Jiwon was the first one to wake up. Morning sunlight already settled inside the room, rendering the light from the lampshade useless. He reached out to turn it off, the sheets sliding down from his bare torso. When he came back to his original position, he saw that the movement also caused the sheets to expose a part of his wife's shoulder. Softly kissing it, his eyes held warmth and love as he gazed at the woman he only gave his heart out to.

He didn't want this to end, but he had commitments to do. So he did the plausible thing to gain himself a piece of this heaven more.

Reaching out for his phone at the bedside table, he sent a text to Jinhwan and quickly turned it off, making it useless for the meantime.

'Hyung. Will not come to work for the whole week. I'm taking my wife back.'

Jisoo stirred under the sheets as she woke up from a delightful sleep. When her hand landed on the other side of the bed, she was met with air. This made her rise from the bed, clutching the sheets covering her body against her chest.

The clock ticked to eight-twenty in the morning. At this time, Jiwon would be driving halfway to work. She knew it was his responsibility, yet she wanted him to stay, even for just a little while.

Sighing, she swiped an arm under the bed, grabbing Jiwon's gray shirt and putting it on herself. It was useless to wish for something like that, she thought. Jisoo wore her slippers and went to the bathroom to occupy her mind. While brushing her teeth, she absentmindedly walked towards the living room when something, or rather, someone, stopped her short.

Jiwon, in his glory, turned around from facing the stove, baring his chiseled stomach all for her to see.

"Morning, babe."

went wide open, the foam on landing on her husband's shirt. His smiling eyes turned into an amused one as he noticed the mess she created with his clothes. Jisoo sprinted towards the kitchen faucet and gurgled some water, spitting it along with the foam.

A towel appeared in front of her face. When she took it to wipe , she immediately blushed. Her husband's close proximity enabled her to have a closer look at one of his assets.

Jisoo tried to avoid lingering her sight at that particular area. She knew she had a lot of chances to see him like this, but it was a first time in a long while that they did something intimate, much less make her realize that her husband was still a hottie under all those formal clothes.

"C - Can you wear some shirt or something?"

"You're wearing mine right now."

"Then go grab something else."

"Why? It's as if you haven't seen me like this yet."

Her blush deepened. "Jiwon..."

His rich, throaty laugh tinkled in the air. He s his arms around her midriff and pulled her closer, enabling her to feel his abs against her back. It was enough to blur Jisoo's awareness, and even moreso with his distinct scent engulfing her nostrils.

"You look y wearing my shirt. Just keep it on." He planted kisses on her nape along with him naughtily rolling the hem of the shirt around his fingers. "Or maybe not."

Maybe it was because she hadn't completely recovered from last night, but Jisoo found herself closing her eyes and getting whisked away by his magic. Putting her arms on top of his, her body arched consensually to his touches. It was as good as an entrancing spell he must've perfected to keep her in a bind.

As heated as it was going between the two of them, her husband quickly retracted his hold, his warmth leaving with him. Her mind reeled back to reality along with the smell of something burning. When she turned around, Jiwon was fanning the smoke from the pan. A barely recognized black particle sat in the middle of it. Upon close inspection, she realized those were eggs.

"Jiwon!"

"I'm sorry!"

He wiped some black soot on his white pajamas, which made her more irritated. With a quick grab of an oven mitt, she used it to grab the handle of the pan and put it on the sink, letting the faucet's water cool the burned food.

Jisoo raised a brow and folded her arms, all the while sporting a displeased look. He uneasily laughed while scratching his head.

"I guess you can keep my shirt on then?"

The lush leaves of the trees encasing the park on both sides reflected on its orange brickstone path. A peaceful silence settled in the air, amidst of the joyful chimes of passing bikes and the chatter of people from the benches. The summer heat seemed to be ineffective as it slowly transitioned for the incoming autumn weather. For the people at the park, it was a great summer day.

For Jiwon though, a great summer day was, when he sees his wife glowing with happiness. In fact, even if it's winter, autumn, or spring, his world lights up just as her eyes shine more than fine jewelry.

