Giving Seojun a wary glance she pressed the phone to her ear. “Are you on lunch yet?”

“Oh…yes.”

“Then come out. I’m outside,” Jongin said. In the background she heard the faint beep of his car locking.

“I’ll come down soon,” Namjoo promised then put her phone down. Standing, she said, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Should I start calling ahead of time to make an appointment from now on?” Seojun asked.

“It’s not exactly what I’m saying.” Namjoo hesitantly tried. Unsure whether telling him to stop coming would hurt him. They were supposed to be friends, weren’t they? She didn’t want to ruin anything good between them, but she also knew well that Jongin didn’t like Seojun.

“Then it’s still all right if I come for lunch? To be honest, it’s the only time we get to see each other. I don’t see a problem with that,” Seojun coolly said. “Unless you don’t like me coming around.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He grinned, “Good. Then I’ll still come around.” Holding out the takeout he’d come with he explained, “I brought seaweed soup. It’s supposed to be good for expecting mothers. And some meat from your favorite barbeque restaurant.”

“Thanks.” Namjoo accepted the bag out of courtesy yet with some guilt.

“I’ve heard some woman can sense if they’re carrying a boy or a girl,” Seojun started. “What do you think?”

“I really don’t know,” Namjoo replied. “Jongin wants a daughter.”

Seojun didn’t add on anything but stood in front of the doorway, as if barring her exit. Touching the collar of her blazer to smooth it out he complimented, “It’s pretty. It’s a different brand from your other jackets.”

“It was a gift,” Namjoo told, “from Jongin.”

Seojun’s hand immediately withdrew. “Is it? The baby must be growing well. You’re wearing different things now.”

Namjoo tried a tiny smile. “Seojun, I have to go. I’m sorry we can’t have lunch.”

“Yes, sure.” He finally moved to the side. “Enjoy your break, Namjoo.”

֎֎֎֎֎

She found Jongin in the back courtyard. His face lit up when he saw her. He waved cutely as she approached. Noticing the takeout in her hand he wondered, “What? You got your own lunch?”

Setting the takeout on the table she sat down on the bench with him. “Actually, Seojun brought it.”

The light in his face dimmed. “You still let him come here?”

She could sense the disappointment flowing off him. Aware she was in the wrong. “He’s a friend. Of course, he stops by sometimes.”

“Tell him to stop next time.”

“Jongin.”

“I don’t like it.” Jongin burst. “Not just because he’s your ex, Namjoo, but at least remember the way he treated you. If you can’t tell him to stop coming here, I’ll do it for you.”

“You don’t have to be so mean to him,” Namjoo found herself defending.

Riled, Jongin’s face contorted. “Are you seriously going to defend him?”

opened then closed. “We’re going to argue about this right now?”

His lips became a hard line as he turned away to unpack their lunch. Seething anger as he pulled out utensils and removed the cover off the food. Guilt flooded through her when she saw the two bags of banana chips set aside for dessert.

“I’m jealous,” Jongin muttered, “if that makes you happy. I don’t want you to have another man in your life and I don’t trust him. I don’t know his good side the way you do but be careful around him. Don’t smile at him or look happy with him.”

Unable to hold back her broadening grin she kissed his cheek before leaning her head against his shoulder. Clutching onto his arm she said, “If it makes you happy I’ve been telling everyone the baby is yours.”

“And that we’re together?” Jongin leaned forward to peer at her.

Smugly smiling, she teasingly said, “Well, I didn’t get that far, but I’m sure they’ll get the gist of it.”

Wrapping his arm around her Jongin made a face then kissed the corner of her lips. “You got a little bigger.”

She elbowed him in the ribs and listened to him let out a yelp. Shooting him a glare as she took the first bite of their lunch. Secretly smiling as Jongin recoiled and put his arm around her again as he picked up his fork. Feeling his fingers touch on the side of her expanding belly.

