Standing right outside the door to the house, Jong Kook and Ji Hyo look at each other after returning from their morning jog. There is something so provocative with the way this particular drop of Ji Hyo’s sweat rolls from her temples down her neck and into the gap inside her zip-up sweatshirt, Jong Kook notices. He pulls her closer and kisses her salty neck, quickly moving down to her neckline.

Ji Hyo giggles and wraps her arms around him. She knows the minute those doors open, their affectionate gestures have to cease. Much like everything that is happening to them, it is implicit. They don’t talk about it, both just know the children shouldn’t acknowledge their parents’ new ‘relationship’.

Jong Kook reaches for the zipper and lowers it just enough to peek at her black sports bra. She contents herself with simply sighing blissfully, softly leaning against the wall behind her.

“Oppa…” Her voice is soft.

He looks up at her, raising an eyebrow.

“The children might be awake.”

“But I don’t hear them yet.” He smiles playfully.

“Arasseo.” She replies to his smile and he continues kissing her lips. She can feel his hands are traveling down her body and shivers.

Maybe she is too old for this, making out in front of his house which anybody can see even though there’s a huge gate behind them that covers his house, but this feels too god to stop. She feels like they’re going back to when they were in their early thirties, right after another date with Jong Kook. Even though they always had their little retreats in the safety of the four walls of his bedroom, they always allowed things to get heated in the hall in his apartment.

But she’s not 30 anymore, and he surely isn’t 35.

Even though she wishes that acting like things are still the same will actually make them feel the same, she knows better. So, with a final giggle, she places her hands softly on his chest and gently pushes him away.

“You don’t get enough, do you?” Ji Hyo jokes.

Jong Kook rests his forehead on hers and smiles. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this?”

Realizing what he has just said, Jong Kook quickly goes serious and pulls away. But she still keeps her arms around him, not wanting to tense things up.

With a weak smile, she kisses him softly. “Not in front of the house.”

He can only reply with the same weak smile.

“Now, let’s go in, the children are might actually awake. Ah In might be playing with his Nintendo again and Ah Ra is watching him. We shouldn’t let them play with devices so much.”

Jong Kook nods in agreement before they go inside.

Later that day, Gita and Ji Hyo are sitting on the lounging chairs in the backyard, while the children are playing in the pool.

However, instead of actually going resting and tanning, Ji Hyo is learning something with occasionally her eyes go to the children to check on them.

“Should we run the basics first again or do you want to skip to where we were before you quit?”

Ji Hyo checks the notes on Gita’s notebook. She tilts her head. “I’m pretty sure that we’ll need to revise everything. My memory is not exactly my friend.”

“Of course.”

Ji Hyo then rubs lotion onto her skin. “By the way, nice class – it comes with a view.” She smirks.

Gita chuckles. “Isn’t it? So let’s start with common sayings. How about please and thank you?”

“Tolong and terima kasih.”

“What about what, why, when, where, who, and how?”

Ji Hyo stays silent for a second to think, before answering it like they’re in the back of her head. “Apa, mengapa, kapan, di mana, siapa, and bagaimana.”

“Okay, very good, Eonnie. You surely remember a lot.”

Jong Kook is finally finishing up a few documents before heading back home. He can’t wait. He remembers the previous night and feels warm inside. The past few days have been a dream and he can only hope it will all end well, even though as for the moment, it doesn’t really matter.

Suddenly, without notice, the door to his office opens and Sigit walks in.

“Jong Kook, have you got the list of the next month’s events?” Sigit, his colleague who’s the same age as him, asks.

Jong Kook shrugs. “No, but they’re usually emailed to me before the brochures arrive. Ask Arini, she might now.”

Sigit sits down across the desk. “Just kidding, that’s not why I came here for anyway.”

Jong Kook shoots him a confused look.

