As Taehee  slowly opens her eyes, everything is in a blur. The room is dark and empty. She is lying under the covers, but alone in the bed. Her heart skips a beat, thinking that maybe Jongin has abandoned her. Looking around, she sees the sun try to seep through the pulled curtains. Looking at the electric clock, she notices it’s nearly noon.

“Oh, no wonder he got up.” She shakes her head and smiles in a silly way, pushing the covers and getting out of the bed.

Just as she is about to walk out of the room, in search of Jongin, something flickers by the nightstand. Startled, Taehee glances down, only to see his phone. A frown creases on her forehead, pondering why would he leave his phone there.

Curiosity gets the best of her. Biting on her lower lip, she slowly takes the phone into her shaky hand. It’s wrong what she’s doing, but something tells her to check the incoming message. Something pushes her limits, only to make sure she is ultimately right or wrong. She doesn’t know Kim Jongin. He is a stranger, and she is carrying the baby of that stranger. She does not know whether he has a lover or a fiancée, or if he is in love or not.

Everything she knows about him is on the surface, like the conversations they hold on a daily basis. Just small talk to fill the time spent together. They aren’t really conversing, but up until now, it was enough for Taehee. They weren’t under commitment, after all.

That is, until Haeun stepped into the picture. Not until he got the message which is now haunting her.

Unlocking his phone, Taehee is met with a password. She goes with Inhye’s birthday, and crazily, it matches. She takes a look at the message, her eyes widening when noticing it’s from Haeun.

Please don’t tell Sehun. I didn’t mean to do that to you.

Is written in the message. Her whole world nearly crumbles.

Tears threaten to fall from her eyes. If she wasn't so headstrong, she might have cried already. But no, Taehee won’t give in. She will not come off as weak and helpless. Even though her whole body is hurting, even after realizing that Jongin must have gone to Haeun last night, even though he was with her, she will not show the hurt.

Jongin and Haeun have a connection, whatever it is. Taehee, on the otherhand, is simply an usurpress. One who has come into their lives like a rocket and messed up everything. They must feel wronged. Who would blame them?

In the rush of the moment, she deletes the message, and her name from his history. Taehee then places Jongin’s phone back on the nightstand, while walking out of the room with shaky legs.

“Jongin?” She calls out with a weak, shy voice.

The apartment feels cold.

He is not inside.

Taehee’s world crumbles once more. This time, she really is about to let the tears get the best of her, when… The main door opens. Startled, she looks up and is met with his pathetic self.

He wears his head low between his shoulders. His hair is a mess, his clothes dangling randomly and his jacket slipping off at places. He kicks his boots off, and then notices her. Taehee cannot un-see the red marks on his left cheek. She has a vague idea where he might have been.

“Where were you?” She asks, trying to sound neutral.

“Shopping.” He replies emotionlessly, showing her the two grocery bags.

She doesn’t buy it.

“Go and take a shower. I’ll fix us some breakfast.” Jongin then adds, while walking by her, and into the kitchen.

Taehee is left in the hallway, with an aching heart.

✢

He feels like a child about to do something bad. His heart is racing in his chest, perspiration starts to appear and he blames himself allover. Looking at her sleeping figure, how thin and helpless she is, he will certainly burn in Hell for leaving her by herself.

Still, Jongin gets out of the bed, and, with outmost care, he tiptoes to the window, pulling the curtains. That way, even with the rising sun, maybe she will sleep in.

He then cautiously walks out of her room, closing the door behind him. He puts on his shoes, takes his car keys and  drives over to Haeun.

It’s almost 5 a.m., so the darkness is still reigning over the city. But Jongin’s troubled side does not take notice of it. He knows the way to Haeun’s place like he knows the back of his hand.

She knows, he tells himself. Haeun knows the truth. If anything, Jongin wanted her to find out at the last moment. But she’s seen Taehee, and now there’s nothing he can do. Only to explain the facts and hope she won’t suffer any further.

Pulling in front of her apartment complex, Jongin leaves his car in haste and rushes in the apartment, taking the steps two at a time. He hesitates for just one second, before ringing her doorbell.

He hears rustling on the other side, and after a few long moments, she opens the door. Jongi