“What’s that?” Jay pointed to the boiling thing on the stove. “Umma is gone and I don’t have enough money.. So this is what we will eat,” Hyosung shrugged, she moved the boiling vegetables to the table, took out some rice bowls. “Is that the only cooking food that we will eat for tonight?” “And tomorrow,” Hyosung added. She didn’t answer it harshly or roughly, but her expression was totally cold.

It was a gloom day for every body, and surely for the small family too. “Are you sure it’s the only one?” Jay once again voiced out his complain. “What do you want to eat? There are ramen if you want to cook it by yourself..” Hyosung answered, she was feeding Hyobeom. He didn’t even complain with the cooking vegetables.  “Can we eat ramen instead?” Jay asked, didn’t want to give up.

“You can cook it by yourself,” Hyosung answered. “Alright. I will cook it by myself,” Jay stood up, went to the refrigerator and took out the ramen. “Hyobeom-ah.. Do you want to eat ramen with appa?” Jay waved the ramen above his head. “Ani appa… The vegetables are enough,” Hyobeom shook his head, continued his eating moment. “Arasseo.. Eat well, okay?” Jay smiled.

When he finished the cooking and ready to eat it, Hyobeom finished his eating. Hyosung tidied the dirty plates from the dinning table, washed it and about to go when Jay’s hand grabbed her wrist. “Can’t you wait until I finish eating?” “No. I have to see what is Hyobeom’s going to do, and he needs sleep after the activities he had done today,” Hyosung answered, waved Jay’s hands from her wrist harshly.

Jay let her wrist go, didn’t reply her words and just watched her when she climbed up to the 2^nd floor of the house. “Is it just me or she’s angry on me?” He mumbled. Hyosung didn’t sleep with him that night, and it made Jay more anxious. Anxious if he had done something wrong. Of course he had done something wrong, because in the next day, Hyosung kept being cold to him.

“What have I done to you?” Jay finally got impatient that day as Hyosung kept walking around him but didn’t say any words. “Really? But why you keep avoiding me?” Jay asked back, he finally roused from his seat and stood up beside the sink.

“I have said it earlier, I don’t have any problems with you,” And that, Hyosung left him dumbfounded.

***

“THAT! What’s her problem?!” Jay complained, sat with the vocal and rap coaches. “You’ve hurt her feeling, you know.” Min-seok said, shook his head in sorry meaning. “What have I done until she’s so angry to me?” Jay once again complained, sighed hard as his head ached a little.

“You disagreed to eat what she had reserved. It hurt her feeling,” Jin-Soo explained “You even asked Hyobeom to eat ramen together with you.. Ah, you’ve made a bad step,” Jin-Soo chuckled, gave Jay a friendly pat. “That’s it? What’s so wrong with that?” Jay frowned, didn’t really understand what they were talking about.

“Because it means you didn’t give her a compliment. Okay?” “I still don’t get it,” Jay said, rubbed his forehead desperately. “Argh! Why is it so hard to make you look at the truth?!” Min-Seok threw his hands on the air, made Jay chuckles.

“What?” “You look funny.” “Oh. Thank you for the COMPLIMENT!” Min-Seok replied. “Hey! Why do you keep saying that word?” “To make you realized what you’ve done to Hyosung,” Min-Seok said, closed the conversation they had that afternoon.

***

“Yeobo-ah..” Jay knocked Hyobeom’s room. Hyosung was being really stubborn because of his clumsiness. And she had slept in Hyobeom’s room for 2 days now. “Just open it,” Hyosung’s voice was heard from the other side of the room.

There she was, laying on the bed beside of the sleeping Hyobeom. Her eyes closed tightly, she was so peaceful in her sleep. “How could she answer me while she is in this state?” Jay giggled silently on her cuteness, slowly brought her into his embrace.

“You’re so beautiful, do you know that?” Jay whispered close to Hyosung’s ear. Hyosung didn’t move, and it made Jay’s work got easier. He took her from the bed and brought her to their room, placed her very carefully on their bed. “Ughh..” Hyosung mumbled between her conscious state, rolled to the other side of the bed. “Why’d you have to be so cute, yeobo-ah? And why are so angry to me these past 2 days huh?” Jay said, resting himself beside Hyosung’s rolling body.

“Stay here, would ya?” He chuckled as he trapped Hyosung’s body in his embrace, he gripped her wrists and lovingly kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry… For making you angry. And hurt you with what I had done and said before.” He whispered before collapsing behind her.

 The next morning, Hyosung woke up with heavy feeling around her body but a very relax mind and her heart seemed to enjoy the morning. She hardly moved to other side, got panic so fast but as she saw the arms surrounded her body, she finally could relax.

‘ it’s him right..?’ she thought, touching the soft hands under her own hands. ‘Why you always can make me calm even after the fight we had?’ “Morning, my love..” Jay’s husky voice made her startle as she stopped touching his hands.

