It was a warm winter afternoon of a weekend and Jongin was having a relaxing time. Or at least he was supposed to, because at that time he was strolling at a park, walking someone else’s dog when that someone was clearly enjoying street foods while sitting on a bench. Jongin snorted but continued to walk around the park with a dog leash in his hand.

“Gummy”, he picked up the pup and nudged him towards his owner. “Look at your mama. She seems to have totally forgotten about you. Look.” But the pup paid no attention to him as it was more interested in following a bug flying around them, trying to catch it once in a while. Jongin sighed in despair. Like mother, like son.

Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate and took it out to know who was the noble soul that remembered him was. But all his hopes were let down when he saw a text from the person sitting on a bench not so far from them, Oh Yun Hee.

Hey, it hasn’t been even 15 minutes since you started walking my baby.

I don’t want him to be lazy like you.

“Lazy?”, Jongin muttered to himself, clearly in disbelief as he furiously typed his reply.

Says the one who couldn’t even get up from her seat and walk a few feet

to tell me that.

He looked Yun Hee and saw her casually shrugging her shoulders and giving him a smirk. Jongin faced her properly and mouthed an “I hate you”, making her laugh so hard that even her shoulders started shaking.

Jongin looked at the sight in front of him as though he was bewitched. Who was he kidding? He loved her. Walking her dog, buying all her favourite street food, being her friend-slash-valet and being at the receiving end of her smiles – for him, all of these were love. Love was so simple, even for a person like him whose love would never be returned.

Jongin always wondered why people thought of love as something complicated, painful and sheer tragic. It was nothing like that. It was something peaceful, something serene, something inspiring. He always thought of his love for Yun Hee as his muse and it was really was. It inspired him in all the good ways.

Jongin clearly remembered how he came to love Yun Hee. It started with a fascination for the girl who went out of her to settle scores with the person who hurt her sister, then grew as admiration for the girl who could anything for the people she loved and then turned into adoration for that very girl who loved her life, no matter how tough it was.

How could he call his love complicated? He needed her and was needed by her in return. It was simple.

How could he call his love painful? The person he loved was happy and so he was. He was content.

How could he call his love tragic? The person he loved had taught him how to appreciate life, how to appreciate one’s own self. And if a person knew that, then nothing in the world could kill his spirits.

Jongin loved his life. What did he even lack anyways? He had a loving family, loving friends, a successful career and a great love. One could definitely question that unrequited love of his and say that he did lack something, but for Jongin, it was never an issue.

Jongin felt his phone vibrating again and took it out to see that he had gotten another text, but this time, it was from his best friend. When he was reading the text, he felt someone taking the dog leash from his hands and looked up at that person in front of him, only to see that it was Yun Hee who was holding up the thumb and index of her right hand on the air.

“Aish! I was about to snap my fingers in front of your face, but you didn’t let me have my moment”, Yun Hee grumbled as she bent to pick up the puppy who was yapping happily at the sight of his owner. She fondled the pup in her arms and nuzzled his snout before placing multiple kisses on its face.

“Baby, we have to get ready. It’s time to leave now.” Jongin snorted. As if the pup could understand her words.

“You know what? It would be nice if you had thanked me a little.”

“We are friends, dude. There is no scope for formality.” Yun Hee said.

Jongin hung his mouth open in disbelief before saying, “So basically, you are telling me that after ruining a perfect weekend for you two, I am not even getting a ‘thanks’? Wow!”

“Yup”, Yun Hee shrugged before laughing. Then Jongin went closer to Yun Hee and patted the dog in her arms. “Gummy, don’t be like your mama, hmm?”

“Then should he be like his papa?”

Jongin faked a fearful expression and said, “No. That would be even more disastrous.” After that, both of them burst out in a laughter.

“You should really get yourself a girl who has a dog. You would be the perfect boyfriend for her”, Yun Hee said as she got over her laughing fit.

Jongin laughed at her remark. He didn’t know if it was because he found it hilarious or because of the irony of the situation. He was being advised to get a girlfriend by the person he was in love with. He played along with her anyways.

“Why this sudden advice? I am not a fool who would ruin his perfectly harmonious life by getting a girlfriend. I am fine like this, okay?”

