ji Eun-ah,” the husband kissed the phone and hung up.

 

Ji Eun leaned on the couch, still holding the towel over . The morning sickness was really draining all her energy as she started to go hungry again. Hyesun saw her daughter rubbing her stomach and sat beside her on the couch. As usual, she would make ginger tea to ease her nauseousness.

 

“Hungry?” Ji Eun just nodded in response. “What would you like to eat? I’ll cook something for you,” she offered.

 

“Kwenchana mum, I don’t want to trouble you,” she smiled back in return.

 

Hyesun smiled at how thoughtful her daughter is. But after being separated for nineteen years, she wanted to do all the things she have missed for her daughter. Though she was finally reunited with her daughter, there was still one more problem. Her husband, Lee Sugeun. They were never divorced, so technically she is still his wife. Hyesun has been pondering over the problem for quite some time now.

 

“I know you want something. What is it sweety?” her mother senses told her so.

 

The pregnant daughter bit her lip, hesistating to say what she had in mind. She slowly turned to face her mother and pouted. “I want chicken porridge…” she mumbled.

 

“Sure, come I’ll make you some,” Hyesun gestured Ji Eun to the kitchen, but she didn’t move a muscle. “What’s wrong sweety?”

 

“B-but, I want…” she paused. “Yunho oppa to cook it…” she finally confessed.

 

Hyesun chuckled after hearing her confession. So it wasn’t only Yunho who misses his wife, Ji Eun was missing him too. She probably kept it quite since she didn’t want to disturb him with his work. If Yunho knew this, he wouldn’t even have the heart to leave for Japan that morning. The mother sighed, there’s nothing much she could do now, her daughter was craving for some porridge specifically made by her son-in-law.

 

She picked up the phone and redialed the last number in contact. “Hello Yunho?” 

 

Ji Eun had her eyes wide open when she heard that name. She immediately grabbed the phone from her mother and frantically shook her head. Before she could say a word, she immediately hung up the call, leaving her confused husband on the other line.

 

“T-there’s no need,” she blushed. “Y-your porridge would be nice too mummy,” Ji Eun smiled sheepishly.

 

“Arasso, but you must fulfill your cravings when he gets back. Your baby wants it too,” the mother reminded before disappearing into the kitchen.

 

**

 

The figure has been standing in front of the door for almost ten minutes, hesitating whether to ring the doorbell or not. She took a deep breath and with trembling hands, gently pressed the doorbell twice. It was nerve-wrecking for her, waiting for a minute for the door to open. When it opened, the owner had her eyes wide in shock to see the guest.

 

“Y-yejin o-omma…”

 

“Ji Eun-ah… h-how are y-you?” she asked, quivering as if she just came out of the fridge.

 

The girl could only stare at the elder woman in front of her. She was tongue tied and frozen in place, her mind went blank for a second. It took her a few seconds to register what was happening in front of her. Her stepmother, Lee Yejin was standing in front of her again after not seeing each other for a few months.

 

The last time they met, Ji Eun found out the harsh truth about her parents. How Lee Yejin was not her biological mother. Scenes of how she treated her started to flood her mind as her lips began to tremble in fright.

 

“Sweety, who’s at the door? What is taking you so long?” Hyesun who was busy in the kitchen came over to see what’s going on.

 

What she saw made her stopped talking as she approached her daughter slowly from behind. “Y-Yejin?”

 

“Annyong Hyesun-ah. Have you been doing well?” Yejin greeted, bowing at 90 degrees.

---

 

Shim Changmin had a half-day at work that day since CEO Jung Yunho went to Japan very early in the morning. After he finished checking a few files for Yunho and sending them to him through e-mail, he grabbed his bag and got ready to leave. While walking towards the elevator, he fished out his phone and check to see any calls or messages. 

 

He was left in disappointment when the name that he wanted to see didn’t appear in the list. Was she still mad at him? He wasn’t really sure of the real reason for her to be mad at him. The elevator door opened up as he stepped inside, bumping into a girl who was walking out of it.

 

“I’m sorry,” he slightly bowed, noticing that she was a little shorter than him.

 

“That’s ok,” the girl replied, lifting her head up to look at the man in front of her.

 

The smile on her lips instantly vanished upon realizing who was standing in front of her. She turned around, ready to leave whe he suddenly mumbled. “Yunho hyung is in Japan. That is if you want to see him,” he guessed before entering the elevator.

 

Jihye stood frozen, her back facing him as she was hesitating on where to go. There was no use for her to stay there since her brother is not around, but she didn’t want to be face to face with her boyfriend whom she was quarreling at the moment. After pondering for a few seconds, she entered the elevator before the door fully closed.

 

The elevator was huge, it could fill 30 people at once. But right then, only two people occupied it with them standing as far away as possible from each other. No one spoke a word, there was an awkward silence as the elevator descended from the 20th floor to the ground floor.

 

Jihye glanced over at Changmin once in a while, he seemed too occupied with his phone. She was beginning to feel impatient for she has been waiting for the male to speak. It was as if they were having a silence challenge. In the end, she was the one who gave up and started to speak first.

