Ryeowook's room was on the other side of Nathan's, opposite Sungmin's room. He and Saeun lifted the suitcases into the elevator, little by little.

Saeun walked slowly down the hall. "That little boy is very much look like you," she said, nodding towards Nathan's room. "It took me a while to get it, but I finally realized you are his biological father, did not you?"

Ryeowook did not answer. It was Sungmin's right to tell Saeun whatever she wanted to know, and Ryeowook would not cross that line.

"Yesung and Mr. Sungmin are trying to adopt a baby for years," Saeun continued. "They almost got it a couple of times, but there's always a problem. The birth mother canceled it or there was a family member who recognized the baby. I can not tell you how sad I am when I saw Mr. Sungmin trying so hard, swallowing his disappointment, but still hoping. Then suddenly Nathan appeared. A perfect baby boy with a beautiful black hair. I should be able to guess if he's a baby from your affair with Yesung."

Ryeowook who was unpacking one of his suitcases, stood up, his gaze sharp. Outside, on the front terrace, the automatic watering device was on, and the freshly watered smell of fresh grass stuck out with the breeze through the open window. "None of this," he said, "is Nathan's fault."

Saeun held back his flat smile. "You do have the guts." She studied Ryeowook. "You definitely need it if you want to stay here long. I have to get off in a little while to prepare dinner, but before I leave, there's one more thing I want to say. I do not know what your real reasons to come here, but I'll keep an eye on you. If you do anything that makes Sungmin suffer more than this, then I myself will become a devil with an attentive angel. Do you understand what I say, Kim Ryeowook? "

Ryeowook straightened his back. He came to Incheon like a whipped dog, but he had to think about Nathan right now. And now it’s time he became a grown man who could take care of his problems. "I'd rather think of you as a friend," he said. "But if you want to fight, I'll serve you."

The respect imprinted in Saeun's eyes, but only briefly. "Dinner at six o'clock." She went away, closing the door behind her slowly.

Ryeowook realized that respect was for Sungmin, not for him, but he still appreciated it. He looked around the room that would be his home for the foreseeable future -brick bridges furniture, shiny brass beds, antique cabinets and desks, lazy chairs, and several bookcases. Most are old-fashioned antique furnishings.

He smiled grimly, remembering his own modern home in Gangnam, with new furnitures, without history, without memory, without meaning. Really a contrast.

The smile faded as he remembered his encounter with Cho Kyuhyun at the gas station where he and Saeun picked up his things. He had seen the humiliation in his eyes, and he must have been eager to throw him out of Sungmin's life, possibly from Incheon too.

It was a blow for him, to meet the man again. To some extent Ryeowook realized that he still felt hurt to remember their first meeting at a restaurant in Gangnam, when Yesung introduced Ryeowook as a business partner.

Kyuhyun, of course did not believe it.

In retrospect, Ryeowook knew he should have been more suspicious of Yesung's gestures that night. To be observed again, it was actually a classic scenario –a husband who felt guilty for accidentally meeting a friend from his husband, singing and dancing to keep his stash. Why did he just realize it now?

Because you were a fool, that was the reason, Ryeowook thought.

Ryeowook opened a suitcase, picked up a pajama from the inside. I'll feel better after pouring myself into the cold water, he thought. Back to being his usual and competent self.

And for Kyuhyun who humbled himself, well, he did not need to be included in the long list of plans. Only Nathan was important. Only Sungmin was important.

Cho Kyuhyun was just a footnote.

He felt a blow, and his throat caught.

If so, why was it so painful to remember his gaze to him?

***

Donghae crossed the creek by riding a horse that Kyuhyun had never seen before. He was like in the 1880s, his dressing –boots, jeans, classic-style denim shirts, and the worn hat he wore from college days.

"I've heard your message." Donghae said in his usual calm manner, pulling the reins and swinging down the horse deftly.

Kyuhyun stared across the river, looking at Donghae's large house which was located opposite his house, almost like a mirror image. They live in Daecheong, a small city in the tip of Incheon, about 15km from Seonjae. Both their dwellings were built around the nineteenth century when Cho Sooman and his four sons still controlled the territory of Seonjae to the vast Daecheong. "You left your sons at home alone?" He asked, pointing at Donghae’s little boys, Daehan, Minguk, and Mansae.

"Eunhyuk is there." Donghae said with a thin smile. "He's making dinner. You can join us if you like."

For a moment Kyuhyun felt lost. He wanted to say 'yes,' to be part of the family even for just an hour or two, but at the same time he wondered if he could handle the contrast of their lives together. "Probably." He tried to sound polite, but he knew that he would not come, and Donghae might also know.

Donghae took off his horse's bridle so that the animal could eat grass in Kyuhyun's yard, which was in desperate need of being trimmed. "What's wrong with Yesung's affair who moved with Sungmin?" He asked. "But before that, I did not even know if Yesung had an affair."

