Mina's POV ~

It was a typical morning for me; the stench of alcohol and smoke filling the air and waking up alone. I laid in bed as the sunlight tried to slip in through the cracks of the curtains. My head was spinning and I felt nauseous; I had a bit too much to drink last night. I rolled in bed and got in a comfortable position, staring at the sunlight that had made its way in. 

I could hear some people laughing out in the hallway and their footsteps moving past the room. I slowly got up and rubbed my head, trying to ease the pain. I felt my stomach clench and I wanted to vomit, but it came out dry. 

"I need to take a break from the alcohol," I sighed and rubbed my empty stomach. I sat in bed and my phone started to vibrate. It was on the night stand and I leaned over to look at who was calling. 

Byun Baekhyun. He got my number through my mother. 

I ignored his call and scooted out of bed, heading into the bathroom. I did the regular morning routine of washing up then changing into some clean clothes. 

As I walked out of the bathroom, done with washing up and tying my hair into a messy bun, my phone vibrated again, but it wasnt an incoming call, it was a text. 

Ever since the dinner with the Byun family, I haven't seen Baekhyun in days. He's always busy and I wished it remained like this forever. But he either called or texted me everyday; I never answered or replied back to his texts. 

I stared at the message that said, "Yah! Answer my phone calls!!"

I scoffed at the message and sat on my bed to put on my white high top converse just as another text was sent. I took a glimpse of it. 

"I'm outside of your room, you can't escape me! 😈" it read and I made a face. I didn't even have to question if he was serious cause he barged into my room like it was nothing. 

"H-How the hell did you get in?!" I asked with round eyes. He smirked and pulled out a key card. I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms. "I'll call security if you ever barge in like that again."

"Oh honey, you don't need to do that," he cooed and approached me. He leaned forward and gazed into my eyes. "Cause you and I are living together from today onwards."

"What?!" I shouted and pushed his face away. 

"Oww! My face!" he shouted and removed my hand from his face. He glared at me and rubbed his cheeks, like he was in serious pain. I rolled my eyes and walked to the window, staring out at the busy streets of Seoul. 

"I'm not living with you. I refuse to," I said, crossing my arms. He snickered behind me and I heard the bed creak. I glanced over my shoulders and he was sitting on the edge of it, watching me. 

"If we are to be married then we should at least try to live together," he said with a soft smile and I pulled my eyes away, looking back out at the city. "And do you really think I care that you refuse to live with me?"

He hit a nerve and I clenched my fists. I could tell he was smiling in amusement...he must love to tease me. Well, I hate it. 

"And do you really think I care what you think?" I retorted and turned to face him. "We may be getting married, but that doesn't mean we have to live together."

He raised an eyebrow and stood up, approaching me. I swallowed and stepped back, hitting the window behind me. 

"Of course we have to live together," he grinned and touched the ends of my hair. "What point would there be of this marriage if we didn't live together?"

"No, I think the question is, what point would there be of this marriage if it's only for selfish reasons," I said and pushed him away, walking past him. I got to the door and wrapped my fingers around the doorknob. 

"Are you suggesting we fall in love first before we marry?" he asked and I tightened my grip around the doorknob. 

"There's no point in falling in love when love doesn't exist," I mumbled and opened the door, letting it shut behind me. I stood in front of the door and breathed heavily. 

"No one would love a person like me...I'm dirty to the bones," I whispered and looked at the door one last time before walking away. 

Baekhyun's POV~

I stood there and stared at the closed door. I felt my chest tighten and I leaned me back against the window with a sigh. 

"Love doesn't exist, huh?" I whispered the words. "Then I'll have to show you that it does."

I deeply inhaled and slowly exhaled when my phone started to ring. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was my father. 

"Yes, abeoji," I answered. 

"How are things at the new place?" he asked and I looked at the hotel room. 

"Well, I'm not at the new place," I said and pushed myself off the window. "But the place I'm at isn't so bad either."

I was being sarcastic and I knew he was confused, but he said nothing more. I observed the room Mina was using and it was filled with her crap; old and new. 

"Are you and Mina on your way to the apartment?" he asked as I was looking at her different shades of lipsticks. 

