Nayoung could see how much her best friend had changed over this whole mess. The girl once all cheerful and vibrant now looked weary and fragile. Her eyes easily spaced off, and she constantly lapsed into a deep thought which only she would know whatever she was thinking about. She looked like she had lost at least 5 kilos, and lack of many sleeps.

“How’s my little Minwoo?” Despite everything, Jihyun was such an angel when it came to children. It pained Nayoung to see such a perfect woman like her could not have the happiness to be a mother. Nayoung watched from the doorway as Jihyun ruffled her son’s hair, a small smile on her face. “Want auntie to buy something for you?” She asked in a whisper but making sure Nayoung would hear it as well.

“Gummy bears.” Her sly kid replied in an equal whisper, darting a calculated look to his mother. Choi Minwoo was a little devil despite his young age.

“Alright, auntie will buy lots of it for you next time. Don’t worry, we won’t tell mom, will we?” She winked and kissed Minwoo’s chubby cheek, returned to Nayoung’s side a moment later, and they both observed the little boy played with his nanny.

“You spoil him even worse than Seunghyun.” Nayoung complained once they returned to the living room.

“He’s my only nephew so far, what do you expect?” Jihyun said nonchalantly and sat down on the sofa. “When will oppa come home?”

“Not today. He had to film overnight today, somewhere in Busan.” Nayoung plopped down next to her friend and sighed. “It’s been getting cold, I’m worried he’ll get sick.”

“There’re people to take care of him on set, don’t worry. He’s The Golden Choi Seunghyun after all, remember?” Jihyun laughed at Nayoung’s scowl, knowing how much her friend hated that title.

“Whatever.” Nayoung said carelessly. “When will you go?” Nayoung didn’t oppose the idea when Jihyun told her that she would leave Korea and go back to her family. There was nothing good for Jihyun if she stayed. There was no reason to hold her back, either.

“Next week.” Jihyun shrugged. The girl didn’t cry anymore, or at least she didn’t let anyone see her tears anymore. Her face was still that gloomy, that upset, but she stopped breaking down. She bottled up any emotion left, and Nayoung just wondered when she would not be able to hold herself anymore.

“Will Jae Min oppa go with you?”

“He’s considering that.” Jihyun played with the pillows absentmindedly. “Saying he needed to get away from his girlfriend for a while.” She chuckled unconsciously.

“Really?” Nayoung snorted. “When will he settle, anyway? He seems never serious about any girl.”

Jihyun smiled briefly. Nayoung used to have a crush on her brother, but with her hot-headed temper and Jae Min’s too cold demeanor, she quickly realized it was just a platonic feeling meant to die very soon. But Nayoung still frequently asked about his well-being, even though she always included this and that complaint about Jae Min’s unchanging “cold behavior”.

“Maybe this time he will?” Jihyun shrugged. “This girl lasts for over 6 months, it’s very promising you know. Do you happen to have any chocolate mint ice cream?”

“What?” Nayoung was caught off guard in the middle of her thoughts about cold Jae Min’s latest girlfriend. “Ice cream?”

“You know I like eating ice cream when I’m upset.” Jihyun said absent-mindedly, already got up and striding towards the kitchen. “It’s your husband’s.”

“Yes but, chocolate mint?” Nayoung snorted while tailing behind her. “What’s with the picky flavor? You always choose either simple chocolate or strawberry.”

“Things changed, love.” Jihyun replied carelessly. She turned back to look at Nayoung pointedly. “Are you sure Minwoo is the only baby in your house?”

Nayoung wanna laugh at Jihyun’s judging look for the freezer in her kitchen, which she knew was full of various flavors of ice cream. And most of that was for Seunghyun, to be honest.

“No mint with chocolate chips?” Jihyun groaned. “I will have to talk with oppa about this.”

Nayoung rolled her eyes. “And it’s freezing out there, Jihyun. Who eats ice cream at this hour?”

“Forget it, I’ll grab some on the way. I’m leaving anyway.” Jihyun scowled and closed the door.

“Wait it’s late…”

“Bye, thanks for the dinner. I’ll see you around. Send Seunghyun my love.” Jihyun hugged her quickly before waving and hurriedly leaving the Choi’s house, making Nayoung half confused half unsettled about something even herself was not be able to put fingers on yet.

