EDITED: 10/06/2013 AT 19:21:58

RECOMMENDATION: LISTEN TO A SAD INSTRUMENTAL BACKGROUND MUSIC AS YOU READ~

- - -

"What happened?" Baekhyun asked, taking Yuna from Yeonhee before she slid in after her and sat beside him inside the limo.

"Someone tried to pull me back and I almost fell," Yeonhee said breathlessly. "It caught Yuna off guard and those people won't stop shouting in our ears and taking our pictures," she explained before pulling Yuna to lie on her lap. "Yuna? Hon, are you okay?"

Yuna's cheeks were drenched with tears. She looked up at Yeonhee before cuddling closer to her.

Yeonhee held her close and her hair before turning to the boys.

Taehyun and Raehyun were sitting silently, side by side on the opposite chair looking a little rattled but otherwise okay.

"I'm sorry about this," Baekhyun said out loud. "I didn't expect the media to find out at all. If I did, I would've gotten my entire security team on standby. I didn't tell anyone about where we're going or when we're coming back except for Kris and the crew onboard the yacht."

Yeonhee shook her head at him. "It's not your fault Baekhyun. But I think it's better if we head to the hospital."

Baekhyun nodded before calling Kris through the phone in the limo.

- - -

"Excuse me, are you Kwon Boa?"

Boa turned to the rather large man below her and raised a brow at him. "Who wants to know?"

"This is really important ma'am. We're part of Mr. Byun's security; we need to have a word with you regarding Mr. Byun's affairs," he explained.

"Victoria, take over," Boa instructed before jumping down from the top of the van and following the security crew along with a few other reporters she knew by face from previous events.

The crowd was starting to disperse after seeing the subject of their interest driving away.

- - -

Luhan silently closed the door to the examination room behind him before looking almost accusingly at both Yeonhee and Baekhyun. "What happened?" he asked before leading them to a set of empty chairs. "I have to admit, I was expecting to check Yuna the moment you turned up but I didn't expect to do the same to the boys too. They almost look traumatized although not as much as Yuna is."

Baekhyun bent his head low and rested them on his palms, covering his face. "This is entirely my fault."

"No it's not," Yeonhee scolded before turning to Luhan. "Things just got out of hand earlier. We were practically attacked by the paparazzi and Baekhyun's fans."

"Well, good enough you thought of coming here. I had to give Yuna and the boys a sedative to calm them and get them to sleep," he said before relaxing into his chair. "When they wake up, I expect they should feel better. They just need to rest for a while."

Yeonhee nodded and smiled at him in thanks.

Luhan looked at her and bent his head towards Baekhyun who was still looking morose beside her. "I have to go see a few patients upstairs. You can go in and rest with the kids if you want. Just give me a call if you need me," he said before taking his leave.

- - -

"Kris, are you with Baekhyun?"

Kris looked at his cell almost suspiciously. It was so unusual to hear Sulli speak in such a calm voice nowadays he almost didn't believe his own ears.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Keep security tight in the hospital."

"How do you know we're at the hospital?" he asked, looking around.

"You're on the news. Reporters from the Busan port tailed you to the hospital, it'll only be a matter of time before more of them get there. They're coming up with ludicrous gossip about Baekhyun right now and they also showed footage of the kids and that woman."

"I already called in the rest of security. They should be on their way here," he said, looking around the parking lot for any suspicious looking people that might be reporters.

"Good. I'll be right over as well. I'll handle the press."

- - -

"I'm so sorry," Baekhyun whispered before placing a kiss on Yuna's forehead.

He pulled back and looked at his daughter. This was the second time she was brought to the hospital because of his carelessness. He turned to the boys who were sleeping on the large extra bed that was brought in earlier and set beside Yuna's.

Baekhyun sighed and looked over to Yeonhee who was staring at him.

"It really isn't your fault," she told him yet again in a lowered voice.

"Yes it is," he said stubbornly as he made his way to stand beside her by the doorway.

"You can ask them yourself when they wake up. I know they don't blame you either."

"They should," he countered.

