CHAPTER 5

Hyunbin woke up hearing the sound of his daughter chuckling happily and mumbling words. He took a seat on the sofa and saw the clock. It was 08.45 AM already and he should do cleaning first before he left the apartment.

"Appa...wakes up.." Nana squeaked that turned his head to her. The view of Nana ate her food happily on her highchair, watching him lovingly was always his favorite.

"OH...Yejin-ssi.." he realized Yejin’s appearance beside Nana helping her to take a meal neatly. He almost forgot that morning when he was letting her came inside. He looked around his apartment and it was clean and neat already. "Ohh... it is clean already.." he mumbled to himself. There he heard a loud laugh of his daughter and small chuckled from Yejin.

"Yes...daepyo-nim..It is your turn to get ready for work.." there Yejin greeted her with her crescent smile.

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The new appearance on his apartment, got him feeling awkward. He came out of his bedroom slowly. His bedroom was very well arranged and it felt cozier. He couldn't say anything other than gave her thanks for helping him much already. He walked toward the kitchen cabinet when he saw Nana already finished her meal and Yejin helped her pulling out the bib and put her down from her baby seat. Nana then ran to him for a hug.

"Appa.." she snuggled to him after got his embrace.

"Euhhmm...Nana-ya.. are you full already?" He kissed her cheek lightly and got a nodded from her.

"Appa... eats.." Nana pointed her finger to a bowl of instant ramen that must be cooked by Yejin. Yejin cleaned the cabinet before taking Nana for a hug.

"Nana-ya..appa must go for work...let him get a meal first and let'ss play with Cindy..." Yejin took Nana from his embrace and took Nana to play with her barbie doll, Cindy.

"Thank you Yejin-ssi.." he smiled faintly to her.

"It is nothing daepyo-nim... eat the ramen before it gets bloated daepyo-nim," she asked him before taking Nana to the matt in the living room.

Hyunbin took a seat in the kitchen and ate a meal that was made by her. He sighed looking at the ramen and bitted his lower lip. He looked at the view and suddenly he smiled. 'Just if it would last longer' he thought.

He finished his daily food and ready for work. He approached them slowly and sat beside Nana.

"Nana-ya...Appa must go to work... Be nice with Aunty Yejin..." He smiled and patted her hair lightly.

"Yes appa.. appa be careful.." she replied with her high tone and hug his neck tightly.

"Kiss appa.," he ordered her and got a peck on his cheek lovingly. After a minute of snuggled time for the father and his daughter, Hyunbin turned his head toward Yejin who was watching the whole scene from the start.

" eh... Yejin-ssi..you can buy anything for Nana with this.." he handed a black card to her.

"Yes...Daepyo-nim.."

"Also, you don't have to clean the apartment ..it isn't your job.," he said gingerly. He always thought that he should divide the one who will babysit Nana and the one for doing chores.

"It is fine daepyo-nim... since it isn't hard for me.." Yejin put on a smile to him.

"If someday, you feel it is hard don't do that, I will do it.." he said again softly, in case it might burden her.

"Sure, Daepyo-nim.," she answered casually.

"I am going to work.." he left the two of them.

"Ah...daepyo-nim...what is the apartment's password?" Yejin shouted before he reached the main door.

" Ahh... right.." he stopped.

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2 months later....

Yejin served hot kimchi stew and side dishes before the CEO woke up from his deep slumber. There would never be instant food again for them. Yejin used the black card he gave wisely, she bought necessities and also for groceries. She would always make sure that they got healthier foods.

Nana had woken up since Yejin came to the house. Nana had used to with Yejin's appearance because she will always with her the whole day. On other hand, when the CEO came home late, Yejin would get a sleepover in the apartment with Nana. They had already felt comfortable with each other appearance in the apartment. Yejin took a look at the clock which showed 09.00 AM. It should be a time for the CEO to wake up and prepare himself. Yejin was slightly worried that he might be late.

"Nana-ya... Are you full already?" Yejin took of Nana's bib, right after she finished her food. "Eomma...water..." Nana dropped the cup to get another cup of water. Yejin took the bowl to the sink and poured the water into a cup. Nana sipped her cup slowly. "Eomma...Hug.." she babbled, stretching her arms. Yejin was used to the word 'Eomma' that Nana used to call her. Even though she and the CEO tried to teach Nana with 'Aunty', she would be always called with mother. After months passed, she was used to be called 'Eomma' and gave up teaching Nana to call her 'Aunty'.

