“Are you sure you’ll be okay for taking care of these children alone Baekhyun?” Mrs Kim uttered while she was standing at the doorstep of the guest’s room, when Baekhyun was in the preparation to get back to Seoul, packing his things and all. He and his small family had been staying over at the Kim’s for almost a week by then for Saerom’s funeral which was held here, in the place she was born and raised. He needed to get back as soon as possible due to his insufficient emergency leaves.

“Yes, Mom. I’m really really, really sure about that. Besides, there’s a day care near my workplace so I can send Yuhan there during my working times.” Baekhyun flashed his convincing grin, his number one charming point as for what he ought to think. “Don’t worry, Mom.”

“You know Baekhyun, I’m still strong enough to take care of my grandchildren. And, and, Hyemi can transferred to a preschool around here. There’s a lot of excellent and expensive preschool around Busan too, you know.”

Baekhyun inserted the last shirt in his luggage and zipped it securely. He then stood up and stride towards his mother-in-law. He took her hand gently and said, “Mom, I’ll be okay, trust me.” Mrs Kim could do nothing other than nodded along with the statement. Probably, Baekhyun really doesn’t need anybody else to help him conducting his daily life. “If you said so then I’m sure you’ll be fine. Oh and, don’t forget to take Yuhan’s mitten I’ve knitted for him em.” Baekhyun nodded.

“Be a good girl, Hyemi-ah and takes good care of your little brother okay?”

“Okay, granny,” Hyemi said adorably with fluffy teddy bear hugged tightly around her torso. Mrs Kim pecked and kissed Hyemi with love and concern before watching her little angel padded hurriedly towards the backseat of his father’s black Suzuki MPV. Baekhyun came afterwards after putting in every luggage and stuffs inside the car’s boot to retrieve Yuhan in his mother-in-law’s embrace.

 “Mom, Dad. Thank you very much for everything. I’ll come visit again soon.” Baekhyun shifted awkwardly to handle Yuhan in his arms for a better position, as he started to cry. “Don’t think too much about the one who was gone, Baekhyun. Take good care of yourself and children.” A slow reminder from Mr Kim was tacked in Baekhyun’s mind. “Yes, Dad. I will.”

He left Busan to go on with his daily life in Seoul, even if it was a tad different without someone to stand by his side anymore.

∆

Saehyun’s examinations season had already ended for a long time, and she was only counting days for the graduation ceremony. However, she couldn’t seem to spare times and space to get back to her hometown as she was still a working at the Wu Corporation for the time being. It was her full-time job either way and the company was ultimately at giving leaves.

It was working hours and there were a couple of hours more before she could call it a day. Even though her part time studies to graduate Master was practically ended, she couldn’t state why she felt a lot more tired and less energetic day by day, and almost a month by then.

Part of her is gone, was what she told herself each time.

Staring blankly at her paper works spread all over the table, Saehyun never had sighed as heavy as that particular time before. “Excuse me, Kim?” Saehyun looked up to see someone’s head popped out at her office’s entrance. “Uh yes, Doreen. Come on in,” Saehyun smiled at her colleague and invited her in.

“Well, sorry for disturbing but I need to pass this invitation to you.” Doreen stretched out her limb to pass up a piece of green paper, and Saehyun received it with oblivious look on her face. “A party for the new upcoming CEO?”

“Yes, Sir Wu’s son, Kris is coming back from Canada. He’ll replace her father to be a CEO for our company later,” Saehyun wasn’t sure that it was her ears or Doreen voice did shrilled in excitement. “Oh my God Doreen, why are you so happy?” She couldn’t help but giggled at Doreen’s funny behaviour.

“Of course I’m happy Kim, unlike his old wrinkled father, his son is bravo. Hot as ! I swear!” Saehyun covered in shock due to the unexpected cuss. She guffawed and said, “Whatever Doreen, but you must remember he’ll ended up be like the old wrinkled Sir Wu soon or sooner. They shared the same gene.” A whine from Doreen made Saehyun to laugh even louder.

∆

They indeed shared the same gene, Saehyun admitted later during the evening party. Kris was like a young version of Sir Wu and Saehyun couldn’t believe that if Sir Wu was without wrinkled, silver hair and extra extra fats, he would look that ‘dangerous’.

Kris was physically tall and lean, dyed-blonde hair, sharp jawlines, perfect nose and overflowing charisma that could melt down any females he walked next too. And that would include her.

The opening speech was over, and the space was filled with noises of people chattering and cacophonies sounds of fork and spoon against glass tableware. Saehyun came with Doreen and she was not in her sight anymore, probably in the ladies or something.

Saehyun was eating the cheesecake alone at the table when Kris, came to sit beside her. “You’re not German?”

Saehyun accidently swallowed an enormous piece of cheesecake and almost died for the lack of air. The fork in her hold been threw all the way back and she began to pull onto the white cloth that covered the table and tried to puke out all the cake which stuck cruelly in her oesophagus.

“Miss! Miss! Are you okay?” Kris was all panicked and got his hair stood up out of the blue when Saehyun glared at him with blanch blue face. She tried to tell him something but he couldn’t catch up.

Horror dawned upon him when Saehyun initiated to grab his shirt’s collar and shook him off violently. “Hey! Hey! Calm down! Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!” He shouted in Chinese and later on he eventually realized what the hell was going on when Saehyun started to pat her neck with her left hand.

Oh my God, she’s choking! Kris nodded at her and quickly turned her around and incessantly hit her back with his palm until he heard a feeble coughs and ‘water…’ amidst chaos and noisy crowd whom witnessed the incident.

He didn’t even make it to pour her a glass of water when Saehyun ran all the way out of the party space with dirty dress and a flame of crimson burned face.

 She’s probably the shy type of girl, he thought.