[Third POV]

 

That night, Minhee picked up Yonjee and Shin from the after school program they were in and took them to an outdoor market. Shin kept his arms crossed in annoyance, "can't we just go home now? I don't wanna be here."

"You don't want to try authentic Korean street food? I doubt that."

"I do Eomma~"

"You're such a -up all the time and stop using Korean!" Shin yelled at Yonjee.

Minhee pinched his cheek "ya, don't yell at your sister. She's just being more cooperative than you and you both need to use more Korean. We live in Korea now so you need to speak it well."

"You taught us enough when we were younger when we couldn't say no. Now that I know better, I'd rather not."

"Shin for today, even just today, can you please not argue with me? Act like you don't hate everything right now okay?"

Seeing the look in his mother's eyes, Shin couldn't refuse her and just nodded his head. Yonjee looked back and forth between them nervously before linking arms with Shin and yelling "ddeokbokki (spicy rice cakes), here we come!"

After two hours of eating and walking around, Minhee finally took them home and the three of them started getting ready for bed. Minhee thought that Shin and Yonjee were already sleeping when Shin knocked on her door. "Mom, can I talk to Aunt Aqua and Aunt Ronnie?" he asked as soon as she opened the door.

 

"Huh? Right now? I don't know if they're available but you can try, sure." Normally, Minhee would've said no because it was late and he should sleep but since he went along with her request earlier, Minhee thought she should do the same for him. She watched him log onto the computer and video call her best friends. As she looked over his features, she noted how much he looked like his father. 'If anyone saw him and knew of our past, they would suspect something right away...Yonjee too...she may look more like me but she still has some of Yunho's looks as well.'

 

"Mom, do you mind? This is personal."

 

Her eyes widened, "okay, I'll go get some water then I guess...not too long okay, you still have school in the morning."

 

"I know Mom."

 

As she drank her water in the kitchen, she thought 'ah...it's a weird feeling, even now. I still remember my mom always telling me to sleep early because of school and just doing as I wanted anyway, staying up really late...I was kind of a problem child in a way haha~'

 

After a few minutes, Minhee headed back to her room but she noticed that now Yonjee was in the room with Shin and they were still talking to Aqua and Ronnie.

 

"I still want you to explain to me why you asked for something to make you grow taller. You're eight years old. You have plenty of time to grow! You already know how I am. I don't do that kind of stuff for you and don't tell your mom without a reason."

 

'So Aqua's willing to do stuff for them without telling me as long as they tell her why? -____-;;'

 

"I need to grow taller now though."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because people make mom cry now, I need to be able to protect her!" he yelled, his chest going up and down quickly out of anger. "She picked us up today with swollen, red eyes. She's been crying enough already. If I'm taller, maybe I can protect her for once. I hate knowing that Mom cries a lot."

 

"I don't like that she cries alone more than anything else...at least when we were in America, Aunt Ronnie and Aunt Aqua were there for her to cry to but here she doesn't cry to anyone."

 

"I'm sorry sweetie. I don't know what I can do for you though," Aqua said sadly.

 

Ronnie frowned, "we'd come over there but it's Korea. We're too far away right now." 

 

"That's the problem!" Yonjee whined, pouting.

 

Shin wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders. "This is why I didn't want to come to Korea...how could coming here where Mom met our father help her? I knew she would cry more if we moved here. She chose to do this for us but didn't think of herself much."

 

"Your mom puts you two before her, you know that," Ronnie pointed out.

 

Yonjee nodded, "we know...but Mom's also important."

 

Minhee leaned against the wall, wiping her tears. 'I should have paid more attention to how they feel about everything...if I'm not strong, I can't expect them to be.' Taking a deep breath, she fanned her eyes so they wouldn't be even more red and walked in, "you two should be in bed now. I know you miss your aunts but you can talk to them tomorrow okay?"

 

The twins nodded, not knowing what to say since they couldn't continue their conversation in front of Minhee anyway. "Goodnight mom," Shin and Yonjee said as they walked out to their rooms. Minhee sighed once they closed her door, "I know what you guys want to say...but not now. I'll be fine tomorrow. You'll see."

 

Ronnie and Aqua gave each other a look, "if you say so." Aqua shrugged and walked away from the computer, out of sight. Ronnie, with a disapproving look in her eyes, told Minhee "if you need us, you know how to reach us. Bye."

 

Minhee closed the laptop and then her phone went off. "Who is it?" She checked the text message and quickly replied before turning her phone off. "미안해 오늘밤 얘기하고 싶지 않아 (sorry, tonight I don't want to talk)." That was the text she sent the composer for the next few days, not that it was the only reason. She was also busy planning her classes and spending as much time with the twins as she could. 