_____

Jiyong stared at the picture, his throat suddenly went dry and hoarse. Unconsciously, he felt something tugged painfully at his heart, even though he didn’t know why. The more he read the caption, the more Jiyong found the lump in his throat growing bigger.

In the end, it’s the woman who hurts the most. There is nothing she can do to turn time back. She will forever live with the haunting question with no answer: What did I do wrong?

It’s a picture of Jihyun, with the caption written by whoever captured the moment. This picture was causing quite an interest to netizens, according to Seungri, who practically threw the iPad in front of Jiyong and looked at him with visible hatred, before storming off their studio.

Choi Seunghyun might be fond of Yoon Ji Hyun, but Lee Seunghyun had loved her. It was an innocent love, something which was escalated a bit further than what a little brother should have for someone like his own sister. But once he found out that Jihyun was smitten with Jiyong, he gave up, content with being just Jihyun’s beloved brother-like. He confessed this to Jiyong when he was deadly drunk, after they announced their wedding. He made Jiyong promise to always treat Jihyun with love and care, which Jiyong did promise, only to break the vow now. Seungri was livid when the scandal about Jiyong’s affair happened, went all shouting and screaming to his face, and if it’s not Youngbae and Daesung who held him back, he might even punch at his favorite hyung already.

Jiyong didn’t know when, where and how this black and white picture was taken. She was half leaning on a door, one of her hand was clutching where her heart was supposed to be, the other one, where her wedding ring was visible clearly, covered half of her face. Only a simple glance at the picture, anyone could see she was crying hard by the way her face bowed down low and crumbled with tears or the way she clutched her shirt tightly. Her long messy wavy hair, which was blown slightly by an autumn breeze just made the photo look extremely melancholic altogether.

Yoon Jihyun - former Kwon Jihyun, late October.

The caption also stated that, so there was no use in denying who was the woman in the picture. Even without the clarification, Jiyong still could recognize her. How could he not? She was his wife after all.  

“What are you doing?” A soft voice was heard behind his back, making Jiyong startled and hastily closed the iPad cover. Turning around, he faced with Eun Hye.

“Oh...when did you get here?” He gave a small smile and embraced her. “I thought you’re staying at home today?”

“I got bored doing nothing.” She pouted. “So I came to visit you. They said you’re last seen in the studio.” She kissed him on the cheek before letting him lead her to the sofa. “Is that Jihyun unnie? The picture you was looking at.” She asked with a casual voice.

“I…” Jiyong hesitated before sighing. “Seungri threw it to my face. He is so mad with me lately.”

“Do you regret about us?” He could sense Eunhye’s uncertainty behind that calm question. Inwardly, he sighed. She got so emotional easily these days, pregnancy stuff it seemed. “It seems everyone hates you now.”

“I don’t regret about this child, Eunhye.” He her hair. “You know I love this child. I just wish things were.... different.” He said with a heavy tone. “I don’t blame people for hating me, I deserve that. I hurt her too much.”

“But you deserve to be happy. And unnie didn’t…”

“Eunhye.” He said sternly. “I told you. didn’t I? Regardless what happened, you have no say in my marriage with Jihyun. It’s something private between just me and her.”

“Fine, then go back to her!” Eunhye got angry and stood up.

Tiredly, Jiyong grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the sofa. Her mood swing was getting worse and worse in recent weeks, and Jiyong just hoped it would soon disappear. “Eunhye, don’t be unreasonable. You know I’m having a hard time.” He hold both her hands in his. “I sacrificed  many things to come to you, don’t you see? I just need you to understand for me a little bit more.”

“I am not understanding for you?” Eunhye asked in an incredulous tone. “You’re holding off our wedding, and this child is gonna born without legal parents, and you’re telling me I’m not understanding for you?”

