Angel by EXO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bewParlnTQ

One year later.

Areum's POV

"Do you think I have time to take responsibility for that child?", Luhan stared at me, sitting across me with his legs crossed and his body sitting down so casually. For the past five minutes, he's been rolling his eyes here and there everytime I take a reply. My face begged, my entire body along with the begged, "Please, this child needs a father", my eyes laid down on the coffee table. 

"I'm a 23 year old man who is the future CEO of one of the biggest and leading companies here in South Korea. How do you expect me to stay by your side as the father of that child?"

"You are the father. I'll do whatever it takes. I'll serve you, I'll cook for you, I'll clean your house and everything. Just let me stay and help me as I go through this please"

His crossed legs untangled and his elbows rested on his thighs. He gave me this look that he had thought of something. His eyes, he has beautiful eyes just like the ones I saw that night when he got a hold of my body. I was actually mesmerized, out of the world, like as if I'm in a trance. No wonder I got pregnant the month after. "Alright, here's the day. I'll provide you with whatever that kid wants but...once the child is born, you have to leave and never come back"

It broke my heart that there was still the condition of raising the baby without the father. As much as it is, I didn't want to accept but if I don't, there's no one to depend on. How will I feed him(the baby)? How can I let her spend every single day inside me breathing and living? 

On the bright side, this was a better idea. "Deal", I curtly nodded to the man infront named Luhan, the father of the child that I am carrying. I could never afford losing another treasure that I've been waiting for so long to grow up inside my womb and disappear. No, that will never ever happen again. I promise you that, baby.

~

"So, how did it go?"

I sat infront of Dr. Yixing's table with the pitiful expression that I've been wearing all day eversince I've met up and made a deal with Luhan. He knows about my situation and has been a good friend to me eversince I got pregnant with my first child and up until now to my second child, he's right beside me. With all that help, I didn't have the courage to ask for more although its a good thing he didn't bother offering his help. For now, he's just my ob/gyn doctor.

"It was...frustrating at first but I was able to handle things with him", I smiled the way he would recognize it as if I'm really satisfied. "I told you working for that club was a bad idea. Look at you know, bearing your second child, how does it feel?", he smirked as he aligned the medicines, syringes and other medical objects that I'm not familiar of. "I'm not laughing, Yixing", I stared at the man with the white coat, who was casually ignoring my reply. "Although, it feels amazing to be a soon-to-be mother", I sighed into smiling.

Just by thinking of it, makes me recall about my own deceased mother. She took care of me so well into the person I am now, it's just that one mistake ruined it but I wasn't regretting it that time though all along, I thought love came with the ride. But it didn't.

It was never there in the first place. He was just after the baby, he wanted to take him away from me.

This is why I have smallest trust to men. Like my father, he was the one who threw me out of the house without the care, not having atleast some sympathy for his grandchild from me. There is an exception though, there was Yixing, who's all out sincere and kind to me from the very beginning. I couldn't explain how much I owe him but I never got to show how grateful I am. I was homeless and pennyless, he filled me with that. A home and a reason to breathe.

"You're all thinking drama again. Saeryun, your father, your mom, the miscarriage. Just stop please", Yixing ruffled my hair as his dimples come to reveal to me. "I like your dimples, Yixing", I poke his cheeks where his dimples were sinking. His face fell, "You've said that to me like a million times you know"

"Why are you so *choding?", I chuckled. (*choding : elementary kid/childish)

"I am not choding. I am 22 years old, damn it"

We laughed together again.

~

Luhan's POV

I, Luhan, had spend a night with a woman with long-laid brunette hair, jewel eyes, pale skin and cherry lips a month ago. I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to see her the next day after that but surprisingly she came all alone, with the same beauty that she had that night in my place saying that she's 1 month and half pregnant and I found out that I was the father. Damn, it was good to see her again but I didn't make it obvious.

It was a heavy decision for her to stay. Both of us agreed upon many things. One, no bothering of personal lives. Two, not touching of each other personal belongings. Three, no strings attached. I am just taking responsibility for what I did and I have to help her. How will I even explain this to my father?

In 8 months, a little me or little her will be born into the world and I don't want to handle that just as easy as a cake.

Areum was a gorgeous jewel. I found her working in a bar, as a waitress. In the midst of the party lights, the dancing bodies filling no empty space around the party place. The fringes that fell on the cheeks of her face made her look desirable. That's what pulled me towards the woman serving drinks to men she doesn't deserve to serve to. Her eyes pulled a tough effect on me.

I called her for shots but she kept that same expression when she was serving the other men before me, recognizing myself as a really low and no class person because to her, I just looked like the same as the others. It was obvious that she isn't a compatible person to work in such a place with men as customers and women as employees. Her job was quite one of a kind. The rest of the female employees serve with flashy clothes, touch ups and heels but Areum wore pants, black printed shirt and a pair of worn-out sneakers with her hair tied up in a messy updo, with little baby hair falling out around her head.

The mouth of the bottle of soju clanked against the brim of the shot glass, it looked like she did it on purpose. It meant one thing, she had problems. Let's rephrase that, she has problems. I stared at her and tried to read her. Family problem? Life problem? Money problem? Boy problem? It felt like a combination of all kinds of problems. "Are you alright, miss?", I asked her. She looked up at me so cautiously, she probably didn't expect me to say a word to her. Replying with a shaking head indicating no, she left with my shot glass full.