Kyuhyun ran his hair through his hands. He was desperate to expel his frustration at Donghae or Siwon or on both of them. And just then he ran out when he saw his cousin crossed the creek. Now he did not know how to say all this matter. "Yesung once had an affair from Sungmin," Kyuhyun said while he opened his mouth. In their childhood days, he and Sungmin once promised that they would both marry as adults and have a big family. If Sungmin was not dying, he would smile at the memory.

"I do not know about that." Donghae replied softly. But he knew about the promise of their childhood. He and Siwon teased Kyuhyun as a child, but they were as devastated as soon as he found out Sungmin was going to die. "I'm sure I’ll give Yesung a hard punch -that rotten bastard- if I know."

Kyuhyun remembered the night when he met Yesung and Ryeowook, caught both of them hiding behind Sungmin, and he again felt the grip of his stomach like that night. It was part of his anger, feelings of dislike. Something he should not recognize the very beginning.

"The man is up to something." He said flatly.

"For example?" Donghae asked.

"I don’t know." Kyuhyun admitted after sighing heavily. "According to Saeun, Sungmin invited that man to visit him. I feel Ryeowook somehow has manipulated Sungmin. "

Donghae wrinkled his eyebrows. "Sounds like a strange plan. An affair and a legitimate husband who never met could be that close. Living together in one roof? Wow! But, wait ..." he paused, "Ryeowook?"

"His name is Kim Ryeowook," Kyuhyun said.

Donghae's lips tip slightly up to one side, and his eyes implied a smile full of meaning, but he did not say anything.

"Sungmin is a rich man." Kyuhyun reminded his cousin. He felt uneasy again. "It must be a fraud."

Donghae considered it. "It's possible," he said. "Or maybe he's just looking for an opportunity to fix things. Sungmin is dying. Ryeowook felt guilty for him. Maybe he could try to straighten things out before it's too late? "

Kyuhyun snorted. "Love," he told his cousin, "has softened your head."

Donghae giggled. "All of this is soft," he said.

Kyuhyun grinned before he could hold it. "You lucky bastard who got a good lover." He said to Donghae. "So did Siwon."

"Your turn will come." Donghae replied, and he looked very serious.

"I've done enough with marriage. Just once only." Kyuhyun replied. His ex-wife, Kim Tae Hee, had removed all the romantic shadows he once had about love and wedding cake. He just needed , as usual, without any feelings.

"I thought so before," Donghae said. He looked over his shoulder into his own home, and he could feel the presence of Eunhyuk there.

"Just luck." Kyuhyun repeated.

"Stop and eat with us." Donghae urged, turning to face Kyuhyun again.

Kyuhyun shook his head. "Not tonight, dude." he replied.

Donghae grabbed Kyuhyun's shoulder with his hand. "I know it's hard for you," he said. "Sungmin comes home dying, but he's not that stupid, Kyu. If he asked Ryeowook to come, then he might have planned something on his head. Have you visited him yet? Sungmin I mean? "

Kyuhyun shook his head again, swallowed hard and turned away before meeting his eyes with Donghae's sharp eyes. "I'm going there tomorrow, for lunch."

Donghae nodded in agreement. "Tell Sungmin I'm coming this week, when he starts to feel comfortable and has time."

"I'll tell him."

Donghae started to turn away, whistling to call his horse. He grabbed the reins with one hand, put his feet in the horse legs, looked up before climbing his horse to get back to his lover and the children. "Kyu?"

Kyuhyun waited.

"If there is a problem and Sungmin needs our help, we will help him. You, me, and Siwon. Now try not to make a new hole in your heart. "

Until Donghae met Eunhyuk –known as Echo when he first came to Incheon, rode a large pink bike, very eccentric with a white dog and a hunting rifle– Donghae also held a commitment to ChoCorp just like Kyuhyun did. He wore three layers of suit wrapped in an official suit every day, traveled around the world over difficult sales and spent only sixteen hours while he was in town, then he would fly to new places again. Donghae's life did not differ much from Kyuhyun's current life.

Then Donghae fell in love, and instantly intoxicated to Eunhyuk, like Siwon who was so infatuated with Heechul. And nothing else had been the same since. Kyuhyun was still trying to get used to this change, and there were times when he felt he could never do it.

He tried to smile and nodded again. "Take care of yourself," he said.

"You too." Donghae replied. Then Donghae rode his horse.

While staring at his departure, Kyuhyun again felt the loneliness he had ever felt.

***

Sungmin watched from his bedroom window with a thin smile as Kyuhyun got out of his car in front of the house. Secretly Kyuhyun reinforced himself in the way he had done so often, took a deep breath, then opened the gate.

I should have married that man, Sungmin thought.

"Kyuhyun is here." He told Saeun, who helped him to take off his sleeping pajama and replaced them with a casual shirt in a casual style, then she covered his body with a thick blue navy sweater. Sungmin was actually considering wearing a wig, but eventually he decided to wear a scarf. It would not look too annoying.

"Then I'd better get down and open the door for him," Saeun said. "You want me back to pick you up?"

Sungmin straightened up. Turned to f