 

“Hyung? Why are you calling your boss ‘hyung’?” she blurted out spontaneously.

 

Changmin finally lifted his head up and turned to her direction. “He gave me the priviliges,” he simply replied.

 

It was quite surprising for Jihye to hear that. Her brother? The one who opposes their relationship and was questioning Changmin like a detective before approving their relationship said that? Maybe Yunho was beginning to accept Changmin as her boyfriend, but she thought that it might be too late since their romance was at risk right at the moment.

 

“Don’t you have anything to ask me?” Changmin finally said.

 

“W-what? I d-don’t even want to talk to you!” she stuttered when she saw him staring deeply with his charismatic eye.

 

“Really? Well, you’re talking to me now. In fact, you’re the one who spoke first,” he replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

 

“No I’m no-” Jihye was stopped in the middle of her sentence when the elevator abruptly stopped. “W-what’s going on?”

 

Changmin tried to push the buttons but nothing worked. “I think the elevator stopped,”

 

“And we’re stuck in here?!” Jihye yelled in fright, already biting her nails.

 

Changmin pushed the emergency button but it seemed like the whole elevator stopped functioning. “I guess so,”

 

Jihye frantically reached for her phone and dialed Junsu’s number. After waiting for sometime, no one picked up the call. The result is the same when she tried to call Jaejoong. “Oppa! Please pick up, we’re stuck in the elevator!” she left a voicemail to both of them.

 

The lights suddenly went out as Jihye screamed in fright, crouching and hugging her knees close to her. There was an eerie silence as she called out for Changmin. “W-where are you? Don’t leave me here…” she sobbed.

 

“I’m still here. Where the heck are you?” Changmin was feeling the air, searching for his girlfriend.

 

Jihye’s arms were flailing everywhere, searching for him. When she grab hold of his shirt, she pulled herself up and instinctively hugged him, burying her face in his chest. Changmin slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him in his comfort hug.

 

“Shh… it’s ok. I’m still here,” he whispered soothingly into her ears.

 

After some time, Changmin was smiling to himself. Although they were in a panic situation, he couldn’t help to cherish this moment where he could hold her again in his arms. Jihye’s sobs finally stopped, she immediately pulled herself away from his hug, too embarrassed with her actions. She was glad that it was dark, he couldn’t see her blushing cheeks.

 

“It’s too dark…” she whined.

 

Changmin pulled out his phone and switched on the light. It was still slightly dark, but the light was enough for them to see each other. Tired after standing for so long, Changmin sat on the floor as Jihye followed suit. The awkward silence engulfed them again.

 

“If you have something to say, just say it directly to me. Don’t bother complaining to Ayumi, poor girl she had heard enough,” Changmin suddenly mumbled, turning his whole body to face his girlfriend.

 

She lifted her head to face him, knowing what he meant by that. “Fine! Why are you cheating on me?!” Jihye suddenly yelped, hands turned into fists.

 

“I’m not having an affair with Yoona. Yes we used to be lovers, but that was in my early college years. There’s nothing going on between us now,” Changmin tried to explain as Jihye was chocking on her tears.

 

“You’re always hanging out with her. And you seemed to enjoy being around her, is that not cheating?” she added, fist turned white 

 

“I’m doing a college project with her, that’s why I’m always seen around her. There’s seriously nothing for you to worry about, besides… Yoona’s engaged.” He replied.

 

Jihye stared into his eyes, as if having some hope on that news, but she wasn’t convinced. “Remember Donghae, my high school friend? He’s engaged with Yoona and I’m not making this up,”

 

She then remembered what Ayumi has been trying to tell her everytime she called to complain to the girl. Now that she heard it directly from Changmin’s mouth, she was beginning to believe it.

 

“Really? You’re not lying?”

 

“I swear. You can tell your brother to fire me if I’m lying,” Changmin smiled warmly, nodding for approval.

 

Jihye stared at her lap, she was embarrassed for accusing him and such. Now that she knew the truth, she didn’t know how to properly fix this problem. To be honest, it was her who exaggerated in this fight.

 

“Jihye-ah…” Changmin called softly.

 

Jihye lifted her head up at the sound of her name. She never heard him calling her so warmly like that. Before she could even react, their lips were pressed against each other. The kiss took her off guard since it was their first kiss since they started the relationship. Changmin pulled her closer by the waist as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. She instinctively closed her eyes, both hands crumpling his front shirt as she felt butterflies in her stomach.

 

Both were too drowned in the kiss to even realize that the elevator was functioning again. They only pulled away when they felt bright lights as they elevator door opened up. The people who was standing outside could only gasp at the sight in front of them. The lovers turned to the voice as Jihye quickly pushed her boyfriend away from her, as if they were caught on an affair.

 

“Err… should we close the door back?” Junsu who came to help when he recieved Jihye’s calls innocently asked.

 

“No need we were just leaving,” Changmin thanked as he grabbed Jihye outside with him. “Let’s go, I’m getting hungry,”

 

“Thanks Junsu oppa!” Jihye yelped, cheeks already turning bright red as her boyfriend dragged her to his car.