"Uhm...Ai, remember the ex-boyfriend I mentioned to you before? This is Kai, Kaito Kudo, a Japanese. We used to date when I came to the US for my study. He...after the crash I called him and, he got me out of South Korea and took me here, illegally. I've been staying in his apartment." Nari then turns to Kai, speaking in English."This is Ai, she's Sehun's best friend, and...well, wife."

Ai looks at Kai, who doesn't seem to object to Nari's words.

"You two seem to know each other."Nari's voice stops the two from staring at each other in disbelief.

"Yes, yes we do."

---

"Well, I am Japanese. I just happened to have spent my whole life in the US."

"And you met Nari."

"And I met Nari. We fell in love. We fought. And we broke up. And I went to Japan."

"And you dated me."

"And I dated you. And we broke up. I went back to the US and I and Nari reunited. But, I don't know, we were young and there were things we couldn't agree on. And so we broke up again. She then met your jackass of a husband, got married, gave birth and well...now here she is."

Ai stares at the young man, the first one ever she used to date. Anger and sorrow hidden in the corner of his eyes, which, once in a while will turn around to look at Nari, the woman he has loved his whole youth. Everyone has their own story, Ai concludes. Their own grief, regret and wishful thinking. 

"I think the dinner is getting ready. Come on out."Says Ai.

---

"How have you been?"Kai speaks, grabbing a piece of apple and putting it into his mouth.

"Fine."That is basically everything she can say to Kai.

"A few months ago I read somewhere that you left Baku."

As a Japanese man, Kudo respects others' privacy and does not intend to harm Ai's. But Ai, having been in Japan for longer than she can remember and having dated the former for quite a long time, knows that he doubts her reason for leaving Japan was simply contractual disagreement.

"None of your business."Ai says, having another bite of the apple.

Kai chuckles. "You're still the same Ai after all those years. Sassy."

"I am. How about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you still the same Kai I remember?"

"I don't know. I think I'm not, really. I've been, well, much worse."

"What is your relationship with Nari as of now?"

"I don't know anymore, Ai. Really. I simply watch her being devastated, not knowing what to do. I want to hold her and tell her everything is going to be okay, but I can't. And Nari, she's pretty much too engrossed in her own sorrow and guilt to even notice me. And she's very much in love with your husband. I don't know what we are anymore."

"You will figure it out soon enough."

---

Later that night, Ai sneaks into Nari's room, as quietly as possible in order not to let Kai know.

"Nari."

The younger turns her head and that's when Ai realizes she has been crying. Still, Ai takes firm steps towards Nari, sits down before speaking again.

"You remember what I said earlier?"

Nod.

"Have you been thinking about it?"

Nod.

"What do you say, Nari?"

"I can't."

Ai freezes, but to make sure, she asks again.

"What did you just say, Nari?"

"I can't. Ai, I'm sorry but I can't."

Ai looks down. It really is impossible to persuade someone to do something they have even immigrated illegally to avoid doing. Nari has gone through extreme hardships just to stay away from her past and now Ai is making her face it. It's simply impossible.

"I know how much it hurts to lose your child, Nari. I've gone through that too. But your mom...it's different. I apologize for being so mean, but what you and I experience has got nothing on things your mom is feeling. She spent half of her life raising you, watching each of your steps and then you're gone. If you are in pain, how would you think she would feel?"

"And I know it's so evil to mention Sehun in front of you, but, if you think that marrying me means he is fine, then you're dead wrong. Seriously. When I watched him mumbling your name, I wished I was the dead one, if that meant you two could live. Now that you're alive, you can't possibly leave him hopeless like that, please."

"If you do not want to face them, at least let them know you're alive. Nari, please do."

Ai pleads, almost begs. Nari looks up, only to meet the eyes of the older, desperate for her answer. 

"I..."

"You will not, Nari."

Both women flinch at the sudden voice. Kaito stands against the door, wrapping his arms around his chest, eyes boring into Ai's. The latter unconsciously gulps at the sight.

"As much as I appreciate your presence, Ai-chan, I will not let you take her anywhere."

"And what right do you have?"

"I am the one who got her out of there and the only one capable of sending her back."

Ai shuts her eyes in annoyance. Kai is right. Without a passport, Nari wouldn't be able to go anywhere with her. 

"How would you send her back?"

"The same way I took her here."

Silence.

"Kai, please."

"No."Says Kai as he turns to Nari possessively. The latter looks down, playing with her fingers.

"Can I talk to you, privately?"