"So you're not working for a week?" Jisoo asked as they walked side by side.

Jiwon nodded.

"Why?"

Breeze passed softly around the park, its arrival causing the leaves to sway. His wife's hair also moved along with the direction of the wind. Jisoo neatly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and Jiwon had to look away since he was tempted to do the same thing.

Realizing then that she was expecting for an answer, he answered, "It's like why I started KIM.CO with Jinhwan and the others. Your family wouldn't directly say it, but I knew from the first meeting that they didn't approve of a man like me. Why would they? You were living with your parents on a mansion before you married me, your older brother owns a company while the other drives a Lexus. But you still stayed, even if that means living in an apartment where it leaks during rainy days. That's why I worked hard, to prove that I'm worthy enough to be with you. For the second time, I want to prove that I'm still worthy enough to love you."

A thoughtful look passed through her eyes before giving him a tight-lipped smile. "Then I think this downtime is what we need after all."

After his failed attempt to surprise Jisoo with breakfast, it took some time to convince a miffed wife to go out, since he attempted to burn the kitchen, and quite possibly the whole house, if he just kept his hands to himself. He felt better now that she looked like she was enjoying their stroll in the park.

"Okay. You have to tell me where we're going, Jiwon. I feel like we're going in circles," his wife complained, her hand brushing against his knuckle as it freely dangled on her side. The slight friction tempted Jiwon to hold it. Afraid that she'd reject him, he didn't.

With a last glance at her side, he shoved his hands inside his pockets. "You'll see."

"Why the mystery?" she probed, now facing him. A pink slash-like part on her cheek struck him odd. It was the first time he noticed this so it made him stop. She did too, looking at him confused. Bringing out one hand, Jiwon swiped a thumb over the scar.

"What happened with this?"

She turned away.

His hand stayed firm but gentle on his wife's cheek. "Jisoo, look at me. What happened?"

"It's – It's complicated."

"I have all the time in the world," Jiwon said a matter-of-factly.

"I need to see a psychologist."

That statement alone surprised him. What is she talking about? Removing his hand on her cheek, he prodded, "What? Why?"

"I think I'm hallucinating. This scar?" She tapped her cheek. "I might've harmed myself in my sleep without knowing it. I'm scaring myself, Jiwon. If this is an indication I'm losing my mind, then I better do something fast."

"...Why didn't you tell me?"

"It happened when I... you know, after everything. I wasn't in my best mood to talk to you."

He pursed his lips and nodded in understanding. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"That'll be good, I guess. But hey," Jisoo lightly nudged his shoulder. "We're here for a different purpose, right?"

His eyes must've mirrored that he wasn't convinced since she drew a deep breath. "Let's just... talk about this for another time. I don't want to ruin the mood."

"...Okay."

Even though he wanted nothing but to talk about it badly, he followed her wish to drop the topic. However, Jiwon couldn't hide his worry as he hesitatingly continued walking, looking over his side to study his wife's features. Jisoo sent him a reassuring smile and urged him to go on. With a sigh, he did, leading her away from the brickstone path, to the grass as they went to the park's open area. The bright blue sky was full of flying kites, its owners mostly children running around. Some spots were occupied with families lying down on blankets. Some were on dates, some just hanging out alone. From the distance, the view of the magnificent Han River's water glittered under the sun.

Before Jiwon could take a step further, a man pushing an ice cream cart passed them by. Somehow, he saw it coming; his wife tugging his plaid shirt like a child asking for something.

"Babe!" she animatedly called but quickly composed herself as she removed her hand on his shirt. "I mean, uh... where are we going?"

Jiwon held back a laugh. Cute. "Do you want some ice cream?"

"Yeah, sure. Fine," she answered dismissively, although the spark in her eyes said something different. It made Jiwon smile.

