Baekhyun woke up to be greeted with Areum lying in his embrace. His lips quirked to a smile, adorning his perfect feature. Pulling the girl closer to him, Baekhyun planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. As if he never got enough of it, his lips then touched her cheeks fondly.

His hand then traveled to Areum's hair then to Areum's face. His finger playfully tracing Areum's feature. Up from her temple down to her chin. It felt so soft against his finger that he could not stop caressing it. His eyes was fixed to Areum who was sleeping soundly. Staring at her never bored him.

Again, he brought his lips to Areum's forehead, pressing  it a little bit stronger which caused the girl to wake up. The proximity between them made Areum's cheeks flushed a tad pink. Noticing the change in colour of Areum's face brought a soft chuckle to Baekhyun. He pressed his lips against hers gently before bumping her head against his bare chest, allowing Areum to hear the pounding heart of his.

"Good morning beautiful" Baekhyun said softly, almost close to a whisper.

"Do you have a good sleep?" Baekhyun asked. Areum pulled away from Baekhyun before lifting her head to have a proper look at the man beside her. Smiling, Areum nodded and then nuzzled into Baekhyun's embrace again. His scent was alluring her that she did not want to get up.

"I have to get up for work" Baekhyun uttered. Sorrow could be trace in his tone. To his dismay, it was not weekend and he had to fulfill his duty. As much as Baekhyun, Areum was disappointed as well. She really wished Baekhyun would stay a while longer.

"Can you not go to work today?" Areum pursed her lips. Baekhyun let out a chuckle. Before answering, Baekhyun kissed the bridge of Areum's nose.

"I'm sorry beautiful" Baekhyun himself did not want to leave Areum particularly when Areum looked even more dazzling than yesterday. He wondered if she casted a spell on him or something because Baekhyun just could not take off his eyes from him. His one and only desire  was to lie on the bed with Areum in his embrace all day long.

Slowly, Baekhyun raised up from the bed as well as Areum. The look in Areum's eyes told him to stay but in the same time telling him to go. It was so adorable that Baekhyun could not suppress the urge to wrap Areum in his arm. Placing his chin on Areum's shoulder, Baekhyun then hugged the girl tightly.

"You said you have to work?" Areum giggled as Baekhyun nuzzled the nape of her neck.

"How can I go if you look at me with that eyes?" Baekhyun murmured. Areum turned her head to look at Baekhyun. That man was closing his eyes as he rested his head on her shoulder. Chuckled, Areum then pulled away from Baekhyun.

"Go or you'll be late for work" Areum chided. Baekhyun tilted his head playfully, tried to waver Areum once again. His lips formed a smirk pretty much seducing.

"Baekhyun-ahh.." Areum bit her lower lips. This man knew her weakness yet he used that against her. Baekhyun let out a boisterous laugh.

"Alright alright. I'm going. One last kiss?" Baekhyun raised a brow.

"No" Areum shook her head. Disregarding Areum's word, Baekhyun moved closer to Areum, trying to steal a kiss but Areum hastily brought the comforter that enveloping her whole body up to her head, covering it completely.

"Playing hard to get uhm? Okay I get it. You owe me one beautiful" Baekhyun said teasingly as he got down from the bed. Grabbing his clothes that were strewn on the floor, Baekhyun then made his way out.

"Oh one more thing. Let's go for a date tomorrow. No excuse" Did not give any chance for Areum to respond, Baekhyun turned the knob and quickly closed the door. Areum shook her head. Slowly, the edge of her lips curled upwards, forming a smile.

You're so cute Baekhyun

...

Baekhyun's expression went stiff when he accidentally bumped into Goeun. It was reasonable as he was in her house after all but he was pretty sure Goeun was not supposed to be here at this hour. That woman should be sending Jongin to school. Whatever it was, it was none of his business. Baekhyun tried to escape but Goeun did not let him.

"Baekhyun-ah, are you still mad at me?" Goeun asked. Her voice was shaking. It was not he wanted to be mad at his mother for so long but his pride did not allow him to forgive her easily. It just felt unfair. Leaving the question without answer, Baekhyun just walked away.