“Dude, you are 29 years old and not getting any younger. When will you settle down?”, Yun Hee said as she put Gummy on the ground and started walking around the park, with Jongin following her. “I seriously don’t remember you ever talked about a girl, let alone making a girlfriend.”

“Why are you talking like those neighbourhood aunties, Hee?”

“Dude, don’t you ever feel like falling in love? I don’t mean those useless flings you used to have in your school life. Genuine love, you know? Don’t you ever feel like finding your other half?”

Yun Hee had to stop in her step when she saw Jongin halting abruptly. She looked at him curiously and saw him returning her gaze with seriousness.

“What if I am late and she is already taken? Wouldn’t it be more hurtful if I seek her after that?”, Jongin asked, the last question was meant to hide the double meaning of the first one.

“Then assume that she was never yours to begin with and move on with life. Someone else will come for you, someone more fitting to complete you.” He looked at Yun Hee who gave him an assuring smile.

He would wait for that, but till then he would continue to love the person in front of him.

“So, Mr. Oh is picking you up?”, Jongin asked casually. “He got off so fast? I mean, he skipped work for quite a few days. Slacker!”

“Yeah. Yun Yeong is supposed to leave the kids with us for the night. Besides, it’s a weekend, Jong”, Yun Hee said. “But how did you know that he is picking us up?”

Jongin opened his phone at her question and shoved it in her face to show her the last text he had gotten. “From the text of you husband.”

Yun Hee looked at the phone to see what the text read, but couldn’t find any proper reaction to give after that.

Take care of MY WIFE and MY SON until I pick them up.

“Find it amusing, huh? He is such a pain in the , I swear”, Jongin complained.

“That sounds too possessive, you know?”, Yun Hee said. “Almost bordering.” Then she wore a mischievous smile in her smile before saying, “Do you think I should leave him before he turns into like those overly possessive husbands?”

“Yeah! Do that”, Jogind said sarcastically. “And leave me to suffer from his heartbroken self. That brat is head over heels for you, so much that even he has no idea.”

Yun Hee let out a surprised choke at his remark before composing her expression and wearing a smirk on her face to hide her curiosity. She didn’t want to let her hopes high. “He was bound to, you know? Nobody can resist my charms”, she said trying to appear confident.

 Jongin laughed internally at her efforts to hide her insecurities when he could clearly see through her façade. “Drop your acts, Hee. You can definitely shoot your question. ‘How do I know?’, ‘How much do I know?’ etc. I know that you are dying to know the answers.” Jongin smirked.

Yun Hee sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine. Tell me. How can you say that so confidently? You are not joking, right?”

Jongin turned to face her properly and saw that there was a mixture of confusion, anticipation and a few amount of fear all over her face.

“I am not joking, Hee. Anyone who sees him closely can tell how whipped he is for you. All day he would be like ‘Yun Hee is so pretty’ ‘Yun Hee this’ ‘Yun Hee that’. He does it so much that it’s not even funny.”

Jongin paused for a while and gave Yun Hee an inspecting look. She was clearly holding her breath, even her hands had stopped from caressing Gummy’s fur. How whipped can these two be for each other? Jongin felt amused at the thought, but couldn’t help hoping her to be like that for himself

“He even says that the experimental foods you feed him are tasty.” Yun Hee gave him a sour look. Like seriously? You don’t cook food, Hee. You cook poison.” And that earned him a hard smack on his head and made him laugh.

“But seriously, jokes apart. I can see my friend change for the better and it’s all because of you, Hee. He is becoming more compassionate, more observant. You know how he was before your marriage.” Yun Hee just nodded, still feeling overwhelmed with everything. “He was barely home to visit his parents. And now look at him, balancing so well between his parents and in-laws. He admires you, Hee. You make him want to be better.”

Yun Hee didn’t know what to say. All kinds of emotions were bubbling inside her, making it hard for her to breathe. She didn’t know what to do with all the information she gained all at once. So she just what she was best at doing. She diverted the topic.

“Jongin, can I ask you for a favour?”

“What?”

“Can you keep him away from home in his birthday evening? At least until 8. His birthday is not too far, you know?

