Baekhyun's POV~

Last night, I wasn't able to get a good sleep because of Mina, but I'm not complaining. One would think that it's because we are sleeping together for the first time that I wouldn't sleep, but it's not because of that. 

In the middle of the night, Mina was groaning and moving a lot in bed, like she was having a nightmare. I didn't hesitate to get out of bed and reach my hand out to grab her hand. She immediately clung onto me and pulled me close to her, almost making me fall on top of her. 

She was covered in sweat and the heat emitting from her body embraced my skin. I could only frown, concerned about her. 

I laid in bed next to her, making sure there was a good gap between us, and let her hold my hand back to a calm sleep. She slept soundly after a few minutes and she was back to breathing normally. It's not the first time I've seen her innocent appearance, but it's the first time I've seen her look so vulnerable and fragile. It worried me...would I be able to protect such a woman? The more I looked at her that night, the more it worried me if I would love her properly. 

Just looking back at what happened last night and the thoughts that ran through my head, I had forgotten that I was at work in a meeting with my father and two other businessmen. 

"...Yah, Byun Baekhyun," my father's baritone voice boomed in my ears. I snapped out of it and gave them my attention. 

"U-uhm," I cleared my throat. The three men looked at me looking for an answer, but I wasn't listening this whole time to even give a fake answer. I had no choice, but to be honest with them. "My apologies, I seem to be out of it today."

I heard my father sigh and the two men murmur, but it's expected. 

"Baekhyun-ssi, as the future heir of this industry, you must focus at all time," Mr. Park sighed as he packed up his papers. I apologized again and stood up to bow. 

"We shall discuss this on another day and I expect more from you if you want our help," Mr. Kim said and stood up. "None of us came here to waste our time like this, Baekhyun-ssi."

"I sincerely apologize," I continued to say and lowered my head. My father and the men bid their farewells with disappointment before exiting the conference room. I swallowed hard and didn't want to meet my father's eyes. 

I heard his footsteps slowly approach me and without even looking up, I felt his eyes digging into my soul, ripping every piece of my organs out. 

"Abeoji-" I said and looked up at him to only cut myself off once I met his eyes. His face was flushed from both embarrassment and anger, then he let out a deep sigh. 

"You're never like this Baekhyun-ah. Did something happen?" he asked as he crossed his arms across his chest. 

I thought a bit before I answered him, "No."

He didn't have to know what happened last night with Mina. 

He knew me well enough that there was more behind my answer, but he respected my privacy and let out another sigh. 

"Be more professional. Don't bring your problems into work," he said and walked out of the room as I bowed to him. 

I let out the breath I was holding in and sunk into my chair. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the chair. 

I screwed up this time because this meeting was about creating an alliance with the trading industry that Mr. Park and Mr. Lee own. It would've been beneficial to me and my father's project set for Japan. 

I stayed in the conference room for a few minutes longer when there was a knock at the door. I opened my eyes and straightened my position. 

"Baekhyun-ssi," I heard the female receptionist call out my name. She poked her head inside and I stood up, knowing why she was here. "You're plan for lunch with Mrs. Kim and her husband is in 10 minutes."

"Yeah, I remember," I said and fixed my suit before I followed her out of the room. 

Its been awhile since I've seen my soon-to-be mother-in-law and her husband, so I scheduled a lunch date with them. I would've invited my parents too, but my father is busy with his work and my mother is miles away attending an event. 

Having Mina with us would be nice too, but considering her current situation, I think it's best if she rest at home. 

I arrived at the lobby to see the couple waiting patiently. I put on my best smile and greeted them. 

"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Kim," I said and bowed to them. 

"Please, just address us as your parents since you will be marrying our daughter," Mrs. Kim smiled, showing her pearl white teeth. 

"It'll take some time for me to get used to that," I half-joked with a chuckle and escorted them up to the restaurant in my father's building. 

Once we arrived, we were placed in a private room and ordered our lunch. Now, we wait. 