The vendor brought his cart to them when Jiwon called his attention. As he raised his head, Jiwon felt slightly starstrucked. His sharp and brooding eyes seemed to command attention without trying to. The guy must've been around his late twenties, his age also evident from the blonde strands tucked inside his pink baseball cap. A silver nametag was pinned on his pink uniform's pocket. 'Nam Taehyun', it read.

"What flavor do you want?" the vendor cooly asked.

Jiwon turned to his wife. "What do you want?"

Tapping her chin in thought, she hummed. "Chocolate? Strawberry? No, wait. Can I get a scoop of each instead?"

He let out a little laugh as he faced the vendor. "One choco-strawberry and one vanilla please."

"You two newlyweds?" Taehyun asked without looking at them, having been busied with scooping ice cream.

Both of them shared a look until Jisoo answered, "Not really."

For a split second, Jiwon thought that the vendor muttered, "Nice," under his breath. But he quickly disregarded it when he brought Jiwon's order of vanilla. Afterwards, he picked another cone and placed Jisoo's order.

"Here's one for the beautiful lady," Taehyun announced as he winked at Jisoo. When she received it, Jiwon could see the faintest blush glowing in her cheeks, causing her to look down and avoid the vendor's smoldering gaze.

Jiwon shoved his free hand on his pocket for money to pay the vendor. He didn't even bother to ask how much.

"Keep the change," Jiwon said, putting an arm around Jisoo's waist and dragging her out of the vendor's sight.

Jiwon couldn't help but frown as he looked at the vendor's lean back retreating in the distance. That guy was the reason why his own wife was sporting a smitten look right now. And the said wife had the gall to ask him the next question:

"Don't you think he's kinda hot?"

He tsk-ed and his ice cream instead. "I don't know. I'm not a girl."

"Definitely a ten..." she muttered under her breath, as if her husband wouldn't hear it.

Jiwon didn't know why, but he glared at his innocent scoop of vanilla ice cream before taking a bite, which a decision he later regretted as his teeth came in contact with the harsh coldness of it. He tried his hardest not to wince. "I don't know what you see in him," he interjected, his jaw slacking. "He doesn't look nice."

"So what? He still looks hot."

Jiwon swore, the next time the word 'hot' comes out of her lips, there wouldn't be a next time anymore.

"Your ice cream's melting. Focus on eating it instead."

Her eyes sparkled once again. "Can we get more ice cream once I finish this?"

"No," he grumbled.

"Why?"

"Let's just get you ice cream in a decent shop."

"Why? He's nearer."

"Just," Jiwon sighed in exasperation as he looked for an excuse. "His ice cream's not that good."

All of a sudden, she laughed. Startled, he could only ask, "Why are you laughing?"

"You do know that when you're jealous, it shows on your face, right?"

Her statement caused blood to rush on his ears. He avoided her eyes twinkling with mirth. "I'm not jealous."

"Says the guy who is clearly being one right now."

"You're having fun playing with me, are you?"

Jisoo nodded enthusiastically, her ice cream after. "Yep!"

Her carefree nature made him feel light, making him forget that he was supposed to be annoyed in the first place. It must have been the way how her eyes would spark a rare vivacity without the things that caused its menace. This Jisoo was his same-old Jisoo, the breathtaking woman he saw walking down the aisle towards him.

"Jiwon!" someone called behind them.

Both of them turned around. Under a shade of a tree, sat the couple, Soohyun and Jinhwan, on a red and white plaid blanket, the reason of their sudden visit at the park. Earlier, when he his phone, he received a reply from Jinhwan who invited them with their simple family outing, also adding that Hanbin and Donghyuk had everything under control handling the company.

Jisoo shook her head. "So this is the secret you've been keeping to me all this time?"

A smile spread on his lips as he only shrugged.

Soohyun was cradling their four-month old baby while Jinhwan was busy controlling their two-year old kid from running away. When he realized that the kid only wanted to go after Jiwon, he let go of his hold.

"Uncle Jiwon!" Kim Youngjin shouted as he clung on Jiwon's leg. The impact made Jiwon slightly lose his balance but regained his footing quicker than a millisecond.