Not again God. Jiyong groaned. Between his parents’ perpetual yells and reprimands that I-cannot-believe-my-son-can-be-that-shameful and don’t-ever-think-we-would-accept-that-girl, between Seunghyun’s distant attitude, Seungri’s blatant fury, Youngbae’s and Daesung’s and many of other friends who gave him subtle disapproval towards the whole scandal, since most of them became friends with Jihyun as well and very fond of her, Eunhye kept reminding him about a wedding with her was what driving him mad the worst. He agreed that a child could or should not be born with no married parents, but with the current situation, he could not just have another wedding! He just officially divorced with Jihyun a week ago! What would people think of him? as if they didn’t want to kill him enough!

“I don’t wanna talk about this.” He murmured. “I need to go to meet sajangnim. You go back first.”

“Why do you keep avoiding this matter? Jiyong, I am talking to you! Jiyong!”

Jiyong tried his best not to slam the door hard, she was carrying his child after all. But seriously, the woman was driving him mad.

And he had lied to her too. He didn’t need to meet sajangnim for anything. He just needed to get away from her for a while.

_____________

I should divorce with Jihyun first.

That was what first entered his mind when Eunhye told him that she was pregnant with his child.

Now thinking back, he realized how horrid that thought was.

Jiyong didn’t know when it all started, but he found himself thinking about Jihyun more and more these days. Ever since the day Seungri showed him that picture of an ashen Jihyun with her haunted face and a visible pain, ever since then not even a single day he could rest. When he lied there, next to Eunhye’s peaceful sleeping form, he felt terrible more than ever, much more than when he first starting his affair with her while still married to Jihyun. Before, he knew he was cheating, and he felt bad. But now, he felt horrible.

Like he committed some unforgivable sin.

Or maybe he did.

He knew what he did was wrong, so wrong, and he deserved the hate from everyone, his family, her family, his friends, her friends, from anyone who knew how perfect and wonderful as a wife Jihyun was. He deserved her hatred, but he also knew that, she loved him too much for that. She loved him, that was something he knew for sure.

And he loved her too. He really did. Because Yoon Ji Hyun was easy to love.

At first, despite Seunghyun’s obvious and clearly protective warning, all Jiyong wanted was just someone to help him forget everything about Jang Eun Hye and the pain that girl caused to him. It’s not like he’s playing with Jihyun, he was serious, but never in his mind, at that time, would imagine that one day he would marry her.

But he did.

Even though he wasn’t sure what made him do so.

____________

“I thought you prefer sitting there and brooding?” He heard her saying in a small yet audible voice amidst the noises going around them.

Seeing it’s the famous G-Dragon, and as expected, with some pretty girl by his side, everyone started making space for them on the dancefloor. Some shoot subtle glances towards the pair, the rest resumed to whatever they were doing on the crowded area.

Jihyun still just stood there, arms crossing in front while looked at him with a blank face, while Jiyong already started losing himself in the loud music.

“I don’t like to share. I prefer having the beautiful girl all for myself.” He smirked briefly when he noticed she blushed, before pulling her close to him, his mouth grazed behind her ears, whispering his hot breath on her skin. “Now, are you ready to show me if you’re naughty or not?”

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes never left his, both pairs gazed deeply into the other defiantly before Jihyun slowly smirked as well.

“You asked it for yourself, Jiyong-ssi.”

_____________

“Holy ….” Seungri whispered in amazement. “Your girl knows how to dance, hyung.” He watched how the famous partying Kwon Jiyong seemed to be in awe of his dance partner as well. “I thought noona has this good girl image only?”

Seunghyun frowned, glancing at where seemed to be everyone’s attention right now. He groaned inwardly. Jae Min hyung and Jae Hyun so gonna kill me.

“That’s Yoon Jihyun for you.” He shrugged, downing another brandy. “She looks like a delicate and innocent princess, which she is, but, there are two things she also was very good at, dancing and wines.”

“Jiyong is gonna love this.” Youngbae chuckled loudly, also noticed how Jiyong could not take his eyes off Jihyun on the dance floor. They all watched as Jihyun hooked one leg between Jiyong’s, one hand placing on his back before spinning both of them in some complicated yet sensational move which earned some whistles from the crowd.

“I think hyung is under her spell already.” Daesung commented with a smile, noticing out of corner of his eyes how Lee Seunghyun was staring at the girl intently with some unknown emotions too.

_____________

“Jihyun?”

