*Still Kim Junmyeon’s perspective and I’m going to warn you that this chapter is so stinking long so I apologize in advance if it takes you decades to read*

 

 

The first thing I decided to do was get dressed and drive over to mother’s house. I hated going there, but I had to know. After leaving (y/n) a quick note on the fridge to spend the day at home, I hurried over to my car. Every second I was driving I found myself praying it wasn’t what I dreaded: that the accident was mother’s doing.

 

 

    As I pulled into the driveway, I put on a stone face before parking and stepping out. Already, a half a dozen men came running over. I grimaced at the sight of them.

 

 

    “Mr. Kim, I didn’t know you would be coming today,” said one of them.

 

    “Yes, well I’ve come to see mother,” I answered. He nodded and spoke into a mic piece on his collar, “Please get ready to Mr. Kim to Madam Kim.”

 

 

    I stepped into the house of my nightmares, escorted by a butler and two maids. I guess mother hired all those people after I moved out. It had been years since I visited, and all I saw were new faces and new furniture.

 

    “This way, sir,” the butler said as he gestured to a door on my left. I nodded to him in thanks and entered the room when the two maids opened the door for me.

 

    “Junmyeon!” mother’s shrill voice reached my ears. I looked to see her approaching me with open arms.

 

    “Was it you?” I cut to the point. I wanted to get the answers and leave as soon as possible. Mother stopped midway, lowering her arms with a confused look plastered on her face.

 

    “What are you talking about?” she asked.

 

    “Did you send Lee Junseok to run over her?” I clenched my jaw at how awful that sounded.

 

    “Junmyeon, I don’t know what or who you’re talking about,” mother raised her thin eyebrows at me before breaking out into a smile, “Come and sit; it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”

 

    “Answer me,” I barked. Her smile faded. My eyes were cold as I stared into hers. “Was it you?” I repeated.

 

    “I don’t know what it is you want to hear from me, but if this is about that baker’s daughter, then it’s a closed case,” mother said drily. God, I knew it. So it was her.

 

 

    “Why’d you do it?” I strained to keep a straight face. My fists were already clenched and I had to try hard not to punch my own mother in the face.

 

    “That girl was getting in the way, Junmyeon,” she answered, looking out the large, glass window occupying the wall near her. She smiled as she turned and faced me, “You think I didn’t notice the way you looked at her and the amount of time she took away from you? You were to be my heir, and you were getting too distracted by a lowly girl. If I didn’t get rid of her somehow, then you wouldn’t be the chairman you are today.”

 

    “You were planning to...kill her?” I couldn’t believe what she was saying. How could a person be so despicable? She took away my desire to live and when (y/n) restored and became that desire...mother was trying to take her away too?

 

    “I didn’t have to because it turned out she lost her memories of you,” mother almost laughed. Her eyes narrowed as she went on, “And I thought you would give up and not question the matter when you came back from your studies.”

 

    “You don’t realize what you’ve done, do you?” I said in a gravelly voice. Mother raised an eyebrow at me, daring me to go on. My suppressed rage suddenly burst out as I roared, “Getting rid of her to make me the chairman I am today? Are you insane? I wouldn’t even be the living man I am today if it weren’t for her! If you’re so good at noticing things like the way I looked at (y/n) or the amount of time she took from me, why didn’t you notice the condition I was in all along? Did you even know that I climbed onto the roof of this house to kill myself? And who do you think saved me that day? You? No. It was all (y/n). It was all her. So don’t you dare talk about her like she’s nothing.”

 

    “...” Mother looked at me with her lips parted and eyes enlarged. It was the first time I had talked back to her, the first time I yelled at her face. And I was losing energy. But I continued in a soft voice, “I did everything you wanted me to, mother. I went to the universities and grad schools you applied me for. I became the chairman you wanted me to be. What more do I have to do for you? I never asked you for anything. So why are you trying to take away the one person I actually want in my life?”

 

    “Junmyeon…” mother started to say.

 

    “She’s the one person that gives me life. That urges me to go on. I need only her. So please, I’m asking you for the first and last time, please… don’t hurt her and let her stay by my side,” I had to cut her off. I looked into mother’s eyes and felt tears swelling up. Mother looked at me in shock before lowering her gaze. Minutes passed and only silence remained. I took a deep breath and turned around. I didn’t need to hear an answer. Her silence answered instead.

 

 

    “I’ll take it that you understand,” I said before walking out.

 

***

 

    I drove to a nearby park and checked the time. 12:00 pm. I debated as to whether or not I should go home to (y/n). But I didn’t have the confidence to face her. What would she say if she found out that the person who almost took her life was...my own mother? What would she think of me? I couldn’t forgive mother. I still can’t. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her to receive the just consequences she deserves. Would my baby still accept me if she knew I was the son of a potential murderer? For the first time, I was glad (y/n)’s memories were gone. At least she won’t have to recall that horrible day.

 

 

    My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked at the caller’s name.

 

 

    My Baby

 

 

    If it had been any other day, I would have been overjoyed to see her be the one to call me first. I would have answered right away too. But not that day. Not when I was...afraid to even face her.

 

 

“Hello?” I eventually picked up. I didn’t hear anything on the other side so I continued, “Listen, if you don’t have anything in particular to say, I’m going to have to hang up--”

 

“Have you eaten?” her voice came through. I almost smiled at her cuteness. But I wanted to end the call as soon as possible.

 

“Yeah,” I said.

 

“Oh,” she responded, and I bit my lip hearing the disappointment in her voice. Did she want to eat with me?  

 

“Wait, you ate already?” she asked after a moment. I checked the time and realized it was a little past noon.

 

“Yeah, I had a late breakfast,” was the only excuse I could think of before ending the call. “I’m a bit busy right now so I have to hang up. Bye.”

 

 

I groaned as I ran my fingers through my hair after hanging up. This was absolutely the worst. I was torn. Half of me yelled at me to go back to (y/n) and pull her into my arms as I spilled out everything I knew. But the other half was scared to do so. It told me to avoid her until I was ready to tell her. I wasn’t planning on hiding this--it would haunt me for a lifetime.

