Thankfully, the tense ual atmosphere in the car leaves when the both of you step into the open street, making your way to the supermarket. 

“Wah...” she marvels when she steps in, the cool air conditioned breeze welcoming her. “This place is huge!” 

“This place was opened recently by someone I know,” you explain. “It’s not exactly open to the general public, so celebrities can come here to shop in peace if they need it. We don’t have to worry about our pictures getting taken.”

Her eyes widen to the size of saucers. “Really? That’s so cool...” she runs up to the nearest aisle, which is pretty far from where you were standing, so you follow her. “I haven’t went grocery shopping for the longest time. Shopping online isn’t the same, honestly. You don’t get to walk up and down aisles with a cart, looking at everything they sell.”

“We can buy as much as you want,” you tell her. “We can stay for a long time too.” 

She lights up like a Christmas tree. “Really?” 

“Of course,” you say, moving to get one of the shopping carts. You pull one out and bring it to her, who follows close by. “Where do you want to go first?” 

She smirks widely and grabs onto the rims of the cart. “Hold it carefully–“ she says cautiously as she climbs in–“that’s it!” 

She looks so pleased sitting in the cart. You can’t help but chuckle at her. “This is what you wanted to do?” 

She nods her head brightly at you. “Yes. I’ve always wanted to sit in a shopping cart and go really–“ 

“Oh,” you start pushing her immediately, looking for an empty aisle. “I think I know what you’re talking about.” 

She grips onto the metal grilles in anticipation, bracing herself, and when you’ve sensed her readiness, you race down the aisle as fast as your legs can safely carry you. She shrieks in excitement, and you laugh when you stop at the end of the aisle. She laughs along with you from the thrill of it all. 

“Was that fun?” you ask her, panting all that slightly. 

She nods happily. “It was the best,” she tells you, then something catches her attention. “Oh! This seaweed brand is really good,” she takes it from the shelf and puts it in the cart. “What else are we running out of at home?” 

Right before you’re able to answer, a familiar voice calls out behind you. 

“Ji Hyo-yah, are you a child or something?” 

The both of you turn around at the same time, and there’s Jae Suk pushing a trolley around, standing next to his wife. He looks very amused at this situation. You’re glad to see him, but you wish you hadn’t. Under the guise of being alone, no one else watching the two of you, everything was safe, wasn’t it? Now you’re worried about Ji Hyo. What if she’s uncomfortable? What if she pulls away from you because of this? 

“Why, what’s it to you?” Ji Hyo responds childishly with a laugh, then quietly apologizes. “Don’t worry, I didn’t lose my mind or anything, I just got excited since this new supermarket is more private.” 

“Ah, still, what on earth are you two doing screaming and laughing about like that?” he nags in exasperation, but he laughs and smiles too. “Restricting access to the public doesn’t mean no one else is in this supermarket. The rows of seaweed must be embarrassed to watch you two act so immaturely.” 

His witty remarks get the both of you laughing. 

“Ah, why are you nagging them, Oppa?” Kyung Eun complains next to him. “They’re having fun, aren’t they?”

“Kyung Eun-ah, don’t you want Jae Suk Oppa to push you around too? It’s really fun sitting in here,” Ji Hyo baits her, arms laced along the edges of the shopping cart, her chin resting on her palms. She’s smiling brightly and suggestively. 

“Yah, don’t you go putting ideas in her head, poisoning her mind like that,” Jae Suk teasingly warns. He turns to look at Kyung Eun. “You saw them earlier, didn’t you? Wasn’t it so dangerous?”

“Earlier Jong Kook Oppa was like lightning,” Kyung Eun replies. “It was like watching a car. Ji Hyo looked like she was having fun.” 

“It was fun,” Ji Hyo agrees, tapping on your hand with a tiny smile. You want to give her everything you own just for the way your heart flutters. “Can we do that again later?” 

“Of course,” you tell her, then you smirk at Jae Suk. “Kyung Eun-ah, shouldn’t Jae Suk Hyung give you a trolley ride too?” 

“It wouldn’t be as fun,” he immediately tells her. “I run too fast, so you’d be scared instead of thrilled.” 

“You’re so shameless, Oppa,” Ji Hyo tells him. “Should we have a race?” 

“Should we?” Kyung Eun smiles at her husband and he succumbs to the pressure. 

Moments later, you and Jae Suk are lined up at the start of the aisle, getting ready in a running position. 

“Ah... I’m going crazy seriously...” Jae Suk complains until the last second. 

“Kyung Eun-ah, you should hold onto here for safety,” Ji Hyo instructs, smiling and giving the go ahead to start when she’s assured of her safety. 

“Three, two, one, go!” 

You and Jae Suk run down the aisle at top speed, gritting your teeth in determination. You beat Jae Suk by about a hair, both of you wanting to have fun and win but also unwilling to put the women you love in danger. 

“Stop!” Ji Hyo commands when you’ve both reached the end of the aisle, laughing in glee. 