"Kid," Jiwon said in greeting as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"Beautiful auntie!" Youngjin addressed as he looked up at Jisoo. It made Jisoo giggle.

"You even manipulated the kid to call you that," Jiwon commented. "Jinhwan hyung, you better make Youngjin stay away from Jisoo. Who knows what she'll teach the kid next time?"

His wife slapped him on the shoulder, which made him wince. "You're the only one teaching him strange things!"

Youngjin jumped and tried to reach Jiwon's ice cream with his chubby hands. "Ice cweam! Ice cweam! Ice cweam!"

Jinhwan rose from the blanket and picked up his child. "If you're gonna ask for something, remember to say 'please'."

"Okay! Can we pwease get some ice cweam?"

"Alright, we'll get you one, you cunning boy..." Jinhwan ruffled his son's hair with a smile. "Soohyun, I'll get some ice cream with Youngjin. You want some?"

Soohyun shook her head. "Just watch Youngjin for me, okay?"

"Will do," came Jinhwan's short reply. He patted Jiwon's back with his free hand. "Come sit with Soohyunie. There's plenty of food for the both of you."

While Jinhwan left with Youngjin, Jisoo and Jiwon sat on the blanket. Soohyun was already smiling with her eyes as she welcomed them. Jiwon didn't hesitate to open the basket in front of him to take a sandwich. When he took the wrapping out, some ham and lettuce peeked out in the middle. He took a bite.

"Always the hungry one, are you?" Soohyun pointed out as she eyed the sandwich and ice cream Jiwon currently juggled to eat.

"Why are you complaining? Hyung said I can eat whatever I want to," Jiwon defensively argued.

A stinging pain immediately hit Jiwon's forehead. Looking over his shoulder, Soohyun had her chin raised proudly, smug as she just flicked his forehead.

"Even if you're the wife of my boss, doesn't mean you are entitled to hurt me like this. Moreso, you're years younger than me!"

Soohyun rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I care?"

"Stop it, you guys," Jisoo interjected in between bites of her cone, clearly amused at the two of them. "I'm getting jealous."

Hearing this, he scooted closer to his wife. "You don't have anything to get jealous for. Up till now, I don't know what Jinhwan hyung sees in her."

"Really, you two stop," Jisoo began again, sending a warning look towards Jiwon. It must've been since Soohyun was Jisoo's friend. With one last bite, she finished her ice cream cone quickly, compared to her husband who was alternating between the sandwich and the ice cream. "All this fighting is not healthy for Younhee. By the way," Jisoo pointed at the baby in Soohyun's arms. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course," Soohyun replied as she brought Younhee to Jisoo's arms carefully. "She's a cute little angel, isn't she?"

A strange glimmer flicked in his wife's eyes, leading Jiwon to feel a rumble in his chest. His chewing slowed down as he watched Jisoo with silent admiration.

"Indeed, she is." Jisoo touched Younhee's nose, which made the baby coo. A soft smile was seen on her lips when she heard that. "She looks so much like Jinhwan oppa."

"Everybody says that. Not you too!" Soohyun shook her head in disapproval. "I thought you're my friend."

"It's true though," Jiwon piped in, his voice coming out muffled from eating the sandwich. Soohyun sent him a dirty look.

Jisoo reached out a hand to pat him on the thigh. "Chew your food first, babe."

It was a simple sentence, yet it made him feel warm. Simple gestures like this made him believe that maybe, the Jisoo before hadn't been gone after all.

The two women's voices droned out in his head, talking about Soohyun's brother, Chanhyuk, still visibly upset with Jinhwan at Junhoe and Chaeyoung's wedding (Jinhwan getting Soohyun pregnant during their college days was why the two married early). His mind was full of thoughts about Jisoo, matters that only signified a lot of beautiful things yet to come.

