+Irene's POV+

I woke up at 2 in the morning, feeling sick and tired. I had the worst nightmares involving my mother. It was the first time in seven years, that this happened to me.

I used to have nightmares about her for the three first years after she left us, but it just stopped one day. I do not frankly enjoy seeing her in my sleep. Or in real life, for that matter.

I turned around and saw Sehun's sleeping face next to me. I remembered what happened between us earlier and suddenly felt sad. As I looked at him sleeping, I felt guilty about how I decided to handle my emotions. I should have been mature enough to speak without getting mad.

I pushed him too far, and I didn't know how to fix it. I usually am not the jealous type of girlfriend, but I do not understand what gets into me whenever it comes to Sehun.

Was it because I loved him way before we officialy got together, or was it because he was always so good to me that I felt like he deserved better than me?

I was so lost in thoughts that I didn't feel him waking up until I realized that he was looking at me. We stared at each other for a long time, none of us speaking.

Sehun: Did you have a nightmare?

He suddenly asked me. I simply nodded my head, not questioning how he had found out. I tended to move a lot everytime it happened.

Sehun: You're sweating.

He said, wiping the sweat off of my face with his bare hand. He caressed it a little bit longer before talking again.

Sehun: Let's not fight when we're both having a hard time about something. I am sorry for not telling you how I felt, right away. I just didn't want you to feel bad about it.

Irene: I still felt bad. I know that I made a mistake, so you have every rights to be mad at me. Just tell me, next time.

Sehun: Next time? Are you planning to do that again?!

He playfully exclaimed, earning himself a light punch on the arm. I smiled at how easy he made me happy. He scooted closer to me and scooped me in his arms.

Sehun: Next time you feel insecure about something, just tell me. I promise to reassure you no matter the reason.

Irene: Alright. Thank you for choosing to love me.

Sehun: It wasn't a choice. I was destined to do it.

Irene: Yah! Let's stop the cheesy talk now! It's so not like us! Ha-ha.

We stayed silent, holding each other tight.

Sehun: You were so cute when you were jealous today. I've never seen you like that.

Irene: So you knew, and you kept acting like that?!

Sehun: I wasn't acting... maybe exaggerating my reactions and my interest a bit, but it was really fun to see you like that. I wanted to kiss you every time you pouted.

As he said that, I looked at him straight in the eyes and pouted. I was waiting for him to get the hint, and when he stopped laughing he started blushing.

I stopped pouting because his stare was too intense for me to concentrate on anything else. Before I could process anything, he was kissing me. He moved me from his side to be on top of him, and I was startled for a moment.

I had to use all my inner strength to break the kiss because it was going too far and too quickly for me. He looked at me in a way I've never been looked at before. It was intense, to say the least.

I quickly jumped away from him and ran to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me, ignoring him calling my name. I needed to get back to my senses before I did something I wasn't ready for.

It was not that I had never dated before or anything, but I had never gone farther than a few kisses. Yes I know, I was 24 already, so what?

It was just that I wanted to do things the right way. Now that I was engaged, I felt like I should wait until I get married.

After spending ten minutes thinking and ten more minutes washing up, I finally made my way out of the bathroom, but Sehun was no longer in our bedroom. I walked to the living room, but he wasn't there either.

Irene: Sehun?

I looked around the apartment, but he was nowhere to be found. I tried calling him and found that he had left his phone in the kitchen.

Irene: Where did he go at three in the morning?

I opened the fridge and started to look for something to snack with, then I heard the door open and rushed back to the living room to see if he was back.

Sehun: Finished washing up?

Irene: Yeah. Where did you go?

Sehun: I figured you'd want to have something to eat since you're completely awake in the middle of the night.

Irene: Ah! You're the best! What did you buy?

Sehun: Cheesecake.

I jumped in his arms when he said the word 'Cheesecake'. For some girls it's diamonds, for others it's clothes, for me... it's food! You can never go wrong with food.

Irene: You're the best! I was craving one so badly for the past few days!

I sat on the sofa and started to unpack the cute little box it came in. I wondered what great place sold cheesecakes so late at night.

Irene: Hm... this tastes like heaven! Even thought I don't know what heaven tastes like, I bet it's something similar.

Sehun: You don't? I thought all angels came from there!

He said in a fake surprised tone, but I was taken aback. I chuckled and lightly shoved him on the arm to hide my blushing face.

I was glad to see that we were already back to being our playful selves again. I fed him some cheesecake, before speaking again.

Irene: You've got to give me the address of that bakery. Their cheesecake is to die for!

I said as I put another spoon full of the cake in my mouth.

Sehun: Sure. It's called "Sehun and Yeri's kitchen".

He answered before grinning.

What?

I realized that it was the cake he and Yeri made me, two days ago. I remembered seeing the little box on the counter, the day of our argument.

When I got back to my senses in the middle of the night, there no longer was a box on the counter, but I didn't think too far ahead. I assumed he took it and ate it alone, but I guess he just put it at Junmyeon's.

