Author's note: For the sake of continuation, I put another chapter from the “past” timeline here. This might be the last chapter from that timeline and we shall be only moving forward with Jinwoo's illness in future chapters. I hope this slight change doesn't confuse any of you. Enjoy. ^_^

Chapter 10

“No. No. No. You don't get to say that. Not when you've got girls all over you all the time.”

“They are my fans! I never enjoy their closeness.”

“Same difference, Kwon Jiyong. The people you just arrogantly drove out our home are my friends! You have no right!”

“Oh, I do.” Jiyong, hands on his hips, glared at his wife. “I'm your husband, Kim Taeyeon! When I told you to stop inviting your friends to my crib, you stop!”

He was fuming. A few minutes ago he had come home to a group of people huddling over sketches on the living room. It would have been fine if not all of them are men. If one of them hadn't appeared to be so close to Taeyeon. If that one hadn't whispered to her ear and made her laugh. If Jiyong hadn't had to sit in the kitchen with a bottle of beer in hand, watching them having fun in his apartment like he was invisible.

“Right. This is your apartment.” Turning on her heels, Taeyeon walked away. “I forgot that nothing in this place belongs to me. Not even my freedom to chose acquitances!”

“Great! Walk away! Every time I try to talk some sense into you, you walk away!”

“Don't worry. You don't have to talk some sense into me anymore after tonight!” She yelled from under the threshold of their bedroom.

“Taeyeon! Come back here! I said come back here!”

She didn't even throw a look, gone behind the slammed door leaving Jiyong seething alone. He threw the beer in his hand to the bin but missed by a few inches. The green bottle hit the floor, clattered as it shattered.

Jiyong knew he shouldn't be this angry, completely aware that at some points in the past he had been the one who had urged Taeyeon to get some fun. This, however, was completely different than his vision of fun. He hadn't put into account that Taeyeon might meet new people. That those people would actually look more fun around her than himself.

He hated himself. He hated this situation.

Opening the fridge, he grabbed another bottle and chugged the content in one go. Everything felt so upsetting these days. Every word he said came out wrong. Every attempt to fix it resulted in more fights.

Why couldn't they come back to those sweet days? Days when her laugh was reserved for him only. Days when smiling was so easy when he had her around. They fight so often now. Too often they shared a bed no more.

And Jinwoo? His Jinwoo. The poor boy was stuck in between. Jiyong had always tried not to get angry in front of their son. He also knew Taeyeon tried hard to shield the boy from their discord. Yet he could see it in Jinwoo's eyes every time. Fear. Disappointment.

Sometimes, he even thought he saw hatred on Jinwoo's eyes.

Hatred. His own son hated him. In Jinwoo's eyes, Jiyong could see himself turn into his own father.

Jiyong threw the bottle again, this time into the sink. The loud noise it made filled the kitchen but done nothing to the void in Jiyong's heart.

He walked to Jinwoo's room, wanting to see his boy sleep, wanting to feel that tiny ray of happiness shine upon his dark mood again.

The boy didn't sleep.

Jinwoo was on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Hands covering both ears, the boy's chest rose and fell as he sobbed.

“Jinwoo.” Jiyong opened the door wider. “Jinwoo, did you hear all that?”

“Don't hurt mommy, daddy. Don't hurt her.”

Jiyong's steps halted a few inches from the bed. He saw it, the tears wetting Jinwoo's cheek. The streak on the pillows. The boy must have been crying for a while.

“Don't fight with her, daddy. Please. Stop.” Jinwoo turned his head, blinking away tears as he begged.

Those eyes contained so much pain Jiyong unconsciously stepped back. In front of him was the image of disappointment he tried hard to avoid. It was like looking into a mirror, like seeing his young-self crying over his neglecting father.

Guilt and shame froze Jiyong on his spot. His hands trembled.

“Oh, baby. Don't cry.” Words and shadow passed him by and before Jiyong could register anything Taeyeon already threw herself over Jinwoo and hugged the boy tight.

“I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you have to hear all that.” She showered the boy with kisses, tears in her eyes. “Come on, let's go. No more of this. I promise.”

“Taeyeon?” The ice around and inside him broke the moment Jiyong realized that Taeyeon has her suitcase ready outside the door.

“Mommy?” Jinwoo's turn to ask now. The boy sat up on his bed, stared bewilderedly at his mother.

“Come on, go get one of your favorite toys. We're leaving.” Taeyeon was already in front of Jinwoo's closet, stuffing clothes into a backpack.

“Where, mommy? Where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here.” For a fleeting second, Taeyeong looked back at Jiyong. “This apartment belongs to your father. He'll probably happier if we're not here making noises, bothering him.”

“Taeyeon, come on.” his lip, Jiyong walked toward his wife.

“Don't you dare to stop me.” She turned to look at him again, backpack in hand, anguish burning in her eyes. “You said it yourself, this is your place. I gotta get out of here if I can't follow your rules. This is me, getting out of your dear crib and taking my son with me.”