"Not yet, but maybe later tonight. She and I are busy people after all," I snickered and took a random lipstick. The color was between purple and maroon; a dark color that would match Mina's personality. I took the lipstick and started drawing on her mirror. I forgot that I was even talking to my father. 

"...make sure to settle in your new place, okay?" my father's voice entered my ear again and I hummed a, "Yes."

Then he hung up as I did too. On the mirror, I drew random things like a cat and stick figures. She's gonna be mad about this, but it's not like she's the one cleaning it up. Besides, she's no longer living here so there's no need for her to get pissed off if she does. But I like it when she's pissed off, so I wrote a little message for her. 

"I. Love. You. Mina," I said as I wrote it down on the mirror and drew a tiny heart after it. I smiled at the message, satisfied. "She's gonna hate me even more."

I sighed and thought about the consequences. She'll probably kick me again...or worse, ruin my handsome face. But it's worth it. 

I finally stopped myself from doing anything more to the poor mirror and put the cap back on the lipstick. I went to the phone that was sitting on the night stand and dialed the front desk. 

"Hello, how may I help you?" a man answered. 

"This is Baekhyun," I said and looked at all her clothes piled on the ground. "I spoke to you earlier and I'd like to start packing her things now."

"Ah, yes, I'll get some maids to help you," he said and I thanked him before hanging up. I sighed and looked at my phone for the time. It was noon and I was supposed to meet Secretary Moon at the apartment with Mina. I guess I was going alone and she'd have to come on her own. 

I gave one last look at her room then left when I bumped into a person. He smelled like alcohol and weed, it made my nose wrinkle. 

"Sorry," he apologized with a bow. 

"Its fine," I said and walked to the stairs when he stopped me. 

"Hey, why'd you just come out of Mina's room?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows. "No one's ever been in there. She's never let anyone in that room."

"Its not like she let me in. I let myself in," I said and he cocked his head to the side. "I had some business with her, so I barged into the room."

"And she didn't kick you out?" he asked, shocked. I raised an eyebrow and scratched my head. 

"No," I answered. She would've tried to kick me out, but she didn't today. Why?

"Huh, that's unusual," he said and smiled. "Well, whoever you are, you must be special."

"Special my ," I scoffed and he laughed. 

"Yah! Joohyun, come in! Everyone's waiting for you!" I heard another man shout from down the end of the hallway. This Joohyun guy shouted back and looked at me with a warm smile. 

"Mina's gone through a lot, so treat her well," he said and ran down the hallway to his friends. 

"What the heck?" I whispered with a confused frown and turned back to the stairs, walking down to the lobby. 

I stepped out of the stairway and made my way to the front desk. The man I had talked to earlier bowed to me and I stood in front of him. 

"Send all her belongings to this address," I said and pulled out a piece of paper from my pocket. "If she throws a fit, then call me. I'll come and get her."

"Yes sir," he bowed and I gave him a light bow before I walked off when I forgot to say something important, so I turned around to look at the receptionist.

"Please tell the maids to not erase the things on the mirror, I want Mina to see it," I smiled and he nodded. I finally left the building to meet Secretary Moon at the apartment. 

Mina's POV~

I sat on a bench at the park while eating a vanilla ice cream cone, not wanting to think about Baekhyun at all. I watched some kids play soccer at the field and focused on their footwork. I didn't understand the rules of soccer or the sport itself, but it was interesting. 

I could hear the kids shouting at one another and cheering when one child made a goal, winning the game. The winning team looked so happy with their innocent grins and gestures. I couldn't help, but envy them. The losing team didn't look happy, but they weren't sad either. They congratulated each other and encouraged one another to do better. Something I also envied...friends...real friends. 

"Hey," I heard someone say behind me. I looked back and it was Junior, smiling like usual. "Did you enjoy the game?"

I looked back at the soccer teams and noticed that he had on the same uniform as the losing team. His team lost the other time too when we first met. Of course, that's only what I heard when I followed them that night. 

"It was alright," I flatly said and finished the last bit of my cone. "Is your team always losing?"

He sighed and took a seat next to me. He leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees as he looked at his team. 

"They're still rookies," he answered. "This is the first year that they're playing and it's my first time coaching, so it's nothing surprising."

