“Oh no, no. I can drive myself.” Chaewon said as they stepped out of the restaurant. Sehun’s eyes narrowed briefly.

“Are you sure? It’s a bit of a drive back to downtown.” Hyejin said softly.

“She brought a driver with her.” Sehun spoke again, his eyes still on her.

“It’s fine. Joohyuk asked me to buy this..thing for him before going home.” She reasoned, Sehun paused.

“I’ll call for the driver, excuse me.” Hyejin said before leaving the two, she stepped out through the doors.

“Really?” Chaewon sighed at him, Sehun blinked at her, clueless.

“Ya, how could you act like that? In front of her?”

“Act? What~”

“Sehun-ah, we agreed not to tell her, right? I mean, keeping her out of it. Our past.”

That made Sehun stop, his forehead crumpled.

“Unnie doesn’t know, and from the way I see it, she really does seem to be genuinely interested in you.”

“What are you talking about?” Sehun was getting annoyed.

“You didn’t have to act like that. I can take care of my food. No matter how fishy the smell is.” She explained, Sehun exhaled.

“That’s it?” He asked her.

“Sehun~”

Hyejin’s car rolled into the front, Chaewon followed his gaze.

“You’re overthinking things. Well, that’s your forte.” Sehun said to her, Chaewon shook her head.

“I’m just saying, she might see through us, Sehun. Look, I’m glad we’re…trying to be friends again, but this~”

“I have to go. See you at the next meeting.” Sehun said before walking away from her.

Chaewon watched as Sehun got inside the waiting Mercedes, Hyejin rolled down the windows and gave her a wave. She smiled back before asking for the valet for her car.

“Wait, why do I feel bad? I didn’t do anything wrong.” She muttered to herself before heading out.

“Chaewon-ah!” Changwook felt relief wash over him as he saw the girl walked in the foyer.

“Auntie!” Hwan ran to her.

“Where were you? How was the site inspection?” He asked as Chaewon lifted the toddler in her arms.

“It went well.”

“Where did you eat? I called your sec~”

“I had lunch out, oppa. Have you seen Joohyuk?”

“He was here earlier, Kai and him were kind enough to help us with Hwan today.”

Chaewon paused, Hwan kissed her cheek before asking to let down.

“You let them what?”

“Kai offered to watch over Hwan today, Hyebin wasn’t feeling well. And, then Joohyuk also came over, Hwan really had fun. Your boyfriend has passed the test.” Changwook chuckled before patting her hand.

“I just can’t believe you let two kids watch over your kid.” Chaewon murmured before heading up to her room.

“She’s home?” Hyebin appeared from the kitchen.

“Yeah, I think lunch with Sehun went well.” Changwook whispered, Hwan was already running away from his nanny, not wanting to be bathed.

“I just hope this doesn’t backfire on you.” Hyebin mused as they walked towards the living room.

“That sounds better than Chaewon finding out that father has been trying to reach her. Again.”

“I still think…No, I believe she should find out, you know. The truth about everything. That concerns me a lot.” Hyebin said softly, Changwook exhaled and nodded.

"What do you think will happen if Chaewon finds out father shot Sehun and that resulted him to being admitted for rehab? What do you think she'll do once she realizes that Sehun probably didn't want to leave her but our father made sure he would never appear before her again?" The eldest Ji stated.

"Chaewon now...The Chaewon we know isn't the same one back then. She's stronger and smarter. Your father should worry over that instead of trying to reach you two again." Hyebin nodded.

“It wouldn’t be this messy if only he let them be.”

“Hi, so what’s up?”

Chaewon reached for the face towel and wiped the water from her face.

“I’ve been calling you. Are you home?” She yawned, Joohyuk was on loud speaker.

“I am. How was your day?” He chuckled, Chaewon rolled her eyes.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She said sharply as she padded towards her bed.

“Oh come on, J.Won. How was lunch with the ex and his current flame?” He said teasingly, Chaewon leaned back and shook her head.

“It was…weird, I wanted to ground to swallow me whole.”

“That bad?”

“Sashimi, Joohyuk. Raw fish.” She muttered, the male guffawed.

“And then Sehun swoops in, acting as if nothing happens. He acts as if…as if we’re back the way before, which we aren’t.”

“Chaewon, what are saying? You said you agreed to be friends with him.”

“I know that, but, Joohyuk-ah, he was helping me with my food, even eating from my plate right in front of his new...flame. How do you expect me to react to this?”

Joohyuk grew quiet.

“You’re worried because of what his new flame might think?”

“Of course, I am. Hyejin unnie doesn’t know anything about Sehun and I. And I want it to stay that way.”

“Ya, aren’t you too much?” Joohyuk spoke, Chaewon paused and looked at her phone.

“What?”

“You’re worried over what that Ko Hyejin might think, but it doesn’t bother you that you might have hurt Sehun too?”

“Joohyuk-ah~”

“Chaewon, you told me you didn’t want to be angry with him all the time. And that, you want to be friends again.”

“I did and yes, I decided~”

“Then, why aren’t you letting him be your friend again? Is it because you’re uncomfortable with that? Or with him?”

“What are you talking about?” Chaewon’s forehead creased.

“What do you think am I talking about?”

“What is it?”

Kai looked up as his friend joined him, and then he paused. It was probably not a good idea to call Sehun and ask him to meet up at a bar.

“Anything to drink, sir?” The bartender approached them, Kai winced.

“Club soda.” Sehun said with ease and he turned to his friend.

“I’m sorry, Sehun-ah. I forgot~”

“I heard you, you told me to focus on her and not go back to that dark place.” Sehun intervened and he looked around them.

“Did you meet her?”

“We had lunch together.” Sehun replied, his tone cool.

Too cool.

“How did that go?”

“I’m trying be friends with her again. It’s not easy, but…she doesn’t want me to act the same.”

“The same?” Kai grew confused.

“She wants me to act as if I know nothing about her, Kai. I can’t do that.” Sehun exhaled.

“What happened at that lunch?” Kai questioned as he set his drink away.

“We were at the site when Hyejin called, wanting to grab lunch together. And then she hears that I’m with Chaewon as well, she also invites her.”

“Oh, awkward.” Kai mused, Sehun sent him a look.

“And then~”

“Let me guess,” Kai smiled before popping in a few pieces of peanuts in his mouth.

“You started eating, and it all just came back to you. Her likes and dislikes, what she wanted to eat and what she really enjoys?”

“Hyejin ordered sashimi. Chaewon turned green.” Sehun said with a small smile on his face, Kai tilted his head.

“I wanted to order something else, but~”

“What did Chaewon tell you? Why are you this bothered over some lunch?”

“She thinks Hyejin is interested in me. And she..I think she wants me to back off.”

“Whoa. Ko Motor and you. Wow.” Kai blinked, he took a small sip from his glass.

“Kai,”

“Well, you should not have let that thing with Hyejin start, Oh Sehun. I that’s what you want to ask.”

“No.” Sehun looked at his carbonated water, his forehead creased briefly.

“Why would she want that from me? Why..would she want me to act as if I know nothing about her?” Sehun questioned, Kai paused and he couldn’t help but look away.

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”

“I tried, okay? I tried not to..look at her again. But Kai, I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her.” Sehun exhaled and he closed his eyes, he let his tears roll down his cheeks.

“I just…I just want her back.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++