"Hey."

Sehun frowned at the voice, knowing whom it belonged to. Clicking his tongue, he moved his face to the other side, refusing to wake up just yet. Wrapping his arms protectively around Minji, he snuggled in the warmth. His back ached but that was fine.

"Sehun."

Wendy poked him in the stomach, "Wake up. We need to talk."

Sehun opened his eyes, greeted by the rays of the sun seeping through the curtains. Emitting a sigh, he turned to look at Wendy who had her arms folded as she watched the daughter and the father. "Hi," her monotonous tone foreshadowed the fact that he was going to get it from her.

"You came," Sehun rubbed his eyes before attempting to untangle from Minji. The girl only held him close, using his chest as to sleep on rather than on her pillow. He smiled at the girl, patting her back, "Minji-ah."

"Mommy," He heard her whisper as she slid down to her side slowly. Sehun frowned, caressing her face as he guided her head to the pillow properly. Sitting up, he pressed a long kiss on her nape, patting her back to sleep.

"Sehun," Wendy's serious voice was all too scary. Sehun almost didn't want to wake up. "I bought breakfast. Brush your teeth. Go," Wendy pushed him out of Minji's bed, making him click his tongue. He didn't want to be nagged at from the beginning of the day. But Wendy was Wendy and she would always nag. The girl pushed him into his room, and then into his bathroom, letting him go only to squeeze the paste on his toothbrush for him. Sehun sighed, leaning against the wall, still sleepy. "You have so much to tell me, Oh Sehun."

Sehun resented that voice, it only alerted him that there would be a volcanic eruption from Son Wendy, he will be badly guilt tripped, she would complain about how he was always wrong and then ask herself why she still remained his friend. Sehun would just sit there, bat his eyelashes at her, wait til she'd stop before starting his part. They'd be in an argument for two days before they'll make up again. That's how they were from high school.

Wendy was rather busy these days. With the new branch of her business opening in only a few days, she was rather out of reach. Her coming down to his house at such a hectic time told him how shook she was with the news.

Wendy handed him the toothbrush, Sehun asked her to get out but she only rolled her eyes at him, stayed glued behind him, leaning against the wall. "I kind of want to strangle you at the moment but then I don't know what happened so I'm restraining myself," she made it sound like that wasn't a threat to his life. Sehun shut his droopy eyes before opening them again. "Did you do something to her? Why would she disappear just like that?"

"Have you seen the news?" Sehun grumbled with the bubbles in his mouth, arching a brow at Wendy. "Why do you think it was because of me that she left? For once, I want to talk first, Wendy," he send a look at her, "This is not a joke and I'm tired of you all blaming me."

Wendy sighed, leaving him alone eventually. Sehun wanted to throw things at the mirror, make him look broken like he was in actuality. He would never like to pretend that he was fine. He wanted to show her that he wasn't. He wanted someone to go up to her and tell her he was doing terrible without her. He could care less if people made fun of him but he wanted her to know he was just miserable without her; so that she came back. 

"You talk first," Wendy nodded at him at the breakfast table, only the two of them, with no food in the middle, no Sarang cooking the omelettes for him, no more jokes about fixing his tie around his neck, no more calling him a twelve-year-old. Sehun sighed, fishing his phone out, "Hey--"

"Just calling in sick," he interjected, voice so weak. "I am, in a sense."

Wendy waited for him to put the phone down. Once he did, she restrained herself from starting again. She knew how much Sehun hated that. "You've seen the news? There was Sarang in it," he said, nonchalantly. Wendy nodded. "Well, she left because...she has duties to fulfill. It's not her age to look after children or clean the house, Wendy."

"What happened exactly? I knew something was fishy, the way you acted around her in the beginning. You two were so awkward."

"About that...Uncle Kim used to be a friend of both her parents. He decided to help Sarang to get her house back but Sarang had nothing to pay with. She agreed to this method of payment. To look after Minhye and Minji til she got her house back. That's it, trust me," Sehun sighed, "But, it's never so easy when feelings get involved. You know what I'm talking about?"

"I don't, trust me, Sehun," Wendy sighed in frustration. "I don't understand. Why would you get married to her? You could just ask her to be a temporary babysitter for your daughters. What was the purpose of you two getting married?"

"I did so...so that if we're ever seen together, outside...we c-could simply say that we're married. It would've blocked thousands of questions from us and that's what I wanted. I am so tired of people prying and I know she is too. Wendy, she lost her parents."

"But she says you two are friends. I clearly heard her in the TV, referring to you as a very friendly man," Wendy air-quoted the last bit and Sehun's face darkened. He looked down at the table, not having an answer for that. "She could just say you two got married and then you had a divorce."

"She's just twenty, Wendy. Why do you think people would believe her?"

"Why would people believe that a twenty-year-old married you then?"

"Wendy, stop," Sehun buried his face in his hands. "That's enough. I-I...it's difficult because we've taken things so far and she's gone. I feel like the sky is falling on my head." He gulped, keeping himself from saying anymore. Wendy could shout at him all she wanted but he wanted no questions. He didn't have any answer.

"You...loved her?"

"I still do," he replied. That was probably the only question he had an answer to at the moment. Wendy's face hardened. "It was not hard to fall for her, just so you know. I didn't even have to try and it just happened. You know, the way she takes care of Minji and Minhye, it almost feels like she's family. She has a woman in her even though she's so young... sorry, I'm just blabbering."

