"I love you." 

 

"Uhm." 

 

"I love you yeobo." 

 

"Uhm." 

 

"I love you Kwon Jiyong."

 

"Me too." 

 

She sighed and stood up, walking towards the bedroom and closed the door behind her with a soft thud. 

 

There was this girl. A girl by the name of Im Yoona who was irrevocably in love with her senior and finally had her dream come true when they stepped into the cathedral when she was twenty-four. Everyone had nothing but admiration for the both of them. They were seen to be the perfect couple. 

 

At the age of twenty-six now, with her holding the title of Mrs Kwon for two years, Yoona wasn't happy. Not at all. Sure, their marriage had been ongoing for two years and friends around were all jealous and envious of her awesome husband. She thought she was happy and blessed too. But it didn't last for long. Straight after her marriage, her husband had been furiously working, not spending time with her at all.

 

When was the last time they had intimate physical contact? A month ago? Or was it two? Yeahs, not too long a duration but what was bothering her was that, she didn't FEEL like a married woman. They did what all couples did; had intense make-out sessions, fights and patched up eventually, sitting down together for a simple meal. 

 

All except for one thing.

 

She hadn't hear him say 'I love you' before. 

 

Not during their courtship days, not during their wedding day, not during their makeout sessions and definitely not during their daily life. 

 

Was it that hard for him to say the three words to her? 

 

Or he didn't love her at all? 

 

"Goodnight yeobo..."

 

The guy looked up from his document and let out a whisper as he watched the door closed in front of him. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, letting out a sigh.

 

There was this guy. A guy by the name of Kwon Jiyong who was a dashing and talented young man, starting up a small business of his own at the age of only twenty-six which expanded into a reowned corporation within a short span of two years.

 

Jiyong would proudly say that he's successful in his career. But what about his relationship? He couldn't say as much for the latter. Indeed, he had a glamourous wedding two years back at the age of twenty-six under the eyes of envy and jealousy of his family and friends. He had gotten the heart of his fair lady, the girl who had the brains and brawns. Despite being courted by thousands of qualified guys, she was only captured by him, soley him. 

 

Of course he loved her! Why wouldn't he! You must know how much effort he had put in in order to get her hand. Yes, he wasn't much of a romantic guy. Well, he could be, if it wasn't for the fact of his stupid insecure heart. At the age of twenty-eight, being successful AND charismatic, Kwon Jiyong didn't have confidence at all when it came down to love issues. He could make quick and accurate decisions in the business world with just a blink of an eye but when it came to relationships, he's an utter coward. Perhaps, it was due to him growing up in a broken family, he didn't trust love. He was afraid to have his heart broken someday, leaving him all alone on his own, like what his mum had done to his dad. 

 

He thought, maybe, maybe if he didn't shower and spell love and concern out like what his dad did, his wife would not leave him. Women, he thought, were greedy creatures. They would want more and more, newer and fresher ideas when it came to love. If his mum was like that, his wife would most probably be like that too. So, wasn't it better if he kept all these feelings to himself, without spelling them out to her clearly?

 

He too, found it incredibly hard sometimes whenever Yoona expressed her love for him openly and boldly. He wanted it so badly to cuddle her in his arms and whisper 'I love you' to her thousands, millions of times. But at the thought of what had happened to his dad and mum in the past, he hesitated. 

 

If being cold could keep her by his side, he would do all it takes...

 

Day by day, night by night, their relationship remained stagnant.

 

The girl who loved boldly and the guy who loved timidly.

 

Until one day, things decided to turn for a change.

 

"Wow. I didn't know our apartment is so HUGE that it takes a million lightyears for you to open that damn ing door!" Jiyong removed his tie and spat in sarcasm. 

 

"I was using the bathroom. Besides, don't you have your keys..." Yoona mumbled in annoyance under her breath.

 

"What did you just say? Come again!" Jiyong caught her words and his anger was building up. 

 

"I say DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR OWN HOUSE KEYS?! Can't you unlock the door and let yourself in?!" Yoona wasn't in a good mood either and rebutted. 

 

Jiyong was stunned momentarily by her sudden outburst of anger that he did nothing but just stare at her.

 

"I was waiting for you for the entire time and just happened to answer the nature's call and this is what I get?! Tell me what did I ing do to deserve this, Kwon Jiyong!" Yoona found herself babbling continuously and couldn't seem to stop as tears began to brim. 

 

"I'm tired today. The BOD had given me today and I don't wish to quarrel with you any further," Jiyong sighed and began walking to their bedroom.

