3.

Yiseul and Sehun’s featuring project was exceeding their expectation. The launch party was held and over five thousand copies of the magazine already listed as pre-order. All because the nation’s pride Oh Sehun. The model was there in the launch party, so does Yiseul. But none interaction were made. One, because there was a lot of media attending the gala, and second, because Yiseul was hardly found at the hall. Sehun only catch a glimpse of her twice, when she sat at her respectable seat and when she took her drink. But Sehun was too occupied with media that time.

By the time the launch end, Sehun walked nearer a round table where some faces he know sat. Most of the inhabitant recognized him and stand from their seat, greeting and thanking him for the successful of the project. His eyes wondered, searching for a particular woman.

“Sehun-ssi.” Jikyung, chief of design team, greet him first. “On behalf of my Captain, I really thank you for taking part in the project. Let’s hope the best for the result.”

“The honor is in me, ma’am. But, where is Kim-director? I’d like to thank her as well, for persuade me joining the project.”

“Oh, Captain? Her daughter seems to catch cold since earlier today, so she bring her to hospital just now.”

Hospital? Sehun thought. Something happen with Byeoli?

“Please send her my best greeting.” Sehun said in sturdy tone. Jikyung replied with a ‘definitely’ and offer him a toast, along with everyone in the table.

A loud stamping steps can be heard throughout the empty corridor. The clock has strikes eleven at night when Sehun arrived at the hospital, still fully dress in his party attire. He didn’t care about the stare nurse gave to him, all he has in mind is to check on Byeoli.

He ran all his might until reaching ward number 208. Sehun gave the door some small knocks, loud enough to be heard by the people insides. A familiar name was put up beside the room, Kim Byeoli, at least he didn’t get lost.

Sehun slid the door open, showing a spacy room with a single bed in it. A little girl was laying in the bed, with oxygen mask and IV injected in her small wrist. Beside her, a woman in black dress leaning against the smaller bed, sleeping soundly. He walked closer to the woman, touching her shoulders and shake it a bit, making the woman yawn.

“Sehun?” she speak in hoarse. “You came?”

“I’m here, babe. Move to couch or you’ll dislocate your neck tomorrow morning.” he plead, can’t stand seeing her so weak.

“No, I won’t leave my princess.” she persisted.

“Hey, hey, Yiseul, hon…” he turned her shoulder, facing him. “Let’s clean you up and change clothes before sleeping, hm? How’s that sound?”

“But Byeoli…” she sobbed and choked on her own.

Sehun held her shoulder, preventing her from rejecting his command. “You’ll clean up and change clothes, I will stay beside our princess until you finish. Okay?”

Yiseul still sobbed but managed to give him a weak nod. Sehun held her arms, supporting her weigh and bring her to the bathroom. Not forget to give a light kiss at her temple. Sehun back to Byeoli’s side, as he promised. He looked at his little princess, a six years old with oxygen mask on, his heart broke into pieces.

The morning sun lights peeked through the unoccupied curtain gap, making the woman’s eyes flinched. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting the excessive light. She blinked once, twice, then thrice, before fully awake. Turning her head to the left, she saw her little angel still sleeping soundly, all vitals stable. You survived the night again, sweetheart. Yiseul pecked her daughter’s fluffy cheeks and caress her hair softly.

Her eyes wandered the whole room and stopped at the sofa corner. A male laying at one of the sofa, shoes tidily stay on the floor and his black coat rest at the other sofa. He looks the same as last night she saw him at the gala, minus the butterfly necktie and outer coat. Yiseul crawled to him and take a sit on the floor, facing the sofa.

“Sehun?” she called him slowly. She remembered Sehun came late that night and forced her to wash up. When she back to sleep in clean, Sehun still awake and keep Byeoli occupied until some hours later. “Babe…” Yiseul try to wake him up again, this time she give his cheeks a tender caress. He looks so handsome even in his sleep. She traced her fingers up to his forehead, then down to his nose, eyebrow, eyes, and lastly to his lips.

She leaned forward to his face, give his eyelids some kisses. “Sehun, wake up. I’m hungry…”

Sehun finally yawned and wriggled his body. He blinked his eyes once, twice, and thrice before realizing that Yiseul sit beside him. “Morning, babe.”

“Morning, sleepy head.” Yiseul replied, pampered Sehun’s jaw with kisses this time.

The man chuckled. “I don’t mind wake up every morning with that.”

“I’m hungry…” she pouted. “Aren’t you?”