Over the course of days, Jiwon had been nothing but sweet and caring, everything that made him the textbook definition of a gentleman. He woke up before her to make breakfast, always left short but meaningful letters for her, would make her toes curl whenever he'd leave butterfly kisses on her neck just because he wanted to, would even pull her close to him during their intimate nights together with his strong arms.

It was increasingly difficult for Jisoo day by day to resist the charms of the likes of him. She'd be considered a saint if she could.

Speaking of which, the door leading to their adjacent bathroom opened, revealing a half- Jiwon with a towel covering the lower half of his body.

See, no matter how hard she stared at those chiseled abs he owned, it wouldn't fail to make her cheeks burn. The fact that strands of his hair were dripping wet, some droplets hitting his shoulders and chest, was making her more flustered. It was something of him she wouldn't get used to seeing, every single day. Not that she minded, of course.

When their eyes met, Jisoo blinked and looked away. The restart that they were having was making her aware of numerous things. Goodness, she felt that she came back to the childish girl she once was at their first night together as husband and wife.

Maybe it was because she chose to stop noticing everything about him the moment she drowned in her own destructive thoughts. Those days made her feel that Jiwon simply, wasn't alluring to her at all anymore. Right now though, her focus was on Jiwon and Jiwon only. Nevermind if she was back on acting like a giddy schoolgirl. Fanning over her husband (secretly if she may add) was healthy, in her opinion.

"You've been staring at the mirror for quite some time now. Need some help?" her husband's deep baritone voice reeled her to reality.

Jisoo blinked again as she stared at her own reflection. Right. Back at the task at hand. She wanted to laugh for her stupidity taking place. Thoughts of her husband made her forget she was struggling to wear her favorite midnight blue sheath dress in the first place. The zipper at the back was completely unreachable. She wanted to believe it was that. Not the fact that she gained some weight over the course of days.

Days, she cried silently. Not months, but days. Here was Jiwon, looking fit and all, and here was Jisoo, doing the exact same opposite. She couldn't explain it but she developed an affair with desserts and anything sweet lately. It was preposterous, yet she couldn't stop at the same time. How could something feel a sin and heaven at the same time?

"Babe," Jisoo sheepishly called. "Can you uhm... help me zip my dress?"

"Sure," came his reply. After some time or so, she could feel it, his cold fingertips against her bare skin. It sent tingles down her spine as he carefully tugged the zipper up. When Jisoo looked at herself in the mirror, she could see some pink appearing on her cheeks. Only her husband could make even a simple task like this feel sensual, or maybe it was just her. She wasn't sure exactly. For the past few days, she was a mix of jumbled emotions, changing from one thing to another. The transformation was intense most of the times.

Jisoo saw her husband's towering height come into the mirror's frame. From the exposed part of his shoulder, she could tell that he still haven't dressed yet. All thoughts were thrown out of the window as Jiwon put both of his hands on top of her shoulders, his head leaning down as he trailed soft, butterfly kisses on the exposed part of her neck.

Somehow during the haze slowly clouding her mind, she heard him whisper, "You look wonderful. As always."

A grin appeared on one side of her lips. Goodness, she thought. Here he goes with the compliments again.

Once again, not that she complained though.

Jiwon continued working his magic on her, his hands leaving her shoulder to go around her waist like they belonged there in the first place. His hold tight and secure, he pulled her closer to him, making her collide with his damp body.

"Can we delay going at the Kim's party for a few hours, hmm?" Jiwon murmured darkly, his tone thick with hidden yearning. One of his hands was back at her zipper clasp, driving her into madness as he pulled it down for a few inches, only to keep it up again. The teasing was frustrating, as he'd pull it down whenever he wanted to.

Before Jisoo could reply, and she was sure that she'd agree with her husband's offer in a heartbeat, a phone rang. At the time it didn't matter whose phone it belonged to since both of them were wrapped around their own little world. A little voice screamed in her head that whatever it was, no matter if it was from the party's hosts themselves, she wouldn't answer it and convince Jiwon to do likewise.