 

"Tell me. Tell me. Do you even love me?" Yoona grabbed hold of his wrist and let out a whisper.

 

"I do," came the usual, short two-worded reply. 

 

"Then say 'I love you' to me," she pleaded. 

 

", why are you being so ridiculous today Yoona!" He was getting edgy.

 

"Me being ridiculous?! Araso! I got it all now. Yeahs, a wife calling her husband to say 'I love you' to her is ridiculous," she let out a cold chuckle and released her grip. "Yeahs, it's ridiculous..." 

 

Jiyong wanted so badly to turn back and pulled her into a hug to apologise and whispered the words to her but it ended up being the same old settings. He walked towards their bedroom and slammed the door with annoyance and frustration. 

 

Yes, he's annoyed and frustrated with himself. 

 

He crumbled against the bedroom door, sighing deeply. He felt something on his hand and looked down. It was a drop of tear. He kissed the tear, a lone tear falling from his eyes too. What on earth did he just do?! He wasn't angry because she had answered the door late, but because she didn't answer it like she usually does. 

 

It wasn't that he didn't bring house key. Of course he had brought and honestly, they didn't have to live in this small apartment. With his income alone, they could be living in a mansion, or at the very least, hire a housekeeper. But blame it all on him, he wanted her to welcome him home when he's back from work. Unknown to her, she had this special effect on him. Whenever he was met with her warm smile, no matter how tired he was from the entire day at work, he would feel better instantly. This was why, he didn't want a housekeeper. He wanted her to open the door, to welcome him home every time. This was just a little wish for himself.

 

He knocked his head gently against the bedroom door, cursing himself with profanities. He was guilty, he was heartbroken. Looking up at their wedding photo that was hanging on the wall above their bed, he let out yet another sigh. He had once vowed to protect her through thick and thin. But time and time, he was the one who had hurt and failed to protect her.

 

Staring at the wedding photo which protrayed a lovely couple smiling broadly and lovingly, Jiyong could only cry. He could only cry at how beautiful she was, how blessed he was to have her... 

 

"I love you, Kwon Jiyong..." 

 

At the other side, Yoona too, was resting her head against the bedroom door, tears streaming down as she stared at the wedding photo that was hung on the wall above the television. The photo that made people awed in envy and admiration. He was that handsome, that charismatic and she was definitely blessed to have him. She loved him, irrevocably... 

 

But maybe, it's about time to stop. 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, Jiyong woke up groggily, only to find himself on the floor. He had unknowingly dozed off while staring at the wedding photo. He let out a chuckle, if Yoona was around, she wouldn't have wake him up or at least wrapped a blanket around him to prevent him from catching a cold.

 

Yoona...

 

Thinking about his wife, Jiyong sighed. The bed was cold and empty, showing no signs of human activities. Yoona must had slept in the living room again. He figured out that he should apologise.

 

Yes, he would apologise and today, he would bring her out for a nice dinner to make things up. 

 

With this thought in mind, Jiyong went out of the room. He opened the door and an unknown surge of cold wind went up his spine. The living room was empty. Jiyong began to panic as he searched around - the kitchen, the study room, the bathroom. 

 

No sight of Yoona. 

 

He was worried sick until he saw a sticky note on the fridge, stating -

 

I'm giving up on us. 

 

A simple five-worded note was enough to cause a whirlpool of emotions in his heart. There's no signing off but there wasn't even a single doubt of who the writer was. He could recognise her handwriting with just a single fullstop of hers. 

 

She's giving up on them. 

 

 

 

 

 

The number you'd just dialled is currently unav-

 

Jiyong hung the call and sighed for the umpteenth time. Who the hell told him that by treating your wife coldly, it would make her stay by his side?! He must be the DUMBEST guy in the entire UNIVERSE. He had seen his dad fell under his mum's charms and despite him showering her with love and adoration, she left eventually. So, he used another method. A cold and distant method to treat his wife, hoping that she would keep him by his side. Still, she left. 

 

Finally, it dawned on him. 

 

Im Yoona wasn't like his mum. 

 

Im Yoona was someone who deserved his love and adoration and was someone who would repay him by loving him thousands and millions more time than he love her.

 

Why did he realise this simple fact only when she had left? 

 

It wasn't that he didn't try to locate her but it's as though she had vanished into thin air. She's not picking up his calls, her friends claimed that they didn't see her, her parents didn't even know she'd left home. He's literally going crazy. 

 

"You must be tired from work. I'd run the bath for you! Go take a hot bath and dinner would be ready soon!" 