Yeonhee took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Baekhyun, you shouldn't easily blame yourself when things like this happen."

"I know but-" he stopped and turned to the door at the sound of the knock.

A nurse poked her head in with a harassed look on her face.

"Mr. Byun," she said in a hushed voice. "A lot of reporters are gathered outside asking a lot of questions. They won't leave unless you make a statement of some sort as to why you are here."

Baekhyun cursed before following her outside.

"I'll be back," he said to Yeonhee before closing the door silently behind him.

- - -

"Just make sure things don't get ugly and that none of the reporters get inside the hospital," Sulli instructed the security team with a nod. "We don't want any more drama than there already is. The hospital might sue us for disrupting the peace or something," she said before walking through the sliding doors of the front entrance to the hospital. "Baekhyun!" she called out with a wave as soon as she spotted him.

Baekhyun looked up from his cell and sighed in relief at the sight of her.

"Sulli! I was just about to call you," he said before turning back around and indicating for her to follow him back down the hallway. "What's going on outside?" he asked when she reached him although he was quite sure he didn't want to know.

"Reporters are demanding to know why you're here. They're already coming up with ridiculous stories like you got stung by a jellyfish or something during your little escapade. Some even went so far as to say that you got bitten by a shark and that you're bleeding to your death at this very moment," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"What do you propose we do?" he asked seriously, wanting things to be over with. Yeonhee and the kids can't very well leave the hospital unnoticed if they're still gathered outside, watching and waiting for their reappearance like hawks.

"I'll be giving a casual statement in a while, just to ease them and stop new rumors from sprouting."

"What're you going to tell them?" he said before taking a seat on one of the chairs he had sat on earlier, just across the room where the kids and Yeonhee were in.

"You tell me," Sulli said, looking straight at him. "What were you doing in that yacht anyway? And since when did you own a yacht here in Busan?"

Baekhyun ran a hand through his hair and hunched back into his seat. "I bought it just a month ago. I made a special order and had it delivered here. I went on that three-day cruise to celebrate the end of filming," he explained truthfully although not completely.

"And?"

"And what?" he asked although he knew what she meant.

"Care to explain the reappearance of your old girlfriend and the three kids? Two of whom look exactly like you," she persisted, watching him closely.

Baekhyun can't help the smile creeping up the corners of his lips. "Oh, that."

"Yes, that. You seem to have missed out the very crucial detail of this problem."

"Well, you know I met the boys all those months ago. Not long after we arrived in Korea, I met them by accident. Not long after I also found out that Yeonhee was their mother," he said, still smiling before he turned to Sulli. "I actually have kids Sulli," he said almost disbelievingly. "Who would've thought huh?"

Sulli smiled a small smile at this. "You do know this will cause a slight problem for you."

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning. In his opinion, the only problem he has now was the effect the paparazzi had on his kids earlier and the reporters now crowding around the hospital.

"Baekhyun, think of what this will do to your image. You're almost to your thirties, known to never have a serious relationship with women. Now you're here, apparently the father of three kids with the reappearance of an old fling."

"Yeonhee wasn't just a fling to me and you know it," he said almost heatedly.

"Sorry, an old girlfriend," she amended quickly, raising her hands up in defense. "I take it you two are getting back together?" she added, looking away from him.

Baekhyun looked at her and didn't answer. How could he? Sulli had told him of her true feelings for him and just when he told her that he would give their relationship a chance, Yeonhee had reappeared in his life and things just went out of his control from there.

"Ah, well," Sulli said in a resigned tone and standing from her seat. "I can't do much anymore at this point. At least I'm still your manager, that's enough for me," she said, smiling down at him.

This was precisely why Baekhyun can't believe what Yeonhee had told him. Sulli is a good person, she always have been. She was always thoughtful especially where he was concerned and she always did the right thing.

"Sulli," he said, standing up and looking at her with admiration. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I don't know. Everything I guess," he said unsurely.

Sulli grinned at him and winked.

"Baekhyun? I think the kids are starting to... oh," Yeonhee stopped in her tracks, a hand still holding on to the door knob when her sight landed on Sulli.

