“Hyomin ah… Hyomin!”

Hyomin stared at the screen in front of her, music blaring in the studio but nothing was reaching her. She was startled back to reality by Jiyong’s urgent voice and even then, she turned to him with a blank expression.

“You call this working?” he chided her but the concern was evident in his eyes. It was a rare day when he had no engagements and Hyomin realized it had been a long time since she last saw him without a single scrape of make-up on him.

“Sorry, I’ll focus now,” Hyomin cleared and sat up straighter in her chair. It had been a couple of weeks now since Jiyong convinced her to leave Seung Min with Seunghyun’s mother so that she could return to work. While Jiyong had made it sound like he absolutely needed her help on the new album, Hyomin knew that he had saved her from slipping into depression.

Seunghyun and Hyomin were married now, but even the best publicists in YG had not been able to suppress the huge backlash the fans had given. While putting up a united front in the presence of the media, their marriage was just in name. While living in the same house, they kept separate rooms. While claiming to be a married couple, they led separate lives. While working in the same office, they kept their distance. When things almost got out of hand, Jiyong had taken the initiative to speak up for her – the damned woman who had tied down TOP of Big Bang with a baby.

“Let’s call it a day,” Jiyong sighed softly as he glanced at the clock on the wall. “You need to pick Seung Min up. Hyung’s filming so I’ll drive you.”

“You don't have to do that, Jiyong,” Hyomin said. “You know that I always pick him up on my own anyway. Plus, you are headed in a totally different direction. ”

It had become a habit for Hyomin now – a cap to cover her head and thick-rimmed glasses to obscure her face, drab clothes so that she could get lost in the crowd easily. Gone were her shiny heels and fashionable threads. She hailed a cab easily and was soon on her way.

And this is how life will be… A marriage in name, life-long employment from a sympathetic boss, until the day Seung Min finishes school and becomes independent. How did I allow this to happen?

“Miss, aren’t you a little too young to give up on life? These aren’t words that should come out from your mouth…”

Hyomin was startled by the driver’s voice and had not realized that she had been speaking her thoughts out loud. While she apologized awkwardly, the driver laughed kindly and shook his head. “You’ve barely lived half your life, you can’t give up yet. Do you want your kid to see how you lived and say you were a great woman who led a great life, or watch you and learn to give up easily?”

Hyomin smiled and stared out the window. “It’s not as simple as you think, ahjusshi… I have offended many people by marrying someone they think I don’t deserve. He in turn is not talking to me, maybe because of the chaos I have brought to his life.”

“Then show them that you do deserve him. And show him that you’re strong enough to ride this out. You must love him, or you wouldn’t still stay by his side even after he has given you the cold shoulder. What’s your husband like? Is he a rich man?”

“Do you know Big Bang?” Hyomin giggled. “He looks very much like TOP!”

Seunghyun was getting ready to leave his mother’s place. The truth was, he had been sneaking by every afternoon to spend time with his son.

“Why can’t the two of you just make up and be a proper couple already?” his mother nagged. Seunghyun kissed Seung Min on his cheek while the little one tried to push him away playfully. While he kept silent, Seunghyun knew the reason why – his pride.

Was pride and ego greater than love? In his case, it seemed so.

Who was in the wrong? He who had not been able to protect her? Or she who had chosen to run away? He who had forced her into this marriage while keeping a distance? Or she who had not tried to break down his wall of silence?

“I don’t know, but it’s just hard. Leave us be,” Seunghyun sighed and flashed his mother a sad smile. He had to hurry or Hyomin would be arriving…

“Anyeonghas…e…yo….” Hyomin stopped in her tracks when she saw Seunghyun standing in front of her. He was also in shock – she didn’t look anything like her usual self.

“Aigoo, Hyomin ah! Seung Min, doesn’t your omma look pretty today?” Mrs. Choi teased as she picked her grandson up. Hyomin hid her smile as she gathered up her son’s belongings and prepared to take him home.

“I’ll carry him,” Seunghyun said, surprising both Hyomin and his mother. As the family of three walked out to his car, he took another good look at Hyomin.

“Don’t stare,” Hyomin said confidently. “I know you’re staring, even with your shades on.”

Seunghyun bit his lip to stop himself from smiling but his dimple betrayed him. “Someone got a makeover and finally found her voice too.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. Hyomin pulled the car door open and turned to stare at the man she loved so much. “I’m sorry for being a coward and for not saying this earlier. But I really love you.”

“I’m sorry too,” Hyomin said carefully. “But I don’t regret what I did. Because I couldn’t be sure that Seung Min would have been safe if I stayed. We’re back now and I still love you too. It won’t be the same, but at least we still love each other, I want us to make the best of what we still have.”

“We will overcome it together, not just for Seung Min’s sake,” Seunghyun grinned. “Because when he grows up, we’ll still need each other.”

Hyomin giggled as she watched Seunghyun strap their son into the car seat. “Oh man, you were planning for old age… How romantic…”

“Please don’t leave me again,” Seunghyun straightened up and pulled her close. “I won’t be an idol forever. But I want to be yours forever.”

“Damn,” Hyomin grinned as he leaned closer. “I’ll have to continue writing songs for a long time then if you aren’t going to rap anymore…”