"No."

Ai sighs in defeat. She has never wanted to be the bad guy. But sometimes, she has to, Ai thinks as she slowly walks towards Kai, lifting her toes to his ear level, whispering into his ears.

"You told her we were classmates huh? As your ex-girlfriend who you dumped and who knows almost every embarrassing part of your past in Tokyo, I ask for a private conversation with you, Kaito-kun."

Kai groans.

"Please."

"No."

"Will you feel satisfied if Nari has to live the rest of her life illegally, without an identity, being a shadow hiding from everyone?"

"It's for the best. She has to stay unknown."

"She will get nowhere. She will live like that until she dies. Look at her, a ray of sunshine, you want her to perish in the dark like that? You will enjoy that? I thought you were better, Kai-kun. And let's face it, you will get nowhere with Nari if you keep her here forever. If there is not a conclusion to her nightmares then you and her will never work out. She needs to heal first. Let her, please."

"Let her what? Go back to your jerk of a husband? Never in a million years."

"No. Let her meet him. And her mother. Basically everyone who loves her. Let them know that she is alive. Let her live in peace."

"That bastard doesn't give a damn she's dead or not. Look at him, he got himself a new wife!"

"If he didn't then I wouldn't even be here, Kai-kun. And he has me as his wife already. If Nari truly loves you then she ain't going nowhere."

"That's the problem, Ai-chan."The male scoffs."I don't know if she loves me. All she ever talks about is him. No matter how much I try, she will never remember the fact that I was the one who was always there for her."

"It is because she hasn't had an ending with him. If you let her see Sehun, they will.."

"He can leave you for Nari any second, Ai-chan. They had a family, a child together. It is not easy to throw away."

Ai silences. She knows it. She has always known it.

"Why do you have to try so hard, Ai?"

"Ai-chan, is there anything you haven't told me?"

Ai has never been comfortable telling anyone her story. Kai is not an exception. But seeing him like this, her first date, her first kiss, the first man who ever told her she was beautiful, Ai cannot help but feel a wave of warmth and sympathy. She may, at some point in her college years, have fallen for his smile, his kindness. And somehow, she is now not afraid of telling him how terrible her life has been.

"Well, it's a long story."

---

"Oh my God, Ai-chan. I am terribly sorry."

Ai chuckles bitterly.

"I'm not looking for pity, Kai-kun. I told you this so that you know, that if I can't give him a child, then the least I could do is give him the happiness of finding out his love is alive. Before coming here, I intended to persuade Nari to go back to Sehun if he truly chooses her over me. But now that you're here, I don't know. I believe it is up to her. If you love her, Kaito-kun, this is what you should also do. Let her make decisions for her life."

The man keeps his head down low, as if trying to calm his mind.

"I know. Let me think about it."

"I'm leaving Melbourne."Says Ai, handing Kai her number."Call me if you two ever reach Seoul."

"Okay."

"Thank you." Ai murmurs before heading for the door.

"Wait!"

Kai's voice stops her from walking, only to be embraced by his arms.

"I truly am sorry for what you have gone through, Ai-chan."He whispers, his hands holding tightly onto her small frame."You are a beautiful woman, inside and out and you deserve much better things in life. Don't ever think that you're below anyone. Okay?"

Ai wants to cry badly. But she holds back her tears to give him the calmest reply possible.

"Okay. Thank y..."

"What are you two doing?"Nari says, almost yells at the sight of the two hugging.

"Nothing, Nari. We were just..."

"You married Sehun and now you want to take Kai away from me, too? I can't believe it, Ai."

"We were not doing anything inappropriate, Nari. We used to be friends and she is about to leave and we're simply hugging for goodbye."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."Nari scoffs in a childlike manner.

"Nari..."

"I'm going to bed. End of story."

Looking at Nari's figure which is heading to her bedroom, Kai sighs in defeat.

"See? She does get jealous over you."

"I don't know if that's good or bad."The man chortles."Should I explain to her?"

"Explain what? Why we were hugging? Or are you going to tell her my story?"

"Just so she knows we were not doing anything. And she should know. She hasn't told me about you but a few weeks ago, she told me her husband remarried with furious eyes. She must hate your guts."

"She definitely does. But it is up to you really. If it can persuade her to go back, then go ahead and tell."

---

Seoul is still covered in snow. Ai is sitting on the couch, in front of the TV with a cup of hot chocolate on her hands and a blanket covering her lower body, waiting for Sehun to return from training. It has been a week since her encounter with Kai and Nari. Nothing has been heard. 