"But wouldn't you expect them to improve after losing all their games?" I asked and watched his team pack up their stuff. 

"They are," he said and I glanced at him to see a faint smile. "But they're slowly getting better."

I didn't say anything and looked at his team when they saw us. The kids smiled and ran up to us. 

"Coach Park!" one kid grinned. He was covered in dirt and his clothes were ripped. I guess that's what happens when you buy really cheap uniforms. 

"Coach!" another shouted as he ran up to us with the rest. "Did you see us?! We did great right?!"

"You guys did an amazing job! I'm so proud of you all!" Junior beamed and the boys cheered, happy to hear that. They're so innocent and naive. 

"Who's this, hyung?" a chubby boy asked, pointing at me. I looked at the boy then to Junior. He looked at me too and smiled, opening his mouth but he was interrupted. 

"Is she your girlfriend?!" another boy asked and they all gasped. Junior laughed and shook his head. 

"No, she's my friend. This is Mina," he introduced me and I felt my chest burn. 

Friend...this is only our third time meeting. We can't possibly be friends...

"No, she's your girlfriend," the chubby kid teased and I glared at him to stop, which he did and hid behind another kid. I felt a hand on my head and I looked up slightly to see Junior's hand. 

"Don't make such a scary face. The kids don't like it," he chuckled and I removed his hand from me, glaring at him too. He only laughed and the kids continued to talk to us. 

I've never been surrounded by so many people at once. I've never had so many people talk to me at once. I didn't know how to really feel about this or how to react, so I just sat there frozen. A lot of the kids told me I was beautiful and others asked me how they did in the game. I gave them my honest opinion and I guess that discouraged them, but Junior always picked the right timing to brighten them up. 

I haven't seen so many smiles at once time...I felt out of place. But there was something in me that wanted to stay with them and see their smiles forever. I knew that couldn't happen though. 

"Hey guys! Let's get going!" I heard the co-coach shout with his hands cupped around his mouth. "We're having dinner tonight at Junior's parent's restaurant!"

"Yay!" the kids shouted and bid their goodbyes to me, then ran off. 

"Come watch us again, noona!" one child shouted and the others shouted in agreement. I didn't say anything and they waved at me. I just stared at them blankly and Junior nudged me. 

"They really like you," he smiled and I scoffed at that thought. "I'm not lying to you. They really like you, Mina. Come and watch them again."

I looked at Junior and stood up with a sigh before saying, "If they want me to watch them again, then tell them to get better. They're terrible at soccer."

He snickered and nodded.  "I guess that'll really motivate them to do well."

I didn't say anything and started walking away; he didn't say anything either and I heard him walk away. I guess he's not too bad, unlike Baekhyun who's constantly talking back at me and chasing after me. Just the thought of him annoyed me. 

I walked around the steets of Seoul like I usually did when I've got nothing to do, which is every day. I'm sure many of the vendors knew who I was, not as the daughter of a Kim Hyejeong, but as a regular citizen of this country. 

"Young lady," an elderly woman called out to me. Every day I'd see her and she'd see me, offering me candy as I walked by. I bowed to her once I stood in front of her and she smiled, showing her wrinkles 

"Out enjoying the weather again?" she asked and I nodded. She reached into her pocket and pulled out some candies. "Here, this is for you."

I grabbed the candies and popped one into my mouth. She looked at me, pleased and continued on with her work since she knew I never thanked anyone. I looked at her for a few seconds longer then started walking away when my legs stopped. I turned around and looked at the elderly lady again; she was always working alone at her tiny ppopgi stand (traditional sugar candy). There was a convenience store just down the block, so I went there to buy her something to eat and drink. 

I came back out with different kinds of triangle kimbap, some dried fish snacks, an apple and banana along with water. I didn't know what she'd like, but food is food and for once, I'm offering it so she'd be glad to take it.

I walked up to her and she saw me, smiling once again. I set the bag down next to her and took out some money, placing them in her tin money can. 

"Make sure to take care of yourself," I said and walked away as she thanked me. There was this light warmth in my chest...it felt nice. 

I kept walking when I found myself back at the hotel and the sun was lower than earlier. I just stood in front of the hotel wondering if Baekhyun was still in the room. Knowing him, he would've stayed if he could, but he's busy with work, so he most likely wasn't there. 