"It must have been hard for you to schedule in a little break with your busy schedule. Thank you for taking the time out to have lunch with me," I said to the couple and they smiled. 

"Its our pleasure to enjoy a nice meal with our son-in-law," Mrs. Kim said. Mr. Kim agreed and so our conversation began. 

Nothing new, though. All we ever talk about is how business is doing and the wedding (which I don't think is happening any time soon). Mrs. Kim was doing most of the talking, like usual. It's hard to even cut in and speak. 

Even when our meal was set on the table, she continued to speak every chance she got. I could only nod and smile at her; Mr. Kim seemed used to this too. 

"...I heard you and your father are working on a project set for Japan," she said as she wiped her lips with a napkin. I set my fork and spoon down and swallowed my food. 

"We're in the process. We haven't really got enough resources or partners to work with," I said and she grinned. "But we've made a deadline and hope to start the project soon."

"Well, we are pretty much family now, so I am more than willing to share some resources," she said and I nodded. 

"I'll keep that in mind," I said and thanked her for her generosity.  

It went silent for a moment until Mrs. Kim spoke. 

"So, how are things with Mina?" Mrs. Kim asked after she took a graceful sip of her tea. This was the type of conversation I enjoyed being involved in; anything about Mina is interesting. 

"She's fine," I replied. "She's kind of hard to get along with."

"Yes, sometimes I wonder which side she gets it from," she giggled. "Must be her father."

I forced out an awkward chuckle and took a sip of my water. 

"Has she been home with you lately?" she asked once I set my glass cup back down. 

"Uhm, well...," I started off. I wasn't sure whether to lie or be honest. "Well...she's home now."

Mrs. Kim lightly laughed and shook her head. "That's not what I meant, silly. I know she's hot tempered and she's stubborn; try not to let her back into the hotel."

"Excuse me?" I asked, a bit flustered. This middle-aged woman in front of me appeared different now...she's always a different person when it comes to her daughter. 

"As a married couple, it's expected that you two live together-"

"But we're not married-"

"-there's no reason for her to go back to the hotel every single night," Mrs. Kim interrupted without even hearing me out. I could only look at her in disbelief. 

"She has her reasons," I defended and looked at Mr. Kim for back up or something, but he didn't even seem to be paying attention to our conversation. 

"What good are her reasons," she snickered and things got awkward for me. I take my words back...I do not like this type of conversation when Mina's own mother is saying these things. 

"You can't blame her though, I'm the one who let's her go," I said and it almost appeared to me that she was glaring at me. 

"That's why you have to be in control over her. She needs someone who can control her outrageous behavior," she said and my pulse raced. Just what the hell is she saying?

I pressed my lips together and deeply inhaled, then exhaled. 

"I don't mean to talk back like this, but I'm a man who wants to lead my woman, not control her," I said and she smiled.

"They're the same thing," she said, oblivious. I could only look at her in disbelief, but I didn't show it. 

Leading someone and controlling someone is completely different, but did I want to bring that fact up? Not to this woman. 

"Well, I've got paperwork to finish, so we'll have to end it here," I half lied and stood up. The couple stood up as well and we bowed to one another. 

I walked out of the room and was finally able to breathe in some fresh air. I looked behind me at the closed door and shook my head. 

"Maybe Seolhyun was right...something is wrong with their relationship," I sighed and walked away, returning to my office. 

Hours went by and I was able to finish majority of my work for the day with the help from Secretary Moon. And because of him, I was able to go home early and hopefully see Mina. I have to be honest, I did miss her even though I knew she didn't miss me nor think of me. 

Mina's POV~

"Damn, I'm hungry," I sighed while rubbing my growling stomach. I was laying on the couch and stared at the refrigerator. "I seriously need to learn how to cook."

My stomach growled even louder and I groaned, rolling onto my side, staring at the blank TV screen. I haven't done anything productive today; not a surprise. 

I woke up alone, washed up and went straight to lay down on the couch from morning to evening; occasionally going to the bathroom or getting a few snacks from the cupboards. 