 

 

I ended up deciding to go to the gym. I always ran to clear up my thoughts, or in this case, get rid of my thoughts.

 

 

I think I ran for three hours straight that afternoon, and by the time the sun was setting, I was drenched with my own sweat.

 

 

“Mr. Kim, are you alright? Why are you being so hard on yourself?” the coach handed me a bottle of water. I smiled wearily at him as I sat down, trying to catch my breath.

 

“It’s nothing; I just felt like running a lot today,” I grinned to hide my worries. The coach gave me a pat on the shoulder as he left saying, “Well go home and rest now. No more running for you. I don’t want you harming yourself.”

 

I nodded at that and went to the locker room to get changed. I decided to shower at home--that would be another excuse for me to avoid (y/n).

 

 

But maybe I shouldn’t have gone home that day at all. I don’t think anyone should experience the pain and agony of seeing the girl you love run up to you like a puppy as soon as you open the door but have to show a cold side. The look of concern and confusion on (y/n)’s face deepened the pain, making it even harder for me to turn my back to her. But I had to. Because Kim Junmyeon is a coward.

 

After that day, I continued to avoid her. And I think she noticed. She kept coming to me, asking me how I was or if I needed anything. And that was what I wanted. I wanted her attention, concern, inquiries, her everything--more than anything. But all I could do was turn away.

 

Kim Junmyeon you coward. Just face her. How long are you going to put this up? I was beating myself up. But I couldn’t face her. I was too scared, and I admitted my cowardice over and over again.

 

 

That is, until she just called me a while ago...crying. About how I was “removing her from her job” and whether my cold behavior was “because of her.” And the last thing I want is for her to think that it’s her fault. Now I have to tell her. I don’t want her to be in pain because of me. I can’t handle that.

 

But why is she not picking up? I’ve been calling her repeatedly for the past several minutes, and the only thing that returns is an invitation to her voice inbox. A lump of fear grows in the pit of my stomach and I frantically pray it’s not what I think it is. That something happened to her. Or worse--that she’s planning to leave me. I quickly grab my coat and run out.

 

 

***

 

 

*Back to (y/n)’s perspective...finally*

 

 

    Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound of a constant beep wakes me up. My eyes flutter for a brief moment before they’re finally open. The lights are blinding at first, but everything slowly comes into focus. I stare into a flawless, white ceiling and it takes a minute for me to register where I am. I’m in...a hospital room. I tilt my head and my eyes soon land on a familiar, slim figure. She has her hair in a ponytail like she usually does, and her hands hold a book. I slightly smile at the sight of her.

 

“Mom,” I croak. She immediately whips her head towards me and her eyes enlarge as they meet mine.

 

“Sweetie! You’re awake! Let me go call Sung Kyung right now,” she quickly gets up, tossing the book aside as she scurries out the door.

 

Within seconds, I hear footsteps followed by a loud scream, “(y/n)!”

 

Sure enough, it’s Sung Kyung. She runs over to me and places a hand on my face, inspecting me. Mom trails in after her.

 

 

“How are you feeling?” she asks before she straightens up to check my vital signs monitor.

 

“I’m alive,” I manage to say. My voice is hoarse from the sleep I just woke up from.

 

 

 

 

“Do you even know how worried your mom and I were? I really thought…” Sung Kyung’s voice starts to break as she looks down at the ground, “I thought we were going to lose you again.”

 

“Aw, don’t cry boo. I wouldn’t dare leave my Bible and mom,” I reach for her hand, but it’s a little hard to grab when I’m laying down like this. I start to sit up, but my head begins to spin. I groan, and immediately feel Sung Kyung’s hands around my shoulders.

 

“Stay laying down,” she orders. She gently places me down and I smile weakly at her.

 

“Do you remember what happened?” she asks. I nod slightly, recalling the car lights and pink sky being the last thing I saw before I out. But then all the memories of Mr. Kim flood in after. My eyes grow large.

 

“How long have I been gone for?” I ask frantically. My voice already gained its strength and my eyes were roaming in search for my phone.

 

“Just barely over a day,” Sung Kyung replies. A day?! I’ve left Mr. Kim without any contact for a day? She fixes my hair as she goes on, “You were lucky the accident was minor. We all were. I can’t imagine what would have happened if you weren’t hauled into the hospital right away.”

 

“Sung Kyung,” I manage to touch her hand. She looks at me with raised eyebrows.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I need to contact Mr. Kim. I don’t think he knows I’ve had an accident,” I say. Sung Kyung looks at me and sighs.

 

 

 

 

“Why?” she asks almost in disbelief before continuing in a quieter voice, “Is he really a priority for you right now? You just had an accident and all you care about is Kim Junmyeon?”

 

“Sung Kyung..” I grab her hand once more. I take a deep breath as I reveal to her, “I remember everything now.”

 

“What..?” Sung Kyung stares into my eyes, her own eyes growing larger. She asks again, “What did you say?”

 

“I remember everything,” I repeat. I smile at her as I add, “I remember him.”

 

“You mean...your memories are back?” Sung Kyung asks, putting a hand to in surprise. I nod.

 

“That’s why,” I pause for a brief moment before saying, “I need to see him.”

 

“(y/n)...” I hear Mom’s shaky voice behind Sung Kyung. She must have heard everything. I give sitting up another try and struggle to get up. My head still hurts a bit, but the spinning is gone.

 

“Careful,” Sung Kyung gives in. She adjusts the bed by raising the headrest to support my back. I thank her and turn to look at Mom.

 

“By ‘him,’ do you mean...that chairman’s son?” she comes to me. Sung Kyung takes a step back, allowing her to come closer towards me. I nod, realizing the fact that he was still “the chairman’s son” the last time Mom saw him.

 

“Honey, I know how you felt towards him before, but I don’t know if you should continue pursuing a future with him,” Mom says as she leans towards me. I look into her deep eyes, full of concern.

