The smell of fried garlic and the sweet aroma of sausages woke Jiwon up. Morning light that already settled inside the house forced him to squint his eyes. There was also an annoying throbbing in his head, signaling the onset of a hangover.

After getting used to it, he sat up with a groan and looked towards the kitchen. The sound of pans clanking only registered in his ears as he saw Jisoo there, tossing something on the stove that smelt heavenly. His wife turned it off after a few seconds and turned around, holding a pan with steam coming from it.

Their eyes met and for a lingering moment, he could see her smile. Her smiles were a rare sight nowadays but as he saw her do it for him, he couldn't help but get mesmerized.

"Morning," she greeted as she brought the contents of the pan down to a plate. "Come have breakfast."

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. Only a question remained in his head. What is happening?

Oblivious to his stunned appearance, she turned around and searched for something at the shelves, making him aware that it was now stacked with numerous canned goods.

Come to think of it, the kitchen was full of things not there before. The fruit basket was filled with oranges, bananas, and pears. Numerous bottles of condiments stood beside the stove. The spice rack Jiwon didn't take out of the boxes was also there.

He didn't buy the new things, didn't even remember placing the spice rack. He always brought nonperishable goods since Jisoo would let vegetables and meat rot in the refrigerator.

"That's strange... I made sure to buy Spam yesterday..." she muttered. "Hey," she called, now turning to him. "Did you eat it?"

Still disoriented, he could only shake his head. Afterwards, he blinked for a few times before recognizing that this wasn't a dream.

"What are you still doing there? Come eat now. You're gonna be late for work."

If he stared stupidly for one more moment, she'd definitely raise an eyebrow. So to prevent that from happening, he half-crouched his way towards the dining area near the kitchen. He let out a groan and immediately flinched as the windows beside the table shone in his eyes. The see-through curtains weren't even helping to conceal the natural light from outside.

He halfheartedly dragged the white linen chair to sit. As he couldn't hide the pain he was shouldering for a few minutes now, he propped his arms on the table and covered his face with his hands.

"Are you okay? Do you want some water?" came Jisoo's warm tone.

He looked between the gaps of his fingers just to see her placing a plate in front of him. It made him forget the headache for a while as he recognized what it was. Sausages with fried rice. His favorite.

The steam warmed his face as he stared at the clash of colors of carrots, peas, sausages, and strips of scrambled eggs with the white rice. Before he could say something, she was back in the kitchen to fetch a pitcher of water in the refrigerator, a glass at the cupboard after.

This was still a lot to take in, and even more so while nursing a hammering hangover in the morning. He was too used to her cold persona nowadays to be comfortable with things like this. The Jisoo he was seeing now was like... the Jisoo he fell in love with.

She came back and brought the pitcher and glass down the table, filling the glass herself. Putting aside his astonishment for a while, he took the glass without hesitation and dunked it down his throat. For a moment, the headache subsided, but it still felt like a band was rocking it out in his head.

An expectant look danced in her eyes as his wife took the seat opposite of him. For the reason that he wanted to act normal as possible, he grabbed the spoon beside the plate and scooped some of the food.

He didn't know if it was because of the alcohol digesting in his stomach or the throbbing hangover, but it made his chest brim with something foreign. He couldn't describe it yet, but he knew it was something powerful to feel warmth spreading from his chest, to the top of his head, down to the tips of his toes.

They say that when people cook for their loved ones, it tastes the best. Right now, he could attest to that.

Careful considerations were made to every ingredient put on the food; from the quality of the rice and the sausages, the crunchiness of the vegetables, down to the amount of salt and paper. It felt like coming to a restaurant tasting a dish that reminded him of his mother's home cooked meals.

It was all for these reasons that he couldn't bear to look her in the eye. Sleeping wasn't enough to forget. It was an escape for a little while but he knew, everything was clear to him. A line was crossed and the people involved will have to bear the wound for a long time. Goodness, he had done the one mistake he promised himself he wouldn't do.

Digesting the savory food felt like a struggle. How could he even enjoy it now, after everything he did?