The door opens and her husband walks in.

"You're home."

"Yeah, I am." Says the male, sneaking into the blanket while placing a kiss on Ai's lips."How has my baby been doing?"

"Bored as hell."Ai returns the kisses, seemingly enjoying his hands roaming on her back. Sehun's lips find their way to her neck, where he leaves long and wet kisses and bites, making sure to leave hickeys.

"Sehun! I have work tomorrow!"Ai flinches but does not seem to mind the hickeys that much.

"Then you can wear a turtleneck, baby girl."The husband says as his hands continue to go through her shirt, caressing her skin and sending shivers down her spine.

"Uh, Sehun..."Ai manages to hold back her moans, only to be kissed harder on her neck.

"Yes, baby?"

"I love you, so much."

Sehun looks her straight in the eye, his hand caressing her hair and smiles.

"I love you too, more than anything in the world."

Part of her wants to ask, "even more than Nari?", but Ai tries to hold back. If there's anything she knows for sure about men, it's the fact that they do not enjoy being asked to make a comparison at all. That Kai taught her.

She, however, is a woman after all, with her doubts and insecurities. And Ai cannot help whispering, faintly.

"Would you choose me over Nari and Sae Ai?"

Sehun halts to take a good look of his wife, who is underneath him. Silence dominates the space for a few minutes.

"You really want an honest answer, don't you?"

"Yes."

The most special thing about Sehun and Ai's relationship, is that they can hide things from each other. And most of the time, they do. But when they decide to tell the other anything, they will tell the 100% truth. To never lie is what they swore at the age of 14. And 14 years later, it is still the basic rule of their friendship.

"It depends on the timing. If that was before my wedding, then I would, I definitely would have cancelled it had you spoken up. But if it was after Sae Ai was born, I would never."

"What about now? If Nari showed up in front of you?"

Silence, once again.

"I don't know, Ai. I really don't."

You will soon enough, hopefully. Ai smiles sadly.

Her prediction turns out to be correct as she receives a text message from an unknown number, written in Japanese. 

"We're here."

---

Ai and Kaito decide to let Nari have some time to prepare to face her loved ones while they spend the late afternoon strolling on the streets of Seoul.

"How is Nari doing?"

"Locking herself away."

"Good for her."

"Yeah."

"You remember when you took me to that weird restaurant? With all the weird costumes and even much weirder plates?"

"You mean Zoto?"

"So you remember its name, amazing."

"I considered breaking up with you the moment you told me Zoto was a horror restaurant."

"But for some reason you didn't. But, hey, know what? You dumped me anyway."

"I.."

"Mister, why not buy flowers for your girlfriend?"A woman's voice halts their conversation. In Korean, that is. Which is why Kai struggles to understand her.

"What did she say, Ai-chan?"

"She told you to buy flowers for me. She thinks I'm your lover."Ai then turns to the saleslady, saying faintly, "I'm not his girlfriend" while pointing at the wedding ring on her finger.

"Really? I apologize. You two would make a cute couple, though."

"Thank you." She then diverts her gaze back to Kai, saying in a pleading manner, "I really want flowers though."

"Alright."Sighs Kai, in defeat.

---

"But. Seriously, we could ended up together. I don't know why we turned out that way."Kai suddenly speaks up, surprising Ai, who is holding a bouquet of white roses.

"Because you dumped me?"She replies, earning a scowl from the boy."But to be honest, I don't like to think of what ifs. Because if I do, my life will be full of what ifs. What if I had followed Sehun on his journey to fame? What if I had made him stay in Seoul as a normal man? What if I had been brave enough to tell him how he felt, how his love was not unrequited, how he should not marry another girl? What if Sae Ai hadn't passed?...Too many. And I'm tired, Kai-kun. Why are you asking me this? I thought you are in love with Nari."

"So much it hurts. I wouldn't have minded if I had fallen in love with you instead, Ai-chan. I just couldn't. You, or any other girl. You were the only one I thought I had something with. Something that could have become my everything. Destiny I guess."

"Me too. But just like you said, you don't choose who you love. That's up to God."

"Yes. You have no idea how I wish to get out of this unrequited love."

"It is not unrequited, Kai."

"It is."

"You are her first love. Yeah you guys broke up, but then got back together. Well, she may have fallen out of love with you at some point in her life, got a family on her own without you. But you know what? You were the first one she called that day. I wouldn't say that she loves you more than Sehun, but she does love you, a lot. You see the look she gave me when we hugged? I could have peed in my pants, really."