“What are you planning to do?”

“Pay all my debts.” Yun smiled knowingly.

Jongin looked at her suspiciously but agreed to her demands nonetheless. “Consider it done.”

Yun Hee shrieked slightly before hugging him tightly at his reply and said, “You are truly the best, Jong. I love you”, she screamed in his ear.

Then she retracted from the hug and picked up the pup from the ground. “It’s time to leave baby”, she cooed.

She placed the pup in her right arm and held out her left towards Jongin, offering to hold his hand.

His unrequited love for Yun Hee was really not an issue, Jongin thought. Because it wasn’t unrequited. Maybe not in the same way, but at least, he was loved. And that was enough.

“Hey, Ye Joon! Come here baby”, Yun Hee cooed as she tried to take the 4 months old baby from his mother without making him cry. She made some silly faces to distract him and slowly took him in her arms, continuing to make those silly faces. The baby just looked at her clueless while his thumb, definitely not understanding the effort she was putting just to keep him calm.

Yun Hee knew that the baby was a mama’s boy, so she was worried about the time time Yun Yeong would disappear from the doorstep. But she had willingly agreed to do this, just to give her sister and brother-in-law a well-deserved break.

Yun Yeong and Chanyeol were on their way to a dinner date and Yun Hee and Sehun had volunteered to be the babysitters for that evening. But it appeared that her husband was only interested in entertaining Ara only as he was already with her in their living room, showing her Gummy while Yun Hee was accompanying the young parents to attentively listen to what they were instructing for their babies. Yun Hee couldn’t understand the sudden excitement Sehun was showing towards Gummy when he clearly didn’t like the pup, complaining that he was stealing Yun Hee’s attention.

“Ye Joon has been fed in the car, so you don’t have to worry about feeding him at least for the next two hours. I have prepared his bottles, so all you got to do is just put them in the refrigerator and heat it from time to feed him. You might have to feed twice before he sleeps since it’s only evening.” Yun Hee listened carefully as her sister kept blabbering away, with the clown, also her husband mimicking her standing right behind. How could Yun Hee possibly focus like that?

“Chanyeol, will you please stop your crazy antics and let me finish here?”, Yun yeong said, without even looking at him as Chanyeol hugged her from behind and her sister softened, just like that. Yun Hee couldn’t help looking at the couple enviously and hoping that someday she and Sehun also could be like them. They were like a walking example of missing puzzles fitting perfectly. Despite of being in their 4^th year of marriage only, they knew each other to the point of finishing one another’s sentences. They were perfect like that.

“Yeong, I hate to admit this but this time, I don’t find Chanyeol wrong. You have told me Ye Joon’s eating schedule twice already. Let’s not even talk about Ara’s. I have lost the count of how many times you have mentioned hers.”

Chanyeol raised his hand for a high-five, which Yun Hee ignored coldly like usual. Yun Yeong just shook her head and laughed lightly at their interaction. Even though Yun Hee had long forgiven Chanyeol for breaking her heart, she still hadn’t dropped her cold acts towards him.

“Okay, fine. I admit defeat.” Then she took a step backwards and leaned on Chanyeol before saying, “We are leaving now.” Then they took their turns in placing warm kisses on the top of their baby boy and called for Ara to come and bid them goodbye.

As if on cue, Sehun appeared at the doorway, holding hands with Ara, the height difference making him bend for about a foot. Yun Hee gushed inwardly at the sight. The two of them were looking so cute, running in baby steps towards them.

Right at the sight of Ara, Chanyeol got down on his knees and caught the running figure of his princess in his chest before standing up and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. They were totally lost in their own world that consisted of countless whispering, giggles and kissed here and there. Yun Yeong just sighed before stepping towards Yun Hee and said, “Their goodbye ritual. They are going to forever with that, I swear. They do it every morning yet never get tired of it. I don’t even know what they whisper for so long. Even Chanyeol wouldn’t tell me, always saying that this is their secret. Like wow!”

