"I'd like to tell you my opinion about this ring, if you first tell me why are you giving me this? W-Why?“   

 Baekhyun took his time to trace his eyes over Munhee's features and then he shifted a little closer by fully turning towards her. Munhee thought it was way too unfair that Baekhyun didn't look nearly as much bothered like her. Only the smudges of slight melancholy and nervousness visible on his features. 

What felt like an hour, he finally opened his mouth after inhaling a huge portion of oxygen,   "I've never given you anything as a symbol of this marriage, you know."   He stated calmly, his voice strangely soothing.   "I actually bought this ring few days back. But couldn't deduce how to actually give it to you." 

He was speaking clearly, but Munhee still couldn't understand what in the hell he was talking about!    "I don't..... think this is the proper answer of my questions."   Munhee probed him.  

Baekhyun bobbed his head, understanding.   "I know. I just wanted to do this while I had the courage."   He said sheepishly but his voice held something deeper, something like uncertainty.  

Munhee lowered her head to keep compose on herself, her eyes lingered on the glittering ring in her hand. Then suddenly a conclusion hit her with full force and she snapped her eyes back at her husband,    "Don't tell me! You.. You are doing this so that we would look like the perfectly happy couple in front of your clients, aren't you?"    Munhee gritted in disbelief at her discovery.

Baekhyun's nonchalant face creased instantly on her accusation,    "What? No!! I. Am. Not. Doing. This. For. Show. Off."   He somehow managed to cool himself down and gently but utmost firmly stated to Munhee.   "I swear!"   Baekhyun caught hold of his adam's apple in a swearing gesture with wide pleading eyes.

"Baekhyun, p-please. Can you not complicate it anymore and clearly state everything? Things that I should know?" Munhee pestered. It was becoming unbearable for her to listen to his weird words. 

Baekhyun heaved a huge sigh,    "I'm sorry."   He finally stated and stopped. Munhee wanted to ask him about which of his rude deed his asking her forgiveness, because apparently there were plenty of reasons he should be sorry towards her.  Miraculously, before she could voice out her inner confusion, Baekhyun spoke up again,    "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk that day, e-every day. I....I knew it was stupid, everything was. I knew the spiteful accusations I shamelessly threw upon you were unrealistic, baseless and simply...insensitive.  But sometimes I just c-can't control my actions. I just..."   He took a few deep breathes.   "I'm sorry, Munhee, I truly am. I mean it. I'm sorry for everything, every hurtful words that came out of my mouth. And every hurtful...... deeds I've done with you. I know you from since you're like sixteen or seventeen..."

"Sixteen."   Munhee muttered, she was sixteen when she first met Baekhyun when Myunghee introduced him to their family as her boyfriend. 

"Yeah, okay, sixteen. I've practically seen the major part of your growing up process. Though I didn't visit your place much, but M-Myung, she used to talk a lot about you. And I know from there that you're a nice girl. You were a little spoilt, but that doesn't even count because that's just a childish trait of yours. Other than that you're a kind hearted girl. If not, you wouldn't have accepted our parent's proposal in the first place. And you wouldn't have accepted the kids like you did."     He talked with so much sincerity in his voice that Munhee believed him. Although those sincere words coming from Baekhyun itself seemed unreal. Munhee suddenly got the urge to pinch herself so that she could conclude whether everything that's happening was real or just a utterly stupid dream of her.

"So, what I was saying that I've been wrong about you. I've been wrong towards you. And I am aware of this fact that just uttering a few sorrys won't be sufficient to make up for my wrong doings for the past few weeks. But I'm still gonna apologize to you, and w-wait for your forgiveness because I've got nothing else to repent my mistakes with."    He told her before he held her hands in his sweaty ones. Why is his hands sweating? It's not even hot out here!  

Munhee was confused to the limits. One side of her mind constantly told her that she should give him a taste of his own medicine and throw his apology and apparently apology gift into his face and walk out of there. Another side of her, the soft side, kept persuading her to give him a chance to at least explain what he wanted to. 

She settled herself to agree with the latter thought. So she didn't retract her hands from his. And sat there patiently with a non-patient thumping heart so that he wouldn't be interrupted in what he was trying to say. 