"Let me see your dad" that made Baekhyun stopped.

"Never" Baekhyun growled.

"Just let me see his face. It's more than enough" Goeun did not give up. Baekhyun turned his body to face the woman who used to be his mom.

"I said no. Once you stepped out of our house, you can never come back" Baekhyun rasped. His breath was irregular as he tried to refrain his anger that was building in him. Turning his back to Goeun, Baekhyun then stormed out of the house.

"Baekhyun-ah.." tears rolled down Goeun's cheeks as her son's name slipped her tongue. Her nails burried into her palm, suppressing her grief which was almost unbearable. She guessed it was God's punishment.

...

Walking with their hand locked in each others, Baekhyun  and Areum swam into the sea of humans enjoying themselves at the amusement park. It had been a long time since the last time Baekhyun went to such place and to Baekhyun's surprise, it was the first time for Areum. That girl only saw it on television and never had the real experience.

Getting a head band was the first thing they did as they stepped into the amusement park. Baekhyun had a rabbit while Areum got herself a cat. Taking the lead, Baekhyun brought Areum to different kind of ride, from the relaxing one to the extreme ride. Surprisingly, Areum rode all of them really well despite being the first timer. The past experiences of all the extreme sports she tried with Baekhyun before more or less was helping her.

The couple must be having an incredible level of energy as they shifted from rides to the games available at the park. They circled the whole park several times to make sure they tried all the games that it was highly doubted there was a game there did not lay their finger on it.

"Do you want that stuffed bear?" Baekhyun asked. Areum nodded subtly. Her eyes were fixed on the bear placed at the corner of the station.

"I'll get it for you" Baekhyun said contentedly. Grabbing the gun on the counter, Baekhyun then aimed on the scoreboard. Confident with his estimation, Baekhyun released the pin. A loud thump was heard as the bullet hit the scoreboard right in the middle.

"Bullseye!" Baekhyun raised his fist to the air excitedly, bringing laughter to Areum. As promise, Baekhyun got Areum her stuffed bear. With his hand around Areum's shoulder, wrapping her, they continued walking around until their legs gave up which then brought them to a seat which had fantasy touch on it. It looked like Cinderella's carrier with colorful lights embellished it wonderfully.

"It's really fun!" Areum could not tell how enjoyed she was. The fact that she shared the moments with Baekhyun made it more meaningful. Baekhyun brought Areum's hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"I used to come here when I was a kid. My favorite ride was carousel. My parents would wait until I got enough of it. No matter how long it took, they would wait patiently" Baekhyun chuckled to the memories.

"But after my mom left, I never come here again" Areum tightened her grasp on Baekhyun's hand. Turning his head towards Areum, Baekhyun creased a smile.

"And you bring me here again with a different feeling I can never find a word to describe it" Areum just remained silent as Baekhyun brought out his thoughts.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to be happy again" Baekhyun said as he pulled Areum into his embrace. Letting her go, Baekhyun brought his hand to Areum's cheek, caressing it dearly. Areum hated how easy Baekhyun made her heart pounded so hard against her chest but she could not even deny that she liked it.

"And you owe me a debt beautiful" Baekhyun smirked teasingly.

"What debt--" Areum halted as the memory flooded into her mind. Her cheeks felt so warm that it turned a slight pink. She guessed she knew what was Baekhyun talking about.

As Baekhyun moved closer to her, the sound of her heart hammered against her chest became more prominent that she could hardly breathe. Cupping Areum's face, Baekhyun then pressed his lips against hers. Possesed by Baekhyun's intoxicating kiss, Areum closed her eyes, completely drown in it.

Baekhyun's hand traveled to her back, pushing Areum closer to him. His kiss got deeper and deeper until a call interrupted them. A groan escaped Baekhyun's lips as he pulled away. Taking his phone out from his pocket, Baekhyun read the caller ID. It was the name that made shiver ran down his spine. Areum who accidentally saw the name also had her expressiom changed.