"Do you like it?" she asked, making him glance up at her.

He noticed how her eyes sparkled with child-like innocence. There was just something in it that he couldn't bear to ruin, so he tried to push the negative thoughts away in the back of his mind. He will admit to everything, but now, all he wanted was to see her happy. Just for today.

Jiwon smiled as he took another spoonful of rice. "I love it." Noticing that there was only one plate on the table, he pointed at the empty area of her placemat with his spoon. "Why aren't you eating with me?"

His wife leaned back and curled her lips impishly. "I want to see if my cooking's still edible. I don't want to taste bad food you know."

That made Jiwon genuinely laugh, and it was like something he haven't done for a long time. The shackles clamping the both of them down seemed to be forgotten at this moment.

For the first time, he felt light around the house. It would be a downer if he ruined the mood by asking what made her do a 180 so he went along with the flow.

"This won't do." Shaking his head, he scooped some rice on his spoon and held it in front of her. "Say aah."

The smile that came out of his lips felt natural as she took the food without hesitation. After chewing, she playfully kicked her legs under the table, the end of her slippers gently hitting his shin. Her eyes turned into crescent-shaped ones as she smiled. It had a tinge of familiarity, a rare scene nowadays, that Jiwon had to ask himself if he was still dreaming.

She briefly went to the kitchen to grab a spoon and came back after. Without even asking permission, she scooped some rice on his plate for her to eat. Jiwon had to hold back a laugh as he held her spoon in place using his.

He nodded his head towards the steaming plate at the countertop table. "Bring your own plate. This is my food."

His wife disapprovingly jutted her lips. However, instead of it making him feel guilty, he was in awe because she just looked pretty. He was more astonished the sadness that haunted her eyes seemed to ebb away. It may not be completely gone, but he was more than glad with this improvement.

Jisoo tried to lift her spoon off his hold but failed to do so, making her brows crease. "It's too much an effort."

Snorting, he replied, "You just went ahead to pick a spoon."

"I don't want to make the same trip twice."

He sighed and took his spoon away, realizing that he wouldn't win this argument. The winner grinned and proceeded to eat at his own plate. Seeing how she was devouring the food made his lips quirk in a satisfied smile, amused at her antics that were slowly coming back.

"How am I supposed to be full though?" he remarked as an attempt to guilt-trip her.

"Say what," she affirmed as she briefly pointed her spoon at his direction. "I'll just cook you a hangover soup while you dress up for work. You still have hangover, right?"

His smile faltered. How did she...?

Honestly, the nonchalant look in her face scared him more than anything else.

As if reading his mind, she put her spoon down and sighed. "I could smell the alcohol from a mile away. I'll not nag at you for lying to me. I know you're having troubles with me lately so I'll let it slide for now." Her hand grasped his, the warmth radiating from it making his chest twinge in guilt. "I want to start anew again, Jiwon. We lost so much already. I don't want to lose you too."

Jiwon forced out a smile and swiped his thumb on top of her hand. "Me too."

I'm so sorry.

Jisoo decided that a morning jog would help clear her mind. The house felt depressing and honestly, something about it was bringing her mood down.

Last night would be the last time she'll ever cry again, she promised herself. Now, she'll go back to who she was again, little by little, even though it feels hard, she'll push through. For all the people waiting for her return, for him, for her.

After cooking Jiwon some soup, she changed into her jogging wear and went out, briefly informing her husband at the shower about it. She didn't stick long enough for his reply.

The weather was clear enough for a jog. It was the first time she fully went around the neighborhood so it pleasantly surprised her that their block was full of trees, giving her path enough shade from the harsh glare of the morning rays.

It felt refreshing to have a change of scenery. Maybe this is what she needed to take a break from the things dragging her down.

The ache she felt at the side of her stomach signaled her that it was time for a breather. Stopping at an intersection, she leaned her hand on a stop sign and breathlessly panted, trying to calm her heart down. She was wiping her sweat with a towel when her gut told her to turn around.