He curled up even more, looking down at the floor between his legs. "Then why don't you...go after her? Now that you know you love her--"

"I told you she doesn't belong here," Sehun cut in with a weak glare, "Sarang...Sarang is not meant for me. I'm a broken soul, she doesn't need me."

"Will you please stop talking in your poetic riddles?" Wendy huffed in frustration. "I don't know anything that happened between you two. But what about your daughters? How long will this go on? Aren't you afraid Minhye would do something that you might regret? Bring her back, you ing idiot."

"Wendy," Sehun sent her a glare, asking her not to curse.

"They're asleep and I feel like cursing at you because you're so dumb!"

"Wendy, stop!" Sehun exclaimed at her, finally shutting her up. He felt the silence thicken. Wendy glared at him, he looked her in the same way before dropping the gaze in some seconds. He didn't want an issue between them when he was already in some deep . "Look, let's not fight. She's gone. That's it. Let it be how it is now. We'll be fine."

"I know you won't. Minji won't, Minhye won't," Wendy stood up to grab herself a glass of water. "Have you told Auntie? Any idea how she'd feel when she'd see it for herself that Sarang is gone?"

Sehun shook his head as Wendy passed him the glass, fetching another one for herself. "Can you not try, Sehun?"

Sehun darted his eyes to her, keeping those on her for so long, even though Wendy was rather used to those. She stared back, expecting an answer but all he did was stand up and leave. His footsteps thundered on the stairs and he slammed the door to his room. Wendy sighed, finishing her glass of water.

"Auntie."

Wendy instantly looked to her side when she heard that. "Ah, Hee. Breakfast?"

"Yes..." Minhye mumbled, sitting down on the chair her father had been sitting on. "I think I have an idea."

"From?"

"RidgeSon, ma'am."

Sarang looked up from her paper, dropping the pen on the wooden desk. She had been doing her homework that Wendy had asked her to do. Too bad she'd never get to submit those. "D-Did you say...RidgeSon?" She arched her brows. The man handed her the peach invitation card with a nod of his head. Sarang took it with shaky hands. "Did you read through it?"

"Ma'am, it's for you," He said. "It will be wrong if I open your letters."

"Fine, you can go," Sarang curiously blinked at the object she held in her hand,. The man nodded, turning his back to her and going for the door. "Oh," Sarang called him back, not letting him assume that she was way too bossy for her age, "Thanks for bringing it to me. Will you be leaving now?"

"My shift is over but I would stay if you need me to, Ms. Kim," he said with a modest look.

Sarang nodded, "No, it's fine, Mark. You can leave." Her fingers itched to open the letter but she had to put her best side in front of her father's employees. "You did well today. Thank you so much."

Mark chuckled, lightly, loosening up. "I'll be leaving then." Sarang nodded, waiting for him to close the door after him. Her mind raced as she took in the little details of the invitation card. Simple but so elegant. She traced the surface with her finger, wondering why Wendy would send that to her. Did she not hate her already?

Gulping, she slowly opened the letter. She was afraid of the content. She peeked in, bringing out the stiff paper from the inside. It was an invitation to the opening of her new store in Myeongdong. She was cordially requested to be present. Along with it came an RSVP card. Sarang quirked her brows. What was Wendy trying to do? What if she was calling her there to only humiliate her?

Sarang trusted Wendy. Wendy would never be capable of doing anything bad to her. She knew Sehun would make her understand that she just had to leave. There was no other way. She wanted to assume that Wendy just wanted to see her, that's all. Pressing her eyelids together, Sarang let out a deep breath. She wanted to attend and be there for Wendy; hoping she'd get to see him too. But that was just a wishful thinking. He'd not want to be involved with her again. He was a busy man. They were better off separate.

She left the card on her desk as she stood up. On a second though, she opened the last drawer of her desk, placing the card on top of those documents. Once done, she grabbed her coat, turning the lights of as she went for the door. Leaning against it, she stopped to look at the sky. One of the many reasons she liked this office of her parents was the window that started from the ceiling and ended on the floor. The skyline looked amazing in the dark. It was as if someone had taken a handful of glitter and splashed them on the city. The buildings were coming to life as the sun was going deeper down the horizon.

She looked at the time, wondering if Sehun was home already. It was near the time that he would be. Once again, she realized thinking about him was like a part of her every second. And she wondered if she should hate that he was always at the back of her mind. With a sigh, she walked out, locking the door on her way. "I'm going home," she informed Mr. Lee on the way, "I've got homework."

"Hmm. Good night," the man nodded, completely emersed in the papers he half in his hand. Sarang nodded, sprinting towards the elevator, yearning to go home as quickly as possible. The sudden change of routine was overwhelming for her. She wanted to go back to the simple life she led even two days ago.

It was hard to eat alone, with no chatter at the table, no daily updates from her mother or father. Sarang had always liked listening to them talking within themselves, leaving her out. There was a serenity in the couple that she found nowhere. The dining table was lonely, to big for her alone. Sarang poked her food, sighing and sighing. Wishing Minji was there to tell her one of her stoires. Or Minhye who'd tell her about what she did in school that day. And Sehun's mere presence would do.

But at the end of the day, she went back to her old bedroom, hugged her pillow to sleep, remembering the nights she had spent at that house, in between Minji and Minhye, both hugging her to sleep. Sarang would wonder if Sehun was kissing them good