֎֎֎֎֎

He gave Namjoo two more kisses before he left. Lighthearted and gleeful as he returned to work. The emotions bubbled up so hard inside him he wanted to turn back around and run back to Namjoo and squeeze her in his arms. Obviously, he didn’t, so instead he concocted tonight’s plans. He could get them a movie to watch after dinner then they could settle in for the night. He was eager to hold her in his arms to sleep.

Foolishly smiling to himself he rode the elevator up to his office. Pushing the door open to find the back of his chair facing the doorway. Jongin stared confused until the chair spun around by itself and he recognized Mina in his seat. Sitting so very comfortably as if he’d walked into her workplace.

“What are you…” he started baffled.

Mina cut him off, “Forty-five minutes, almost. Did you enjoy your break, Jongin?”

He let the door close behind him. “Why are you here?”

Getting up to her feet she moved toward him. “Because I figured it’d be fun to see how you’d look after your lunch date. You never strung me as the kind of guy who’d move on so quickly after one relationship.”

Stopping in front of him she glanced up into his eyes. A little playfully, somewhat mischievously.

“Is she that good to you, Jongin?” Mina asked running her finger down his shoulder. Her eyes flickered down the trail following her hand then up to him. “That you can forget what we had so fast? You loved me so hard.”

He gently swatted her hand away. “We were done long ago, Mina. You always loved your dreams more than you cared about me.”

“So, it comes back down to that?” Mina asked. “You’re upset, because I made you wait too long.”

“It was never about us,” Jongin told. “You know it.”

“But I don’t think I was the only selfish one, Jongin,” Mina stated. “I had my dreams. You had yours. You were just in too much of a rush for that family of yours. Does that make it my fault?” Eyeing him icily, Mina said, “Tell me, Jongin, did I really do anything wrong but try to become the model I always wanted to be? Did I ever wrong you?”

His jaw tightened. He bit down on his teeth.

“You let your mom bully me about marrying you. You let her pressure us into starting a family, because she wanted a grandchild so much. Tell me how I was supposed to live with that?” Mina pressed. “You let it get to your head that becoming a devoted husband was all you ever wanted. You couldn’t even dream that in five years I would still be your side! We’d get married then, we’d finally have a child, but you couldn’t wait for me! You couldn’t wait!” Breathing harder, she demanded, “What did I do, Jongin? That you stopped loving me? What did I do to anger you so much that you had to go off and sleep with some woman who’s pregnant with the baby you and your mom always wanted?!”

For the first time he watched Mina cry angrily and he didn’t know how to react, what to do. Jongin merely stood there witnessing her despair.

“And you love her?” Mina cried disbelieving. “How? Why?” she asked confused, “Just because she has your baby?”

He thought about the events that had unfolded since that night. Namjoo had faced her consequences. Losing Seojun. Never walking down the aisle she had so prepared for. Now Mina knew why he had truly walked away from her. The consequences that had gone around had come back around.

It was only logical she hate him. They had shared a roof once. Had loved each other. Shared a connection known only to them. Having good and bad times but still preserving. Until that night…

“I love her, because Mina, she gives me a place to come back to,” Jongin quietly told. “Simply being at home with her is meaningful to me, so I love her not just for the baby.”

“But I don’t want you to be happy,” Mina upsettingly glared at him. “I can’t accept this.”

Jongin opened his mouth to speak again, but Mina aggressively walked away shoving him on her way. The door loudly slammed behind her.

֎֎֎֎֎

Throughout the day he worried if Mina would go after Namjoo. She wasn’t the type to sit quietly when upset. He’d spent the day staring on and off at his phone pondering over calling Namjoo. Since he didn’t want to interrupt her at work he decided to wait.

After work he did some grocery shopping then looked over movies before choosing a newly released comedy. Something to laugh over would be healthy and make them both feel good at the end of the day. Hopefully that would also ease his worries and Namjoo’s if she had any.