 

“But I have to Mom,” I take her hand. She looks at me and shakes her head, “(y/n), he’s from an entirely different world. You know that. It’s only going to be difficult for you if you stay with him. I allowed you to date him when you were young, but I didn’t think you would seriously think about staying by his side forever.”

 

“Mom I know,” I try my best to assure her. I squeeze her hand as I open my mouth again, “But he needs me. And I need him. Can you just trust your daughter on this one?”

 

“How do you know he needs you? You just regained your memory after years. Does he even know where you are after he left to study abroad?” Mom asks. I stare at her with a puzzled face. Then it comes it me. Shoot, I didn’t tell Mom I actually worked for him all this time.

 

 

“He’s actually my boss right now,” I confess with a slight laugh.

 

“What?” Mom looks at me shocked. “He’s your--what? Why didn’t you say so?”

 

“I had no idea who he was before. I just regained my memory, remember?” I give an excuse and Mom just keeps shaking her head.

 

“Okay look honey. I am not against him. I’m against his background. He’s far too wealthy and I don’t want my daughter to suffer because of that. I doubt his family will see you as a suitable match for him, and that’s what I hate the most. I don’t want my daughter to be mistreated,” Mom starts to rant. I laugh. Of course Mom’s going to worry about all of that. I’d be lying if I haven’t worried about the same thing.

 

 

    “I know that. But I can’t help myself,” I give my mom puppy eyes as I sincerely say, “I love him.”

 

    Mom doesn’t say anything for a few moments. She opens and closes it as if she’s processing what to say. I wait until she finally does say something.

 

    “No mother can win against her child,” she says finally. I giggle at how I’ve succeeded convincing her when she says, “If he or his family hurts you in any way, you come straight to me okay? I’m not going to let any one of them get away with hurting my daughter.”

 

    “Thanks Mom,” I practically squeal as I spread out my arms for her and she laughs as she accepts my embrace. I’m about to cry from being so touched by her words when I remember my search for my phone.

 

    “Sung Kyung, do you know where my phone is?” I ask. I then realize that there’s a good chance it isn’t even here--it might have gotten lost in the midst of all the chaos when the accident happened.

 

    “I’m pretty sure one of our doctors has it because he used it to contact your mom,” Sung Kyung says. Just as she’s about to step out to call for him, there’s a knock and a man in a doctor’s gown enters.

 

 

   

 

 

    “Alrighty sir,” he says into a phone before hanging up. He then looks at the three of us in the room before fixing his eyes on me. “You’re awake! How are you feeling Ms. (y/n)?”

 

    “I’m okay,” I reply as I move my eyes from him to Sung Kyung. I mouth to her, “Who is he?”

 

    “Oh this is Kim Minseok, the doctor who looked after you whenever I was busy. He also contacted your mom so he probably has your phone,” she says with a smile. She glances at Dr. Kim and adds, “Right, Minseok?”

 

    “Oh yeah, here it is,” Dr. Kim hands Sung Kyung the phone he was just using. Wait, that’s my phone? Then who was he calling just now? I turn to thank Dr. Kim and ask him about who he might have been calling when he glances at my phone in Sung Kyung’s hand and begins to speak.

 

 

 

 

    “I saw your mother in the contacts so I called her first thing. But then this person saved as ‘Mr. Kim’ kept calling you and sending messages about how “Daddy is sorry” and whatnot, so I assumed he was your dad and informed him where you are. He should be arriving soon,” he says.

 

 

    “What..?” I think my face is about to explode from embarrassment. I see Mom’s confused look and Sung Kyung’s face palm as well.

 

 

    “Sorry, I should’ve contacted him sooner, but I had so much to do,” Dr. Kim gives me an apologetic smile. I shake my head and start to tell him it’s fine when Mom cuts me off, “She doesn’t have a dad--”

 

 

    “Great work, Minseok! That’s exactly the person who needs to enter the scene right now,” Sung Kyung interrupts Mom with an exaggerated grin. She gives me a wink and pats Dr. Kim on the back quite hard. He flinches at her touch and looks at her with raised eyebrows.

 

 

    “Wait I feel like I made a mistake,” he says slowly, eyeing us.

 

 

“No, you did well!” Sung Kyung gives him another smack and grins at his flustered face.

 

 

“Really?” he asks. I can tell he’s completely under Sung Kyung’s control.

 

 

   

 

 

    “Oh you bet,” Sung Kyung assures him with a nod. Her smile turns into a playful one and I know she’s trying hard not to burst out laughing at this whole situation. It’s only my face that’s heating up.

 

    “Oh okay,” Dr. Kim says, shrugging a little. He then gives Mom and me a bow before exiting the room. I wave at him with a strained smile.

 

 

 

“Alright, you two have some explaining to do,” Mom throws Sung Kyung and me a glare. I look at Sung Kyung for help, who in turn looks at me with the same face. Erm… How are we going to get out of this?

 

“Oh you know, Minseok is a little dense so he probably got confused with things. But the person he called is just the man (y/n) wants to see so it’s all good,” Sung Kyung says rather cheerfully as she puts a hand on Mom’s back with a pretty smile. Mom glances at her unconvinced. But before she can say anything the door bursts open and within seconds I’m face to face with… Mr. Kim.

 

 

 

 

“Baby,” as soon as I hear his voice and the name I’ve been longing to hear, my view is blurred by my tears. His face seems to have gotten even more handsome since the last time I saw him (which isn’t even that long ago), and there’s only one thought that’s running through my head: I missed him so much.

 

 

He bends down to inspect me, his strong hands around my arms. “Are you okay? What happened? God, I’m so sorry,” he murmurs before pulling me into his arms. He tightens his grip around me and repeats over and over again, “I’m so sorry, baby.”

 

“What are you so sorry for? It’s not your fault,” I say into his shirt, his lemongrass scent filling the air.

 

“I was so worried. I thought you left me,” his voice starts to shake as he pulls me even closer to him. “And you can’t imagine how scared I was when I heard you were in the hospital.”