I looked at him moving around, starting to clean the mess we'd made while eating, and I found myself smiling. I already knew how lucky I was, but this was beyond my understanding.

He looked at me, and chuckled.

Sehun: I know, I am perfect. Help me clean this up.

I automatically stood up and cleaned with him. Even chores were fun when we did them together.

Irene: It's almost four in the morning. We should go to bed.

Sehun: Are you tired?

Irene: A little bit.

Sehun: Go to bed. I'm going to work for a bit.

Irene: I'm going to keep you company, then.

Sehun: You can go to bed, baby. You're tired.

He said, caressing the top of my head. I smiled but sat on the sofa, before patting the spot next to me. He laughed and sat before placing his laptop on the table in front of us.

I put my legs on his lap and laid my head on the sofa's arm. He massaged my legs while reading his files, and I eventually ended up drifting into sleep. A nice one, this time.

+Seulgi's POV+

I was on my way to Jaebum's family house after receiving a weird call from him that morning. He said that his parents took him back two days prior, and that his mother was ready to have a conversation with me.

I didn't know what to expect, to be honest. I was not sure I was buying the sudden turn of events. It felt odd that she had just suddenly gotten over everything and was ready to accept me.

When I got to the house, Jaebum came to get me at the gate.

Jaebum: How are you feeling?

Seulgi: Okay. What is this all about?

Jaebum: Come on in! Mom is waiting for us in the living room.

Seulgi: Jaebum, why so suddenly?

I stopped him in his tracks and made him listen to me.

Seulgi: It's not that I don't want to believe that your mother is willing to accept me, it's just that I don't get why it happens now. So suddenly.

Jaebum: She took her time and thought about it. That's all.

Seulgi: Baby, we've been dating for almost three years now. She's never shown any sign of consideration towards me. So why now?

Jaebum: I don't know, let's just go. Okay?

I heaved a sigh as I realized that he was too blinded by happiness to get my point. I followed him inside, and we met his mother in the living room. That room only was the size of our old apartment.

Seulgi: Annyeonghaseyo, Madam Im. I'm sorry to come by so early in the day.

Mrs. Im: I'm sure Jaebum insisted. Let's sit down.

Okay. Did she actually change her mind? I could feel the same distancing aura around her so far. Nothing was different.

Jaebum: I'm going to let the two of you talk for a bit. I'll be back in a few. It's just to give you two the time to get over all the ill feelings.

He stood up and left me there. How could he do that? What was I going to talk about now? Im Jaebum, really!

Seulgi: How have you been, Mrs. Im?

I tried to make the first step, since all she was doing was stare at me.

Mrs. Im: Seulgi... let's stop this farce and be real for a minute.

Seulgi: Hm?

I was confused. What did she mean by that?

Mrs. Im: I really was willing to give you a chance... but no matter how hard I try, I can't believe Jaebum is really dating you. Don't get me wrong, you're a pretty and nice girl, but you need to fulfill a certain standard to be with one of my sons.

Seulgi: Dae? I thought-

Mrs. Im: Oh, come on! Did you really fall for that? I was trying to get my son to come back home, so what else did you expect me to say? And here I was, thinking that you were smart!

I was dumfounded by what she said. It was not that I had expected her to be nice to me right away, but I sure had thought she would at least try to. I could see that she just wasn't going to accept me. Ever.

Seulgi: I see. Then you should probably talk to your son and stop deceiving him. I know you want to have a good relationship with him, but the ill feelings between us are not something that we can hide.

Mrs. Im: There's no ill feelings between us, dear. I just don't want you for my son.

The more she talked, the more I felt insulted. My father always taught me to respect elders, but he also taught me to stand up for myself and protect my pride, and up until then, I had not done that.

I stood up, turned around and started walking towards the door.

Mrs. Im: Where are you going?

Seulgi: I'm leaving.

I simply said without turning around to look at her. As I stepped out, Jaebum was coming back from the kitchen.

Jaebum: How is it going?

He asked me with a smile. I gave him a stare before starting to wear my shoes.

Jaebum: Seul, where are you going?

Seulgi: Home.

Jaebum: Why?

He asked, panic clear in his voice. I looked back at his mother who was now standing behind him.

Seulgi: You should ask your mother.

I finished wearing my shoes as I said that, then turned away to leave.

Jaebum: Mom, what did you tell her?

Mrs. Im: Oh? Jaeb-

Jaebum: Mom! What did you say?!

He shouted, and this is when I lost it. I had enough of all of this.

Seulgi: For God's sake, stop shouting at you mother, Jaebum! It is not worth it! No matter how rebellious you will behave, she will never let us be together, don't you get it? Just stop it! There's no point to all of this!

Jaebum: Sseul... what do you mean?

Seulgi: Jaebum, I am so sick of all of this. I can no longer let your mother treat me however way she wants to, but she is your mother. You should love her, not fight with her because of me.