They prepped dinner together that evening and sat down to eat. Cleaned up together and finally sat down for the movie he had rented. Snuggling together on the couch with a blanket to relax for the night. Feeling her body rumble against him as they laughed. So simple and like that not even a shard of Mina crossed his mind.

Even when Namjoo said he couldn’t join her in the shower he did anyway. By the time he stepped out Namjoo had already dressed and was blow drying her hair in their bedroom. He watched from the doorway at her pretty form.

“I see you, you know,” Namjoo said looking into the mirror in front of her.

He grinned. Walking toward her he asked, “You want help?”

“No.” He took the blow dryer out of her hand anyway. Carefully combing his hand through her damp hair, he let the machine hover noisily.

“Done,” he declared minutes later. Clicking the machine off he unplugged it as Namjoo crept into bed.

“Turn off the lights,” Namjoo said.

“Fine,” he replied. Flicking the lights off he joined her under the blanket. Shifting closer to hug her from behind. Her hair was still freshly warm from the machine and nestled comfortably between the pillow and his cheek as he buried his nose against her back.

“You smell good,” he commented.

“Thanks, I suppose,” Namjoo mumbled into her pillow.

“I read online that the baby grows fast in the second trimester,” Jongin told. “We’ll be able to feel her kicking soon.”

“I feel flutterings,” Namjoo confessed.

“Yay,” he said cheerily laughing and brightened when he heard her too. Running his fingers gently over the side of her stomach he listened to the silence. After several moments, he asked, “Namjoo, are you sleeping?”

“Not yet.”

“I saw Mina today.” he admitted.

“Oh…”

“She found out,” Jongin simply said.

“She must be sad,” Namjoo empathized touching his hand. Knowing best since she had gone through the worst of the consequences.

“She’ll come find you,” Jongin worried.

“I’m not scared,” Namjoo said. “I’m sure she’s more heartbroken than she is furious.”

Hugging her a little tighter he regretfully said, “We really hurt them, huh?”

“I know,” she quietly agreed.

But saying sorry was simply no way to apologize. Jongin knew better than that.

֎֎֎֎֎

Namjoo was first to wake. He had felt her scrambling up mid-sleep to use the bathroom. After washing he found her in the kitchen starting on breakfast. Once more thinking to himself that he was doing the right thing.

The only thing he and Namjoo could only do from here on. Taking up on their responsibilities and living with what they had done. Dealing with the hearts they had broken by moving forth quietly. Neither of them would be able to do anything for Seojun or Mina anymore.

Jongin didn’t regret it. He had found happiness in an unexpected place.

He set the table and they ate. She left him the chore of washing dishes. Afterwards, he found her in the bedroom pulling on a dress and then struggling to reach the zipper on the back.

“I got it.” He stepped up to help. “I don’t think that was so hard.”

Namjoo shot him a glare over her shoulder which only made him laugh. He found her unbelievably cute.

“Did you wash the dishes?” she snapped.

“I did.”

“That fast?” she doubted.

“I’m a pro with my hands,” Jongin smugly grinned baring his teeth in the process.

Namjoo made a face before feigning punching his stomach. He let her drive him a few steps back playfully before grabbing her hand and kissing it. She made another face at him. They could play all day and he’d enjoy every moment of it.

Jongin kissed her then moved a breadth away. “You’re cute.” He watched her smile prettily. Opening , she touched his shoulder with her free hand and tiptoed to kiss him. He tasted her tongue, felt her upper body press into him satisfyingly.

They kissed a little harder until he felt heat pooling in his stomach. They could go down and have the morning to themselves, but Namjoo stepped away. Another hot wave traveled through him when he noticed how flushed she was. His heart raced erratically as he sought to calm down.

In the end, he let out an exasperated breath and laughed foolishly. Namjoo laughed as well and he found her so undeniably beautiful. This new phase they had discovered together made him feel so high.

“This weekend?” he asked.

“Huh?” she questioned confused.

“This weekend,” he stated more clearly.