 

“Why would I leave you?” I ask with a laugh, my tears already half dry. That’s ridiculous. “And don’t worry, I’m fine,” I assure him. A smile grows on my face as I wiggle my arms out to hug him back. I feel him sigh a little as soon as I do.

 

 

 

“Please don’t forget the fact that we’re here too,” I hear Sung Kyung’s rather annoyed voice, and Mr. Kim’s grip around me loosens. He slowly pulls away and turns to face Sung Kyung, who’s shaking her head at us with crossed arms.

 

 

“Hello Sung Kyung,” Mr. Kim says, getting up from the bed. Sung Kyung gives him a small wave. His gaze then lands on Mom, who’s been staring at us quietly this whole time. His eyes grow wide.

 

 

“Ma’am,” he says as he bows deeply. I don’t think Mom realizes the fact that the chairman of Suho Company just gave her a bow deeper than the ones his own employees give to him, because she just clears and vaguely says, “Hi.”

 

“I..uh...well,” Mr. Kim starts to stutter and I stare at him because I’ve never seen him so nervous before.

 

“Take care of my (y/n), okay?” Mom cuts him off sternly and Mr. Kim freezes for a few seconds before nodding rapidly.

 

“I’ll treat her like the princess she is,” Mr. Kim bows again before adding, “I promise I’ll work for her happiness.”

 

“Please do,” Mom finally smiles a little as she steps towards Mr. Kim. She puts a hand on his shoulder and says, “She needs a lot of love. I’ll trust that you’ll give her more than the amount she needs.”

 

“Mom,” I start to say, warning her not to make things too pressuring. But Mr. Kim’s figure relaxes at her touch as he boldly states, “I’ll do so ‘til the day I die ma’am.”

 

“You better. I’m going to see how you do before deciding whether or not I’m giving (y/n) to you,” Mom gives him a strong pat and looks at me with a smile. I smile back and she mouths, “He’s so handsome!” I let out a laugh and Mom puts a finger to her lips to keep me silent. Mr. Kim turns to look at me with a confused face, but it’s Sung Kyung that speaks next.

 

 

 

 

“Well, I think we ought to give these two some time, shall we?” she says after glancing at me. She then wraps an arm around Mom as she leads her out saying, “I know an excellent coffee place nearby that we can go to.”

 

 

As soon as Sung Kyung and Mom leave the room, silence follows after. I can’t help but gulp at the unexpected awkwardness lingering in the air between Mr. Kim and me. I glance at him, only to find him staring at me. There’s so many things I want to say to him, and it seems as though he has a lot on his mind too. Where do I even begin..?

 

 

“Come here,” I manage to say, breaking the silence. I pat my bed, gesturing to him to come over. But he remains standing near the window, where he had his conversation with Mom.

 

“I have something to tell you,” he says, looking down at the ground. His voice is soft but his fists are clenched.

 

“Is it something you have to say so far away?” I pout, trying to catch his gaze. His eyes stay fixed on the ground as he nods.

 

“Okay then,” I shrug as I pull my legs towards my chest. I rest my chin on my knees as I wait for him to go on.

 

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he starts to say. Ever since he got here, he’s been apologizing to me countless times. But I decide to keep quiet until he goes on.

 

“I had no idea that it was my own mother who tried to hurt you. I had no clue she was the one responsible for your accident,” he says. I look at him as my brain’s trying to process what he just said.

 

“Wait...what?”

 

“When I learned that your memory was lost from an accident, I was motivated to find the culprit responsible. I wanted to find the culprit, beat the hell out of him, and throw him in jail to rot--so that he lives the rest of his life regretting what he did to you. But I never knew that that culprit was my mother,” Mr. Kim’s raised voice starts to die down as he continues, “I’m so sorry, baby. I really am. I tried to tell you… but I was scared,” his voice begins to break, “I was so scared that you would leave me.”

 

 

“...so it that why you were so cold to me this past week?” I finally manage to ask after a few moments. I’m trying hard to force myself to act calm. Everything he said is already shocking enough. His mother… tried to get rid of me? But why? And has he been searching for the culprit ever since I started working for him? I remember that day when I found a bunch of papers with cars and license plates in his office. It all makes sense now.

 

 

“I’m a coward, (y/n),” Mr. Kim interrupts my thoughts. I turn to face him. I can’t recall the last time he called me by just my name like that. “That’s why I ran from you. Because I was scared you would leave me forever,” he drops his gaze towards the ground.

 

 

“Were you going to run from me forever? Because if that’s the case, that’s no different from me leaving you forever. We’d be separate either way,” I say softly. I get up from the bed, ignoring the slight dizziness from fully standing up, and begin to walk towards him as I push my IV stand along.

 

 

“That’s why I’m a dummy too,” Mr. Kim mutters quietly at the ground. I see his eyes are wet with tears and I feel my heart aching at that. The shock I had seconds ago dies down as the desire to comfort him surges through me.

 

 

 

 

“Who says it’s your fault though?” I reach out to wipe away a tear from his cheek. Mr. Kim looks at me startled, like he didn’t expect my sudden touch, before his eyes turn soft.

 

“But it’s my mother who did it,” he says before ranting quickly, “But I also promise that I’ll make sure she’s punished for what she did. I won’t let her hurt you again. So please--”

 

“Shhh--” I hush him as I the side of his face. He immediately stops talking and I smile at him. I’ve never seen Mr. Kim so frantic.

 

“Will you really promise me that you won’t ever let me go? And that you’ll really love me until the day you die?” I challenge his earlier promises. His eyes stare into mine with such intensity that I almost look away.

 

 

“I promise,” he says, as he puts his large hand around mine on his face.

 

 

“And you promise you’re being honest in that you had no idea your mother wanted to get rid of me?” I ask once more. Now it’s me that’s making him make a whole lot of promises.

 

 

“If I knew, I would have done everything I could to stop it from happening,” he squeezes my hand.

 

 

“Okay then it’s settled,” I say with a smile. Mr. Kim furrows his eyebrows, puzzled, so I continue, “I’m not going to leave you. I’m going to stay right next to you and stick to you like a bug.”