"Let's wake Appa.." Yejin brought her to the CEO's room. There he laid soundlessly while his arm weighted with his head. Yejin put Nana on the bed slowly, and Nana crawled to her father's face and touched almost smacked his father's face.

"Appaa...wake up!!" she shouted squeezing her father's face.

"Appaaa....wake up!!." she repeated the word. The CEO suddenly smiled feeling the little hand slapped his face and tried to open his eyes slowly.

"Uhmm...Nana-yaa... Appa wakes up.." he replied with his cracked voice. He grabbed her in his embrace and sniffed her neck. "Our princess smells like a flower.," he said while squeezing her in his deep embrace.

"Daepyo-nim..its time for you to get prepared.." Yejin's voice distracted him. His messy figures when he woke up was not very unusual for her. They were comfortable with each other as time goes by.

"Ohh. Yejin-ssi... What time is it?" He said as rubbing his eyes and loosened up the embrace.

"09.00 AM. Daepyo-nim."

"Appa... stink.." Nana's voice cracked the older's laughter in the early morning.

"Okayy...Appa will get a shower" he said lifting his daughter and showering her with kisses on her cheek.

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They kissed passionately on the bed after waking up in the morning. The hickeys remained on the woman's body after last night's. The woman deepened the kiss when the man touched her waist tightly closed to her private area.

"Bin-ah.." she moaned Hyunbin's name ily which stopped the man's activity. The man laid on the side of the woman looking at her with saddened eyes. The woman realized what she had done to him.

"Oppa...I am sorry..." she regretted what the word she said.

"Seonhwa-ya...." he woke up and put on his boxer. He went to the table and lit up his cigarette to relieve his stress. Seonhwa covered her body with the blanket and approached him from behind. The man turned his head toward her when she hugged him from the back.

"I am sorry...Jaehyuk oppa.," she whispered slowly. They remained silent for a while, and Jaehyuk kept puffing his cigarette. He felt betrayed by his wife.

The feeling that would never be he imagined, slowly appeared as a sun rising but will go setting when the time comes. It was what he felt, he was a playboy back then, who would go on dates several times but never put on the feeling for someone, actually fell for his arranged wife. His feeling toward her had been growing slowly since they got married. The feeling was so real until he got his heart flying to the sky, but when the time came to the word 'Hyunbin', the feeling of him like he was being thrown away from the highest building in the world. He felt aching every time she called Hyunbin’s name, especially when they were on it.

He felt the Karma when it comes to it. The time before he met her for marriage, he would go on several dates and would gladly do one night stand after he got the girl's heart. Now, it came to him, that so-called Karma, he would never use his heart toward girls, but it slowly came when he fell to his wife. He felt the same way as the previous girl's hearts after he left without a word.

"I will never be burdened with your past but...if I can fix our past? Would you come to me for a hole?" He said peeked his eyes at the one who hugged him.

"I don't know..." she whispered slowly which made him dropped the remaining cigarette and pushed her to the bed and kissed her wildly.

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Hyunbin checked the last document for the day's work. He must prepare himself for going home. The bed and dolls remained on the other side of the room and were still neatly arranged. The view that would always remind him to go home earlier. The last signed document was finished and grouped into the pile of documents. He threw his back on the seat and faced the window behind him. He watched the view of the moon shined in the darkness, re freshened him from being caged the whole day in the room when suddenly the door was knocked.

'Knock..Knock'

"Come inside .. secretary Baek.." he said loud enough to be heard by the person behind the door. Baek's manager came inside with his head slightly nodded approached his table, and the silhouette of a man appeared behind him.

"Someone wants to meet you daepyo-nim...", secretary Baek bowed calmly to him, knowing that it was time for him to go home. "I am sorry I can't handle him, daepyo-nim.." the manager said as knowing the person behind him passed him without permission.

"It's okay secretary Baek I will take care of it myself..." he said with a deep stare to the man's eyes. Baek'smanager bowed slightly and closed the door to let the two men solved their problem in privacy.

"Good evening, daepyo-nim.." the man bowed to Hyunbin sarcastically.

"What do you want, Jung Jaehyuk-ssi?" Jaehyuk's eyes roamed to the room and slightly smiled after seeing the bundles of pink kid stuff on the opposite of Hyunbin's room.

"Where is she?" he said after roamed the opposite room of Hyunbin's. Hyunbin's eyes followed what he wanted that made his fist-bumped the table in a low sound.