 

That's what he pictured when he entered the kitchen from work; Yoona's back facing him, cooking his favourite dishes, the aroma of food taking his fatigue away. 

 

"Take a rest first. It must be hard on you, bringing work back home." 

 

He blinked from his document and realised that he was all alone. He had imagined Yoona to be massaging his back for him while he looked at his documents.

 

"Pabo yah? Remember to cover yourself well before you sleep! It's chilly in the night!"

 

He startled awake, realising he was lying on the bed all alone shivering, his blanket being thrown to the ground. The imaginary Yoona had once again, haunted him. Even when he's sleeping. 

 

He had loved her, much more than he had thought.

She had made an impact in him, much deeper than he had thought.

 

"I love you, Kwon Jiyong..."

 

An image flew past Jiyong's eyes as he stared blankly at his office desk. It had been over a week. A week without Yoona, a week with only the imaginary Yoona surrounding him, making him ache, making him want. As though getting a sudden inspiration, he reached out for the piece of sticky note that Yoona had left for him before she left a week ago. Staring at it intently, he finally realised that there was a faint mark at the corner of the paper. 

 

He picked up a pencil immediately, shading across the mark.

 

I still love you, Kwon Jiyong...

 

His heart lurched. 

 

She hadn't given up on him, on them after all!

 

He was estatic for just a mere minute before feeling all the more worse again. 

 

So what if she still love him? She didn't know that he love her. She's nowhere to be found even. 

 

"Yubbosaeyo? Seohyun?" 

 

Just then, his phone vibrated and he was surprised to see who the caller was.

 

/Oppa! Thank god you picked up fast!/ 

 

It was Yoona's sister-in-law, Seohyun. 

 

"What's the matter Seohyun?" He answered in bewilderment. 

 

Seohyun was the wife of Yoona's half brother, Lee Seungyeol. He wasn't exactly on friendly terms with Seungyeol because they rarely see each other, let along being able to interact and communicate. He had only seen Seohyun once, a few months back when he had accompanied Yoona to attend Seungyeol's wedding, so he was surprised to be receiving a call from her. 

 

/I don't have much time so I'm going to make things short. Yoona unnie is here with us./

 

"WHAT?! REALLY?!" 

 

/Yes. I don't know what happen between you guys but I can see Yoona unnie misses you so badly. I'm making a secret call to you now because you know how protective Seungyeol is to his elder sister. He's going to kill you for making his sister cry./

 

"I-I'm coming over right now!" 

 

/Yeobo! Are you done!?/

 

/Coming!/ Seohyun shouted before going back to her call. /Alrights oppa! I'm going to lure him out of the house and I would try to stall some time for you. So, hurry up!/ 

 

"I-I'm coming over right now!" Jiyong couldn't be more thankful. "Seohyun ah, go-gomawo..."

 

/Not a problem! I just don't wish to see Yoona unnie upset and I know you're a great man, Jiyong oppa. Just by a single action where you had picked those pins up to prevent Yoona unnie from getting hurt, tells me that you adore this wife of yours./ 

 

"E-Eh? You s-saw it?" 

 

Yes, during the wedding party, while Yoona was busy entertaining the guests, Jiyong saw one of her foes, acting sneakily. He followed her and realised that she had poured a box of pins into the jacket that Yoona was going to wear. He was so angry that he wanted to confront her but realised that Yoona would most probably didn't want to stir up a fuss during her beloved brother's wedding. Hence, after she had left in smug, Jiyong ran to the jacket and picked up all the pins, one by one, painstakingly. And also, because of that, he got chided and misunderstood by Yoona who thought he had once again roamed off by his own, leaving her all alone. 

 

/Yes. I believe you love Yoona unnie unconditionally and Yoona unnie loves you irrevocably too. So, all the best oppa!/ 

 

Looks like god decided to give them both a chance after all. 

 

 

 

 

 

"Yoona? Yoona?" 

 

True enough, by the time Jiyong arrived, Seohyun and Seungyeol couple were out. Seohyun had told him beforehand that she would leave the door unlocked for him. He let himself in and wasted no time, trying to find Yoona. 

 

"Yoona!" 

 

There, he found her. 

 

"Oh gosh... NO! YAH! IM YOONA! WAKE UP!!" 

 

She was lying motionlessly on the bed, not replying to his shouts, to his pleadings. He dropped to his knees, shaking her hard as he cried. 