Jiwon reached out a hand on top of the dresser where the phone was located. When he answered it, his face quickly changed into embarrassment. His other hand left the zipper and he stood straight up. Jisoo turned around to curiously peer at him and quite possibly, scold him for leaving her hanging like that.

Her husband sent her a look. "Mother-in-law," he greeted in strict formality, his tone coming off a bit nervous at the edge. "H – How are you doing?"

It was like a splash in the face as those words spluttered out of his mouth. It made Jisoo red, and all for the wrong reasons. 'Loudspeaker,' she mouthed. Jiwon fulfilled her request.

"Jiwon?" Jisoo could see her mother creasing her brows from the other line. "This is Jisoo's phone, yeah?"

He cleared his throat. "Ehrm, yes. We have similar models, I didn't realize that. I'll hand it over to her now."

"No, that's not needed. I actually called for both of you. Call Jisoo."

Regretfully, Jisoo answered, "Here, mom."

"Oh dear. How are you holding up? I heard what happened at your house with Jinwoo. He called the cops!"

Fine actually, not until you called to disrupt something else, she wanted to reply but said something else entirely. "Did he also tell you that they didn't find anything?"

"It has always been like that. Such incompetent officers... Is that what our taxes are paying them for?"

"Mom," Jisoo sighed. "You're overreacting. If they said they didn't find anything, then there's nothing. The wrong one should be me." Jisoo uneasily glanced at her husband. "Must be some kind of nightmare or so. It – It must be me, getting crazy delirious over nothing."

Suddenly, the voice changed into a deeper one, one that particularly belonged to her father. "Is Jiwon there?"

"Jiyong! I'm still talking to your daughter!" she heard her mother's voice in the distance.

"Yeah, he's here."

"This wouldn't have happened if you took care of my daughter. That's not how good husbands are made."
"As if you have any idea how..."
"What?"
"Nothing!"

The couple exchanged looks, Jisoo looking apologetic while Jiwon trying hard not to laugh.

"I have to hang up. I have to settle a fight with your mother. Take good care of yourself. Promise me that, okay?"

"I promise."

"Love you, my princess."

"Love you too, dad. You too, mom. Bye!"

With a satisfied sigh, Jisoo pressed the 'end call' button. "That puts a damper to our plans, I guess."

A mischievous glint appeared on his eyes. "It's not over," he replied as he clicked the button to turn off her phone, but accidentally clicked something instead. His holding gaze left hers as he glanced at the screen curiously. She couldn't explain it, but the expression shown on his face morphed into something unreadable.

"Babe..." he called as he stared at the screen. "I think you're not going crazy at all."

A nervous thump beat restlessly against her chest. "What?"

"Look at this."

With a reluctant move, she took the phone away from his hand. The directory had been on the camera roll. She swiped and swiped, and with every picture, it would only confirm that it was real. Those were pictures of her sleeping at the bed, alone at night. Some with Jiwon.

It may be dark, but the natural light coming from the left, from the room's windows, helped provide defining features to recognize the pictures. The angles varied from day to day, each coming closer towards her sleeping figure. Based from the first picture's distance, it showed that it was taken from the bedroom door. The latest one was her whole face taking up the whole frame, leaning her head on top of Jiwon's bare chest.

Jisoo let out a gasp as she swiped to the right once again. A chill ran up her spine, causing her to drop the phone on the floor, the carpet cushioning its fall.

The last picture wasn't a picture of her sleeping anymore. Rather, it was a picture consisting mainly of words, written not with ink, but with something red that she suspected to be blood.

You will always be mine. - J

And to top it all off, a picture of Jiwon smiling was placed beside it, a big splotch of red forming into an x-mark across his face and a dagger pierced on his forehead.

-to be continued-

note: terribly sorry about the late update. Entered an 'hibernation' phase where writing feels so y, causing me to erase numerous typed scenes. I have entered that phase where I don't feel confident with what I write since I feel so rusty. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this one. For all the silent readers out there, don't be shy and drop a review!