"Ai-chan,"

"Yeah?"

"What will you do, if Nari loves Sehun more than me, and Sehun loves Nari more than you?"

"I don't know, Kai. What about you?"

"I don't know either. But I think I would go insane."

---

"Honey."

"Ah, you're home. Sit down. This will be your only freshly cooked dinner for the next two weeks, next morning I'll fly to Tokyo an..."

"I saw you with some guy. Those flowers, I believe,"the man says, pointing at the vase near the kitchen counter,"were given to you by him."

Ai shuts .

"You look scared."Sehun goes to her, placing a falling strand of hair behind her ears before talking again, "relax, baby. I'm not mad. Yes, I'm a little bit uncomfortable but it's not like you can't have male friends, just...how did you get to know him?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. He's my ex."

"Your ex?"

"Yes. My ex. My first boyfriend ever. The Japanese guy I told you about."

Sehun lets out a curse under his breath. 

"What's wrong, Sehun?"

"He is Nari's ex as well."

Ai freezes, once again. She is more surprised by the fact that Sehun knows of Kai's existence.

"Oh, really? That is...wow, I...that was uncalled for."Ai tries to pull off her best act in attempt to hide the fact that she has already known it. But as an unwanted hobby when lying, Ai scratches her head, which cannot escape the eyes of Sehun, who has spent almost his whole life being around her.

"You don't seem surprised that much, Ai."

"Ai."

"Baby, what are you hiding from me?"

"You've already known, haven't you?"

"Ai. Answer me. Now."

Ai closes her eyes in hopelessness. There is nothing she can do. If only Sehun didn't know her that well. As much as she wants Sehun to promise he will not freak out after hearing it, Ai knows he will.

Having taken a deep breath and let it all out, she opens her eyes, faces the love of her life, her voice unshaken.

"Nari is alive."

All she hears is a laugh, totally in her prediction. If only she didn't know Sehun that well.

"I love you, Ai. But that is one cruel joke. Especially for someone like y..."

"I'm serious, Sehun. She is not dead. That ex-boyfriend you saw me with brought her abroad. Nari is in Seoul right now."

The male stops. His gazes penetrate the innermost of his wife's eyes in horror. Ai will never lie to him. Ever. 

"As much as I love you, if this is some kind of a joke, Ai, swear to God I will hate you for the rest of my life."

"It is not. Nari is alive."Ai says, trying to hold the tears in the corners of her eyes from streaming down her face.

She has no idea what she is crying for. 

Guilt because she has been hiding something so enormous from Sehun?

Relief because finally she has let out her most haunting secret to her loved one?

Fear because she may lose him to the arms of another woman, and Ai herself is the cause?

Absolutely no idea.

"How?"He asks. His voice seemingly cracking.

"That burnt body in the car was not hers. She got out, called the guy and has been living in Melbourne."

"Is my...daughter...Is she alive, too?"

A pregnant silence before her answer.

"No. She died in the crash."

This time, Ai fails fighting back her wet tears.

Silence, once again.

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Not one word was a lie."

"Where is she?"

"I'll give you the address but she's not in the best state..."

"WHERE IS SHE?"

This is literally the first time since their fallout when the pair met again that Sehun has screamed at her. Furiously. 

The last time he yelled at her, it was also because of Nari, Ai bitterly realizes.

And so she has no choice but to give him the piece of paper that Kai handed to her, which gets snatched right away by Sehun.

What really breaks her heart is Sehun turning around to face her when he has been ready to leave the house, eyeing her with disappointment.

"You could have told me earlier, but you didn't. You know how much the pain kills me everyday but you still didn't. You brought me down, Ai."

With that, he exits the house, leaving a dumbfounded Ai on the kitchen floor, crying to her heart's content.

She could have told him that she did try to bring Nari here, that it was all her doing. That he didn't know , that the very thought of his wife and daughter tore her apart too.

But she didn't. Because even Ai is disappointed in herself. That greedy part of her soul hasn't gone away. She still hates the possibility of losing Sehun to Nari, the scenario of the two being reunited, of Nari giving birth to another baby of Sehun.

She indeed deserve nothing but disappointment.

Sehun doesn't return home that night. 

7AM and 1 hour later she will get on a flight to Tokyo. He hasn't returned yet.

Ai lets out a sigh as she leaves a piece of paper on the table.

"Business trip. 2 weeks.

I'm sorry. I love you.

Ai."