He watched her lips sprout into a semi-smile before her eyes brightened. Nodding, she said, “This weekend.”

֎֎֎֎֎

It was a silly thing to say she felt like she was falling in love for the first time. But no, it wasn’t. It was only at the beginning when sparks felt the strongest before eventually she got used to Jongin. Still, she promised herself, she would appreciate this.

“Right, baby?” she asked rubbing her belly as she stepped out of the elevator. One of these days she thought as she headed toward her office she’d come up with a nickname for the fetus. Or if Jongin wanted she’d let him decide.

Namjoo spent the morning snacking on granola bars. Chatted briefly with Jongin during lunch break before he hung up. Her phone rang again, and she wondered if he was playfully calling to chat again, but it was Seojun. She debated whether to pick up or not. Aware of Jongin’s disapproval over their constant meeting. Namjoo also realized Seojun was coming for lunch as regularly as he did when they were dating.

Was he lonely she worried?

“Oh, Seojun,” Namjoo picked up.

“I just wanted to call and ask if it’s ok I come for lunch,” Seojun told. “There’s also something I want to give you.”

“You don’t have to bring anything…”

“That means it’s ok for me to stop by?” Seojun wondered.

Namjoo wanted to bite her tongue. That wasn’t what she had meant to say. “I’ve already eaten though.”

“I’ll be quick.” Seojun promised.

Namjoo was left staring at her phone, wondering if she should have said no instead of going around it. She waited deplorably chiding herself. Wondering what she would say to him that wouldn’t cross the line of their friendship. She didn’t want to sound like she was jumping to conclusions about him. That wasn’t fair to him, but she didn’t want to sound so naïve either.

Seojun arrived within minutes with a bag of food and another bag consisting of her gift.

“Have the food later,” Seojun insisted setting the bag down on her client chair. Handing her the other bag he said, “I saw it in the store. I thought it would look good on you.”

Namjoo took the bag without a choice and peered inside to see a sweater. When she made no move to take it out Seojun took the bag from her. Pulling the sweater from the bag he displayed it for her to mull over. It was a pretty blue shade with cute white buttons.

“Since he got you something nice, I couldn’t stop but think this would look good on you, too,” Seojun said. “Here, try it on.”

“Seojun, wait,” she tried but he already spun her around to help her into the sweater.

Spinning her back around he gasped in awe. Looking so pleased that it would fill her with guilt if she returned it. “I knew it’d look good.”

“I can’t accept this,” Namjoo said trying to slip out of it, but Seojun grasped her arm.

“Don’t take it off,” Seojun pleaded. “Please. It’s a gift. I bought it for you.”

Namjoo felt her heart hurl pitiably when she saw the disappointment in his eyes. He looked so forlorn she almost wanted to pull him into her arms. Hug him, protect him from the hard-cutting winds.

She thought about her conversation with Jongin last night. Mina and Seojun were just broken, hurt, and having a hard time. Because of something she and Jongin had foolishly done. And it was driving the two to do all sorts of things.

Seojun couldn’t step out of her life, because he had been so involved in hers. Mina couldn’t bury her wrath because Jongin, who had once lived with her, had so simply walked out of her life for what? For a pregnant woman he had never really known.

Of course.

Of course, it was difficult.

They, who were supposed to be each other’s halves, were no longer.

“I don’t think you should come here anymore,” Namjoo softly said.

***Sorry for the late update! I've been so glued to Netflix that that's all I've been doing is watching and crying over shows like Mr Sunshine and The Haunting of Hill House. And now I'm finally watching the walking dead lolololol

***Anyway, maybe I should've gone into Mina and Seojun's pain earlier but then I had other stuff I wanted to write about. Now that we have our lovey-dovey couple, just a few more stuff to cover then we shall be at the finale! 

***this story is sooo long i cry ;; i don't want to rush through it but it's taking forever to finish ;; it's gotta be one of the the longest i've written in a while and it's not even that dramatic >.>