“Very.” he finally sat down, his hand busy rubbing his face just to regain back his consciousness.

“Wash your face, Sehun. I’ll clean up a bit before my parents and Bini came.” she rise from her seat and walked towards the curtain, opening them one by one, and turning on the air purifier. Sehun walked towards her and give her a warm morning back hug, just to soothe her nerves. “And I need you to wait outside before my parents come. You know… they haven’t know you.”

“No problem. Just let me use the bathroom a bit.”

She nodded and give him a wide smile. He’s liking it.

After Yiseul parents and Bini come, Sehun and his woman decided to eat something outside the hospital. Riding Sehun’s car, both of them strolling the city, looking for some available restaurant in this early morning. No one’s dare to say any words at the ride, they both feeling comfortable in silence, Sehun realize Yiseul prefer like that. He didn’t mind though.

“How about some hangover soup?” he stepped on the brake when the traffic light changed red. Sehun leaned his head to the steering wheel, then turned it right, checking on his passenger. “I have my favorite delicious restaurant just right in the next turn.”

Yiseul replied with nodded and a small ‘mmhmm’, loud enough to be heard by him. The male give her a soothing smile, Yiseul unconsciously smiled back.

When the light turn green, Sehun stepped on the accelerator, heading the road that he familiar with. Just in two minutes, he parked his car right in front of a small family restaurant with red store board with a huge ‘Bong-sun House’ written on it. Exiting the box, Yiseul felt her stomach grumbled. Great, she remembered couldn’t have a proper dinner last night and she feels like she can eat the whole menu on board now.

The couple sat facing each other, with the woman busy with her phone and the man busy staring at the woman, resting his chin in one of his arm. She felt uneasy, feeling like someone stare at her. Yiseul lifted her chin, finding a man in front of her gluing his eyes on her. She furrowed her eyebrow, muttering a ‘what?’ in sharp tone.

“Mind to tell me what’s wrong with our princess?”

She gulped. Our. He said our princess. Yiseul blinked her eyes, trying to shallow things slowly about this man. Is he flirting, is he being real, Yiseul couldn’t catch him well.

“Byeoli has high fever since two days ago, I was busy with all gala things and I put my twins at my parents care. I missed almost hundreds of my mother call. When I checked on my phone, right after the main event at gala ended, Byeoli was brought to hospital…” Yiseul almost choked on her own voice, her hands massaging her own temple. “…she had seizure, so much worse than the previous. She was always weaker than Bini since baby. That’s why Bini really protective over her.”

Sehun gulped, that’s the only thing he can do at the current atmosphere, he want to hold her so bad, at least give her an assuring hug, but he hold himself back. Something in his heart told him to.

“I was a bad mother for not being there when she needs me the most, Sehun. I failed her.”

“You’re working for sake of the twins, right? The twins would understand your sacrifice, Yiseul, later in the future.”

“I really can’t forgive myself if anything worse happen to her, Sehun. She’s just my six-years-old little baby. She still can’t even read fluently, she needs someone to tuck her in bed every night, she also can’t sleep without her little giraffe doll. My Byeoli is just a baby. What would I do if I lose her?” Yiseul blamed herself. She didn’t cry, no single tears visible. But her heart ache as much as it would.

“You won’t lose her, Yiseul. We won’t. I can guarantee you that.”

As right on the cue, the food came, followed by a ‘have a nice meal’ from the owner. Yiseul spend no more time, digging on her own food. All her mind occupied with her little baby. The sooner she finished eating, the sooner she can see her baby. Sehun understand and fastened his eating pace, keeping with hers.

Sehun, once again, was nowhere to be found for months. This time, he was not all over the media. This time, he really undetectable. Yiseul didn’t realize missing Sehun on her daily, she kept herself busy recovering Byeoli. She needs to make sure Byeoli will be healthy from now onwards.

It wasn’t until one day Byeoli nagging about her Uncle Sehun who wasn’t around. Byeoli missed him. She cried river when her mother said her Uncle Sehun is busy with his work. Byeoli wanted to see him and that’s final. Even Bini couldn’t stop his little sister on that.

Hesitantly, Yiseul reached her phone. She remembered Sehun call her the day Byeoli was admitted to hospital. Where did he get his phone number was no longer mistery, Jikyung admitted she gave it to Sehun’s manager, to convey his own gratitude, he said. Yiseul already saved his number, under the name of ‘Model Oh Sehun’, to keep everything professional. Even Yiseul herself realized there’s no more professional terms between them.

She can hear the dial tone