The awkwardness that follows was almost, almost, well… awkward.

 

But its okay, as the butterflies in their stomach had been increasing gradually since then.

 

Onew looked into his shy wife’s eyes, two orbs that’s expanded to its fullest and light pink cheeks, added with plump lips that’s quite dry, and that small tongue that unconsciously them…

 

His wife looked… quite edible.

 

The big, warm hand that held her small, almost cold hand from the night air before made her felt secured. In her calculation, that was the first time he ever held her hand. Heck, they barely had time for each other since Hana was busy with her study, and now with her novel, and Onew would be forever drowned with his work load.

 

For the time being, they enjoyed having their hands connected.

 

Enjoying his wife’s dreamy face, he slowly grasped her small hand, carefully and slowly, brought the back of her hand to his lips. His warm gaze never left his startled wife that her chubby cheeks turned completely red from her shy demeanor.

 

Her shyness tempting him, and with heavy heart, he put her hand back to her lap. She unconsciously rubbed the spot where his lips landed before with her other hand and brought them to her chest, eyes looking down to her lap, avoiding his husband’s gaze.

 

“Come down after you wash up. I’ll prepare the breakfast,” was all Onew said before walking out from her bedroom, closing the door behind his back and heaved a heavy breath.

 

Rubbing his face with both of his palms, he wondered for how long he could stand not doing those things with his innocent wife.

 

The smell of pancake and freshly brewed coffee lingered around the kitchen, making Hana’s empty stomach to get grumpy a little and drooling a bit. She skipped her dinner the night before, and two slices of toast that she had for her late breakfast didn’t help much.

 

She had weak stomach, and when the doctor confirmed that she had gastric, her eating habit didn’t help much. Her husband didn’t know though, she doesn’t want him to feel burdened with her small problem.

 

Clutching her stomach that slowly beginning to hurt, she stepped into the kitchen with an ankle length skirt and her former v-neck shirt that she wore for sleep last night. Greeting her husband with a small smile and audible ‘good morning’ echoing the small space, pulling the chair, she slowly sat down at the dining table.

 

“In a minute!” Onew chirped sweetly before turning back to make a hot chocolate for her. She didn’t like a bit the taste of coffee, but enjoyed the smell. Onew, still clad in his work attire, sleeve rolled up to his elbow, three buttons done, revealing some skin before a cute pink apron printed with Hello Kitty cartoon hid them well, made Hana chuckled a little.

 

“What’s so funny?” he asked as he made his way to her, settling down the tray containing the pancakes, and two mugs of drink,  he pulled out the chair before sitting down across her.

 

She shook her head slowly; the smile on her face still lingers there. “Nothing. It’s just… awkward maybe? The sight of you wearing an apron so early in the morning is almost jaw dropping.” She joked a little. If to point out one of her charisma, it’s her humor.

 

Onew chuckled before sipping his coffee. “Am I that attractive?”

 

She blushed before taking the pancakes into her plate. Grabbing the syrup, she stuttered a little. “Well, it’s rare. So I’m quite surprised. No, maybe not. Maybe I’m just…” she struggled with her choice of words, before Onew pointed out his.

 

“Happy?”

 

She blushed. “You could say that.”

 

He smiled. Her opening up to him is the second’s most meaningful thing that ever happened in his life.

 

As the first, it’s having her in his life.

 

Breaking the comfortable silence, “So… since it’s your birthday, what you wanna do?” the question that has been asked to her made her swallowed hard the pancakes in .

 

“W-well. I don’t really celebrate it. So I don’t really know.” She hid her embarrassment by sipping the hot chocolate, winching a little since the malt was still hot.

 

Onew smiled, making his thin eyes to look like a small line. “So, what you feel like you wanna do?”

 

She kept quiet for a while, racking her mind to find the answer. “Erm, maybe watching movies? Or gardening? Oh, maybe we could take Sally for a walk.” She chirped happily, satisfied with the ideas that came to her mind.

 

Onew chuckled, shaking his head softly with his wife’s innocent mind. “Since you’re officially eighteen now, don’t you think that we should file our marriage now? You see, we didn’t really registered our wedding at the office, we just exchanged ‘I dos’ at the church, in front of the priest.”

 

It took almost a minute when she tried to register Onew’s words. When the realization hit her, she blushed crimson red from pure embarrassment.

 

They are going to be official, and going to have their wedding certificate.

 

And she couldn’t be happier than that.

 

She scribbled down what seems to be her signature at the column. 2 hours after Onew had said that, he brought her to the office to settle the papers.

 

And the glance that she received from the men at the building, made her felt restless. She was not comfortable having other than her husband that she had learnt to accept to rest their eyes on her.

 

She’s not comfortable at all.

 

Sensing her uneasiness, Onew rested his hand at her hip, brought her small body beside him and with a small smile, her out from the building.

 

Out from the stares that lay on her before. And somehow, from the stares of women that’s almost drooling over her husband’s handsome feature.

 

She felt safe and slightly proud at the same time. Having her husband beside her and felling safe under his embrace in front of other people made her felt giddy.