 

 

“Then I’m honored,” Mr. Kim ends up smiling as well before another thought comes to me.

 

 

“But why did she want to get rid of me? If she’s so against me...then won’t that hurt your relationship with you mother?” I ask. Mr. Kim shakes his head, his eyes sad again.

 

 

“It’s true that she thought my relationship with you was harmful, but I proved her wrong. And I don’t care if she threatens my position as chairman either. I would choose you over anything,” he says. I raise my eyebrows at him.

 

 

“Are you sure?” my voice is cautious. I don’t want him to get on bad terms with his mother, and I certainly don’t want him to lose his job.

 

“A hundred percent. She’ll eventually come around to see that my choice is worth it,” he steps closer towards me. He then whispers, “I only need you,” before pressing my hand on his lips.

 

 

“Okay I’ll believe you,” I blush with a laugh as I start readying myself to reveal to him that my memories are back. I go on, “Because I don’t really have another option. I have to stay by your side.”

 

“Of course you do,” Mr. Kim says with a slight chuckle. I don’t think he’s getting at my plan to tell him I actually remember everything now.

 

“No, I mean I have to be with you,” I say more intently as I place my hand on his cheek again, forcing him to look at me. He looks at me with confused eyes.

 

“What are you trying to say?” he asks.

 

“I remember everything now,” I reply. He gives me a blank stare. Then his eyes grow large and his mouth opens.

 

“You...what?” he asks.

 

 

“I remember everything,” I repeat. And to prove my point, I add, “Daddy.”

 

 

 

 

“...” I awkwardly lower my hand from his face when he doesn’t say anything for a good minute. His eyes start to flutter rapidly and his lips slightly tremble. Is he in shock? Should I give him space? I start to step back when his hand wraps around my arm and pulls me towards him. In the blink of an eye, I’m in his warm embrace again, with his hot breath against my neck.

 

 

“You really remember everything now?” he asks in a low voice.

 

“Yeah,” I say back with a grin.

 

“Oh thank God,” Mr. Kim murmurs as he tightens his grip around me.

 

“I can’t...breathe, Mr. Kim,” I huff out when his squeeze becomes a little too unbearable. Mr. Kim immediately lets me go, but his hands are on my shoulders.

 

“Mr. Kim?” he repeats with a raised eyebrow. “You’re still going to call me that, after you just said your memory is back?” he pouts.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” I try to change the subject. I know what he’s getting at. But despite after regaining my memories, I think it’s still going to take a bit of time to get used to calling him...well, ‘daddy’ again.

 

“How can I be at work when my baby’s sick at a hospital?” Mr. Kim leans towards me so that I’m forced to look at him. “I literally ran here from work after getting a call.”

 

“So that’s why your hair is so nice,” I reach out to touch his nicely styled hair. He bends slightly towards me so I can play with his hair easier.

 

“Honestly, I wasn’t going to go to work today because I was couldn’t get my mind to stop worrying about you,” Mr. Kim tells me and soon shrugs, “But I had to finalize several contracts.”

 

“How professional,” I praise him as I his hair. He smiles at my touch before saying, “But I need my secretary back.”

 

“I miss the office too,” I say. He smiles even wider at that and I continue, “It’s only been a day but I miss my huge chair, the comfortable lounging room, and oh yes, Mr. Byun too.”

 

 

“Byun Baekhyun?” Mr. Kim’s smile dissolves and is replaced with a frown. “You what? Miss Byun Baekhyun?”

 

 

“He’s like my only friend there,” I laugh as I put my hand on his shoulder.

 

 

“Then why don’t you call your ‘friend’ to come see you if you miss him so much?” Mr. Kim turns away with a scoff. I bite my lip to prevent my giggles from spilling out.

 

 

“Oh come on. You know no one can compete against my daddy,” I tug on his arm. I my face into his and sweetly smile, “I missed you the most and you know that.”

 

 

Mr. Kim narrows his eyes at me but his lips are already forming a smile. I guess ‘daddy’ is the magic word now.

 

 

“Come here,” he turns back around and uses his strong arms to pull me in for a kiss. As soon as his warm lips meet mine, everything seems to fall in place. All my worries, tears, fears, and scars seem to melt away as I’m securely held in his firm embrace. Mr. Kim holds me tighter, our kiss being gentle but passionate. My own lips find their way around his and I soon find our breathing rhythmical and paced. With every movement of his lips, he assures me of his love for me and I find my arms resting on his broad chest, making it easy for me to feel his rapid heartbeat. After a few more moments of sweetness, Mr. Kim slowly pulls away, soon switching to a hug.  

 

“I love you, baby,” he murmurs into my hair.

 

“I love you too,” I say back.

 

 

***

 

 

I’m officially getting out of this stuffy hospital tomorrow morning and I can’t wait. No offense to Sung Kyung or anything, but four days at this place is quite difficult to bear. I want to go back to my regular lifestyle, and I’m more than ready to go home. To Mr. Kim.

 

But I’m not saying that because I miss him physically--in fact, the last few days, I’ve been stuck with him for more than I ever have. Not that I’m complaining at that, but he’s literally been coming here every day, bringing his work along. Each day he would sit on the couch near the window and work while occasionally glancing up at me to check if I needed anything. And I had to shove him out the door every night so that he can at least go sleep comfortably at his own home instead of on the couch here. I barely managed to succeed every time because of his constant, “But I’m more comfortable sleeping where you are.”

 

Thanks to him, Mom was able to return back home to her bakery, and Sung Kyung didn’t have to come as often as before. I think they trust Mr. Kim a little too much.

 

This very morning I woke up to the sound of Mr. Kim’s rather ferocious typing and he grinned sheepishly when I gave him a glare for coming so early.

 

 

“I mean I have to make sure you eat breakfast,” he cleared his throat. I rolled my eyes at his excuse but soon found myself getting up to give him a hug.

 

 

It’s now late evening but the sound of typing remains, filling the room. Mr. Kim’s still working right by me, with papers scattered on the coffee table, and I can’t help but wonder if the company is okay with him being absent for a few days straight. “Are you sure you can be out of the office for so long?” I ask.