Yun Hee smiled at the sighed before looking at Sehun who had stood beside her.. Once the father-daughter duo was done, Ara got down from his arm and went towards her mother who picked her up the moment she held out her little arms and placed a few in her baby cheeks before saying things like ‘Be a good girl’ ‘Don’t disturb you Mimi or Sese’ ‘Don’t pull the ears of your brother’ and ending with a ‘Mommy loves you, honey’. They were such a lovely family. How could Yun Hee ever resist the wish of having a family like that of her own? She could just hope Sehun also thought and desired the same

After bidding her parents goodbye, Ara peacefully went to Sehun’s stretched arms, making herself comfortable. Yun Hee really didn’t get the closeness of those two, since Ara was never this affectionate towards her.

“And you two.” Yun Yeong pointed to her and Sehun. “Take care of my babies.”

“Okay.” They both said at the same time, before looking at each other and laughed.

“Aish!”, Yun Yeong grumbled. “I understand that your honeymoon phase has just started, but I would really appreciate it if you two didn’t indulge into something obscene in front of my kids.”

“Go to your date and leave us alone”, Yun Hee said loudly.

“Yeah. We certainly didn’t need to hear that”, Sehun said as he covered Ara’s ears.

“Stop overreacting Sehun. Ara cannot understand anything from that. We are going now. Bye!”, Chanyeol said before bidding the kids goodbye one last time. The kids didn’t pay much attention as Ye Joon was on the verge of falling asleep and Ara was already on her way to the living room, wanting to play with Gummy, with Sehun following her.

Yun Hee cradled the sleepy Ye Joon in her arms as she made her way towards her baby niece and her baby-like husband. And the moment she reached, she was put through a dilemma because she really couldn’t decide who was being more childish between those two who were sitting on the ground. Was it Ara who was forcefully placing kisses on Gummy’s head just make the tired dog stand up or her husband who was trying his level best trying to get Ara’s attention and pouting because she was more interested in Gummy?

Yun Hee shook her head as she went sit on a couch near them and sat down to observe them properly. She looked down on her arms and saw that Ye Joon had fallen asleep with his mouth slightly open, the thumb he was was lying limp at the corner of his lips.

“Can’t they just give him a pacifier? He is going to develop a habit, you know?”, Sehun whispered as he scooted closer to his wife before placing his head on her lap. Yun Hee smiled at his action. It seemed as though he had given up on trying to gain Ara’s attention and had come to gain hers.

“They definitely would have if only he hadn’t already formed a habit. This kid is really hard-headed. He just does what he wants.” Then she lowered her arm slightly and nudged Sehun to give the baby a look.

“Sehun, look. He is sleeping so peacefully.” Yun Hee poked his left cheek softly as the baby let out a sigh. “His puffed up cheeks are looking so cute.”

“Joon sleep all day.” They heard Ara muttering in her own version of grammar, still focused on pestering the tired pup. So they just let her be as they shifted their attention towards her baby brother again.

Sehun watched his wife closely as he saw her bringing the sleeping baby near her face and placed a gentle kiss in his cheek. They both felt startled when the saw the squirming after the kiss, afraid that they might have woken him up. But the baby just moved a little, probably to get rid of some disturbance before becoming still again.

Sehun gazed at the affectionate eyes of his wife as she kept looking at Ye Joon. He couldn’t help feeling amazed at how good she was with kids of all ages and wonder how she would be such a good mother.

When he was with Jieun, he had always dreamt of a family with a couple of kids, despite of not being good at handling them. On the early days of their marriage, there was not even a question of thinking something like that as he felt lost without Jieun who was the reason of all his dreams. Even when things started becoming better between him and Yun Hee, he still couldn’t bring back that dream because he used to think of it as a part of his life that Jieun had taken with her.

But as time went by and Yun Hee started seeming less like a friendly roommate and more like his wife, he couldn’t help it when that very dream began rising again at the back of his mind. This time even stronger because through Yun Hee, he had actually gotten some first hand experiences with kids and all of them made him dream of having kids he could call his own.

Sehun was brought back to reality when he heard Yun Hee calling his name softly.

“Hey! Where were you lost?”

“Nothing.” Sehun shook his head.