 

She had something to prove to them; she wanted to prove that she was okay and that they did not have to worry about her. Yunho had made it easier on her as well, avoiding her as best he could. He even changed his regular practice room so he wouldn't have to be near her. When Minhee heard about it, she thought it was to be expected and she actually welcomed it. She kept thinking 'the less we see each other, the better...he won't hurt so much that way will he? It's not like he's still in love with me...he's just angry I left like that and that I cheated on him even though I didn't...as if like I actually could. That fool...'

 

Minhee was on her way to get Shin And Yonjee again when he cell phone beeped. "Aigoo...speaking of fools," she said as she read the name of the text sender. "Why don't you give up composer?"

 

But Minhee knew he wouldn't. From what she knew about him, he was far from the type to let things go easily and she was the same way. It was just one of their many similarities. The composer proved her right too. He kept texting for a whole hour, every few minutes. Then he switched to calling. On the seventh call, Minhee picked up, "if you really want to meet, go to the arcade in Cheonho."

 

Although Minhee was the one who suggested it, she was surprised to get a text saying he was there only twenty minutes later. She called him and told him to look at a specific racing game. "What about it?"

 

"Do you see the boy and girl playing there?"

 

"Yeah," he trailed off, already developing an idea of what she wanted to show him.

 

"Those are my kids. This is my life. They are my life. I don't spend my nights out dating or going out with friends. I spend it with them, taking them to arcades or something. I haven't even thought of dating when I have them so please get rid of all thoughts of dating me unless you're weird and for some reason want to settle down."

 

"But you already know I'm weird."

 

"Fine, I'm not weird enough to let you consider the idea."

 

"Then why go this far? I don't believe you Maestro. I'm sure you've thought of dating, of moving on from their father, but you haven't found anyone you think can measure up to the standards you have."

 

"My standards?"

 

"I can understand. You're a single mother. You can't just trust anyone. I know that. But here's something you need to know: you can trust me." Her breath hitched when he said that. "I'll be there for you if you let me. I'll protect you."

 

"I-"

 

"Of course that stands for them as well."

 

"You're...unfathomable." 'Does he think I'll just believe him like that?'

 

She could almost hear his smirk when he replied, "I get that a lot. I am really handsome you know." He chuckled into the phone. "From looking at your kids, you must be beautiful too."

 

"Why do you always try to give me greasy compliments?"

 

"Because it makes you nervous."

 

"How do you know that?"

 

"The tone in your voice after I say one."

 

"...I bet you have a cheesy grin right now."

 

"Why? Wanna see it?"

 

"No thanks."

 

"Still don't trust me huh? I didn't think it'd be that easy."

 

"Of course not."

 

"Will you at least let me be near you?"

 

"We're in the same room."

 

"That's not enough for me."

 

"Becoming greedy now, are we?"

 

"What if I am?" Minhee stayed silent and he chuckled, "how about this? You can go into the second booth along the walls over there and I'll go into the third one."

 

"I guess I can manage doing that."

 

Minhee hung up the phone and went to the booth, making sure to cover her face. She sat there for a minute or two before someone's hand nudged her. "What the?!" she yelled in English, flinging the hand away and she heard the composer's laugh distinctly.

 

"It's just me Maestro."

 

"Why don't you warn someone?"

 

"I wanted to scare you."

 

"For what? To give me a heart attack?"

 

"No, I would never want to harm you. I want to protect you remember?"

 

"...stop being cheesy."

 

"I'll stop if you let me hold your hand."

 

"Okay..." she agreed cautiously. "But why?" she held out her hand and he took it into his hand gently. 

 

"This," he said lightly squeezing her hand, "was able to touch my heart by playing one of my pieces. Is it weird that I wanted to be able to actually touch one of the hands that could do such a thing?"

 

Minhee shook her head but didn't take her hand back. She had to admit to herself that she enjoyed holding his hand too. About an hour later, the composer left first at Minhee's request and, as she watched him walk away, she swore that his back looked familiar. When he went through the door, Minhee got a glimpse of his face and gasped, "it can't be..."

 

"Eomma~" Yonjee had run up to Minhee and tugged on her hand, "come play the racing game with us. Shin keeps bragging that no one can beat him!"

 

She laughed, "he must've forgotten that his gaming skills came from me. Let's go." Yonjee took her hand and Minhee smiled weakly at the difference from when the composer held her hand. After all, Minhee was used to having the bigger hand; to being the one that has to protect.

 

When they got home that night, after Minhee did beat Shin in a racing game much to his dismay and to Yonjee's joy, Minhee searched for some songs while the twins got ready for bed. She went from song to song, listening intently to the voice singing. "Why didn't I realize it before? This voice...it's clearly him..."

 

[Meanwhile...with Yunho...]

 

He was sitting at a table in a private section of a restaurant, waiting for his date. "Yunnie! Sorry I'm late," she ran up to the table and took the seat across from him, panting. "Filming took longer than I expected because we had to wait for the weather to clear up first."

