Time is an ageless remedy. Time can heal everything.

Just give it some time, it will get better.

Yeah right. Jaekyung had given it plenty of time – if six months wasn't a lot she didn't know what was. Six months and nearly nothing had gotten better. The biggest improvement was that Junpyo actually talked to her now. Before, he ignored her and spent the days out at work or wherever he ran away to.

But Jaekyung didn't care – at least she tried not to. Her parents had left after the wedding, after she moved into the Gu house. Though it was humiliating, she felt relieved when Junpyo demanded seperate bedrooms.

"It will get better," her mother had promised before leaving. "With time, it will get better."

Maybe Jaekyung didn't want it to be better. And why not? She and Junpyo were civil with each other, she was free to do as she wished and above all she didn't have to spend time with a man she didn't love.

The cafe was her refuge – it was a sanctuary from the empty, lonely house that had come to be called her home.

Weekends are supposed to be people's favorite days of the week. Like normal people, Jaekyung didn't go to work on weekends as she believed in giving the people who worked for her some rest. Initially, she had just wandered aimlessly about the house, occassionally stumbling upon Junpyo who demanded, "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing," she would murmur, then leave and Junpyo would either stay quiet or yell after her something about respecting people's privacy – it depended on his mood really.

And then she found the kitchen one weekend. A kitchen with gleaming appliances, an oven that could bake a thousand cupcakes, and ingrediants that were just begging to be used up. The equipment was sleek and frankly looked brand new – why didn't anyone bake around here?

She shooed out the staff and she finally found it – she found solace alone, doing something she loved. She blended raw ingredients together and felt that familiar feeling of pride and wonder that something so plain like flour could be transformed into a thousand complexities with other plain things. All you needed to do was find thee right balance – the right balance between solids and liquids, sugar and salt – and know what went well with what.

As she iced a small cupcake, Junpyo wandered in.

She didn't notice him until he demanded, "What are you doing?"
"Oh," she said, surprised, then held up the half-frosted cupcake. "I'm baking."
"Why would you?" he said scornfully. "The maids can do it-"
"I know they can," she cut in. "Junpyo, don't you know what it's like to do something because you enjoy it?"
"Whatever." He turned to leave but she called him back.

"Yah, Gu Junpyo!"
"What?"
"You came in here and you're not even going to eat one?" She held out a completed cupcake. "Have one, it's really tasty – I promise you I didn't poison it!"
Junpyo just left without a word.

Slightly crushed, Jaekyung went bacck to frosting.

Oh, well, his loss. If he didn't want to eat something delicious, that was his problem. but the chef in her could not forget it.

For two months, Jaekyung baked on weekends but there was no one to eat them. She couldn't eat all of them, and finally she went to Junpyo's study, where he answered her knock with a curt, "Come in."
He saw her standing there and asked, "What do you want?"
"Just have some, ok?" said Jaekyung, coming in and placing a plat of warm shortbread on his desk.

"I don't eat things like this" he said.

"Oh, come on," she said. "There's no one else – please don't make it go to waste."
"Exactly," snapped Junpyo. "There is no one to eat your stupid things so just stop it!"
"It's not hurting you," she retorted, stung.

"It's a waste of money and-"
"You have loads of money!" she yelled – honestly he was too much sometimes. "Does it bother you that much that I have at least one thing I love doing?"
He didn't even look up. "Just go now."
"Fine," said Jaekyung. "I won't waste my time coming here any more."
She took the plate and left, making sue to slam the door behind her as loud as she could just to annoy Junpyo.

Who did he think he was? Arrogantly declaring her passion and profession as a waste... whatever, she didn't care. Just because she was legally married to him didn't mean he had the authority to boss her around.

She didn't care... she didn't need him.

Still, it would have been nice to have to see a friendly face in this cold house. Madam Kang was away on business, which was a good thing in a way but the house seemed colder and bigger in her absence.

But then, six months after the wedding, the house wasn't lonely anymore.

Junhee and her little daughter Byul came to visit.

"Aunty Jae!" screamed Byul before immediately latching herself around Jaekyung's leg.

Jaekyung laughed. "What are you today?"
No reply; Byul shrieked "Uncy Junjun!" and leaves to run to Junpyo.

It was weird.

Jaekyung didn't know why she noticed it or even cared, but when Junpyo saw that small child running to him, his face brightened up. When he picked the child up, there was tenderness in his otherwise sullen face.

He swung her around, then said, "You're getting heavy – you're becoming a big girl!"
Byul beamed at him. "I cen cont!"
"No you can't," said Junpyo.

"Cen toooo!"
Junhee emerged, and put down her bags. Jaekyung went to greet her while Junpyo was still telling Byul she couldn't count – honestly, to a child!
"you'll be staying longer this time, won't you?" asked Jaekyung.

Junhee smiled. "That's right – hope you don't mind getting used to Byul."

As Byul giggled loudly while playing some idiotic game with Junpyo, Jaekyung smiled. "It will be good to have company around the house," 

Junhee shot her an understanding look but didn't say anything.

When Byul once more claimed to be able to count and Junpyo contradicted her, Jaekyung asked, "Honestly, that guy! He's like the only person ever to speak like that to a child!"

"That's just his way," said Junhee. "Oh, and about the counting thing – he and Byul have this inside joke about it. They won't tell me."

Junpyo actually had an inside joke with a little kid? OK, thaat was pretty cute... and touching for some reason.

She never got the joke. Every time she asked, Byul and Junpyo would exchange secret glances and burst into laughter – fine, let them! They were just children – and he was the more immature child between the two.

Byul