"Yes Hyoju ahjumma" Baekhyun answered the call to be greeted with his neighbour's sob.

"What's wrong?" Baekhyun asked nervously.

"Beomseok, he--your dad he" Hyoju stumbled between her sob.

"Ahjumma tell me! What's wrong with my dad?!" Baekhyun raised up his voice. Sniffing something was absolutely wrong, Baekhyun hastily stood up and ran towards the exit. Areum who was surprised by Baekhyun, followed behind his trail.

"Your dad just passed away" Baekhyun's steps became slower and slower until he came to a stop. The world around him just turned silent. He could hear nothing other than his own heart beating so fast against his chest. The image of his father smiling, appeared before his eyes. It was so vivid that Baekhyun could hardly believe his eyes.

"Dad, Hyoju ahjumma said you're dead. She is lying right? You're here in front of me" Baekhyun laughed bitterly. His eyes were glistened with tears.

"Baekhyun, it's me Areum" Areum tapped Baekhyun's cheek lightly. The image of his dad disappeared as Baekhyun came to his sense. It then slowly dawned to him that the fact he just lost his father was not a lie.

"A--Areum-ah. My dad-- he--he" Baekhyun broke into tears. Areum pulled the man into his embrace as she tried to calm him. The girl could feel her man's body was losing its strength as he slumped his body against hers. Burying his face in Areum's shoulder, Baekhyun sobbed as the words kept ringing at the back of his mind.

Your dad just passed away

...

Goeun stared blankly at Beomseok's memorial picture. In that picture, the man still had the smile that she had fallen for years ago. Beside her was her husband, Kim Hongbin, clutching her hand tightly. He too, had his eyes set on the picture of the man in front of him.

Yes, Goeun had finally confided to him the identity of the man who made his wife broke into a sorrowful tears once she saw him, lying lifelessly on bed. It was the first and the last time Hongbin met that man named Beomseok. Their meeting was a short one but it had inflicted him so much.

Hongbin and Beomseok, their path crossed once but once is more than enough to reveal the truth beyond everything. It was an ugly truth but Hongbin was forced to swallow the venom. The woman who he loved whole-heartedly had gone too far from his expectation. She was a demon masked by an angelic face.

Hongbin tried to tell himself, past was the past and he was well aware that past could not be rewind. That demon was already his wife and the mom for his son, Kim Jongin. The important thing was the present and he should not judge Goeun by her past. Goeun herself had remorsed her wicked-doings and that woman had promised him to repay all the wrong things she had done to Baekhyun and his father.

"Oppa, I'm sorry that I come very late" Goeun murmured between her cry.

"I--I'm sorry for everything. I'm really sorry" there were so much things she wanted to say, but the thing that could slip from her tongue was nothing except an apology. Hongbin pulled Goeun closer to him and bumped her head to his chest.

"I'm really bad, aren't I?" Goeun laughed bitterly. Hushing his wife, Hongbin soothed her relentlessly. In Hongbin's embrace, Goeun closed her eyes. The woman reminisced the moments she had with Beomseok, bringing more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Goeun-ah, let's go home uhm?" Hongbin asked. Goeun shook her head.

"I want to see Baekhyun"

...

Three days had passed after Beomseok's sudden death so it had been three days Baekhyun was hospitalized. His fever was really high and that man still refused to open his eyes. His face was so calm as if he was dreaming something pleasant yet wonderful. It was like he decided to live in that dream.

Areum could not deny she missed Baekhyun's voice. The last time she heard him was his sorrowful wail, grieving over his dead father in the hospital before that man passed out. Since then, Baekhyun never woke up. It was like he was dead, together with his father. At 13.00 am, his soul should left for Quera World but his soul never did which worried Areum even more. Only the sound of his heartbeat told Areum that he was still alive.

Hyoju ahjumma told her that the cause of Beomseok's death was , an aftermath for not taking the medicine. They found out that Beomseok had beguilled all of them. He pretended like he ate his medicine when the truth was, he threw them all below the cabinet. Areum came to a realization that even a mentally-ill patient could become sick of medicine. It just he did not know the consequences that followed.