She froze, all the thought about how weird it was when suddenly she craved for chocolate mint ice cream - something she never did before - all gone. It was because of the voice she didn’t hear for days, or even weeks, she lost counted. Somehow, they managed to finish the divorce process without having to meet the other face to face. All was done between their lawyers as they silently agreed. It felt like forever, since the last time she heard from him.

“What are you doing out here, at this late hour?” He asked gently when he noticed she was silent, just staring at him with concealed emotions. Then he noticed where they were standing, in front of the big freezer of a random convenient store, consciously, he chuckled. “Seriously, at this hour, this season? Ice cream? You still haven’t changed a bit.”

Jihyun stepped back and still looked at him quizzically while Jiyong went on choosing some flavor for himself. Then she spoke in a small voice. “You said as if we were separate for a long time.”

His hand went still for a moment, before composing himself quickly. “It’s been a while, isn’t it?” He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“If you mean since the last time we actually talked, yeah…” Jihyun replied bitterly, looking away.

After an awkward moment of silence, when Jihyun was about to leave, Jiyong suddenly groaned. “Why no chocolate mint….”

“W-what...” Jihyun stopped and looked back at Jiyong. “What did you just say?”

He looked at her, confused by her weird reaction. “I want chocolate mint ice cream, it’s the only flavor I like, remember? But it seems they don’t have it here…” He sighed. “What are you looking for? There’re lots of chocolate or strawberry here, you always love them, right?” He said absentmindedly, took out two ice cream tubs with chocolate and strawberry flavor Jihyun. “Here. But don’t eat too much, it’s late, you’ll get cold.” He handed them to her, but Jihyun was staring at him with her eyes widening, a hand clamped over . “Jihyun, what’s wrong?” He looked at her worriedly, noticed how pale suddenly she became.

She remembered this morning, how unwell she felt when she woke up. She had a very sick nausea, but she thought it was because of the lack of sleep she had been having recently. She remembered not feeling up to eat anything recently, and once again, she assumed it was because of the depression of the divorce. Then Jihyun thought back, further to the time when the divorce started to happen, she slept a lot. At that time, she didn’t put much thought in the act, simply concluded that it’s the result of crying too much.

All the nausea, the anorexia, the oversleeping, she thought it was because of the depression with her failing marriage.

Not even once she thought…

God...no….

“Jihyun? Jihyun? Are you alright?” Jiyong was about to put his hand on Jihyun’s arm, since she was nearly shaking with shock, but she hastily stepped back from his reach.

“It can’t be...” Her eyes started b with tears unconsciously, while she slowly shook her head. “God...no…”

“Hey hey, what are you talking about?” Jiyong asked gently. “You’re scaring me, is something wrong?”

She turned and walked away from him as fast as possible, ignored his shouted for her name in the empty aisle of the convenient store.

____

Jihyun stared at the stick in her hand, went dry to the point it could not utter any sound.

I was hoping in vain…

The two-red-lines stick dropped to the sink with a loud crack, and Jihyun slided to sit on the cold floor of the bathroom, since her legs felt too weak to stand properly. Jihyun just sat there, for how long she didn’t know anymore, just stared at nothing but the space in front with an empty look.

Why now?

Jihyun pulled her legs up, embraced them closely and put her head between the knees, then she let out an anguished scream.

Yoon Jihyun just sat there, crying herself until, because of all the depression, the lack of sleep, lack of meals, and the unaware change in her body which she should have acknowledged and cared about but didn’t, she fainted.

____

A/N: Hi!

Longest chapter ever! Can I be rewarded with most comments as well? I feel ...disencouraged you know, why there're so little comments *sob* :( 

For those who subcribed and commented and voted and read, thank you so much! i do appreciate your support A LOT, seriously! 

I hope you enjoy this chapter :) 

Actually at first I didn't think of/intend to put this twist into the story, but one day, one moment, this crazy idea just popped out and...:D

Let me know what you think! Will Jihyun come back to Jiyong and tell him about the baby? Do you think she SHOULD? What's gonna happen next? I have some ideas, but who knows, maybe your comments will make me change the plot again? :) 

Love from Rosie!

Happy weekend everyone!