When she followed through, she felt her heart jump. A shadow was seen behind a house from the corner, but quickly disappeared.

What was that?

Shaking her head, she hoisted herself from leaning against the pole and continued running. When she glanced at her watch, she saw that she still had ten minutes left to complete her run. She decided to cut it short and went back to her house with the main reason of feeling watched.

Jisoo immediately checked if her husband was still around when she went home. The door to the bathroom was already empty, their bedroom too. He must've left now.

Her sight drifted to their dining table where she made sure Jiwon would see the hangover soup she made. Upon close inspection, the bowl was completely empty that it looked like a vacuum ate the whole dish. Instead of feeling glad, she was miffed that he didn't have the decency to put the bowl in the sink.

With a swipe of her hand, she carried the bowl to the sink and glared at it. She was going to reprimand him later when he comes back.

She decided to drink water at the refrigerator after but stopped short. There was a small note held by a fridge magnet at the door. Jisoo carefully tugged the note and flipped it open.

Thanks for the food. I know you love me. - J

Jisoo felt the corners of her lips lift upwards after reading that. Any irritation directed at her husband went gone because of the simple note.

Her thumb grazed across the words, feeling the embedded black letters carefully. It was printed in a typewriter font. Jiwon sure had a lot of time to print something like this.

She looked at the hallway where an analog wall clock hung between their bedroom and the bathroom's doors. It read 10:37am.

Maybe she'd start to slink back to her old routine and drop by Jiwon's office to give him home cooked lunch. It was time for that man to taste something real anyway.

Jiwon was in the middle of typing the company's weekly report on his computer when Jinhwan unexpectedly came by his office. The unannounced presence of his friend and at the same time boss startled Jiwon since he had a habit of always knocking at the door, even if it was wide open.

Looking up from the computer screen, the office owner sent a confused look at his friend. As if answering his inquiry, Jinhwan threw a set of keys at his desk haphazardly.

Jiwon recognized the keys as his. For a moment there, he forgot that his keys were with Jinhwan since he was the one who drove them to the club.

Still at a loss, he pocketed the keys and continued staring at the older one since he wasn't leaving yet.

"What is it, hyung?" he asked as Jinhwan's glaring look made him uncomfortable.

"Look, Jiwon. I'm in no position to meddle with your affairs and whatnot, but don't you think this is too much for Jisoo?"

Jiwon didn't have to ask again to comprehend what he was talking about. He must've been sober enough to see what happened at the club.

He subconsciously his lips and ran a hand through his hair. "I know, hyung. But I – I don't know. Maybe it's the alcohol or something but... I hate this situation too."

"Did you tell her already?"

Jiwon could only sigh. "I don't even know how to break it to her. She cooked me breakfast this morning, hyung. She's slowly coming back. And if I ruin that... I'm afraid it will be square one all over again."

"The situation's not going to get any better if you continue to drag it out. In fact, you're going to make it worse by hesitating." Jiwon couldn't help but squirm when his eyes turned sharp. For a moment, he could sense the animosity in them. "Stop making excuses and own up to your mistakes."

Jiwon couldn't think of a reply to that.

"I know you're better than this," Jinhwan added in a whisper, making Jiwon guiltier than ever.

As if sensing his inner turmoil, his long-time friend quickly changed the topic. "I have that five o'clock meeting with Mr. Dong. Be at my office before that and we'll discuss the details. See you later."

Jiwon let out a guttural sigh and leaned his arms on top of the desk, massaging his face in frustration as his friend left.

He knew Jinhwan's every word was right, but if he was there with him looking at Jisoo earlier, would he say the same things too?

Jisoo slightly tipped her head downwards as she handed the bills to the taxi driver. "Thank you."

She went out of the car after and stared at the modern office in front. 'KIM.CO ENTERPRISES', the placard on top read.

Tightly clutching the tote bag at hand, Jisoo raised an arm to push the glass doors open. The bell hung on top of the door created a melodious ring, causing the employees hunched over at the long table to look at her. Immediately, their faces brightened up.