"Baekhyun, please wake up. I miss you" Areum begged. Holding his hand in hers, Areum caressed it gently with her thumb. Baekhyun's hand was cold as it had lost his warmth. His face, had lost its radiant, disheartened her even more.

"Please..." Tears burst out from her swelling eyes. She kissed Baekhyun's hand continuously, hoping that the man would open his eyes. The sound of the door being opened forced Areum to pull away. The girl wiped her tears hastily as she lifted her head.

"Eommoni.." Areum uttered out. Goeun walked closer to the young woman and pulled her into her embrace. Cupping Areum's face, Goeun then wiped the tears evidenced on Areum's cheeks. Fondly, she planted a kiss on Areum's forehead. The girl then creased a reassuring smile to Goeun.

"Where is ahjussi?" Areum's eyes roamed around to look for the sight of Hongbin. Usually, that man would come together with Goeun.

"He has a business to settle for a while. I want to stay here overnight anyway. I don't want to hold him together with me. He has an important meeting to attend tomorrow" Areum nodded to the explanation.

"You can go home tonight my dear. I'll replace you here" Goeun smiled.

"But--" Areum felt reluctant to leave Baekhyun. It was not like she did not trust Goeun but as long as she did not witness Baekhyun's soul left for her world to get his life lengthened, her heart would never be at ease.

"It's fine Areum" Goeun assured the young woman.

"Let me stay until midnight and then I'll leave" Areum insisted. Goeun let out a sigh. Slowly, she nodded, giving her permission. Far away in her heart, Goeun was relieved Baekhyun had Areum beside him. Areum really took a good care of her son without complaining how poor his life was. She just there, for him.

...

It was 13.00 am. Areum heard the siren rang, calling the human race. Areum waited nervously for Baekhyun's soul to leave. To her dismay, his soul stayed in his body. This should not happened. If Baekhyun did not lengthen his life, he would die. The image of Baekhyun being dead feared the girl even more. Particularly when the man did not have much time left.

Her mind was too occupied with Baekhyun that she just realized that Goeun's soul did not left her body as well. The girl wondered if the woman had crashed all her Drowte that her soul was locked in her body. Curious, Areum paced closer to the woman. She placed her palm on Goeun's arm. Her pupil dilated as she tried to read her life span.

Nothing

Areum pulled her hand away. Her forehead creased to a frown. Again, she tried but to no avail, she could not see anything. Gulping nervously, she sensed something was wrong. Did not want to give up, Areum shifted her attention to Baekhyun. Placing her hand on his arm, Areum read his life span. Same, there was nothing appeared before her eyes.

Shudder ran down her spine. Something was definitely wrong with her. She could not make a complete Drowte but she could still read human's life span. The thought of her becoming a completely useless Quera frightened her more than she expected.

The girl sprang out of Baekhyun's room with confounded expression on her face. Every hospital staff that she tried to read their life span showed nothing! Running as fast as she could, Areum headed to the one and only destination she could go at that hour.

Her own world.

...

Dreadful thoughts relentlessly invaded her mind as she made her way to Kyungsoo's house. There was no way she was sick. There was no such thing as losing her abilities. Areum refused to accept those. Areum just wished all of these were temporary. Never in her life she made a wish so earnestly like she just did. She was simply tired. The girl wanted to believe that.

Nevertheless, those fears she endured vanished in the blink of an eye that moment when she barged into Kyungsoo's house, completely oblivious of the predicament waiting for her just behind the door. As if her feet were glued to the ground, Areum did not budge. Could not trust her own eyes, the girl blinked her eyes a few times.

"A--Areum" Kyungsoo swallowed hard. Disregarding Kyungsoo's remark, Areum's attention was completely averted to a couple next to Kyungsoo. As much as Areum, they were surprised as well.

"Mom, dad.."

My internet is broken urgh and I can only update this aff on phone sob sob