"It is none of your business. You can leave before I do something for you.." Hyunbin sighed lightly and redeemed his anger.

"Where is she?" Jaehyuk asked him coldly. Hyunbin stood up and hit the table angrily.

"I told you... you can leave NOW..." Hyunbin glared at him, holding the grudges that made him gritted his teeth tighter. Jaehyuk grabbed his collar and brought him closer.

"Where the she is?" Jaehyuk stared at him fiercely. His anger aroused thinking when his wife called his name every time they were making out. Jealousy and anger had mixed for years and he couldn’t hold it up again. He should end their tie forever. He should end his guilt before coming to Seonhwa as a whole and he hoped she would do the same after him.

Hyunbin approached him leaving his table and hit him on his cheek. He already reached his anger limit too for years and hit him uncontrollably. Jaehyuk pushed him aside and punched him back on his face. Hyunbin kicked his stomach with his knee that made Jaehyuk laid aside scrunched his back. Hyunbin took control and beat him up again and again.

The door was opened widely and secretary Baek also one of his assistants came to separate the two men after hearing a loud sound of someone being beaten and the grunted sound of their CEO. Hyunbin came approaching him to beat him once more before, Jaehyuk's body was being pulled out by the assistant from the room. Secretary Baek helped him to sit on the sofa in the middle of the room.

"Daepyo-nim... Are you okay?" He asked Hyunbin worriedly.

"Let the securities know that he is prohibited to come in this company..." he sighed with his chest exhaled and inhaled the air hardly.

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Yejin couldn't sleep after she received a message from her CEO. He said that he would go home late and he wanted Yejin to sleep in the apartment for Nana. Nana was asleep a long time ago and she has still patted her thigh lightly. It wasn't her first time sleeping on Nana's bed, but that day disturbed her feeling. She didn't even know what that feeling was. The dim light of Nana's bedroom couldn't help at all, she was still wide awake.

Yejin peeked out her notebook on her drawer in Nana's bedroom. She got the drawer after realizing that she would be often in the apartment than her own home. Nana was really happy at that time when she chooses to buy a small drawer and put it in Nana's bedroom. Nana also ordered her to put beside Nana’s drawer. Nana put Disney princesses sticker all over Yejin’s drawer.

Yejin woke up slowly, still patted Nana's thigh lightly before she fully left the bedroom. She put the notebook on the kitchen cabinet and opened the notebook to kill the time. Her eyes kept looking the time and hoping that Nana's father would be home soon. The clock tickling and keyboard typing sound echoed the empty apartment. She drowned in her world.

It passed midnight when she heard the key password being clicked. Yejin ended her work and closed the notebook. She approached the main door surprised by the CEO's bruised face.

"OMO.., Daepyo-nim, What had happened?" She came to help him. She closed the door and put his hand on her shoulder to stand him up straight.

" Where is Nana?" He asked her in a husky voice.

"Nana is sleeping...daepyo-nim.. How come that your face is bleeding and bruising?" Yejin talked nonchalantly while helping him to sit on the sofa.

He laid his body on the sofa limply. Yejin took the basin and towel to clean his face. She also took a first aid kit from Nana's bedroom. He saw the whole view with an unreadable expression. He turned his face to see the view of the night from the window, holding his feeling.

Feeling that shouldn’t be there.

The sudden cold touched his face which made him flinched in pain. He holds the pain and tightened his jaw and closed his eyes tightly, feel her touch. Yejin dabbed the blood lightly and blew his face slowly, and her eyes laid on his flinched worrying his condition.

"Ouch..." he mumbled when the ointment was being applied on his wound.

"Wait a minute... daepyo-nim " Yejin replied blowing the wound softly in the hope it would get better

"Yejin-ssi... You know what I have been thinking when the first time I saw you here?" He asked her suddenly. The 2 months of almost like living together, closed the gap between the front officer and CEO. They often had a conversation since they had to raise Nana together. They respected each other and still managed to give some privacy to be alone. They were involved when it came to Nana and became stranger when it came to each other. They remained professional, especially for Yejin.

"Daepyo-nim.. are you hungry? I will prepare some for you" Yejin tried to avoid the question in case it became more complicated for them to be in the same space together. He gulped his throat feeling twitched in his heart.

Yejin finished treating his wound and put the aid kit back. Yejin went to the kitchen and warmed the food that was remained from dinner. It was cold since he came late. Yejin the stove and put a pot of kimchi stew above. His eyes were glued on her to every detail she did.

