Warning: Has not been beta'd or edited.

He’s a one hundred percent boyfriend; everyone knows that he is.

The very next morning, Changmin wakes up a couple of hours earlier than usual to shop for some gifts to offer Victoria’s family before heading to the train station. His bags are in tow and he can’t stop chewing on his bottom lip because of how nervous he is.

“First time taking the train?” An elderly woman asks him.

Changmin just smiles and starts fumbling with his fingers instead.

The old lady then takes a seat diagonally across from him, laying her purse in her lap, and observes him in detail. “You’re really nervous,” she says.

“I’m going after my girlfriend,” he answers.

Chuckling, the elderly nods her head and casually glances at the others boarding the train. Not long after, she looks up at all the bags Changmin had stored above their seats. “Did you do something wrong?” She wonders aloud.

He swallows hard. “Probably something considered unforgiveable to most.”

“If she loves you, she’ll forgive you,” the elder says, “but women never forgive more than two or at most three times.”

Changmin understands. “I don’t plan on making any more mistakes.”

“Mistakes are never planned,” she grins at him, “mistakes find you and most of the time you can never escape them.”

For the rest of the ride, Changmin and the old lady don’t speak much more to each other. However, her appearance and her words all had a weird sort of impact on him.

Could this have been some kind of odd foreshadowing?

By the time Victoria wakes up, Changmin is already helping Mama Song set up the breakfast table and her aunts and cousins are busily trying to run in and out of bathrooms to prepare for the new day.

“What are you doing here?” Are the first words that she says upon seeing him, more shocked than anything else.

She doesn’t care that her hair’s a mess—it isn’t as though he’s never seen her fresh out of bed before. She also doesn’t care that she probably looks like crap either because, yeah, she hadn’t slept very well the night before, thinking about Changmin and, well, other things.

Mama Song thins her lips and hushes her, rushing her towards the bathroom. Her cousin is just walking out when Mama Song pushes her inside and closes the door.

“Don’t mind her,” Mama Song tells Changmin, “she’s always a grump after she wakes up.”

Which, Changmin knows, isn’t true; he knew it was a good idea to heed to Yunho’s advice. “It’s okay mom,” he shakes his head, “is there anything else I can help you with?”

Feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside, Mama Song drags Changmin into the kitchen and has him help carry some dishes out to the kitchen table. When Victoria joins them again, everything is set up and ready for dining.

“What are you doing here?” She asks again, as though asking once wasn’t enough. Mama Song gives her the side eye but Victoria ignores it.

Changmin brushes a few stray stands of hair out of her face and tells her to eat.

“Answer my question,” Victoria insists, swatting his hand away, frowning, and refusing to eat until he gives her legit reasoning.

“I had time on my hands anyways,” Changmin gives in, “and I haven’t seen your family in a while.”

Victoria switches her attention to her mom. “Did you know Changmin was coming?”

“He called about an hour or so before he arrived,” Mama Song replies, “I didn’t think it was necessary to wake you up just to tell you Changminnie was going to come over.”

“I know you’re still upset,” Changmin clears his throat, “but it’s not mom’s fault. I wanted to give you a surprise.”

Victoria takes a sip of water. “I’m not upset.”

“Okay, you’re not upset,” Changmin plays along. “I’m sure you ladies could use a little help here and there. This way we can get things done fast and it will be less pressure on everyone.”

She sighs. “But—“

“It’s okay,” Changmin interrupts her, “I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere.”

Having nothing left to say, Victoria gives up and starts eating the congee her mother and aunts have made together. Everything is hot; the food is hot, the room is hot, her temper is hot, and even Changmin’s hand is hot when it’s patting hers beneath the table.

Of all things, Victoria was really looking forward to spending some time alone. She needed some time to breathe, to think, the give herself some space.

How else do you find the courage to forgive your boyfriend for sleeping with another woman—even if it was a so-called accident?

But even if she forgives, can she ever forget?

There are many different ways a person can present their apologies; some people fall into timid silence, others rage into a flurry of gifts and heartfelt confessions, and some people have to make it more physical—more guilt insinuating to receive forgiveness.

Shim Changmin has considered all the possibilities but none seem to be quite suitable for him in this situation.

As he’s browsing around at a paper stationary store with Victoria, he spots a row of flowers and greeting cards. One would think that most girls would appreciate small gifts as such, no?

While he’s quietly making his choice, a young store employee approaches him with a tender smile. “Can I help you, sir?”

In her smile there are bits of shyness and excitement laced into her eyes. Clearing his throat, he brings his index finger to his lips in a shushing motion and glances around; making sure Victoria is not in earshot distance.

Changmin leans forward a little, only a little, and whispers to the employee. “Which flowers are best used to apologize?”

His breath ghosts over her cheeks and her face instantly flushes red. “U-uh,” she stutters, patting her face with her palms and looking around at the flowers beside them. “M-maybe this one? The hyacinth symbolizes sincerity in flower language.”

Thinking that the flower is perfect, Changmin reaches for the flower when a voice calls out to him from the distance. He raises his head and Victoria is standing a few fixtures away.

“Coming!” He shouts back, nodding at the young employee and running off towards Victoria.

Changmin doesn’t quite catch the way that the corners of Victoria’s lips are weighing down, nor does he realize just how much he had shaken the young girl he had spoken with just moments before. Even as he’s hurrying away, the young employee is still staring at his departing figure.

Victoria catches each and every detail.

And it isn’t as though she doesn’t know Changmin’s character; although he’s often catching the eyes of others, he never intentionally initiates any unnecessary interactions with strangers. If anything, Changmin was actually rather oblivious to his own charms.

This, however, didn’t always mean the best for Victoria. It is exactly because he is so ignorant that makes her feel so insecure.

Yet, in the past she had no reason to overburden herself with worry, because Changmin had always maintained a reasonable and very appropriate line with people of the opposite . Now it’s a slightly different story altogether.

“Did you find the stickers that you need?” Changmin asks.

Victoria’s eyes meet with the young employee’s, who shifts her gaze from Changmin to Victoria when Changmin takes Victoria’s basket in one hand and Victoria’s hand in the other.

Receiving no reply, Changmin furrows his eyebrows and looks in the direction Victoria is watching.

He has the urge to curse under his breath. “I was just asking her about the flowers, I swear.”

She takes a small breath and thins her lips, feeling a headache creeping up with her. Just as she’s turning on her heel to leave, Changmin feels his heart ache again.

Instead of letting her go, Changmin tugs her back and pulls her against him, locking her in a kiss. They don’t deepen the kiss—it is small and soft and very, very gentle.

Changmin whispers against her lip in a voice so weak that it might just disperse in the air. “Believe me.”

And her heart crushes in her chest, her fingertips trembling when she grips onto the material of her own shirt and Changmin is hugging her tightly.

She’s never felt so alone.

But Victoria nods into her shoulders, her voice finding strength to say, “I do, I believe you,” even though every other beating vein in her body says no, I can’t, I can’t believe you anymore.

Then a tear slides down the smooth canvas of her cheek.

Victoria has never liked lying; lying only makes matters worse, she believes.

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A/N: Irony at it's best, no? The contrast between Changmin and Victoria's characters will hopefully help propel this story forward a bit smoother than my previous Changtoria's. Also, sorry guys, I don't have the link to the Radio Star episode because I haven't watched it. I only saw some news articles about it >_<;; I'm sure it's on the official youtube channel for Radio Star by now though?