 

"It's okay," he gave her a superficial smile. The truth is that he didn't want to see her today because of the mood he had been in for the past few days because of Minhee's sudden reappearance in his life but they had made the promise to meet weeks ago. 

 

Yunho couldn't concentrate throughout the whole dinner. Even when she took his hand, Yunho was reminded of Minhee. "What's this ring on your hand?" he asked, tracing over it gingerly. When he first felt it, he felt awkward because it was on her ring finger.

 

"Hmm?" she glanced over while taking a sip of her wine. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot to take it off before leaving. I wanted to get here as fast as I could so I guess I didn't take off all of my jewelry. Now that I think about it, this necklace isn't mine either." 

 

'That's right...she's a married woman in her new movie.' He nodded his head in understanding, "you really wanted to get here huh?"

 

"Of course I did. It's been a while since we had a date." She squeezed his hand a little and smiled. Yunho smiled back at her and, yet again, it was superficial.

 

[Flashback]

 

"Are you sure it's okay for you to be walking around like this with me? What if someone recognizes you?"

 

"It's okay. I'm disguised, see?" he smirked, tipping his hat in her direction. Minhee scoffed and pulled the hat down further so his view was obstructed. Yunho yelled, "ya!" and she laughed.

 

Minhee's face turned serious as she said "if someone recognizes you though, won't you be in trouble for being with me? You're going to debut soon, like really soon."

 

"But I haven't debuted yet. Don't worry. No one will recognize me."

 

"Even though you've been a back-up dancer and rapper for Dana already?" When Yunho turned his face away and grinned, Minhee pinched his side. "Ya~ just how happy are you about that huh? Trying to hide from me, hmmph."

 

"I-I'm not hiding f-from you!"

 

"Then why are you stuttering now? Liar..."

 

"I just don't want you to get jealous. I know how easily you get jealous," he back-hugged her and snuggled his chin into the crook between her shoulder and her neck. 

 

"Coming from you?! You get jealous more easily than me!"

 

"I know...but that's because you're always surrounded back home. The guys tells me that even though you say you have a boyfriend, you still get confessed to once in a while."

 

"Like that's on the same level! You're going to be an idol. Who knows when someone will throw their underwear at you on stage?"

 

"What?!"

 

Minhee shurgged,  "it happens in America..." He chuckled. "It's not funny...you're too attractive for your own good."

 

"I am? So you don't like my looks?"

 

"Not when I know so many other girls are looking at you in that way."

 

Yunho couldn't help but laugh loudly that time. "I'm going to be an idol. All kinds of people are going to look at me."

 

"I know...oh well, at least you're going to be too busy to look back at all of them," she stuck her tongue out at him. 

 

His jaw dropped, "well, if we have fan-meets, I have to look at my fans."

 

"Is that so? I guess when I get bored at home, I should go walk around with some of the guys. They do invite me out after all and my boyfriend will be busy with all his fans."

 

"Ya!"

 

"You started this."

 

"But-" he stopped himself when he saw a store out of the corner of his eye. Minhee raised one of her eyebrows at him and he just pulled her over to the store front window. "I know what to do now."

 

"What?" 

 

"Look here," he pointed into the window. "So those guys know you're mine, I guess I'll just have to put a ring on this hand right?" Bringing her left hand up to kiss her ring finger, Yunho smiled as Minhee started blushing.

 

She tried to pull her hand away but Yunho kept his grip tightly. "Ya~ people are starting to look!"

 

"Who cares who looks? I'm only looking at you."

 

Laughing, Minhee stop struggling and asked, "who's teaching you all this cheesy stuff huh? One of the members?" Yunho just laughed back. "Come on, let's keep walking. People aren't just looking now. Some of them actually stopped to watch us," she whined.

 

"Really?" When Minhee was about to answer him, Yunho gave her a kiss on her lips and then walked away, interlocking his fingers with hers. "I guess those people like how we look together."

 

Minhee hit his back, scolding him but smiling nonetheless. Yunho pretended it hurt but smiled as well. 'One day, I really will put a ring on your finger...because I like how we look together too.'

 

[End of flashback]

 

His date was still talking when he started focusing on the present. The ring from her filming of the day still on her finger. Yunho stole another look at it again when he realized 'Minhee didn't have a ring on her finger...what exactly happened? If she doesn't want to tell me, maybe I should make an effort to find out on my own.'

 

A/N: Can anyone guess who the composer and Yunho's date are? I'd like to know~ anyway I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm having a family emergency for now so I might not update. If I do, it might be sad so I'll just spare you guys and not update haha XD My emotions affect what I write so the plot might take a severe turn if I write right now o.o hope you guys stay subscribed and enjoy the story! Thanks ^^