Jaebum: Seulgi, she told me that she was going to accept us. Maybe you misun-

Seulgi: No, I didn't. She will not let us be together, Jaebum... so-

Jaebum: So what? Don't you dare say the words you're thinking about, Seulgi!

Seulgi: Let's take a break. I've fought too hard. I don't have any energy left. I'm sorry.

I said before running out of their house. I didn't stop when Jaebum called my name. I didn't stop because I was tearing up. I just didn't stop walking because if I did, I would have ended on the floor, breaking apart.

I took a taxi home because I wanted to get there as fast as I could, and also because I knew Jaebum. He had probably left his house to look for me as soon as I had stepped out of it.

When I stepped into our apartment, I just broke down. I fell on the floor and cried.

Joy: Eonnie, you're already back?... Eonnie!

Joy rushed to my side and kneeled down to be at my level.

Joy: Eonnie! What's wrong?! What happened?!

By the time she asked, Wendy and Yeri were also next to me. Thankfully, my father was at work, so he could not see me. I had some time to cry to my heart's content.

Wendy: Eonnie, come on.

They made me stand up, and walked me to the couch.

Yeri: Eonnie, what happened?

Joy: Was she mean to you again? I thought Oppa said she was willing to accept you!

When she said that, I cried even more. I couldn't help but feel like I had been deceived too, even though I knew better than to believe Mrs. Im's words. Maybe I wasn't really reticent, and I was just hoping for something good to happen, for a change.

My sisters waited for me to calm down, and when I finally did, I explained what had happened. Wendy and Yeri were upset, and Joy felt sad for me.

Seulgi: What am I going to do?

I asked, more so to myself.

Irene: Hello! Is anyone home?

As soon as I heard Irene walk in, I tried to wipe my tears away quickly, but to no avail. She saw me before I could erase all the traces.

Irene: What happened?! Why are Joy and Seulgi crying?

She rushed to us and kneeled down in front of us, worry written all over her face.

Irene: Malhaebwa! Ppalli!

We all looked at her, not really knowing what to do. When it came to us, Irene was like a lioness with her baby lions. There was really so much she could handle seeing us go through, but at some point she could go into crazy protective mode, just to protect us from the world.

Irene: I am really going crazy right now! Please, Wendy tell me!

Wendy: It's about Seulgi Eonnie and Jaebum Oppa.

Irene: What now? What happened?

Joy: Her mother insulted Eonnie once again. It was the worst one this time. She was so mean!

Joy said, on the verge of crying again.

Irene: Tell me exactly what she said, Seulgi.

She said in a scary tone. I had dreaded to see her reaction, but I didn't want her to be mad at me, so I explained everything.

As I finished, she was staring at a blank space. Her eyes didn't let any emotion appear. She looked like she was in a trance, and I didn't like that.

Seulgi: Eonnie?

Irene: What did Jaebum say?

Seulgi: I didn't listen to him. I just said that I wanted to take a break and left.

Irene: You should at least talk to him... No matter what your final decision is, you should talk to him.

Seulgi: I'm afraid of what I really want... I know what I should do, but my heart is making me weak.

I admitted. There was no point in hiding my feelings to my sisters. I was sure they felt the same way about the situation.

Someone knocked at our door several times, and Yeri went to see who it was. She came back after looking through the peephole and told me that it was Jaebum.

Jaebum: Sseul! Please, open the door! We need to talk.

He said from the other side of the door. I looked at Irene, and she nodded her head. She told my sisters to go to their rooms and followed them, leaving me alone in the living room.

I went to open the door and let him in. I made my way back to the sofa and waited for him to sit down.

Jaebum: Seulgi. I am so sorry for my mother... I can't believe I let her manipulate me like that. I was just so hap-

Seulgi: Jaebum, this is not the problem. The problem is that your mother will never get over the fact that I come from a poor family, with no prestigious background.

Jaebum: I don't care about that, Seulgi!

Seulgi: She does! She will never let us love each other, and I am honestly tired of fighting for someone I know damn well, I will never have!

Jaebum: Seulgi, let's talk calmly and try to fix this.

Seulgi: There's no way to fix this other than breaking up! Don't you get it?!

Jaebum: Seulgi, please watch what you are saying. I can't fight for us if you let go of my hand.

Seulgi: I am tired of fighting. Jaebum... let's just stop.

Jaebum: Seulgi!

Seulgi: I believe I've said all I wanted to say. Now, please go apologize to your mother. You shouldn't ruin your relationship with her because of a girl. You don't know how lucky you are to have a mother who will forgive you no matter how much you hurt her.

Jaebum: Are you really doing this to us, Seulgi?

Seulgi: Please, Jaebum... just go... Chebal.

I was already starting to tear up, and if I talked to him any longer, I would have definitely broken down once again.

He stared at me in disbelief and stood up after a few seconds. He walked to the door, turned around to look at me one more time, then left. As he closed the door behind him, I realized that he was also closing the chapter of our relationship.

It was really over, like that. I dropped myself on the floor and cried with all the strength that I had left.

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