"The first time you came, I am being delusional.." Yejin stopped her activity hearing his sudden confession, but she remained calm. She then the rice cooker to warm the rice. He straightened his back and clasped his hand together on his laps. "I am sorry Yejin-ssi... I couldn't hold it any longer.." the silence remained longer and Yejin couldn't turn back facing him who was sitting on the sofa. Her eyes stared at the stove in front of her, knowing something serious would happen between them.

"I know that you come all the way here, because of Nana." His eyes turned blank and suddenly turned his face into a smile. He still remembered she offered herself on raising Nana. The time he first heard that he always imagined it would be better if she was coming for him. But, it was just his thought.

The longer they stayed in the same space, the harder Hyunbin to control himself. The closer the gap they stand with, the more energy he spent to stay calm. He was tired of anything around him. He wanted to shout out his grudges. He wanted to rest his head on someone even just for a second. He might look though but deep inside he needed someone to calm his hidden anger, frustration, and also his endless remorse.

" Am I too greedy?? If I also want you to come here for me.." his heart started twitching on his confession. The whole 2 months of holding, he tried to avoid the feeling in case that it would lead to awkwardness, but it turned worse. He fell too deep already. Yejin froze at the place where she was standing.

"The first time you came, when you were hugging, treating, and calming Nana brought me into endless delusion. You are acting like her Mother for Nana, but for me, it wasn't...The times when you also treat me well like you treat Nana, burdened me too much. I couldn't help myself from falling I know that I am not the best person for you...I am raising a child with me...but I can't help myself from falling... I tried not to fall but it turned that I fall deeper..." He sighed after bursting his grudges. The time when Yejin treated him and touched his face exploded the bomb he was keeping for so long. YejYejin'slegs were shaking and she grabbed the cabinet to stand her up.

"Hyunbin... I want you to call my name...Like others would do.." his voice became closer to her, but she tends to be in her place, managing her breath from the sudden confession. The sound of kimchi stew boiled and vibrated the lidded pot was filling the silence.

Knowing she would do nothing, his muscular hand turned off the stove which made her freeze in her place. Her soundly breath could be heard by him.

"I am sorry... if it gives a burden for you I hope it wouldn't make you change your mind about helping me raising Nana...I am sorry" it was the first time he was being bubbled and saying more than a sentence.

"No... I wouldn't..." she turned her body facing him being triggered when she heard about Nana.

"I can't hold it any longer.," he said as his deep stare at hers tried to dive into her deepest eyes. His heartbeat couldn't be managed and the sound of his heart deafened his ears.

" I am sorry.." he carefully put his hand on her cheek and lifted her face to face him. He closed the gap on their lips and stopped for a while when it almost touched hers. He saw the way she was blinking her eyes nervously and grabbed her clothes tightly. Until he crashed their lips slowly and giving her a small move on her lips. He wanted to throw himself to her. He wanted to burst his grudges. He wanted her soft hand caressed his hair giving reassurement when he was down.

He her unresponsive lips slowly giving her time. His eyes closed tight and started her lip slowly waiting for her to respond. Time passed by and she was freezing in her place grabbing her clothes, that tightened every time he moved his lips on hers.

He gulped his own throat when he didn't receive any response from her after times of enjoying the taste of her lips. He chose to loosen up his lips giving up on his feeling when suddenly her lips tried to capture his with her small move on Hyunbin’s lips. His hard breath could be heard and he brought their lips closer and deepened the kiss with both hands. His lips covered hers and she tried to catch his fast yet soft lips movement hastily. Naturally, her hands grabbed his arms searching for her balance. Her feet go weaker and their lips became wilder.

"Daepyo-nim.." Yejin suddenly stopped their kiss to get some air when her hand touched his chest to hold him being too much closer to her, realizing the tension that grew up between them. Yejin needed time. Her mind was messy there. Something was holding her inside and made her thought that she should become professional with him.

He put his forehead on hers, managing his uncontrollable breath and his hands fell on her shoulders rubbing it slowly.

He smiled.

"I will give you a time until you willingly call me with my name.." he sighed feeling a relief. Her act made him thought that he wasn't rejected. But, still, he would gladly wait for her to open up her heart to him.

"Appaa... " a whined voice came across Nana's bedroom distracted their deep thoughts. They turned their head on Nana's bedroom door in unison.

-to be continued-

Author’s note :

Thank you for reading and supporting ^^

Kindly check my other stories Through Their Lenses and The Luckiest ^^