 

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” he says with his eyes fixed on his laptop screen. His eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are narrow in concentration. I feel it’s best not to bother him.

 

“I’m going for a walk,” I say as I start to get up. It’s a lot easier when I no longer have to drag my IV stand along.

 

“Hm?” Mr. Kim finally looks up at me and starts to quickly arrange the scattered papers as he says, “Wait give me a second; let me go with you.”

 

“No, no,” I wave my hand at him to stay seated. He looks at me with a pout but I continue, “You keep working. I just need fresh air so the walk won’t be long anyway.”

 

Mr. Kim raises his eyebrows unconvinced but ends up nodding. “Take your phone in case anything happens, okay?” he tells me.

 

“I highly doubt anything’s going to happen but okay,” I reassure him before stepping out.

 

 

 

I walk out to a nearby bench, surrounded by luminous, heavy-blooming trees. The breeze takes strands of my hair to tickle my cheeks and I smile at the sight of children playing on a nearby playground. It’s almost fully dark now, and I see their parents trying to tell them it’s time to go home. I take multiple deep breaths and already my lungs feel so much more refreshed from staying in that closed hospital room.

 

I feel my phone vibrate, and I laugh at the text message that just arrived.

 

 

    [Guess who’s done with work now]

 

 

    It’s only been ten minutes since I’ve left him and he’s already texting me he’s done with work?

 

 

    [Already?]

 

 

    I text back. Within seconds, a reply arrives.

 

 

    [Yes, because I miss my baby “already.” Can you come up now? It’s rather dark outside.]

 

 

    I smile and quickly respond that I will. I take one last whiff of the crisp, evening air before getting up, realizing it’s definitely colder than ten minutes ago. I never realized the hospital clothes were this thin; I find myself shuddering every time the wind blows as I make my way towards the entrance.

 

 

    The hospital is always so busy, with doctors scrambling after patients in their long, white coats, and the sound of multiple telephones ringing constantly by the reception desk. I walk towards the elevators to go up to my room when I spot a familiar face by the vending machines.

 

    “Dr. Kim?” I lean towards him. He looks up surprised and smiles wearily at me.

 

    “Hello, Ms. (y/n). How are you doing?” he asks.

 

    “I’m doing okay. I can’t wait to go home,” I say honestly.

 

    “Yeah I bet,” he laughs, “You’re leaving tomorrow, right?”

 

    “Yes,” I nod. There’s a pause before I notice him eyeing the vending machine and I soon ask, “Do you want a drink?”

 

    “That would be nice, but I actually don’t have spare change,” Dr. Kim gives me an embarrassed chuckle as he runs his fingers through his hair. I reach into my pocket and soon find my coin purse that I always keep in case I want something...like a drink, in this case.

 

 

    “Which one do you want?” I fish out my purse. Dr. Kim’s eyes grow large as he shakes his head saying, “Oh no, I didn’t say that for you to buy me a drink.”

 

    “I know,” I slightly smile as I continue, “But I want to. You’ve done a lot for me here so it’s the least I can do. Take it as a token of my appreciation.”

 

    “Really?”

 

    “Yes, so choose one already,” I urge him. I can tell he’s been working hard lately with the dark creases occupying the space underneath his eyes. But I guess a free drink can strengthen even the tiredest person because his eyes soon light up as he scans the display of bottles and cans in the machine.

 

 

    “I’ll take this one!” he points to a clear colored energy drink. I nod and push a few coins into the machine. I press the button in alignment with the drink he picked and soon hear a thud as the drink drops down. I reach in the take out port and after grabbing the cold bottle, I hand it to Dr. Kim.

 

 

 

 

    “Thank you Ms. (y/n),” he grins at me as he makes a heart with his index and thumb. I smile back at him and he adds, “You’re the best; I’ll enjoy this.”

 

 

    “It’s my pleasure,” I shrug. His fingers are still a heart and I’m about to tell him he can stop now when a voice cuts through.

 

 

    “What are you doing?” It’s Mr. Kim. I stare at him puzzled. When did he come down?

 

 

   

 

 

    “Is that supposed to be a heart?” he scoffs in disbelief. I grab his arm when he begins to take a rather threatening step towards Dr. Kim.

 

    “I just bought him a drink to thank him,” I explain, but Mr. Kim’s narrowed eyes are fixed on Dr. Kim. Dr. Kim glances first at me, and then at Mr. Kim with a gulp. He lowers his hand and soon grips the drink I bought for him with both hands.

 

    “And I was thanking her for doing so,” he also explains.

 

    “That better be all,” Mr. Kim puts a hand around my shoulder and when Dr. Kim looks at us with raised eyebrows, his hand drops to my waist. “Because if that heart had other meanings behind it, you’re dead.”

 

    “Can you stop?” I say through clenched teeth. I grab my head in embarrassment as I see Dr. Kim’s flustered face. He nods slowly and I quickly wave, “Well see you, Dr. Kim!” before pushing Mr. Kim to the elevators.

 

 

 

    “Do you have to get so jealous and protective over every single male I talk to?” I ask as soon as the elevator doors close. I glare at Mr. Kim. He looks at me with an expressionless face.

 

    “Yes, because all the males you talk to keep you from coming to me and try to flirt with you using stupid hearts,” he says. His hand hasn’t left my waist, and when I try to pull away, he only pulls me closer.

 

    “Okay, I’m sorry it was taking me long to come up, but we were not flirting,” I emphasize the word ‘not.’ When he doesn’t respond I then add, “And why are you so close to me? What if someone comes in?”

 

    “Then they’ll know you belong to me by seeing my hand right here,” he tightens his grip around me and I sigh in defeat. I’m now able to remember how Mr. Kim’s always been this way: jealous, hot-tempered, and used to winning. Even when I’d talk to male classmates back in high school, he’d get super protective. But then again, this is a side I love about him too.

 

 

    The elevators open and we step out. I grab his hand on my waist and interlace my fingers with his, so that we’re holding hands as we walk to my room. He grins at that.