"Yeonhee," Baekhyun said nodding at her then towards Sulli. "You remember Choi Sulli?"

"O-Of course," she said with a small bow of her head at the well-dressed woman.

"Sulli, you remember Im Yeonhee," Baekhyun added.

"But of course. How could I forget?" she said, smiling broadly at Yeonhee. "Besides, Hwejangnim talks about her frequently enough," she added casually.

Baekhyun looked at Yeonhee then at Sulli. "What are you talking about?"

"About Hwejangnim?" Sulli asked, looking at Baekhyun's look of confusion. "Well, he's been working with Yeonhee for quite some time now. Didn't you know? He even told me just this morning that Yeonhee's going to be the next big thing in Korea."

Baekhyun turned from her to Yeonhee, a look of hurt and accusation on his face. "Is this true?"

Yeonhee looked at Sulli curiously, wondering what she was playing at before facing Baekhyun. "Yes, Sooman-ssi and I have been working for quite some time now. But I only started recording just recently. And personally, I think he exaggerates whenever he talks about my singing and-"

"And when were you planning on telling me?" Baekhyun hissed, looking furious now.

"What?" Yeonhee said, confused now. What was he getting so mad about?

"When were you going to tell me that you've been in contact with Sooman?" Baekhyun reiterated, walking over to her in an almost threatening way.

"I... I didn't know I had to tell you I've been in contact with him," she said defiantly.

Baekhyun glared hard at her. So this was it. He should have suspected it from the start. There was no way Yeonhee would have willingly come back to him after all these years unless she had a motive. She had left him when she lost interest in him and she only came back to use him! He didn't know how she managed to get in contact with Sooman nor did he care how she managed to do it. The fact was that she did. He knew that Yeonhee knew of his and Sooman's relationship. After all, the first time he had ever spoken to Sooman was when he called to congratulate him for winning MBC's contest years ago, and Yeonhee was there, she heard him introduce himself to Baekhyun during the man's phone call. She managed to get something from him after all. She has been fooling him from the beginning with her offers of a truce and acting like she still loved him.

"You disgust me," he hissed at her before turning around and meaning to take his leave.

Yeonhee looked at him incredulously before placing a firm hand on his arm. "Hold on just a minute!" she shouted, her temper rising as well. "What the hell did I do that's gotten you so absurdly angry all of a sudden?"

Baekhyun turned and shrugged her hand off harshly. He glared even harder at her now, if it were possible. "You've been fooling me from the beginning, you manipulative ," he said cruelly, making Yeonhee step away from him, entering back into the room slightly and finally letting go of the door knob. This was the first time he had ever called her such and it scared her as much as it hurt her. "I knew it. From the back of my mind, I knew you must have something to gain out of all this. From that damned truce, from all your crying, from your pitiful story and explanations from that time you left me, and even from your damned confessions! I knew it was all for something," he said, walking even closer to her.

Yeonhee didn't say a word as he slowly leaned his head closer to hers. "Tell me Yeonhee, did you actually think that I'd be that stupid not to figure things out in the end?" he asked her menacingly. "I was right not to believe you when you told me that it was because of Sulli that you had left. And," he said with a sneer, "I'm glad I was able to take you one more time in that yacht. At least you were good for something in the end."

A loud slap sounded, echoing slightly down the hallway and into the silent room. Baekhyun's head was twisted to the side at Yeonhee's hard strike to his cheek. Everything was silent for awhile except for Yeonhee's sobbing and sharp intakes of breath.

"H-How dare you," she said in a hurt tone when she regained her composure. "You are the m-most self-centered and heartless monster I have ever come to meet!"

No one spoke after Yeonhee's outbreak. Yeonhee was looking up at Baekhyu, her eyes swimming with tears and her cheeks drenched whereas Baekhyun was looking down at her with a merciless look on his face. Sulli was still off to the side, watching them in silence.

"No," a small quaky voice spoke out from behind them.

Their eyes widened at hearing her speak.

Yeonhee turned around and Baekhyu's facial expression softened immediately at the sight of his children, all three of them, standing a little away from them.