"Firstly, I apologize to you for accusing you for Myung's a-accident. It was irrational of me. Death is nothing but an unavoidable  phase of every living beings. All of us could die in any day and any way. And maybe I had done something very terrible in my previous life that I had to loose my love in the most pathetic way. So, blaming you for her accident was nothing but my own illogical illusions I'd made in my mind. I was so lost in my agony that I didn't even consider the fact that s-she was not only my wife, she was also your elder sister. I shouldn't have forgotten how much she loved you, how you loved her.  I'm sorry."   His hold on her hands tightened while he let out things that he never planned to expose. Munhee felt as if was tied with something invisible that didn't let her utter a single word. Though she had no idea what would've she spoken even if she could. Because her head felt empty and numb.

 " I'd also like to apologize for my stupidly jerk behaviors for so many reason that I can't even recall them at this moment. I'm sorry. And I am really e-embarrassed and disappointed at my animalistic action for that morning after my parents left. I'm sorry. I didn't know what got into me, I was just so angry at mom for talking about nonsensical things. And I just vented all up on y-you."   His face winced at the memory, just by the look of his face Munhee could tell that he was regretting thoroughly. 

"I...you know, that day I actually thought you've left this house forever." He let out a bitter laugh.   "I couldn't even...whatever. Let's move on. I uh... I'm forgetting ugh. I'm sorry my head is kind of blocked now. I can't remember for how many reasons I should apologize. But let's come to my latest most stupid action. I'm sorry for accusing you of cheating or something sort of like that. I don't even know should I laugh at myself for this or just beat myself up. It just triggered me too much when you asked me whether a-anything happened between us or not, and also the shocking possibility of you actually being preg..uh. It was baseless and stupid at every level now that I think of it. First of all it wouldn't and it shouldn't matter to me if you have someone else in your life."

He squeezed her hands when she was about to open to say something and again continued,   "Let me finish first, please?"   He asked with so much tenderness that could've melted Munhee on the spot if their conversation topic wasn't the most unpleasant group of topics ever.      "When I said that it was stupid of me, you don't know how much and how deeply I meant it. I mean, you literally spent all your time in this house ever since...ever since Myung was gone, doing either some chores or staying with the kids. So, even logically, it's not possible for you to uh...go to someone else. And I know pretty well that you didn't even have a boyfriend in the first place in all your life. If you had had one, you would've told Myunghee. And she would've told me. Despite knowing all these, I stoop so low as to accuse you for such a hideous thing. And even after you clearly stated that if not for the drunken night, you wouldn't be pregnant, I still f-forced you to take the tests. I'm sorry. I'm extremely sorry for every hurtful things I've done to you."   Munhee had never seen Baekhyun being so vulnerable, the glassy eyes, his cracky voice and the sniffy nose made it even harder for her to stop herself from reaching over and give him a comforting hug.

Also, this time, it was Munhee's turn to feel guilty. This man believed that she had no one as sort of lover in her life prior to this marriage, while she had Sehun, with whom she haven't even broken up properly. And, she regretted letting Myunghee know about Sehun when it was too late. Yes, she had told Myunghee about Sehun when she stayed over at Baekhyun's house at Myunghee's request. Myunghee was upset with her at first, but being the understanding elder sister, she finally gave in and was happy for Munhee. Myunghee was even excited for letting Baekhyun know and meeting Sehun when he'd be free to meet. But luck had something else stored for them and  played it's dirty game and none of their expectations and dreams came true.

Munhee broke out from the saddening memories of Myunghee, Sehun, simply just every single thing that happened followed by Myunghee's tragic accident when she felt Baekhyun caressing her cheeks lightly.   Oh no, he's not caressing stupid! You're crying and he's wiping your tears. 

"Munhee? Are you listening?"   Munhee heard Baekhyun calling her and she finally fully broke out of the mages of tangling thoughts. 

"Uh y-yes?"   She asked and blinked at him. Did she miss anything he said? 

" You heard my apologies, right? Or you didn't?"   His eyes widened at the thought of Munhee not concentrating any of his long practiced speeches. 

"I heard everything. Yes."   Munhee assured him. She was still in a little daze. A new found battle started inside her. Now she was asking herself whether she should let Baekhyun know about Sehun or not? He was being so sincere with everything he was saying, that proved a sort of trust he had in her. She knew it was strongly difficult to express such deeper thoughts with someone. Would it all be same if she told him about Sehun? 

"I just wanted to apologize. But look at this, I still managed to make you cry yet again. I feel like a crap."   Baekhyun groaned at himself, ruffling his hairs in sort of frustration. 