Staying here is just as boring as staying at the hotel, but it's been more comfortable here than there. It must be the environment. 

Just when I was about to take my 5th nap, I heard the buzzer/doorbell. I slowly got up and walked over to the monitor to see Seolhyun peering into the camera. I was going to be mean and not let her in; she doesn't know I'm home. 

"Unnie, I know you're in there. Oppa told me you're home," she said just as I was thinking that and groaned a bit. I pressed the button to let her in the building and dragged myself to the door. I waited for her and once there was a knock, I opened it. 

"Hi, unnie!" she beamed with her perfect smile and lifted up a handful of groceries. "Look what I've got!"

I raised an eyebrow and answered, "Wow, you have a bunch of grass."

She giggled and shook her head. "No, these are vegetables."

She obviously didn't get my sarcasm. I let her in and she went straight to the kitchen, setting the bags on the table. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked, leaning against a wall in the kitchen. 

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to cook for you and oppa," she grinned. "He texted me saying that he hadn't had a home cooked meal in days, so I decided to come in place of my mother since she's out of town."

Looking at her appearance, she didn't seem like the type to even know how to handle a knife. But then again, even I don't know how to hold a knife. 

"Do you know how to cook?" I asked with arms crossed. She giggled, sweetly, and nodded. 

"Yes, unnie," she answered. "I always cooked with umma when I was younger; I still do to this day."

I don't know why, but I felt my heart sink just a bit. I've never cooked with my mother before...not even when I was a child. 

"Just trust me unnie. I'll make sure to blow your mind," Seolhyun continued with her cheerful voice. "Besides, if I wasn't good at cooking, oppa would have never let me cook for you two."

"That's true," I said and she put her hair in a messy bun. She even brought her own apron and wrapped it around her. "Well, you go ahead and cook, I'll be in the room-"

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked just when I took 2 steps away from the kitchen. I looked at her with a frown. Like did I just not tell you I'm going to the room?

She pulled out another apron and shuffled over to me, handing it to me. 

"I'm going to teach you how to cook," she smiled widely and I widened my eyes. 

"You're kidding me," I scoffed and she shook her head; she's not kidding. 

"Oppa told me to teach you while I'm at," she giggled and I made a face. This is so typical of Baekhyun. 

"I'll pass," I said and tried to walk away, but she gently grabbed my wrist. I looked at her and she was pouting. 

"But I want to teach you," she said in a nasal-like cute voice; the type that I hate the most. "C'mon, it's a simple dish. It's just spicy braised chicken; oppa's favorite!"

This persistence must run in the Byun family. The expression Seolhyun was looking at me right now was just like Baekhyun's. I shook my head and refused to have her teach me how to cook. 

"Oppa would be happy," she softly said with a grin. I frowned and removed her hand from my wrist. 

"As if I'd want to see your brother happy," I muttered and turned away. "You cook by yourself."

And with that, I walked straight to the room hearing her sigh in defeat. I shut the bedroom door and leaned against it, sighing myself. 

From the other side of the door, I can hear pots clatter and Seolhyun singing to herself; she must really enjoy cooking. I wonder, would I be able to enjoy it too if I knew how to cook? Just thinking about it made my mood drop. 

I'm useless....

I sighed when I heard Seolhyun shriek. I widened my eyes and opened the door to catch a glimpse of her back from my view. 

"Seolhyun?" I softly called her name and made my way to her. Her back was hunched over, like she was in pain. "Seolhyun...?"

She turned around and she was frowning with teary eyes. She sniffed and showed me her finger. 

"I accidently cut my finger," she said and I sighed in relief that it wasn't anything bigger, but was she serious? It's just a cut, nothing to cry about. 

"I don't think I can cook like this," she pouted and I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. 

"You're not going to cook because of a cut?" I asked and she nodded. "You've got to be kidding me. You're not even bleeding that much, a band-aid will fix you up."

"But I'll contaminate your food if the blood leaks through the bandaid," she said. She's seriously just like Baekhyun. 