Yuna stood in the middle of her brothers, her cheeks wet with shed tears and yet her eyes were still threatening to release more. Taehyun and Raehyun had a hand each on Yuna's shoulders, holding on to their sister, and both on the verge of crying as well.

"Why do you keep fighting?" Taehyun asked just before a tear fell from his eye.

"We don't like it when you two fight," said Raehyun whose voice had broken.

Yeonhee's hands flew to . "I'm so sorry," she whispered feeling deeply ashamed of herself.

Yuna cried even harder now, her breathing coming out in gasps. "P-Please don't fight anymore," she said, her voice pleading. "Mommy," she said looking at Yeonhee. She struggled with her breathing for a moment before turning to Baekhyun. "Daddy," she said, looking straight at him through half-lidded eyes.

Baekhyun immediately went numb after hearing her.

"Please?" she begged again in a faint voice before her eyes suddenly looked unfocused and she finally collapsed.

"Yuna!" Taehyun, Raehyun, Yeonhee, and Baekhyun shouted simultaneously as the little girl fell to the floor, her brothers only just managing to catch her and ease her more slowly to the ground.

- - -

"Excuse me, what's-"

The doctor held up a hand at Yeonhee as he entered the room with two nurses trailing after him.

Yeonhee watched hopelessly as the door shut after them and resumed with her pacing. Baekhyun sat on the chair nearby with the boys on either side of him with their heads on his lap. They had long ago cried themselves to sleep.

"Why won't anyone tell me what's happening in there," she said in an agonized whisper before forcing herself to finally sit down.

Baekhyun didn't say a thing. He didn't know what to say. Or rather, he didn't trust himself to say anything anymore. Everything he says and does seem to end up hurting the people he loves. He really was heartless. 'Yeonhee's right,' he admitted to himself resentfully.

"Yeonhee dear," Taeyeon said from down the hallway before she hastened to reach them. "What happened? I'm sorry I took so long."

Yeonhee looked up at her, grateful for her arrival. "Taeyeon, would you mind watching the boys for awhile?" she asked, wiping her tears and looking more determined now.

"Of course," she said without hesitation.

"Baekhyun, come with me," she said in a serious and no-nonsense manner.

Taeyeon helped Baekhyun by holding up the boys' head as he stood up slowly and she sit in his place.

"We'll be right back Taeyeon," Yeonhee said before turning on her heel and walking down the hallway. She smiled weakly to the familiar staff who greeted her along the way to Luhan's office.

 

Baekhyun gave her a dubious look as she held the door open for him.

"Luhan won't mind," she said, still serious, and it was the truth. She has spent so many times in this office in the past years that she would even sometimes be mistaken as a doctor's assistant by Luhan's patients when they catch her in there alone during the times when she had to wait for him.

Yeonhee nodded for him to take the other seat right in front of the desk, opposite from her.

"I'm tired of fighting with you Baekhyun," she said almost immediately when he took his seat. "I'm tired of you accusing me of something that's not even true. And most of all, I'm tired of trying to tell you the truth when you wouldn't even believe me."

Baekhyun still didn't utter a single word.

"Would you believe me if I presented you with proof then?" she asked and laughed mirthlessly. "Though we've been broken up for this long now, I always thought you would still continue to trust my word. So I never bothered even trying to prove anything to you," she said as she pulled Luhan's telephone and dragged it towards them to the middle of the table. "Please dial Lee Sooman's number for me."

"What are you getting at?" Baekhyun finally asked.

"You would never believe me unless I prove it to you. So here I am, trying to prove myself though I'd rather do more important things with my time. But I'm proving myself to you for the sake of our kids. I just pray that when we leave this office, you'll think better of me and stop initiating our fights."

Baekhyun pulled the telephone closer to him before taking out his cell and searching for Sooman's number and dialing it. Yeonhee held the receiver to her ear before pressing the speaker button.

"Yes?"

Yeonhee cleared and forced herself to sound like her normal self. "Mr. Lee?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's me, Im Yeonhee. I-"

"Ah, Yeonhee my dear! Wonderful! You called me right in the middle of listening to one of your songs! I had actually taken a copy from your pre-recording session with me. In fact, I've been listening to your songs all day!"