I walked into the hotel and got to the elevator. Something felt off...it didn't feel right being back at the hotel. I didn't like this. 

The elevator opened and I got in, pressing the button to the top level. I waited and seconds later, it opened to reveal Joohyun with a woman. 

"Oh, Mina," he smiled and I walked out, passing them. "I saw your man today."

I froze in my steps. 

"I didn't catch his name, but he's handsome," he said. "He seems like a good guy too."

"He's a pain in the ," I said and he chuckled. "And he's not my man."

"Is that so," he said and continued. "Then I wonder why you didn't kick him out of your room when he barged in."

And with that, I realized that I didn't tell him to get out. I, myself, was shocked at that fact. 

"Well, whoever he is, I like him," he said and I rolled my eyes. "Its a nice change of pace for you, Mina."

"Don't have so much hope," I said and walked to my room. I swiped the key and I entered my room to see it clean. I was confused at what was going on. 

My clothes were gone along with my makeup. The bed was done and there was a fresh, flowery scent in the air. The only thing that wasn't cleaned up was the crap on the mirror; I don't remember drawing on it before I left. 

"Baekhyun," I muttered the name and looked at the mirror. There was random on it: stars, swirls, stick figures and a little message. I narrowed my eyes at it to get a better look and I couldn't believe my eyes. 

"I love you, Mina," I said the words out loud and felt my pulse race in anger. "He's out of his ing mind."

I grabbed some napkins to wipe off the message when I saw another note, but in paper form. It was laying on the desk and I grabbed it. 

"Miss Mina, we apologize for the inconvenience, but we have been told to move your belongings to your new home," I read the note and saw an address at the bottom. I crumpled up the note and with perfect timing, my phone vibrated. I looked at the text and it read, "I'm waiting for you at home, Mina!!"

"Oh, I'll see you, Baekhyun," I growled and gripped onto my phone. "And I'll make sure to ruin that pretty face of yours."

Baekhyun's POV~

I wasn't actually at the apartment; I was still at the office finishing up some more paperwork. I only wanted to to relieve some stress and my exhaustion. I looked at the clock and it was past nine. The sun was long gone and the building was empty with only me and two security guards that were roaming in the hallways. 

I knew I had to head home just in case Mina was already there and she would be there alone. I didn't want her to be alone especially on the first night of our first home together. But I needed to get this done for tomorrow's presentation on a new project my father and I were going to develop in Japan. I had no choice, but to stay. 

My eyes were drying up and my eyelids were getting heavy. I felt my brain come closer to exploding the longer I stared at my laptop screen. Even with coffee, I just couldn't stay awake any longer. 

I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. An hour had passed and I didn't get much finished, but it was better than nothing. I yawned loudly and decided to call it a night. I packed all my things into my work bag and grabbed my keys, leaving my office. I had a security guard me down to my car and I thanked him before I got in, starting up the the engine. 

I sat there for a few minutes, just to relax my mind and exhausted body. Once I felt fine, I put the car in drive and drove off home. Fortunately, the apartment wasn't too far from the office so I got there in fifteen minutes. But then again, I was driving faster than I should have. 

As I parked my car in front of the building, I wondered if she was still awake. Heck, if she was even there to begin with. I sighed and got out, heading into the building. It was empty and quiet; something I liked from a long day. I got in the elevator that had classical music playing and I honestly was bobbing my head from my tiredness. I lightly slapped myself to stay awake; it'd be embarrassing to wake up finding myself on the floor of the elevator or a hallway. 

The elevator dinged open and I wobbled out, heading to my apartment room. Once I was standing in front of it, I punched in the code and it beeped open. I entered and took off my shoes. The minute I looked up, I met her eyes. She wasn't happy. 

"You came," I said with a faint smile. Her figure was a blur in my eyes. 

"Of course I came," she huffed out. I could tell that she was crossing her arms. "What took you so long? I was waiting for you all evening and night just so I could punch you in the face."

I softly chuckled and walked to her, feeling my legs become weak. 

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," I could barely say and I stumbled forward. The last thing I remember before everything out was feeling her cold body against mine and her voice shouting my name.