 

And somehow, she felt like she had marked her territory.

 

With that thought, she had a small smile on her face along the journey to her parents’ home.

 

“Happy birthday my dear daughter. You’re 18 already.” Mrs Kim hugged Hana once she stepped into her former house. Well, since that was her parents’ house that he used to stay, might as well called it as former house.

 

“Ahh, Jinki. How are you son? It has been a while.” A firm handshake with a small hug between father and son in-law could be seen beside her. She smiled when her Appa slapped her husband’s back affectionately.

 

She feels home again. And only heaven knows how much that she missed her family. After all, she’s the only child in Kim’s family. No need to mention that she used to be spoiled so much with love and wealth. That’s what made her a really timid girl, innocent and very introvert.

 

Her sound of laughter filled the air when they’re having tea at the Kim’s garden. She had Troy, her Persian cat on her lap. That cat had been tailing her as soon as he saw her, and her attention towards him was doubtless.

 

And that made Onew felt a twitch of… irritation, to say the least.

 

She looked like she enjoyed the time here with her family more than she had with him in their home. Heck, she even let Troy had tuna from her sandwich earlier. Not that she’s being unaffectionate with Sally, she cared for her, she bathed her and she took her for walk every evening, unless if it’s raining, or Sally’s being sick.

 

But here, he saw, and somehow knew, that she belong here. With her parents, with Troy, and with the home atmosphere.

 

That he knew he couldn’t afford to.

 

She was a girl, and still a girl when he married her and took her to his house, that he barely been to. He left her alone in that place more than he ever been there with her. When she had a fever, he was somewhere at oversea attending some business thing and only he knew when his Mother called him, throwing a fuss when she found that girl almost passed out when she opened the door for her mother in-law’s weekend visit.

 

And when he came back, never she mentioned about the case. He asked his mother for confirmation, and she just patted his cheeks, saying that his wife never wanted him to know it in the first place. The reason, she didn’t want to bother him.

 

What sin that she did to married him? That’s the question playing in his mind while staring blankly at his wife, cuddling with her mother and being clingy with her father.

 

She might be spoiled, but in a good way.

 

He didn’t realize for how long he has been staring, until the small hand that had a wedding ring waved in front of him with worried face. “Onew-ssi, are you okay?”

 

He snapped from his small world, finally realizing that there’s only the two of them in the garden.

 

“Umm, where’s umma and appa?” he asked, avoiding her question.

 

She smiled a small smile, but her gaze failed to tell that she did not worry over her husband’s silence before. “They went inside couple of minutes ago. Mom and Dad are coming over. They went to welcome them. Are you okay? You seemed off just now.” She furrowed her eyebrows, a gesture that shows she’s really worried and concerned over her husband.

 

He shook his head weakly. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” he smiled a reassuring smile, earning a faint blush and a small smile from the beautiful girl in front of him.

 

Suddenly, his brilliant mind had an idea.

 

“Hana-ae.” He called his wife, making the said girl to turn her attention from now sleeping Troy to him. “Do you want to have a sleepover here?”

 

Thanks heaven for that brilliant mind, he had earned a breathtaking smile from the girl that made the sun hides in embarrassment as her smile was so bright.

 

“Really, can I?” she beamed while asking, making the sleeping Troy to stirred from his sleep as he was resting his whole body on her lap. She caressed his fur, asking apology from him, and patted him back to sleep.

 

Onew chuckled. “Of course. We’d never had the chance to do that. Why not now?”

 

Her smile was even wider when he said so. She couldn’t help but waking Troy up and jumping happily with that cat in her arms. She was spinning around, and almost fell down if not for the chair that she sat earlier was right beside her when she stopped in her trance.

 

And blushing furiously upon realizing that she’s been acting so freely in front of him.

 

To say that Onew was amused could be an understatement. He could never read Hana and predict her act. She’s a very special girl, and that special girl is his.

 

Somehow, he wondered even more if he’d saved a country during his past lives.

 

“What’s the fuss just now, dear Hana-ae?” Her mother came with Mr and Mrs Lee. Mr Kim was engaged with a call and a faint ‘I’ll be there soon’ could be heard from the mansion.

 

Hana bowed to her parent in laws before hugging her Mom, earning a kiss on her cheek and her Dad ruffled her hair. The knot of her hair had getting loose when she was bouncing earlier, so when Mr Lee ruffled her hair, the hair band fell down to the ground and her long hair that almost touched her hip to fell down beautifully.

 

And boy did she looks like an angel. With that long peach dress along with white long sleeved white cardigan, even the Venus would be embarrassed with her beauty.

 

When her Dad froze for a while from her blushing face, Onew was swallowing hard his saliva when he remembered her morning face earlier.

 

She’s y, in innocent way.

 

Hana was tying back her hair when her mother in law pinched her husband’s arm, nagging that he shouldn’t drool over his own daughter in law. She blushed furiously and hid behind her laughing mother.

 

And Onew was never happy looking at his small family. They seemed really… happy.