"I'm naturally a crybaby. So don't bother them."   Munhee said and pointed at her glassy after-tear eyes.   "Are we finished here?"   Munhee asked nonchalantly, as if the whole apologizing event didn't even happen at the first place. 

"Y-Yeah, almost. Aren't y-you gonna..uh say something?"   Baekhyun asked, the nervous side kicking back inside him. 

"Say what?"   Munhee urged, still acting nonchalant. Or at least as much as she could at this situation.

"Don't you have any reply for my apologies? It would be a relief to know whether you've forgiven me or not."    He told her, rubbing his neck cutely and sheepishly.

Munhee suddenly got reminded of the almost same thing happening on Baekhyun's car.  Is he doing all these because he wanted to lessen his guilt? Back then he followed me to my parents house and tried to act nice and helpful to suffice his guilt and now he's brought me this ring and is expecting me to forgive him for all the sufferings he caused me? Not gonna happen, Byun Baekhyun. 

"Baekhyun, I'm not a little girl who's upset with you and whom you can win over with just a lollipop! What I mean to say, this thing.."   She hold up the ring's box in front of his face,    "...you're trying to somehow bribe me into forgiving you so that you can live a guilt free life? Do I look this gullible to you?"   She calmly snapped at him, if that was even possible. And not-so-gently shoved the ring box in his open palms.  

Surprised by her unexpected outburst, Baekhyun kept staring at the girl in front of him. But when he saw her standing up to leave him, then her words hit her and so the meaning behind them.    "Wait! Munhee, listen to me!"    He also stood up on his feet and followed after her inside the house. 

Munhee was already in the living room when Baekhyun finally caught up to her. A strong grip held her tightly from going any further towards her bedroom.   "What?"  She glared at him. He immediately left her hand.

"I've not even finished everything I wanted to talk about! Can you please calm down and listen to me till I finish?" Baekhyun pleaded her. Seeing him this vulnerable, she let out a tired sigh and nodded. She walked towards the sofa in their living area and sat herself down while gesturing him to do the same. 

Baekhyun chose to sat just beside her.   "Munhee, you have gotten the wrong message. I'm not bribing you with anything. It..this ring, is both a part of my apology and the first stair of a new beginning."   He stated and that got Munhee stilled for a good few seconds. New beginning? 

" No matter how much I deny, I actually can't turn back from the fact that we're married. You are my legally wedded wife. Just like......Myunghee, you are entitled to get every right a wife should have. And for that I'm starting with this most basic thing. A wedding ring, which I should've given you earlier. But both of us know that this whole marriage thing isn't any other normal marriage. I'm not giving you this as any sort of bribe, I'm giving you this because it's your right as my wife. And the nice things I've done to you which you wanted to know the reasons of, I did those because it was my responsibility as your husband. And I'll keep doing such in future because this is what a wife deserves from her husband. From now on, please, never take my sincere gestures as a sort of bribing."   Baekhyun explained and tentatively put the ring box into her hands. This time Munhee didn't return it back, instead, she held onto it. 

"Are you saying that you've accepted me as your w-wife?"   Munhee asked, her voice nothing more than an audible whisper. Her round and surprised eyes unable to leave from the face of the man, who just declared the most unexpected thing she could ever expect from him. 

"It's your right." He insisted, instead of giving the simple yes/no answer.   " I'm not going to deprive you from any of your marital rights from now on. Except for love, of course, that place should always belong to Myunghee. I might sound rude but this is the reality and as I'm being honest to all my thoughts so I should also tell you this. Both of us know that I love Myung and I'll always love her. I can give you everything except for this. Just tell me when you need something, and I'll bring it for you. I'll be by your side like a husband should. We'll raise the kids like a parent should. I'll respect you not only as my wife and the legal mother of my children, but also as a human being. So from now on, don't hesitate when you need something, or when you wanna talk about something. Just be yourself. Okay?"   Baekhyun asked and waited for Munhee's reply. 

Munhee's head was whirling at the impact of his words. They were too good to be true. She opened to say something, anything, but words never formed in there.  

"You can take your time deciding whether you can forgive me or not. There's no pressure. Till then I'll try my best to earn your forgiveness. You can just start wearing this ring, once you decide to forgive me."   Baekhyun told her when the silence was being too far fetched. 

"Are you sure you are in your right mind? And you want this?"   Munhee finally asked what was bugging her the most. She knew he was being sincere, she couldn't deny it. But the experiences she had had with Baekhyun ever since they got married