The next thing I knew, I was drunk. I ordered someone to get her to entertain me, without having a choice, she sat with me, accompanied me, got drunk as well, slept with me, ended the one-night stand and left the next morning with me lying on my bed with a blurry idea of what happened that night. I screwed up completely.

"Here's the supermarket that has been going long for 9 years til now. This business has been going strong for its fast stocks, providing worldwide products and alike", the man beside me named, Kris, explained on and on and on as we walked over the random aisles that my father runs. "Excuse me, Mr. Luhan?", he called me after noticing how long I stared straight as we walked. "Is something the matter?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. I'm completely fine, please continue"

He continued talking. He explained how employees are treated, trained and pay with quality. I was just a man walking with suit, with another man with a suit also. Employees stared at me, guessing who I was. A celebrity? A tourist? A son of the company? What ran into to my ears didn't bother me. It bothered me that most of the employees were females. Maybe I should think of hiring some males to. The ratio of females to males were 3:4, according to Kris. Thinking about it, these women wanted money so badly.

It made me think about Areum. Kris and I had a runway on this aisle where there were diapers, pampering neccessities for infants, cologne, milk, bottles and some petite clothing in baby colors. I believed it was coincidence is what brought me here, but it wasn't coincidence that I thought of Areum and the baby. Maybe I should get her some stuff like that. I heard the promoter talking to lady in her 30s. "This powdered milk provides mothers and babies inside them the resistance they need...". She continued on and on with the details, I wasn't listening to Kris anymore. "Sir?", I was called again. My head turned to Kris, "Please get me 2 large cans of that", I pointed at cans of powdered milk near the promoter. Kris blinked at me, wondering what I would be thinking buying a mother's milk.

"May I ask why, sir?", he scooted towards me, staring where I was staring.

"I thought of donating it to my friend's wife", I lied. "Is that milk really healthy?"

~

 Areum's POV

I rested on the chair beside the window, my eyes couldn't focus on the multiple cars that passed down the two lanes below me. I was thinking what would my future would be like with the child I'm carrying. Even though my stomach wasn't big enough yet, my hands were pretending that I had a huge baby bump under my chest. It was that same feeling back then with my first. Not only I was the one trying to hear the baby inside, it was also the man who has made him with me. 

I couldn't live the life like I was suppose to that year after he left me like I was completely of no use. It didn't take long for me to realize that he cared for me because he wanted the baby, he wanted to keep the child for himself.

But this time, it was bitterly satisfying. True, I get to raise my own child but, he has to grow without a father. What would I tell him when he searches for his dad? What lie should I say? It made me feel more horrible. I thought of those kind of children who grow enduring the pain of not having a man at his side, being mocked, being gossiped about. I hate that. "Areum", my mind flew back in the real world as soon as I heard my name. It turns out that Luhan has arrived home. I wiped off the glint of tears in the corner of my eyes, I was glad I didn't sound like I sobbed or anything. "Good Evening", he says to me, sounding so respectful and polite. 

"You too", I said back. Nearly forgetting, I got up directly to prepare dinner as promised that I would serving him until I give birth. 

Luhan takes off his blazer and throws it off the sofa in the middle of apartment, sighing his guts out. While preparing, he comes out of the bedroom 5 minutes later with a paper bag and places it over the table, as I heard. I wasn't facing him since I was too occupied on chopping. "Here's something for you", his voice sounded tired and frustrated.

I didn't hesitate so I turned behind me and saw the paper bag casually sitting there infront of me. I dropped everything I held and took and peek of what it was. Luhan took out the items inside himself, I gaped at him as he takes out two large cans...mother's milk? "It was embarassing to get these", he smirked. I thought that was so thoughtful of him to buy those. "You're going to need it, right?", he looks at me. I never knew that Luhan could be so thoughtful. "Yes. Thank you", I broke into formal code. 

His apartment was wide, open yet so quite and I felt like I was locked up with nothing even though there were many things to touch and satisfy with. "Listen, I...", he spoke. "Here's the contract", he placed a piece of paper on the dining table. I looked down on it, and read it. The conditions were fair enough for me, with both sides having benefits. I finished cooking the meal for dinner so I signed the paper quickly. "Just...stay comfortable with me, alright?", he actually smiled like an angel to me. It was a complete opposite from our first encounter, our first night. I nodded and he gave me an approving look. "Great. Now when was the last time you had a check up with the doctor?", he starts to interrogate.

"Uh it's not technically a check up but it was sort of a meet with a friend who is a doctor", I replied, preparing the table. 

Luhan sat down across me with an attentive gaze at me. "How many weeks has it been?"

It sounded awkward when he asks the question, it goes way back and makes us remember about that night. "I think...10 weeks?", I tried my best not to get uncomfortable in reply, and yet I was talking formally. "Hmm, how did you find out that you're pregnant?", Luhan speaks more, which makes me shiver bit by bit. "Uh a week ago, I experienced bleeding", I said. 

"...Did it hurt?"

That question made me want to laugh so hysterically but I pushed in my laughter. "Um of course it did?", I smiled.

"I was being sarcastic", he chuckled. "Glad I made you smile for the first time. It must've been heavy for you to carry a baby inside you"

"It's actually wonderful to have someone breathing inside your stomach. Eating the same food as you, breathing the same air as you, with the same blood running through your veins..."

I got carried away.