 

Hana invited her in laws to sit down for a while as she rushed inside to make extra cup of tea, which her Mama waved her hands and told her to sit down and let the maid handle it.

 

“You’re my guest, my parents. I should treat you, not them.” Her wise answer with warm smile made the rest of them to feel the love from her gaze. She was skipping happily back to the mansion when she passed her appa, and kissed his cheek without any reason.

 

“Has she opened up to you yet?” her umma asked him, making he looked directly into her motherly gaze, that shown uneasiness.

 

“She’s been a really good wife to me, umma. I could never ask for more. Yes, she’s being conscious of my presence, but day by day that we stayed together; she’s starting to let me know her more. She’s not 100% opened up yet, but I’m sure that I don’t want her to fully let me know her. As when it does, then I would have none to be predicting about.” He said with a small reassuring smile.

 

Mr Kim pulled the chair and sat down. “Well, clearly she’s being so happy just now. Anything good happened?”

 

Onew smiled sheepishly. “I guess she’s just overly excited about our sleepover tonight.”

 

Mrs Lee scoffed at her son. “Tsk, Lee Jinki! It’s time for you to take her to honeymoon somewhere, as she’d finished her study and you’re having a long break. I was having plans in my mind for my daughter in law having fun somewhere in Paris, but here? No offence, unnie, but I think they should have their honeymoon somewhere other normal couple should be.”

 

“Mom, we’re not having our honeymoon here! Plus, she’s been missing umma and appa for quite a while now. She never asked me if she could come over or not. She has her own driver when I was away, but she only went to school or doing groceries shopping after school. She must be missing umma and appa a lot, so why not we stay her for a couple of days. She would be happier being here than being in foreign country that she barely understands what they’re talking about.” Onew pouted, and that earned a pinch on his chubby cheek from his Mom and a small squeak from his umma.

 

“Thank you, Onew. You’re being such a good husband for Hana.” Mrs Kim said with eyes glistening with tears, touched with his concern over her daughter.

 

Onew caressed her hand. “Umma, she’s my wife. She’s the only one that I could ever love and care for. I might not be able to take care of her like you did, but I’ll try my best to make her happy just like when she’s with you.”

 

Their moment had been interrupted with a very interesting interruption. In the door facing the garden, Hana was struggling with the tray of tea and cupcakes for her in laws and a maid that has been stubborn to take it for her, saying that it’s her job to do it, not the young lady.

 

“But ahjumma, I want to take it there.” Hana pouted, trying to keep her maid’s hands from reaching the tray.

 

The maid stomped her feet. “But Hana-ssi, it’s my job to do it. Aish, you’re being stubborn as ever. Give me that will you. You don’t want me to get fired, don’t you?”

 

She shook her head. “But ahjumma, you don’t want my in laws to hate me too don’t you? I’m just trying to please them. And don’t worry, I would tell umma and appa not to fire you.” she said with assurance, and the maid that has been working at the Kim’s residence for 10 years to gape for a while. Never her young lady looked so determined of doing something. Looks like she really wants to please her in laws.

 

However, in the mid of their bickering scene, the maid managed to snatch away the tray from her. She stomped her feet in annoyance and pouted, following her close from behind. She, however, didn’t give up. She called Troy to came towards them and had him to ‘attack’ the maid’s feet, making she caught off guard and almost threw away the tray. But being the bubbly Hana she was, she snatched away the tray carefully from her maid and brisk walking towards the small table in the middle of the garden, laughing happily and smiling brightly.

 

She panted a little upon arriving. “Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy your tea. And I brought the cupcakes too. They looked so delicious in the dining room and I’m craving for some.” All eyes were on her, amused that she was being talkative amongst people aside from her umma and appa.

 

When she realized what she’s been doing, she was being the shy, innocent Hana again. Clutching the tray against her chest, biting her lips, she had teary eyes and red face, being conscious all over again when their gaze made her felt vulnerable.

 

Onew smiled a warm smile when he saw his wife being shy all of sudden. He stood up from his seat and went closer to her. Every step that he took made Hana to lowers her head even more. Their parents were getting anticipated with his next move.

 

He took the tray from her hand, making she had nothing to hold onto. She clutched at the hem of her sleeve, biting her lips even harder. Slowly, she relaxed when Onew brought her hands to his warm, big hand. His other hand made its way to her cheek, making she looked up into those thin eyes that shows nothing but love.

 

Onew was smiling, and she couldn’t help but to swallow the lump that’s slowly formed on . Blinking her eyes, she tried to smile too. Soon, a small chuckle emitted from her plump lips. Onew was feeling warmth seeping all over his body upon hearing the melodious laughter from his wife.

 

And he thanks heaven for giving him the chance to call her his.

 

 

*****

I miss you, dear readers :D

so, here's the second chapter. gahh, so happy that I have the time for this (T__T)

so, anyone?

*get slapped*

oh very well, Hana is still a baby and she's not ready. I got it! geez, don't be so mad, will you (-__-)

 

thank you for subscribing and commenting. it means a lot to me. and keep doing that >///<