[CONTENTID1]re:membrance[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter 19[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

After having a rather late breakfast, Baekhyun carried Soojin back to her bedroom, insisting on doing the dishes alone. She would have preferred helping him any other day, but now she couldn’t stand on her feet for long since she had to shift all her weight on one leg. Her injury required more time to heal. When she was back in bed, Baekhyun vanished momentarily only to return with a cup of her favorite tea, leaving it on the nightstand. It smelled heavenly, prompting her to smile.

“Here, your medication,” he said, handing it to her.

“Thanks, you’re incredible.”

“I know,” he winked and showed a smug grin.

Soojin asked him to pick a comfortable outfit since she didn’t like wearing her pajamas all day. Baekhyun opened the wardrobe, and just like last time, he was clueless—she owned a lot of clothes, and most of them were too formal to be worn at home. He was looking for something cozy.

“Soo, do you really not have any sweatpants besides the one you’re wearing?”

“I do! They’re at the bottom of the wardrobe. See? There they are.” She pointed at the lowest compartment, and he took a closer look while she grabbed her phone and checked for messages from Seungwan and Seulgi. After hearing what had happened to her, her friends had bombarded her phone, so she reassured them that she was fine.

Since she was busy typing, Soojin didn’t pay attention to Baekhyun anymore, who was about to make an unexpected discovery. Hidden under her folded sweatpants was a box labeled with ‘memories’ in Soojin’s cursive handwriting. His curiosity was sparked, so Baekhyun pulled it out and opened the lid, only to come across an incredible surprise. Soojin kept a stack of photos from their past relationship, neatly bundled with a colorful string. A few trinkets were hidden inside as well, for example, a souvenir they had bought on their first holiday together and a shell they had found at the beach. However, what he was about to find next would truly overwhelm him—a small, velvet box underneath the stack of photos. He held his breath as he opened it, laying his eyes on two silver engagement rings with their names engraved in them.

Baekhyun couldn’t describe the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling. Raising his head, he looked at Soojin, who put her phone down and glanced at him. She froze when she saw the rings in his hand, paling.

“W-What are you doing?”

“You kept them,” he said as a smile spread over his lips. “You really kept them! I can’t believe it.”

“Did you think I would throw them away?” She crossed her arms, offended at the idea. These rings were too special and too valuable to throw away. After all, they were linked directly to a time she cherished.

“I know I hurt you with what I did,” he said quietly and looked down. “So it would have been reasonable to throw them away instead of holding on to them.”

“Well, to me, throwing them away would equal throwing the memories of us away as well, and I couldn’t do that.”

Baekhyun got up swiftly and strode to the bed, sitting beside her. Soojin read determination in his eyes, embers of hope igniting their brown hue. She was intrigued by what she saw, so much so that the dull pain in her injured body became secondary. Her heart beat faster when he leaned in and gently took her bruised hand, holding it in his palm. He put no pressure on it and simply embraced it with his warm hands. The embarrassment she’d felt after he discovered her secret box of memories was long forgotten. Her feelings for him surged like a cheerful melody, and she mirrored his elated smile.

“It’s a lot to ask for, but would you ever wear this ring again?” His voice was sweet like molten chocolate, prompting her to blush as the meaning of his words registered in her mind. Soojin’s lips parted.

“You… you’re…” She struggled to find words—all this was too good to be true. She blinked when her eyes became glossy, wet with unshed tears.

“Soojin, do you want to marry me?” he whispered. “I love you so much and don’t want to let go of you.”

The tears burning in her eyes overflowed and left glistening streaks on her reddening cheeks. She sniffled, unsuccessfully trying to swallow a sob. Her hands brushed the tears away, but they kept coming. This was what she had secretly yearned for. She couldn’t believe it.

“Hey, are you okay? It was too soon, wasn’t it?” Baekhyun frowned and put the rings on the bed, moving in to hug her. He carefully wrapped his arms around her shaking self and drew her into his chest. She let herself fall into the embrace and leaned against him, holding on to him.

“Baekhyun,” she managed to say when she calmed down. “I still want to marry you.”

His entire body froze. As her answer settled in, a wide grin conquered the frown on his face and chased his gloomy thoughts away. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You won’t regret it.”

He kissed the crown of her hair, wiping her tears with his thumbs. A laugh rumbled in his chest as he let go of her and reached for the rings. She watched as he slipped the band on her finger. Then, she did the same thing for him, decorating his delicate hand with the silver ring. It would be fine—because she trusted him. She really trusted him now.