“You want to hold him for a while?”, Yun Hee said as she pointed towards Ye Joon. “I have to go and change Ara’s outfit. Look at her.” Sehun turned to look where Ara was, her dress almost drenched as she was trying to bathe Gummy. Then Sehun looked at his wife nervously.

“Me?”

“Yes, Sehun. You.”

“Do I really have to hold him? I mean what if I wake him up?”, Sehun asked. “Can’t I just be the one who changed Ara’s clothes?”

“Sehun, Ara needs a warm bath or else she will catch a cold.”

“I can do that.” Sehun piped in.

“No, Sehun. I know that you can do that. But I want you to hold Ye Joon. I seriously don’t understand why you are so afraid of him when you are so good with Ara? You didn’t hold him when he was born, or when Yun Yeong invited us afterwards. You didn’t hold him even when they had come to our house during Christmas.”

“I don’t know.” Sehun looked down. “It’s just that he is so small, so delicate..” His voice lowered for a couple of octaves “…that I am afraid of hurting him.”

“Sehun, look at me”, Yun Hee said as she held his chin. “You won’t hurt him, I know that. You will be more careful than the rest of us because of that fear of yours.” Then Yun Hee smiled. “And once you hold him, your fear will vanish on its own.”

“What if he needs something?”, Sehun asked.

“Then you can call for me.  I am just a few rooms away.” Yun Hee smiled reassuringly.

Yun Hee was almost done when she heard the crying voice of Ye Joon from downstairs. She tidied up Ara hurriedly before rushing her to living room and then following her. When she was almost there, she heard the crying down and the sound of giggles echoing. Feeling curious, she made her way where she had left him with her husband. Once she reached there, she smiled at the sight in front her, warmth seeping through her because of the scene.

She smiled knowingly before approaching her husband who was cooing at the baby in his arms and kissed him on his cheek before whispering a soft "I love you". The whole time she was careful not step on the soiled diaper her husband had discarded after changing diapers for the first time in his life.

Yun Hee was lying on the bed with a book in her right hand, while her left hand was busy carding through Sehun's hair who lying with his head on her lap.

"Hee, what do you think about having kids?"

"Isn't it a bit fast coming from someone who changed a diaper today for the first time?", Yun Hee asked amusedly.

"But I did a good job, right?"

Yun Hee just nodded slightly before returning her attention to the book. She placed the on the nightstand when she felt Sehun sitting up from her lap and taking her hands in his own.

"Hee." He looked directly at her. "Whenever you are ready, let's have kids, hmm? I promise to help you out in everything and be there at every step."

Yun Hee looked at his expectant gaze and pretended to give him a confused look. Then she placed her right index on her lips and pretended to think for a while before smiling teasingly. The whole time Sehun was looking at her with anticipance written all over his face. "We are not having more than two."

Sehun was about to debate more, probably expecting her to refuse before he stopped and looked at her, his face totally gobsmacked. It took him a while to process her words before his face split in a huge grin as he hugged tightly, the words "you are the best" being repeated counlessly before kissed her square at the lips. They rolled around the bed while placing playful kisses on each other's lips and laughing their heart's out when they were interrupted by the bark of a dog. 

Yun Hee laughed as Sehun said, "Now I can relate with the couple who get interrupted by their kids." Then he turned to Gummy and shooed him for a while, but the pup didn't much, making Sehun scold him. 

"Leave us alone, Gummy. We just decided on having kids, don't make me regret it this soon."

Yun Hee laughed as she hugged Sehun and squeezed his waist, hiding her face in his chest. She didn't know where to keep all these happiness that she was getting and was about to get, her mind travelling to Jongin claiming Sehun to be in love with her and Sehun wanting a family of their own. What she knew was that she never wanted this happiness to end, ever.

Hey, this your lazy author, anikasen.

I hope you guys are doing well. There is a reason why I always ask you guys to stay safe and healthy, because I really don't you guys to get sick. My father has been unwell for quite a few days and only I know what I have to go through everytime I look at his sunken face. He is doing well now, so it's okay. But after this experience, I seriously don't want anyone to get sick, you guys included.

Anyways, stay home, stay safe, stay healthy and strong. Love you guys. And sorry for making you guys wait for so long with my updates. I am really grateful to you guys.