It was unusual to see him wear the pastel blue apron while going around the kitchen in the morning when he was not also fond of waking up early. He moved like he was an expert already, quick and precise with his actions, cutting the ingredients, and grabbing the pans and pots from where they were placed without missing a beat. He was so focused on cooking the kimchi fried rice, his brows furrowed in deep concentration while humming to some songs playing from the living room that he didn’t even notice her presence behind until her hands slid around his torso, back-hugging him.

“Oh my! You scared me," Chanyeol almost knocked off the frying pan as he got surprised, she only laughed loudly seeing his ears turning red, his hand on his heart trying to steady its beat. He turned off first the stove before turning his attention to her.

“You should have seen your face,” Wendy giggled then he flicked her forehead, “Yah, why are you here? You should be inside the room!”

Rubbing her forehead, Wendy whined, “Ugh! I woke up and you weren’t in our bed anymore, then I heard pots clanking and I nearly thought someone broke inside here.”

“I was going to wake you up with breakfast in bed and now the surprise is spoilt,” Chanyeol pouted like a child who lost in a game and it made Wendy feel bad somehow. “Aw, big baby,” this time, she tiptoed to squeeze his cheeks together then pulled him for a quick peck on his lips, “I’m sorry if I ruined your surprise. Since I’m here now, I’ll just help you then!”

Wendy was already discharged from the hospital after her operation and physical therapy two months ago. However, she was prohibited to do some strenuous work that might overexert her body. Maybe minimal activities from here and then since her pelvis still needed to be healed completely while she’s resting at home. But her members and Chanyeol agreed that Wendy could stay with him in his newly bought flat since most of the members had individual schedules and work. Irene specifically stated she didn’t want her to be alone in their shared dormitory and her parents had to go back to Canada for their work. It was just in time that he was done promoting their album with Sehun so Chanyeol persuaded her to live with him for a while as he can be hands-on in taking care of Wendy. Even when she had told him that he should also rest and have his own space after their tiresome promotions, he insisted and proved to her that she wasn’t a burden to him, reassuring her that he would do his best to take care of her.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want you to get tired, Seungwan,” Chanyeol gently reminded her as he caressed her newly dyed dark brown hair.

Wendy knew he would always bring the same narrative up whenever she tries to do some basic household chores and if she was being honest, she was already tired of it, “you’ve been telling me that for the past months.”

He looked away for a moment and she heard him sigh, “Seungwan – ”

“Chanyeol.”

“You know why I’m doing this,” he broke away from their embrace but let his hands intertwine with hers, “The doctor said that you can’t – ”

“That I can’t do anything that will require me to move my body too much,” her voice came out annoyed, “You know, sometimes I feel like you’ve been treating me as someone who can’t even do simple tasks,” Wendy lamented.

“Because I want to take care of you,” Chanyeol replied rather calmly, walking past her to grab a jar of salt on the counter, “Let’s not argue about this especially when it comes to your health.” He went back to turn the stove on and continued cooking the fried rice.

“What? I’m not trying to argue with you here,” Instead of her soft gaze that promised happiness and playfulness, Wendy’s eyes glared with an intensity that sent a message to his mind, “I’m trying to make a point that I am fine now." She spread her arms open as if to prove her point, "See?" Sometimes, her boyfriend can be stubborn (like her) that he wouldn't budge on his decision whenever they talk about her "well-being" however, Chanyeol always explained it to her patiently. Wendy was also not the type of person who would carelessly throw out words that could spark a misunderstanding between them. She was always careful with her choices so that she wouldn't offend and hurt him somehow. But she gets conflicted sometimes whether or not, she should be straightforward with Chanyeol, tell him what makes her unhappy, what she wanted, or should she speak her honest thoughts to him to resolve internal conflict.

Chanyeol only remained silent, busying himself with cooking, then transferring the meal to a plate before he finally spoke, “Babe,” his smooth, baritone voice wrapped around her in a comforting way, "I know you are. I'm proud of your progress and you're recovering steadily well." Wendy can sense a doubt that will follow, "but we're not going to be too complacent on this.”

With that, she closed her eyes and turned her back against him. She drew in a short but frustrating sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Then why? Why am I kept like this then?"

“No, Seungwan. It’s not like that – ”

“Then help me understand,” she faced him again, a stony glare now carved into her eyes, her jaw now tightening, "I can't go on like this for the rest of the time, Chanyeol. And you know how I hate not doing anything productive. Not allowing me to sing and perform has been a torture, let alone staying here all day long without having a chance to do basic tasks and you of all people know that.”

“Because I’m scared!” his voice came out lo