“I love you,” she whispered, making his heart soar with three simple yet meaningful words.

“I love you too, Soo.” His hand cupped her cheek and tilted her head. Baekhyun’s hazy chocolate gaze wandered from her eyes over her nose to her lips, and he eliminated the distance between them within a blink. He kissed her—and this was the moment it really began to sink in. They were engaged again. She’d never even dared to dream of this. For too long, it had seemed like the damage caused was irreparable.

Baekhyun pushed his knee on the mattress, climbing on the bed without breaking the kiss. Had she not been injured, this surely would have escalated rapidly, but he held himself back. Their lips parted as his hands slowly guided her backward and let go once she was comfortably lying on the pillows. She gazed up at him, smiling encouragingly.

He kneeled between her legs, fingers slipping under her shirt and pulling it up. He kissed her belly button, her ribs, the valley of her s, and her collarbones. Every part of her upper body received the attention it deserved, and she enjoyed the teasing sensation of his lips on her bare skin. It was sensual and oddly calming at the same time. The gentle touches were innocent compared to what he had done on other occasions in the past, but Soojin loved it. Besides, she doubted she could keep up with anything other than this—her injuries made her feel like a bird without wings. 

Baekhyun used the opportunity to check if her bruises were healing and if she needed ice for the larger ones. It was not easy to see her like this, her body covered in bandages and nasty injuries from the car accident. If he could, he would make them disappear all at once. His hands tenderly mapped her body, trailed over her exposed skin, and rewarded her with kisses now and then. The touches had their desired effect. Her muscles released their tension, and she was fully relaxed, closing her eyes.

“We need to celebrate when I’m healed,” she whispered.

“Great idea,” he agreed as he pulled the fabric of her shirt down and covered her with a blanket.

“Then we have something to look forward to.”

He lay next to her and watched her profile. This was the woman he had fallen in love with. This was the woman he had left behind. And this was his second chance to be with her. Exhaling softly, he shifted and glanced at the ring on his finger. It still fit him. The tip of his finger touched it, and a surge of happiness spread through him when he remembered she had kept it safe all this time. 

More days passed, and Baekhyun’s attempts at cooking improved after Soojin gave him advice. He even figured out how to make dessert, and when she praised his creations, the agent occasionally lost his cool and became flustered. After they had renewed their engagement, Soojin noticed a few endearing changes in him. The most notable one was hidden in his eyes. She swore his gaze lit up whenever he looked at her. There was a vivid, playful gleam in them—Soojin hadn’t seen this expression on him since before they broke up. She hadn’t expected it to ever return since it was evident that his past had changed him and his personality. However, his old, cheeky self was still there—and it showed itself more frequently than before. Sometimes, he would crack a joke when she least expected it, and his pearly laughter would fill the room until she joined in.

They had reached a new level of intimacy. Due to Baekhyun’s prolonged stay at her apartment, it felt as if they had already moved in together. They continued to learn more about each other, starting with their daily habits. Baekhyun, for example, owned a surprising amount of skincare and haircare products, which he now kept on the small shelf above her bathroom sink. Soojin was astonished when she learned that his collection was more extensive than hers.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, discovered a few quirks about her as well. For example, she owned a tiny cactus that stood on the windowsill in her living room. Once, when she watered it, he heard her talk to it as if it were her little pet. A surprising number of pictures decorated the walls of her apartment—sadly, none portrayed them both. He planned on changing this once they moved in together.

Although Soojin was recovering well and already felt better, Baekhyun insisted on helping her with anything she needed. His selfless way of caring for her was charming—and she knew she had to make it up to him somehow. Perhaps she could surprise him somehow when she was fully healed. He deserved a big thank you.

In the final week of Soojin’s sick leave, the couple received a surprise visit from Chanyeol, Junmyeon, and Jongin. After work, all three agents stopped by in the evening and brought a chocolate cake as a gift. Soojin offered their visitors tea and coffee, and they sat in the living room on her sofa.

“How are you doing, Soojin?” Junmyeon asked with a mildly concerned smile, seeing how her partner doted on her. Baekhyun had snatched the tea kettle from under her nose when she wanted to pour the hot liquid into their cups and did it himself.

“I’m feeling much better, especially since you brought chocolate cake,” she joked and nodded her chin in Baekhyun’s direction. “Also, Baekhyun’s been helping me with the household, so I could rest most of the time.”

“I hope he didn’t poison you with odd dinner creations,” Chanyeol commented. 

Baekhyun huffed and crossed his arms. “Hey, the last time you ate my cooking was years ago, so shut up.”

“He impro