It was only then that Yeonhee and Baekhyun heard Yeonhee's voice, singing to a tune from the distance in the other line.

"I... I'm glad to hear it," Yeonhee said though unsurely. All things considered, she still can't help the blush that managed to color her cheeks.

"So, is there something the matter?"

"Well, you see Mr. Lee, I-"

"Sooman, Yeonhee. Please call me Sooman!"

"Yes, of course, Sooman," Yeonhee said, trying hard to be patient. She wanted to get back to her kids as soon as possible. "Well, Baekhyun's here with me actually."

"Baekhyun? My Baekhyun you mean?"

Baekhyun raised a brow at how he was being referred to. But then again, this man was the closest he had for a father. So he let it pass.

"Yes, that Baekhyun. And he has a couple of things he wants to ask you, here he is now," she said and nodded at him.

"Sooman," Baekhyun said before the man could speak first.

"Baekhyun my boy, I didn't know you were acquainted with the lovely Yeonhee! This is just absolutely perfect! I was joking around with Sulli just this morning, telling her I might ask you to do a duet with Yeonhee or maybe star in her music video alongside her when that time comes. But now, I'm quite sure it could be quite possible!"

As Sooman ranted along his plans for the pair of them, Baekhyun stared at Yeonhee, his face blank.

"Of course," he said, at a loss of what more to say.

"Excellent! You two will be hearing from me about that plan sooner or later. I'll take it up with Jinki, Lee Jinki. You don't know him yet Baekhyun, but he's the one who discovered Yeonhee by chance a few months ago as she was singing in one of the more popular restaurants here in Haeundae. His constant insistence that I meet Yeonhee was also the reason why I flew here with my wife a few months ago. I'll introduce you to him sometime."

"That would be great," Baekhyun said before shaking his head. "Anyway, we just called to see how you are."

"With you working with me and now Yeonhee? I can't be any better!"

"Glad to hear it. I'll be seeing you soon then."

"Bring Yeonhee with you when you do!"

Baekhyun replaced the receiver into its cradle without another reply.

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately.

Yeonhee shook her head and held the receiver to her ear again. "This time, I want you to call Sulli," she said.

"What for? You already proved my accusations earlier to be wrong."

"You'll see," she replied vaguely. "And this time, you have to remain in complete silence," she added before motioning for him to dial Sulli's number.

"She told me she had just finished giving a statement to the reporters outside before she left earlier," Baaekhyun said as he dialed the numbers. "She might be busy now, trying to-"

Yeonhee cut him off by holding up her hand before pressing the speaker button again and resting the receiver on the table silently just as Sulli's voice rang through the room.

"Hello, Choi Jinri speaking."

"Sulli? This is Yeonhee."

- - -

Sulli stopped and looked at her cell.

"Yeonhee? Im Yeonhee?" she clarified.

"The very one."

"I wasn't expecting a call from you," she said before nodding a thank you to the waiter who had just led her to an empty seat in the restaurant across the hotel she and Baekhyun had been staying in. "Seeing as we just spoke a few hours ago," she added.

"Yes, well, I have a request."

"That request being?"

"It's my kids. They're-"

"What do your kids have anything to do with me?" she asked somewhat incredulously.

- - -

Yeonhee gripped hard on her chair at her insensitive tone.

"Well, they are Baekhyun's kids too as you may very well know by now," she said, glaring at the telephone as if it was Sulli herself.

"I'm concerned with Baekhyun's affairs solely, Yeonhee. The details of his affairs, you and your kids included, are none of my concern."

"Fine then!" Yeonhee said bitingly. "Then can you at least help me get in good terms with Baekhyun again? It's also for his own sake. And you owe me at least that."

"I don't owe you anything."

"Yes you do. You actually led him on to believe a lie earlier when you brought up Sooman's name. And that fight we had earlier, which was the result of your thoughtless remark, had a very dire effect on our kids!"

Yeonhee glared even harder at the phone as Sulli's laugh emanated from it.