 

    Mr. Kim might be over protective and known for doing things his way, but he’s also easy to please. Another side I love about him.

 

 

    “Aren’t you leaving?” I ask him when he sits on the bed. We’re now in my room and I expected him to start packing up his things to head on home.

 

    “It’s not even that late,” his voice has a slight whine but I choose to ignore it.

 

 

“Aren’t you tired?” I walk over to close the curtains but stop as my eyes take in the gorgeous night city view. I end up admiring the bright lights when I feel Mr. Kim’s arms wrap around me from the back.

 

“Why do you keep trying to send me home so soon?” he whines in my ear, “Why don’t you ever let me stay the night?”

 

“Because I want you to sleep comfortably at your own home on your own bed,” I answer as I lean into his body.

 

“I already told you that I’m most comfortable where you are,” he says in a low voice as he begins to sway with me in his arms. I slightly laugh and I soon feel his lips on the curve of my neck. I tense up as he begins to leave a trail of kisses and I hear him whisper in between pecks, “Are you going to say ‘no’ to tonight too, baby?”

 

“I don’t know,” I reply as I squirm to break free of his grasp. My heart’s beating a little too fast right now.

 

“So is that a ‘yes?’” Mr. Kim looks at me expectantly, brows raised.

 

“I mean, I’m leaving tomorrow morning anyway,” I rub the back of my neck, unsure if I want to say yes.

 

“Perfect. Then I can sleep with you tonight and we can leave first thing tomorrow morning,” he grins at his perfect “plan.”

 

“Fine,” I give in. Mr. Kim’s grin grows wider as he begins to take off his jacket. “What are you doing?” I ask him.

 

“I mean I have to get comfortable to sleep,” he says nonchalantly before making his way to the bed.

 

“Oh, so you want me to sleep on the couch?” I point to the couch, because it’s obviously impossible for me to sleep on the single sized bed if he’s planning to take it. Mr. Kim freezes for a second and soon comes towards me. He takes me by the arm and pulls me onto the bed with him. It’s so small that we have to be hugging each other to fully fit. I try to tell him this is ridiculous and start to get up, but he yanks me closer towards him as he pulls the covers over us. I can never win against him.

 

 

 

“Should we ask Sung Kyung for another silver packet?” Mr. Kim’s low voice reaches my ears after several minutes have passed. Silver packet? What is he...oh. My thoughts go back to that day Mr. Kim accidentally found a in my purse. But I never told him it was from Sung Kyung.

 

“I never said it was from her,” I cough a little as my face starts heating up.

 

“But it was, right?” Mr. Kim chuckles and when I don’t answer he repeats, “So should we ask? Or I can go buy some right now.”

 

“What are you talking about? Why do you need one?” I ask in a louder voice than intended. I knew it was a bad idea to let him stay the night.

 

“It’s been so long since I’ve been with my baby until this late. I can’t help it,” he responds with a pout and I’m soon staring into his puppy dog eyes. But I shake my head.

 

“Please, baby?” he pleads as he moves a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.

 

“We’re at a hospital,” I plead back. He then stares at me for a while, his lips still forming a small pout.

 

“Okay then I’ll wait another day until we’re out of this stinkin’ hospital,” he finally says with a huff. I ignore the mention of just “another day” and smile at his agreement. But I also secretly sigh in relief as I try to calm my racing heart. That was a little too dangerous and I can’t believe he would think of doing something like that in a hospital room.

 

 

When he’s finally asleep, I spend a good hour or so staring into his face; tracing every line and shape with the tip of my finger. It’s hard to believe that such a good looking man is mine. I smile and thank the stars as I drift off into sleep, warm in Mr. Kim’s close embrace.

 

 

***

 

 

    The following morning I change into my regular clothes Mom brought for me the last time she came and I begin to clean up the room, making sure I’m not forgetting anything.

 

 

    “Ready to go?” I turn to see Sung Kyung by the door. I smile and walk towards her. She spreads her arms out and I quickly wrap my arms around her. I feel her arms hugging me back.

 

    “Yes, thank you,” I thank her for all she’s done for me. She’s been my physical, mental, and emotional support.

 

    “Don’t you dare worry me again,” she squeezes me as she mutters, “I better not see you again as my patient.”

 

    “But you’re the only doctor I trust,” I squeeze her harder and she laughs, “I’m honored but I really don’t want you hurt again.”

 

    “I’ll try,” I say with a grin. We release each other and she ruffles my hair.

 

    “Well call when you get home, okay?” she pauses before asking, “Is Kim Junmyeon taking you home?”

 

    “Yeah,” I nod.

 

    “Are you still staying at his place?” she questions. I nod again. She sighs and reminds me, “Make sure you keep what I gave you at all times.”

 

 

    My face heats up immediately as I remember Mr. Kim’s words last night and silently pray he’s not going to bring up that matter again tonight at his home.

 

 

    “Okay,” I peep. Sung Kyung gives me a pat as she coos, “Good girl.” She then looks around the room, “Where is Kim Junmyeon anyway?”

 

    “Right here,” I hear his voice behind her and she turns around to face him. “Ready?” he asks me as he walks over to take my packed bags on the table. I nod.

 

    “Take good care of her, okay?” Sung Kyung eyes him as she gives me another pat. Mr. Kim rolls his eyes as he says, “I don’t need you telling me that.”

 

    “See you, Sung Kyung,” I give her one last hug before Mr. Kim and I walk out.

 

    “Take care,” I hear her voice behind us. I wave at her and quickly follow Mr. Kim into the elevator.

 

 

    We leave the hospital and even though I wanted to say bye to Dr. Kim, I couldn’t because of Mr. Kim. It’s only now when we’re driving away to his place that he finally looks relaxed. I’m about to ask him if he’s not tired from the tight, uncomfortable position he slept in when my phone rings. It’s Mom.

 

 

    “Mom,” I answer. Mr. Kim glances at me.

 

    “Did you leave the hospital?” she asks. I can hear voices over the call, and I realize she’s at her bakery with customers buzzing.

