"We started with a simple hello but ended with a complicated goodbye."
— Anonymous

For as long as he could remember, Byun Baekhyun rarely—if not, never—did anything nice for anyone without expecting something in return. He had a long-standing belief that thoughtfulness was an utter waste of time, energy, and resources, especially if there were no personal benefits attached. Moreover, he never understood why anyone would willingly go to such troublesome lengths just to help others—but here he was, acting on impulse and going the extra mile, knowingly accepting it was a one-way exchange.

Of course, his genuine act of kindness—of finding a familiar space where Ara could clear her head in peace—would've translated better if only his near-perfect memory didn't fail him. If only he realized it sooner that the scenery in front of them matched the one in the proposal video he watched just last night.

"," Baekhyun cursed silently under his breath. He ran hand through his dark locks, trying to find a way to salvage his mistake, but before his fingers could leave his scalp, the image of his wife gracefully making her way down the sloping hill caught his eyes.  

With one careful step after another, Ara descended the low incline in her four-inch heels and sat herself on an empty bench facing the cool waters of the Han River and the cityscape across. She hadn't come to this spot for more than two months, but oddly enough, it still gave her the same sense of tranquility it had throughout the years. Yes, pain lingered, but the place calmed her heart a lot more than it hurt it.

Ara inhaled softly, closed her eyes, and rested her mind. Taking note of her husband's slight movements behind her, she felt for the warm comforting breeze, letting its gentle touch brush her cheeks, dance through the length of her hair, and carry away with it all the jumbled thoughts in her head.

As quietly as he could, Baekhyun also made his way down, but chose to remain at a short distance, hoping to give his wife some space. He knew she would prefer to process the past events by herself and without distraction, yet he couldn't bring himself to leave her—at least, not in the current state she was in. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why he felt the way he did—why he was okay being away from his desk and wasting precious work hours—but at the moment, he was incapable of giving a damn about anything else. Even if it took all day, he was willing to wait under the towering maple tree until she was okay.

Though gallant, his intentions were unfortunately short-lived. No later than five minutes after rooting his feet to his current spot, Ara instructed him to take the empty seat beside her, using that cool, calm, and collected tone of hers—the one he was most familiar with. And so without protest, he planted himself next to his wife and rested his gaze on the same scenery her eyes were glued to.

"How long were you planning on standing there like a stalker?" Ara teased, her lips slightly curved into her signature smirk. After only a few minutes of meditation, she was already feeling much better than before—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Baekhyun released a soft laugh that ended in a smile of relief. "A stalker? Really? Not even—I don't know…a bodyguard?" he replied good-humoredly.

The woman with many layers glanced at him with a lighthearted expression. She shook her head playfully then rested her soft gaze on the reflecting pool that connected to the flowing river.

It genuinely amazed him how quickly she bounced back, yet he couldn't help but wonder—and worry—if her current state of composure was just a façade. He had the strong urge to confirm, but he was hesitant, more so unsure, if his private wife would even open up more than she already had.

Sensing his curiosity, Ara broadened her smile. Though her mind had been preoccupied with the events of the past 18 hours, Baekhyun's presence—the level of worry, care, and security he felt for and lent her so far—hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Would you like to hear it?" she asked as she stared at her finger, remembering the simple engagement ring she proudly wore for four beautiful months, "My love story."

|| The Beginning: Cold Waters & Warm Hearts ||

|| Three Years and Nine Months Ago ||

"Kim Jongin? The Kim Jongin?" Chaeyoung repeated loudly, letting hang in the process. She and Ara were walking arm in arm alongside the Han River, and her best friend just dropped some very juicy news.

Ara released a heavy sigh and nodded in response, still baffled by the turn of the events. She had just finished having a "family lunch" with her future stepfather, whose son turned out to be none other than Kim Jongin—the only guy who managed to catch her eyes for their entire three years of high school. In other words, her unrecruited first love.

"Wha~" Chaeyoung breathed out followed by a faint squeal caused by the steamy image currently materializing in her head. The man in question left to study abroad soon after graduating, and though the thought lingered in the back of her mind, she never expected her best friend's reunion with him to be so…dramatic. "Then that means Jongin will be your stepbrother, right?" she asked with a teasing smirk, "Oh my, why do I sense some forbidden uous love blooming in the distance?"

With knitted brows, Ara turned to the erted woman, bared her fangs, and clicked her tongue. "Ya Go Chaeyoung, get your mind out of the gutter," she warned before setting her fed-up eyes ahead, "There's no way that would ever happen. Besides, there won't even be a wedding."

Chaeyoung paused their stride and looked at her bestfriend with a tilted head, "What do you mean?"

Releasing another weighted breath, Ara pulled her closer and resumed their pace. "The vixen found a much bigger pond to fish in," she explained as she thought of the famous Lux Hotel—her mother's new place of employment. "One whose catches have deeper pockets than Jongin's dad," she continued, referring to the highflying executives who frequent the lavish establishment.

"Will that woman ever get tired of fishing?" Chaeyoung muttered under her breath, a comment that made Ara giggle.

"Is that even possible?" she answered, "It's Seo Da Ye we're taking about."

"Touché."

"Anyway, my mother's gotten her ring. All she's waiting for now is the perfect time to release the poor man back into shallow waters—or even worse, leave him out in the sun to rot," Ara continued with indifference. She had always felt bad for her mother's victims, but after the fifth attempt of trying to warn the spellbound men—and failing miserably—she stopped giving a damn.

"Ugh, your mother is one hell of a woman," Chaeyoung complained. She had known Ara for almost 12 years, yet there wasn't a single memory she could recall where