"That wasn't my fault. It was Baekhyun and you who got caught in that little dramatic bubble. I was merely in the sidelines, watching you two bicker your heads off."

"You brought it up!" Yeonhee shouted, getting more irritated by the minute.

"And that was all I did."

There was a pause as Yeonhee tried to get her breathing and her temper under control.

"Is that all then? Unlike you, I have more important things to do Yeonhee. I-"

"Wait," Yeonhee interrupted immediately. "I... Can you at least tell Baekhyun the truth of what really happened the day I left?"

- - -

Sulli laughed heartily now.

"What do you want me to tell him? Do you actually want me to remind him of the day you left him and broke his heart in two?" she asked, a laugh to her voice.

"You were the one who insisted I leave him!"

"Oh, I don't recall ever using the words 'leave him', Yeonhee dearest," Sulli countered. "I never told you specifically to leave him. If I were you at that time, I would never have left him as callously as you did."

"Then what was all that crap you told me then? You said that... that if I truly love him, I would do everything in my power to ensure his happiness even if it would hurt me! Those were your exact words!"

A perfectly penciled brow shot up to her forehead at this. "Wow Yeonhee, you actually bothered to remember my exact words after all these years?" she pushed on, hearing the girl on the other line trying to muffle her sobbing. "Yeonhee, it wasn't my fault that you and Baekhyun broke up. If you're trying to find comfort in reprimanding me right now, then you're out of luck."

- - -

Wiping her tears hastily, Yeonhee continued to glare at the phone, forgetting Baekhyun was even in the room by completely ignoring him and speaking as if it were Sulli in the office with her now.

"You really are heartless. All the things you told me then, was all for your sake!"

"Oh no, I was thinking of Baekhyun. Look at him now; he's gone all the way to the top didn't he? Think about it. If you weren't too guilty back then for holding him back from his dream, if you didn't take every word I said to heart, he wouldn't be this successful now. He wouldn't be the rich and famous actor he is now. He would still have gone on with those measly roles he got before he ever got paired up with me."

"I... I want you to tell him the truth. I want you to admit it to him," Yeonhee said in a calmer voice, her shoulders sagging. "Please Sulli. If you would just tell him the truth, I'm sure things would-"

"Things would what, Yeonhee?"

Yeonhee fell silent as her voice cut across her in mid-sentence.

"If I tell him the truth, things would be better? Things are already better without him knowing. Things only get worse when you're around. Haven't you noticed?"

Yeonhee stared at the phone, new tears threatening to fall at what Sulli had just said.

"When you disappeared years ago, Baekhyun became who he is today. Famous, rich, sought-after, and his acting abilities are only getting better. I actually saved him from the fate you had already tied him to. When you were around, he could barely get his talent shown, and when he did, he held back because of you. Even today, you've reappeared in his life and look at the predicament you've got him into now. The media's up to their heads, hoping against hope that there's some sort of juicy scandal between you two and those kids of yours. Nasty rumors are flying everywhere about him right now because of you and who has come to fix it again? Me."

"I didn't mean to cause-" she tried to explain rather weakly.

"But regardless, you did. You managed to-"

Yeonhee was startled back to reality. She blinked away the rest of her tears and wiped them away furiously before looking over at the phone. Baekhyun was breathing somewhat heavily with his hand on the receiver that was now back to its cradle.

"I- We weren't done talking!" Yeonhee said, trying to pry his hands away from the receiver, but he wouldn't let go. "Y-You didn't hear her admit it. You didn't hear the exact words she told me that day!" she said rather hysterically, tears falling down her cheeks again. "You have to hear her say it. She h-has to admit it..."

Her voice trailed away and was replaced with sobbing.

Baekhyun let go of the phone and looked at her. He didn't need to hear Sulli admit it, he was sure Sulli would never admit it but everything else she had said in that call was more than enough proof to Baekhyun of the role she had played in Yeonhee's disappearance years ago.

"Yeonhee," he said almost brokenly. "I-"

Yeonhee shook her head vigorously, ceasing him from saying any more, and ran out of the office without another word.