You wonder if she’ll announce you as the winner, but just then Suk Jin walks in front of the both of you with his wife, confused as he holds onto his shopping cart. 

“Oppa... what are you doing here?” 

“Oh, sorry,” Jae Suk apologizes. “I forgot to mention that we’re technically here with Suk Jin Hyung and Soo Jung.” 

“Yah, you forgot about me again?” Suk Jin looks genuinely hurt. 

“You were the one who went off suddenly!” Jae Suk retorts. “And we weren’t apart long enough to consider it me forgetting about you.” 

“But you’re over here having fun with Jong Kook and Ji Hyo,” he complains. “What if I wanted to join in too?” 

Soo Jung laughs at her husband. 

“Ah, I can’t stand this Hyung,” Jae Suk complains. “You don’t even know what we were doing, how do you know if it’s fun?” 

“You were all screaming with joy!” 

“Not me,” says Jae Suk, shaking his head. “I was screaming in agony.” 

“Oppa,” Kyung Eun starts getting out of the shopping cart. “I think I won’t sit here any longer, the grilles are starting to hurt.” 

“Oh, really? Don’t sit there any more then,” he carefully helps her out. 

“Ah, so it hurts? I was thinking of sitting in our cart too,” says Soo Jung. “Guess I won’t do that now.” 

“Yah, you were really thinking of sitting in here?” Suk Jin says in disbelief. “I wouldn’t have pushed you around even if you did.” 

She pouts and hits him in the arm. 

You look at Ji Hyo with concern. She’s been sitting there for the longest time. Surely she must be in pain too? 

“Ji Hyo-yah, are you okay? You don’t have to sit in there if it hurts.” 

She looks confused. “Does it? I don’t think I’m in pain.” 

“You’re usually good at taking pain, you might not even know it hurts,” Suk Jin points out. 

“He’s right,” you say with worry. “If you don’t want to get out, maybe we could get you a cushion or something.” 

“But if we use the cushion, we’ll have to buy the cushion,” she says. “It would be inconsiderate if we didn’t.” 

“It’s okay. We don’t have cushions at home anyway. We’ll just buy them.” 

Her eyes light up. “So we’re buying cushions? Can I pick them out?” 

“Anything you want,” you say, starting to move the trolley in search of the aisle that sells cushions. They sell a lot of things here. 

“How many cushions am I allowed to get?” she asks with a big smile on her face. 

“As long as it’s a reasonable number,” you say, “as many as you want.”

“Ah, I’m so envious,” says Kyung Eun. 

“What are you envious about?” Jae Suk retorts. “We already have cushions at home.” 

“That’s not what I mean,” she replies. 

“I know what you mean,” says Soo Jung. “It must be nice,” she says wistfully. 

“What are you saying?” Suk Jin complains. “We have cushions at home too. If anything, Jong Kook is an incompetent man for only buying cushions now. And who knows? It could be Ji Hyo who’s paying for it.” 

“I’m not paying for it!” Ji Hyo yells mischievously from the other side of the aisle where you’ve pushed the trolley to. “Jong Kook Oppa said he’s going to buy me anything I want, so both of the Oppas should do that too!” 

“Yah! Song Ji Hyo! You’re not getting away with this!” 

“Ji Hyo-yah! Thank you!” 

There’s a lot of laughter and exasperation going around in this mostly happy atmosphere. You know they kid, but if it came down to it, Jae Suk and Suk Jin would spoil their wives too. 

Okay, maybe you’re not as sure about Suk Jin. But Jae Suk definitely would.

You’re at the cushion area of the supermarket, and Ji Hyo is making her space a comfortable one. You’re glad to have sneakily escaped from the others. It’s not that you don’t care about them, it’s just... you’d rather be with just Ji Hyo. 

She grabs a furry grey cushion. “Ah, this one is soft, you should feel it,” she holds it up to you, and you touch it. 

“It is soft,” you say, “you like it?”

She puts the cushion in the cart for her to sit on, getting another one as a back rest. Her eyes carefully scan the shelves. “Oh!” 

She suddenly stands up on the cart, and you grab onto her legs in shock, worried she’ll fall. 

“Are you okay?” you ask in an agitated voice. 

“I’m fine,” she tells you. “I was just reaching for the black leather cushion. I thought it would match the couch really well.” 

“I could’ve gotten that for you,” you say. 

“It’s okay. I can reach better from here anyway. So you don’t have to hold onto me. Just make sure the trolley doesn’t move.” 

You let go of her legs, realizing that might’ve been inappropriate. But letting go of her legs puts you in direct eye contact with her . God damn it. 

Ji Hyo’s one of those people who picks comfort over flashy looks. She wears baggy clothes, caps, hats, whatever she feels like. She doesn’t wear makeup unless she finds it necessary, and over the years, you’ve seen her dolled up less times than you’ve seen her dressed down, in her natural ele