Jieun was in the middle of the ocean. She wasn’t drowning, nor was she a swimmer competing for who would be the first to cross the Atlantic. She acknowledged the tense feeling around her pelvis and then it hit her. She was about to give birth. No, this can’t be right. It’s only been 12 weeks. Despite the vast amount of water around her neck, she couldn’t help thinking. Inwardly, she pushed and heaved as the voices inside her head commanded her to. She didn’t even know whose voices they were. There was no one around her. Soon enough, she could feel something was pushing its way out of her legs. She guessed it was the baby. Her baby. She wanted to duck her head and see her baby but she couldn’t. She couldn’t move. She took a deep breath and try to dive herself into the water even though she wasn’t sure how to, barring her position. She could feel her baby was slipping from her legs and her breath hitched at the last touch on her toes. Someone would catch it. Someone had to catch my baby. But there was no one there. She was giving birth on her own, in the middle of the ocean.

Jieun jolted up on her bed. She didn’t know how did it get there, but she found Kris’ coat and thankful that his scent was still lingered on that piece of woolly cloth, she hugged it as she sobbed for the next half an hour.  

After Jieun had finally settled herself down, she got out of the bed and showered herself with warm water. She didn’t spend long in the shower as soon as her mind managed to recall the vivid dream that she had earlier, panic swamped over her feelings one more time. She then promptly dried her hair and dressed herself up. She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was just past nine o’clock. She dragged her tired self to the kitchen and put the kettle on.

Jieun sat on the stool around the island countertop and buried her face in her palms. She could still feel that last touch of her baby’s tiny fingers on her skin. And she cried again.

“Are you ok?”

Jieun heard Kris’ voice and she didn’t bring her face up instantly. She didn’t want him to see her crying because of her silly dream. It was just a dream. “Yeah.” She said and got herself off the stool to make coffee.

“Are you in pain?” Kris asked again. It was very briefly, but Kris’ gaze had fallen upon the sight of her swollen eyes and he felt weirdly crushed by it.

“I…just had a nightmare.” She pursed her lips, giving him a shaky smile.

“Do you want to tell me what happened in it?”

Jieun poured the hot water into the coffee drip filter. “I lost my baby.”

Unblinking, Kris was absolutely perplexed by what he had just heard from her lips. He had no more wonder as to why she was crying. “It’s just a dream.” He tried to comfort her.

“But it felt so real.” She exclaimed.

Kris sighed calmly. “Tell yourself that it’s just a bad dream. Nothing is going to happen to our baby.”

Jieun met his soft gaze. It was the first time ever where Kris had regarded the baby that Jieun was carrying as ‘our baby’.

“It’s just a bad dream.” Jieun repeated after him, as she let out a gentle breathe. 

“Do you need a hug?”

Jieun didn’t think twice before she had nodded her head. She let her shaken body being embraced by Kris, her hands curled up in fist between her chest and his abdomen, as one of his hands rested behind her back and another was her hair. She wanted to thank him for last night; for carrying her to bed and for lending her his coat. It was a strange feeling and unnecessary need, but she wanted to stay in his arms at least for another few more hours. Right at that very moment, she was feeling so safe in his arms, but at the same time so unbelievably attracted to his body that she figured they might as well cross off that number one on the list of their rules.

Later, there was a knock on the door as they were having their breakfast in what turned out to be another awkward moment between them. Kris went to get the door and Jaein was standing outside with a little box in her hands.

“There’s a parcel for you guys.” She said.

Kris took the box from the teenage girl and invited her in.

“I think it’s the wedding photos.” She exclaimed cheerfully as she saw her older sister sitting around the island. She went to kiss Jieun on the cheek and hug her. In spite the wide gap of age between the two of them, it has always been obvious how the sisters adored each other.

Kris opened the parcel and it was indeed the wedding photo albums. There were two albums with an embroidered covers; one in light blue and one in light pink, there was also another album with a hardback cover. The parcel had come with a letter from Brian and also a cd that Kris assumed contained the soft copy version of all the photos.

“Aww, I remember how beautiful you looked that day, Unnie!” Jaein had said as they came upon the first picture, which was of Jieun getting her make up done in the waiting room.

There were pictures of the details on Jieun’s dress and shoes, of Luna trying to calm Jieun down, of Kris in the waiting room and of all of the other moments that Jieun and Kris thought they would forget.

“There’s me!”Jaein grinned as she pointed at the picture of her, Luna and Joona as the bridesmaids. “Oppa, you actually looked so calm in this picture…but tell me, how nervous were you that day?” Jaein sudden interview caused Kris to chuckle.

“There was no word for it.” He had told her.

She then flipped to the next page, and there was the first picture of Jieun and Kris together, on the altar. The next was him smiling at her, and there was when he had kissed her forehead, and her laughing with tears in the corner of her eyes, and last but not least, one where he had kissed her lips.

They were all such good and believable pictures. Brian was indeed the best wedding photographer in South Korea.

Jieun’s eyes met Kris’ and for two seconds, there was that awkward stare going on between them again, before Kris had smirked and raised her eyebrows at her. She frowned disapprovingly. She guessed she preferred this side of Kris better, rather than the sweet and concerned one. At least she could prove to herself that this guy was nothing more than a jerk and a tease.

“Urgh, so sweet I could die!” Jieun’s sister beamed and she closed the first album.

The second album mainly consisted of pictures with their families and friends, and during the Pyebaek—where Jieun and Kris were forced to eat the same jujube together that had almost made them kiss again.

“Oh, what’s this one?”

It was too late to stop Jaein, she had already unfolded the third album where there were pictures of Kris and Jieun from their pre-wedding photoshoot.

“Oh my God, Unnie! I didn’t know you could model?” She cried, as her eyes went wild on the pictures.

Jieun couldn’t believe it herself as well. Never mind Kris, she really did look good. She thought she would look awkward in most of the pictures, but she was better than she thought she was. She had to admit that she looked good with Kris too. Their acting was so real, she doubted anyone would even believe them if they were to tell t