I rolled my eyes at her and looked at all the groceries laid out on the table. I really didn't want to cook, but because she was starting to whine, I agreed to do it. 

"You're awesome, unnie!" she beamed and tried to hug me, but I stepped aside. 

"Don't touch me," I growled and she smiled. "What do you want me to do?"

"You need to make the seasoning and cut the vegetables. The chicken has already been cut, so don't worry about that," she said and I could only stare at the groceries. "Let me get a bandaid and I'll come back to help."

I just stood there and she went into the bathroom to wash up. I took small steps toward the table and picked up a potato, examining it. I've never seen a potato that hasn't been fully cooked, so it was a little interesting. 

My eyes wandered to the knife and I ran my fingers over the handle before I wrapped my hand around it. It felt strange to hold a knife, but the thought of me cooking was strange enough. 

"Unnie, be careful with the knife," Seolhyun said out of nowhere. I didn't hear her come out of the bathroom and I turned to look at her. "You're holding it wrong. The sharp blade is facing up at you, you could easily cut yourself."

I looked down at the knife and blinked my eyes. No wondering it felt strange holding it this way. 

"Let's wash it first since I did cut myself with this," Seolhyun said and carefully took the knife away from me. She walked over to the sink and began washing it. "You really haven't cook before, have you?"

I made a face and crossed my arms. "What are you trying to say?"

She looked over her shoulders and smiled, "I didn't say it to offend you. It's just that...you know...didn't you cook with your mom when you were growing up?"

I frowned and uncrossed my arms to wrap them around my body. I swallowed hard and didn't say a word as I stared down at the floor. The only memory I have of her was when she was on top of the man she is now married to. 

I cringed at the memory and closed my eyes with my jaw clenched, trying to forget it. I didn't want to remember such a thing. 

"Unnie," Seolhyun softly said and I felt her hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

I shook my head and stepped away from her. 

"Its fine," I whispered and walked past her. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

She looked at me with knitted brows and I made a gesture to tell her to hurry and tell me what to do. 

"I don't have all day for this," I firmly said and she snapped out of it. She pointed to the condiments and said, "I'll teach you how to make the seasoning."

"Whatever," I said and she grabbed a bowl from the cupboard. I stood beside her and she pulled the condiments towards us. 

"We're going to need to put in soy sauce, minced garlic...," she started to instruct and the cooking lesson began. 

With the seasoning, it was easy, but when it came to cutting the vegetables; that was hard. The potatoes were cut too thick or too thin; the green chili pepper was cut in weird slanted shapes and while all this was happening, I forgot to turn on the stove to boil the chicken. 

I was getting frustrated and I thought Seolhyun would too, but she wasn't. She was very patient with me and repeatedly told me I was doing good. She continued to smile and teach me. 

I eventually dumped the vegetables into the pot and put the lid on to let it cook for however long Seolhyun said to cook it for. By that time, I was already exhausted and went to sit down on the couch with Seolhyun. 

"I don't know how you can do this. It's so much work," I complained and she giggled. 

"You get used to it and you start to have fun," she said and patted my shoulder. "You did great though. It'll taste awesome because you cooked it."

I have to be honest, I was quite proud of myself. Of course, I can't really judge that until I taste it, but I was confident because Seolhyun was confident in me. 

Minutes went by and I constantly asked her if it was ready yet, but she kept telling me it wasn't. I would expect that answer though since chicken takes awhile to cook. 

My stomach growled along with Seolhyun and we both groaned. 

"I'm so hungry," she and I sighed at the same time. 

"I should've eaten jjajjamyeon before coming," she said while rubbing her stomach. 

"Jjajjamyeon sounds good right now and I'm not even a big fan of it," I said and just then, someone walked in the apartment. 

"I'm home~" Baekhyun sung and appeared from the doorway. "I brought back fresh hotteok!"

Not going to lie, Seolhyun and I were so hungry that we both jumped up from the couch and ran to him. Baekhyun smiled and set the bag of hotteok down to open his arms. 