 

    “Yes I did.”

 

    “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there when you left, but I never imagined it to be so busy around here,” her voice drips with apologeticness.

 

    “That’s alright,” I assure her.

 

    “Are you with Junmyeon?” she asks.

 

    “Yeah he’s here,” I answer after side glancing him. He raises an eyebrow.

 

    “Oh let me talk to him; give him the phone,” Mom says and I’m already worried she’s going to attack him with whatever she plans to tell him. “Come on,” she urges. I sigh and hand Mr. Kim the phone. Since he’s driving, I quickly pull out earbuds to connect to the phone and pop one into his ear. That way he can talk easier.

 

 

    “Hi Mom,” he says casually and I stare at him wide-eyed. Did I hear him right? Mom?

 

    “Yes of course,” he laughs and I’m straining to hear what they’re talking about. I should’ve just had them talk in speaker mode.

 

    “Okay. Talk to you soon,” he says before taking the ear bud out of his ear. I eye him.

 

    “Since when did this ‘Mom’ thing happen?” I ask as I snatch my phone back. He shrugs at me, “It’s a secret.”

 

 

    I feel a little betrayed at that, but I decide not to question it further. I mean, it’s good if they’re on good terms...even if it’s a little too good. I never imagined him calling Mom…”Mom.” I then wonder if there will ever be a time where I’m able to be that close to his mother too.

 

 

    Mr. Kim drops me off at his place and looks at me with eyes full of sorry, “I have to go to the company today to arrange several matters, but you go ahead and rest up.”

 

    “I’m sorry for being such a bad secretary,” I apologize and Mr. Kim shakes his head with a soft smile, “No, you rest up. Not worrying me is enough to be a good secretary. I’ll see you soon.”

 

***

 

 

    By the time Mr. Kim comes back, it’s already dinner time. After eating a simple dinner together, we spend the rest of the evening cuddling up for a movie. But something’s a little off. From the moment Mr. Kim sat down to eat dinner, he’s been in some sort of daze. I even had to call him multiple times to get him to come join me on the couch for a movie. It’s like he’s mentally somewhere else. I glance at his face, and sure enough, he looks like he’s thinking about something else. He hasn’t even laughed or reacted at the funny parts in this movie.

 

    “What are you thinking about?” I decide to bring up the matter.

 

    “What? Nothing,” Mr. Kim clears his throat, and I notice his cheeks are slightly pink.

 

    “It’s obviously not nothing,” I lean towards him and he looks away, his ears the same color as his cheeks.

 

    “Come on, tell me,” I pull on his sleeve and he quickly gets up saying, “Wait here.”

 

 

    I blindly nod, as he walks into his room. I’m so confused at what is happening and turn off the TV as I wait for him. Wait a minute. I hope this isn’t about silver packets or anything like that. I’m not ready for that. I begin to come up with a list of excuses to avoid that situation when I hear a click. I turn around to see Mr. Kim step out of his room.

 

 

 

    “...what is this?” I ask with a gasp. I take in his jet black suit, neat and wrinkleless. He smiles shyly at me as he makes his way towards me. His hair is still down, but flawless nonetheless. His hands wrap around my shoulders as he gently sits me down.

 

Then he kneels.

 

I gasp.

 

 

 

 

    “I wanted to make this formal and memorable, but I also wanted to do this as soon as possible,” he begins as he looks up and stares into my wide eyes. He then reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small, red box. My mouth opens even wider. “Please forgive daddy for being too sudden, but…”

 

 

   

 

 

    “Will you be my baby forever by marrying me?”

 

 

 

The question he asked echoes in my ear and I’m screaming inside. I’ve only imagined what it feels like when women get proposed to but words cannot describe what I’m feeling now.

 

 

    “Will you?” Mr. Kim repeats when I just sit there with my mouth hanging open. I see his eyes pleading and hands slightly trembling as they hold the box. Even the ring inside is as beautiful as his proposal.

 

 

    “Of course I will,” I finally manage to say, my hand covering my mouth. Mr. Kim lets out a sigh of relief before taking the ring out and pushing it through my finger. He smiles and pulls me up with him, once again wrapping me in his arms.

 

 

    “Thank you,” he says softly in my ear. I wrap my own arms around him and say, “No, thank you.”

 

 

    “I’ll promise I’ll love you forever,” Mr. Kim whispers and I laugh. “Will you promise me the same?” he slowly pulls away and holds me at arms length as he holds out his pinkie.

 

 

    “Is that even a question?” I lock my pinkie with his without hesitation. I’ve lost count of the number of promises we’ve made for each other, but it doesn’t matter. I’d promise anything for the man I love. And his warm, soft eyes are telling me he’d do the same.

 

 

    “I love you daddy,” I say.

 

 

Right now, that’s all I can think of saying. And in reward, I get a kiss that assures me that he loves me just as much.

 

 

I can't wait for what our future holds--here's to more memories and more promises.

 

 

***

 

---

Author's Notes:

 

More than 10,000 words?! Is the author insane? Yes she is.

 

Oi...that...was quite the chapter... I wasn't kidding when I said the last chapter of Suho is going to be long, right?

 

But I think our Kim Suho deserves this long chapter before he goes (and trust me, I had a lot of fun writing this story in particular-even if it might not be that fun to read XD)

 

 

WELL IT IS FINISHED--THANK YOU TO ALL MY KIM JUNMYEON'S BABIES WHO HAVE STUCK WITH ME UNTIL THE END; I LOVE YOU ALL<3

 

I also want to thank Mr. Kim himself and this story (for not dying on me)^^

 

As we say our farewells to Mr. KIM SUHO (AKA DADDY), let's start getting ready to meet Mr. MIN SUGA of BTS next!!!

 

I'm going to warn you beforehand that for Yoongi's story, I decided to try a whole new genre...so it might come off as boring.

But I'd really appreciate it if you still gave him (and me LOLS) a chance.

 

All in all, thank you once again and I hope you have a fantastic week!

 

See you soon:)

 

<3 <3 <3