"Noona!" Donghyuk called and left his place to greet her properly with a hug. Letting go from the hold, he continued, "I haven't seen your beautiful face for so long."

Behind Donghyuk, Hanbin and Jinhwan followed. Hanbin had his hands on his pockets and removed one hand to give her a wave, while Jinhwan gave a curt nod. Seeing the three of them dressed in formal suits overwhelmed Jisoo a little. She was just so used in their casual wear that she forgot they were dressed like this for work.

"What brings you here?" Hanbin politely asked, even if Jisoo knew he had an idea since he looked at the tote bag.

"I'm bringing over lunch. Where's Jiwon?" she replied as she tiptoed and peered at the men's backs. It was futile though since her height lacked the ability for her to do that.

Donghyuk and Hanbin exchanged curious glances, until Donghyuk's eyes sparkled with mirth, Hanbin shaking his head after.

Hanbin pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "He's at his office, working."

Donghyuk rubbed his hands together and expectantly looked at her. "Noona, is there enough food for his good friends?"

Giggling at Donghyuk's usual antics, she affirmed, "Of course. How can I forget?"

Donghyuk frowned and wistfully looked at the bag. "I wish my wife's more like you. Nowadays, the sweetest gesture I get is her telling me not to shower too much or I'll have trouble paying the bills."

Jinhwan and Hanbin simultaneously chuckled at the youngest's remark.

Patting Donghyuk's shoulder, she noted, "I'll talk to you guys later. I'll see my husband first."

When she proceeded to pass them by, she heard Hanbin ask Jinhwan, "What does your honeymoon period say about this, Jinan hyung? Look at noona."

Jisoo glanced behind her to hear his answer but Jinhwan just looked perturbed. Come to think of it, he was unusually quiet since she arrived. Usually, he would playfully tell her to get out because her arrival would cease all work at the office. However, since it had been a while; he must've felt that it wasn't appropriate to do that.

Disregarding Jinhwan's behavior for now, she walked towards the hallways leading to numerous doors, one being Jiwon's office. Telephones ringed discreetly in the distance as she knocked twice on his door. A soft, "come in," was heard after. Letting out a deep breath, she turned the knob open.

Jiwon was on his computer, his keyboard clanking noisily in the room but stopped when his eyes met hers.

"Jisoo?" he wondered in surprise.

"Hey. I'm sorry I didn't call beforehand. I wanted to surprise you."

Her husband shook his head and stood up from his swivel chair. "W – What brings you here? Is there – Did something happen at the house?"

Raising the bag at hand, she answered, "I brought food." She walked closer and brought the bag down to an empty space on his desk. "Give some to your friends too. I made extra servings since I know Donghyuk's gonna bug me about it."

He looked at it and distractedly nodded. "Thanks."

She tilted her head to the side, finding his actions strange. Then again, he must still be surprised with the things she was doing today. That brought her to feel guilty. How many times did she act distant for a gesture like this to surprise him?

"Well," Jisoo pursed her lips as she patted her thighs. "I should get going now. Just make sure to bring the utensils home." She inwardly smiled as the word 'home' rolled pleasantly on her lips. "I'll wait for you, okay? Bring me something sweet later."

Without waiting for him to reply, she turned her back. His lack of response was making the whole thing awkward for her. Even his appreciation felt forced.

"Jisoo, wait."

His leather shoes clanked against the marble tiles as he left his desk and went towards her, his long arms encasing her in a hug without a word. The familiar musk of his, vanilla mixed with sandalwood, entered her nostrils, successfully comforting her.

"I appreciate this. Sincerely, I mean it. Thank you for everything," he murmured. He left a little room between them to look at her. Jisoo couldn't fathom it, but why was there sorrow swirling in his eyes? "I have something important to say later when I get home."

A nagging feeling told her that whatever it was, it was bound to be bad news. In fear of ruining her day, she shoved that thought at the back of her mind.

With a smile, she nodded and leaned her head on the space below his shoulder.

"I trust you," she quietly mumbled under her breath, more to herself rather than the man holding her in his arms.

-to be continued-