"Awwh~ my two girls are happy to see me-"

"Move it!" Seolhyun said and pushed Baekhyun aside to get the hotteok. She grabbed the bag and handed me one. We both dug our faces and moaned after taking the first bite. 

"This is heaven," Seolhyun sighed with stuffed and I nodded in agreement. I can honestly cry at the taste. 

"What the hell?" Baekhyun mumbled and looked at us in disbelief. "Glad to know I'm welcomed back."

"Oppa, you're ruining the moment," Seolhyun glared at him and he rolled his eyes. You know, she isn't so bad at all; it's not like she had a bad first impression though, but she knows how to shut him up. 

I happened to look at him and he was staring right at me with a tiny smile. I furrowed my brows and he walked over to me. 

"You're quite a messy eater, aren't you?" he snickered and used his thumb to wipe away the crumbs on my lips. I flinched at his sudden touch and glared at him. "Don't tell me you're angry cause I did that."

I huffed out a sigh and kicked his shin to have him groan in pain. Seolhyun laughed, but ended up choking a bit cause she had too much in , which made me snicker. Seolhyun widened her eyes with her stuffed cheeks and I realized what I just did. 

"Did...did you just smile? With a laugh?" she asked and I cleared my throat. Baekhyun shot his head up and widened his eyes too. 

"She did what?" he asked and I turned away. "Don't tell me. I missed such a great thing?!"

He was too busy looking down at his shin that he didn't see it; thank god. I don't want him to see this side of me. 

"H-How could I miss that?!" he whined and Seolhyun was still speechless. "Do it again!"

"Like hell I would. You heard it wrong, I didn't smile nor did I laugh," I said and walked to the kitchen. 

I checked on the braised chicken and it was cooking well. I stirred it a bit as I listened to the Byun siblings loudly whisper to one another. 

"Oppa, her smile is beautiful," Seolhyun said and Baekhyun made an "Ugh" sound. Just hearing their conversation made my heart race. What's so beautiful about a smile...my smile? I can't show them this side of me again...

As I was lost in my thoughts, I felt a body pressed against my back and arms make their way around my waist soon trapping me in. 

"Why can't you smile for me?" his low, sweet voice asked and my pulse started to race again. "I'm sure it's beautiful as Seolhyun said-"

"She saw it wrong," I interrupted. "I didn't do that."

"You're such a bad liar," he said as his breath hit against the nape of my neck, sending a warm sensation throughout my body. "Your body is burning...that must mean you're lying."

"Shut up," I firmly said and elbowed him in the stomach. He pulled away and groaned. 

"Fine," he sighed. "But I'll make sure to capture your smile one day."

I didn't say anything and I heard him walk away as lighter steps approached me. 

"Unnie, it's ready. We can serve it now," Seolhyun said from behind and I turned off the stove. She and I set the table in silence. 

"About what happened earlier," I started to speak. She didn't react to me, but she was listening. "That didn't happen."

"I don't get why you're hiding such a pretty face," she quietly said and looked at me. "Well, I guess I kinda do. It's hard to smile after losing so much."

"What do you know...," I whispered that only I heard it. 
 

We were just about done when Baekhyun walked in, scanning the table. He raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. 

"Where's the rice?" he asked and I widened my eyes. I looked up to him then to Seolhyun, who also had wide eyes. 

"," I gasped. 

"We completely forgot the rice," she said with wide open. 

"How the hell do you forget to make rice? That's like the main dish with the main dish," Baekhyun lectured and I snapped at him. 

"Then you make it!" I yelled at him. 

"Its too late. By the time the rice is done, the chicken will become cold!" he yelled back. 

"Then go on a diet and don't eat rice tonight!" I shouted back. 

"Diet my !" he scoffed. "Ever since I've started living with you, I've been losing weight! I'm on a diet every single day!"

"That's not my fault-"

"Okay guys, let's calm down-"

And that's how my first home-cooked dinner went. I'm just glad we didn't end up throwing the food at each other.