“I’m here because… a little bird told me that a certain someone spent the whole night with his arms and, well, other stuff all over a new girl. Up until there, okay, no big news,” Sigit’s next words are intentionally very slow, to create a greater impact. “But people have been saying that it was your ex-wife!”

Jong Kook rolls his eyes.

“Well? No answer? Is that all you got to say for yourself?”

“Sigit, not that this is any of your business, but oh right, this isn’t any of your business!” Jong Kook barks, his eyes are shooting a sharp dagger into his colleague.

Sigit looks at him seriously. Jong Kook has never really lost his temper before when talking about women like this. “As a friend and as your colleague, I’m just saying, have you forgotten about the past few years? Is this why you’re so mad right now?”

Jong Kook lowers his sight. “No, I haven’t, but I haven’t forgotten what happened before that either.”

Sigit nods, not that he has any right to judge Jong Kook on what he does, he just empathizes when he was lost and broken. “Well, good then. Is she willing to work past those problems?”

Jong Kook keeps looking at Sigit, doesn’t know what to say. Despite his ways, Jong Kook knows Sigit is just caring for him. It’s just, at the moment, he wishes he doesn’t.

Jong Kook’s silence is more than enough answer for Sigit. But the look he has on his face does anything but encourage Sigit to lecture him further. “So, what are you two going to do?” He asks after a long deep sigh.

Jong Kook shrugs. “I’m not sure.”

“Is she leaving or staying or what?”

“That… I don’t know.” Jong Kook shakes his head.

“And what if she does leave this week?”

“Then let it be, okay?” Jong Kook answers, impatience rising again.

Sigit holds his hands up, apologizing, so Jong Kook won’t bark at him further.

Feeling bad for letting his temper takes control, he explains himself, “It’s just – she’s worth it. You don’t know her. She’s not just any woman. Do you have any idea how long I’ve loved this woman? And how much she has given me? She’s the mother of my children and the only person out there who can really get me, which, yes, also makes her the one with the greatest power to hurt me, but still…” He skips a beat before continues, “She’s worth it.”

Sigit keeps looking at Jong Kook, before giving a long sigh. “Okay. I’m not judging you, I swear I’m not. Just be careful, okay? And good luck with the missus.”

The sincerity in Sigit’s words makes Jong Kook smiles. “Thanks.”

Taking the children to the movies turns out to be not such a great idea. All the children’s movies are either in Indonesian and not subtitled or in English and only has Indonesian subtitle. There’s no Korean children movie. So, after the first fifteen minutes, Ah Ra is already sound asleep while Ah In looks bored.

“I don’t understand anything, Eomma.” Ah In complains. “My English is not that good yet.”

Ji Hyo gives a sad smile. “Okay, let’s go out and do something else.”

Jong Kook picks up the sleeping Ah Ra and Ji Hyo holds Ah In’s hand.

“Can we go play in that game center?” Ah In suggests, pointing out at a game center called ‘Time Zone’.

“Actually,” Jong Kook begins, looking down at his sleeping daughter in his arms. “I think we should go home. It seems like Ah Ra indeed stayed up late last night waiting for us, she’s exhausted.”

Ji Hyo looks at the trio and nods. It’s somehow hard for her to believe that she has been a part of her children’s creations whenever she sees her children with Jong Kook. They really resemble her and him, mixed up perfectly. And she loves those three special people so much. She doesn’t know what kind of good deeds she did in her past life to deserve the amazing people that she can call family.

Instinctively, she holds on to Ah In’s hand tighter.

“Eomma! I swear I’m not going to run far, don’t hold me this tight.” Ah In looks at Ji Hyo with a raised eyebrow.

Ji Hyo chuckles and lets go of him. “Is my hold too tight or you’re starting to get embarrassed to be held by your old mom?”

“Aniya, Eomma.” Ah In pouts. “Appa, before we go home can I at least have some ice cream?”

“Geurae.”

“Yay! Let’s go, Eomma.” Ah In pulls Ji Hyo towards an ice cream bar.

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