 

"I'm sorry Yoong... I'm sorry! I love you! I really do! I love you so much, so deeply! It's just... It's just I thought you're going to be like my mum... S-She left my dad even though he had loved and treated her so well... I-I thought if I were cold to you, you would stay... this ! It's all lies! I can't do without you Im Yoona! Did you hear me?!!" Jiyong cried, tears streaming down. "You want me to say 'I love you' right? I will say it! I will say it a hundred, thousand, million of times to you! P-Please wake up! Y-You can't leave me just like that!" 

 

Jiyong continued to cry and rested his forehead against Yoona's arm. 

 

"You would really say it for a hundred, million times?" 

 

Jiyong froze as he heard the familiar voice rang. He looked up and was shocked. 

 

"You would really say 'I love you' to me for a hundred, million times?" The voice repeated. 

 

There she laid, eyes wide open, a weak grin spreaded across her pale features. She tried to get up and only managed to do it with the help from Jiyong. She laid against the pillow and stared at her husband amusingly. 

 

"Y-You w-were just asleep all these while?" Jiyong stuttered embarrassingly.

 

"I didn't catch much of a wink for a week already and I thought I should just pop a sleeping pill to help me get some proper sleep," Yoona explained with a chuckle. "But I was awoken the moment someone shook me so hard." 

 

"W-When did you wake up..."

 

"Long enough to hear a dumb guy crying, saying that he's sorry," Yoona teased.

 

"Damn it..." Jiyong cursed under his breath. 

 

"So... Is it true?" 

 

"Eh?" 

 

"You really love me?" 

 

Jiyong stared into Yoona's eyes and took a deep breath. Since he had came to this, it's about time he came true to his feelings. 

 

"Yes. I do love you, Im Yoona. Irrevocably, unconditionally," Jiyong held her hands into his. "I'm sorry for being a bastard, giving you cold treatments and of course, not saying 'I love you' to you for the past few years. Despite that, you're still willing to accept who I am, and to love me unconditionally. I thank you for this, Yoona..." 

 

"Pabo... That's because I know you love me," Yoona's eyes went teary as she caressed his cheek. "I love you, Kwon Jiyong." 

 

"Can we go home? I promise things would change for the better right at this moment." 

 

"I thought you were never going to say this~" Yoona threw her arms around him, beaming.

 

"Time to go home!" For the first time in a week, Jiyong let out a wide grin as he carried her into his arms.

 

"Yah! Put me down!" 

 

"Neverrrr! I LOVE YOU IM YOONA!" 

 

"Yah! Crazy guy!"

 

"KWON JIYONG LOVE IM YOONA!"

 

 

 

 

 

[A YEAR LATER...]

"I love you." 

 

"Uhm." 

 

"I love you yeobo."

 

"Uhm." 

 

"Yah, aren't you going to say 'I love you' to me?" 

 

"It'd only been a year. You still have... around a year more service to go?" 

 

"Yah yeoboooo!" 

 

"Whining isn't going to work on me Mr. Kwon~" 

 

You would think that things would have gotten better in Kwon house. Yeahs, of course it had gotten better. Yoona had came back to Jiyong, they had a change of a bigger house, employing a housekeeper even. 

 

Just one single problem. 

 

Yoona had refused to declare her love for her husband openly already. 

 

For the past one year, it was as though they had a role reversal. Jiyong would be the one saying 'I love you' to Yoona and Yoona would just reply with anything except the sacred three words. Jiyong knew she's being cheeky and taking a revenge but oh well, sometimes, he just couldn't stand the cold reply. 

 

"Aishh~ I know... I'm tired, let's sleep~" Jiyong pouted and laid in their bed, switching off the lights. 

 

"Awww, is our Kwon Jiyong angry already? Don't be so pettyyyyyy~" Yoona giggled.

 

"Dwaesseo!" Jiyong sulked like a child as he shrugged gently. 

 

"Aigoo~ Woori Jiyonggie is sooooo cute when he's angry!" Yoona laughed and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Araso araso. Goodnights~" 

 

"Goodnights~" Jiyong broke into a defeated smile and returned the peck with a quick kiss on her lips.

 

A few minutes passed by and the room was in utter silence.

 

"Slept?" Yoona's voice rang clearly in the still darkness. 

 

Silence. 

 

"I love you, Kwon Jiyong~" She snuggled nearer, hugging Jiyong from behind and whispered into his ears before planting a light kiss on his shoulder. 

 

Pleased with herself, she closed her eyes with satisfaction and rested her cheeks against his back, drifting off to her dreamland.

 

All these while, the man lying on the bed was smiling dumbly to himself. 

 

So full of satisfaction and smugness.

 

And when the stirring from his female partner had died down, he turned around and planted a light kiss on her forehead. 

 

"I love you too, Im Yoona~"