“Why do you stop? It feels good to feels your touch on my skin,” Jay once again said, as he couldn’t stop himself but yawning. “You look so good today. You’ve forgiven me?” Jay asked, let their position to stay still. “We better get up now. Hyobeom might need my help for his school.” Hyosung said, tried to escape from his arms. But his grip on her body was becoming tighter in every tries she did.

“Stop it, would you? I want to feel your warmth, can’t I?” Jay sighed deeply, killed the distance between their bodies. “Stop it. You know I’m still angry with you,” Hyosung said, she was so nervous, but she wouldn’t lose for him. Not this time.

“Then why you took care of my hands so lovingly. Have a reason for that, yeobo-ah?” He whispered ily, rubbed his face on Hyosung’s brown hair. “So… Have you forgiven me after this intimate?” Jay playfully asked, knowing really well the answer.

“In your dream!” Hyosung said, freed herself from the shock Jay. “What did you say?” Jay couldn’t believe his ears. “In your dream! I won’t forgive you that easily!” She yelled now, made the surprise feeling in Jay’s heart increased. “I’m tired with this,” Jay finally said what was in his mind.

“With what?” “Your anger,” And it didn’t make her move slowing down. “Where are you going?” “Ride Hyobeom to his school,” Hyosung answered simply. “Yeobo-ah.. Stop being so cold on me..” Jay groaned, felt totally lose. “Oh really? You have to do something for me then,” Hyosung smirked, made the uneasy feeling grew even bigger in both of their hearts.

“What is it?” “Prove to me you can cook well. With a very little amount of ingredients,” Hyosung said. A satisfied smile crept on her face. “Uh Oh..” Jay murmured.

***

“Songsaenim, why do you look gloomy?” One of his students asked him, Jay was worried for his life. “My wife is going to punish me when I’m home,” Jay bluntly said, without even looking at his students. “Oh! You have one, songsaenim??” They all seemed to taken back with his statement.

“Of course. I have come of age, so I must have one.. Don’t you think?” He answered lazily, looked at his own reflection on the mirror in front of him. And he could see how shocks were his students on his back. “Don’t just stare at me. Practice, now!” He said sharply, felt the anger was still in his mind and heart.

The students obeyed him, made him feel a little bit guilty on them because of his scold. He watched on his students with sharp eyes, watching the mistake they made and the awesome move they did to replace the mistake. He sighed heavily, because of the flashback he had while watching his students.

“Hey! Jay! Someone is looking for you!” Min-seok knocked the door and yelled to him, ignored the stares from Jay’s students, snapped Jay from his daydreaming. “Who?” Jay answered, he frowned, no one had ever looked for him after several months. “I don’t know. It’s a man. A middle-aged man,” He said further. Jay nodded, he didn’t want to attract his students’ attention on him anymore.

“Ok.. I will go there in 5 minutes,” He replied Min-Seok who was still waiting for his answer and nodded happily after Jay replied.  “Who?” Jay kept mumbling to himself as he went out from the room, questions kept flying in his head. The nervous feeling slowly killed him, made him feel a bit of panic feeling in his body.

And those questions died at the moment he met with his guest for that morning.

***

“So.. You’re leaving?” Hyosung asked, sat in front of him. She didn’t know how to react, her expressions had lost after Jay told her about his day. About the meeting, about the deal. “You know that it’s not that bad right? I did that in the past,” Jay shrugged, looking at Hyosung hopefully. “You believe in him?” Hyosung said. “Why don’t I? He’s a master, and you know that too!” Jay couldn’t help, but his tone was rising.

“Oh.. So.. You will really accept the offer?” Hyosung once again asked, her heart pounded faster, couldn’t believe with what she was facing for that moment. “Yeah.. I think so.. Don’t you like it, Hyosung ah ? I can do it!” Jay grinned widely, totally proud of his own thought. “I don’t know.. You should try it.. Don’t waste a chance right?” Hyosung replied weakly, let her husband to keep smiling and hid her feeling beyond his joy.

“Look, Hyosung. I promise you, it will be the point of turning back. We will get what we should get after the gloomy days. Don’t you have the same mind?” Jay asked softly, now holding her hand, knowing well enough how worried his wife was.  “I know.. Just do it.. I will always stand up behind you, support you..” Hyosung answered, a smile was on her face. ‘Be strong.. Be strong!’ She whispered in her heart.

“I promise you the best for this time, Hyosung.. I will prove it to you,” Jay grinned, he was totally happy for the chance he got that time. And that night, for the first time after a while, a smile crept on Jay’s face when he was asleep. And Hyosung, she stayed all night for that night. She knew, something bad would come in any second, it was possible that the situation got even worse for her.

***