“Taeyeon, please. I didn't mean it.”

“You never meant anything, Ji. Not when you said I should live my life. Not when you said you'll be here for us.” She handed the backpack to their son. “Go get your jacket and wait for me in the living room, okay baby?”

“But mommy...”

“Wait in the living room, Kwon Jinwoo.”

At the mention of his full name, Jinwoo caved in. Jiyong watched in pain as their son dragged the backpack out of the room, hugging his favorite rocket lego to his chest.

“Taeyeon I didn't mean it. Come on, I'm probably drunk right now. Can you not be so sensitive?”

“No. I can't. I have to be sensitive for my son. This better be the last time he saw us arguing. Hell, he should have never seen us arguing. He's 7, goddamnit.”

“Let's... let's just sleep on this for tonight, Taeyeon. Let's talk again with clearer minds tomorrow.” His hand reached for hers. Panic rose in him upon facing the fact that Taeyeon and Jinwoo are leaving.

She stepped away. “My mind is clear, Kwon Jiyong. You're the one who has too many booze running in your blood.”

“Please...”

“I'll be back again at ten tomorrow for the rest of our stuff, please don't be home then, I'll leave my keys with Dave.”

“Taeyeon...”

“Goodnight.”

Despite the loud music banging from the speaker on each corner of the room. Among all the pretty faces and vivid colors in the club. He noticed her first.

He noticed her sly smile.

There, by the jukebox in the corner, all alone with a bottle of beer in hand, stood a very stunning girl.

Jiyong, half-empty bottle of vodka in hand, danced his way toward the girl. Her bright hair, red lipstick, and sensual lips called him closer. So get closer he did, sneering at her as if he was a lion and she was a helpless prey.

“The jukebox is broken.” She remarked with a smoky voice, sounded nothing like a helpless prey.

“I know.” He moved his body to the beat. Only thin air separated him with the red mini dress she was wearing. “I come here to dance.”

“I see.” She started moving too, slowly as if her body was made of fluid. “Me too.”

“What's your name?” He asked, taking another swig of his favorite drink.

“Rose, maybe.” The girl smirked, lifting her hands over her head in one sensual flow.

“Hi, Maybe. Nice to meet you.”

“Hi, GD. Nice to meet you too.”

“You know my name?”

“It's in the invitation” She stated cooly.

“I didn't remember inviting a girl named Maybe.”

Her laughs sounded so fake but Jiyong cared not. He pressed closer and closer, almost kissed those lips before someone grabbed him from behind.

“Eyyyy, Kwon Jiyong.” Tabi put his hand around Jiyong, taking the bottle from the drunken man. “You meet a new girl and didn't introduce me? How rude.”

Jiyong laughed. “Her name is Maybe, Rose Maybe.”

Tabi laughed too, pulling Jiyong away. “Nice to meet you, Rosie. I'm Tabi. My friend here can be such an when he's drunk, let me save you from all the trouble he might cause later.”

“I don't mind a little trouble.” The girl smirked, still dancing to the beat. “You can join in our trouble too, Tabi.”

“Nooo.” Tabi laughed, taking another step back bringing Jiyong with him. “We can't afford trouble. We have practice races ahead right? The great GD?”

“Oh, we can have trouble for tonight." Shrugging Tabi's hand away, Jiyong came closer to the girl once more. "What's the use of winning another national if we can wind up for a day or two?”

“Hahahaha. Nope. No more winding up for you tonight, buddy!” Tabi yanked Jiyong by the arm. “Come on, let's get you somewhere you won't regret once you're sober.”

With his best friend literally dragged him out of the club, Jiyong had no choice. He let Tabi pushed him into the passenger side of his car, feeling the world spin a little as his head fell on the leather headrest.

“Such a killjoy, Tabi. Killjoy.”

“Whatever, man. I'm driving you home. Keys?”

“There's no home, Tabi. Only empty apartment reeking with sadness.”

“Reeking with alcohol, you dumb. Keys! Now!”

Jiyong handed his keys, staring out hollowly at the quiet parking lot. “Tell me what else am I supposed to do when my wife left me, my son hated me?”

“I don't know, trying to win them back maybe?” Tabi put the key into the ignition, getting the car out of the parking lot in one swift move before speeding on the night street. “They love you. I know it. You know it. Everybody knows it. You just don't know how to love them back.”

“What do you know about love, Tabi? You're not exactly a role-model of stable relationship yourself.” Jiyong laughed again, pushing the lever by the seat so he could fully recline. “You are a divorcee.”

“The fact that I failed once doesn't mean I'm blind. It only means I've learned to see better.”

“Yeah? What do you see in my future, the great Tabi? A divorce too?”

“Yes, if you keep acting like a moron.”

“Man, you just implied that you're a moron.”

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