Chapter 21

He woke up feeling empty after finding Yejin was nowhere to be seen. The memory of last night made him cupped his face and rubbing his hair frustratedly. The emptiness in the bedroom and only he was breathing in the bedroom throwing him back to the days when he wasn't married. At that time he was used to it, but it was different when she came and chose to sleep in his bedroom.

He looked at his bedside table and here he found the paper he hates much. His anger held him to read it but, he saw Yejin's sign on it made him snatched the paper harshly. His eyes read each line carefully. The far he read his grip on the paper tightening especially she signed it under the statements. He snatched his phone on the table and he was sure that she would give him a speech in the text. As he predicted, as his finger clicked the screen, Yejin's message's notification came first.

"Oppa, I think you need time to think about it. Please, call me after you sign it!"

"You are the one who needs some time to think about this..." he hissed furrowing his brows in anger. The sudden wish that thorning his heart. He tried to consume it but he still didn't get it. The fact she easily gave up on their relationship which he started to fight for it since he started feeling it, made him speechless. The problem made him frustrated. He thought about the problem for so long in case he would make a mistake in handling it. He exhaled his breath deeply after finding the best way to solve the problem.

"I am the husband. And I am the one who will be a decision-maker. I don't have the intention to divorce you. You're the one who needs time to think about it. Tell me where you are after you fixated your mind." he replied the message furiously.

"It must be Junyoung!" he mumbled snatching the blanket that wrapped him.

*****((()))*****

Hyunbin was already standing up in front of Junyoung's main door apartment and pressing the bell furiously. When he didn't get the answers, he knocked on the door harshly impatiently to crash the one who tries to mess with his family. His knock became harsher when the one inside the room didn't answer him even after he did it for minutes.

"CHOI JUNYOUNG!! OPEN THE DOOR!!"

After several attempts, the door opened by Choi Junyoung with her sleepless face. The presence that aroused his anger appearing and he pushed her inside the apartment until her back against the nearest wall by grabbing her collars. Junyoung tried to release his grab, but the grab tightening as she tried to release it.

"What are you doing in the early morning?" She shouted when she felt the grip that made her difficult to breathe.

"Who will be your next victims? After Jung Woosung and me, now Yejin?? What is your problem?" He flinched the grab harshly.

"I don't get it!" she coughed when his grip tightening.

"What did you do to her?" he put his face closer while his roaring breath exhaling in front of her face.

"Stop it! I can't breathe!" she pushed him away. She grabbed her neck carefully trying to have breathed while coughing after got free from him.

"Tell me what did you say to her until she wants a divorce," he looked at her in disgust.

"She didn't want to divorce you, though!" she smiled slyly still trying to get a good breath with her hand grabbing her knee. "Waw, my threats were always successful!" she giggled raising a brow glaring at Hyunbin.

"Just ask her! Why did she change her mind? I don't know! She kept saying she won't divorce you yesterday. I bet the last card affected her much.

"What was it?" he restrained the way he talks to get the answer.

"Are you stupid? Why must I say that to my opponent?" she smirked and laughed harder. He grabbed her collars once again and pulled her closer.

"I WON'T DIVORCE HER! I will make sure even your last card would turn into a mess as it should be..." he gritted his teeth and snatched her harshly before leaving her apartment.

*****((()))*****

-In the Exhibition meeting room-

Yijeong was looking at Hyunbin gingerly. Even at the first time, he came to the meeting room, he was out of focus. The exhibition would be held soon and the main star was nodding his head while cupping his face not interest in the meeting. His presence was in the room but his mind was nowhere to know.

"Hyunbin-ah..." he whispered to Hyunbin who was sitting beside him in every meeting.

"Uhmm..." Hyunbin looked at him lazily.

"The meeting ..." Yijeong asked him gingerly while the whole team was looking at him. Hyunbin turned his face while roaming his gaze to the room until his gaze stuck on "Thank You" that was written on the last slide of the presentation. The presentation was ended and he got nothing than his worry to Yejin.

"Oh..." he clapped awkwardly and followed by the team who also clapped their hands furrowing their brows in confusion. "Let's end it here! We will meet again three days ahead and doing this presentation again."

"But, the exhibition would be held next week," Yijeong warned him worriedly.

"Ah..." he sighed and took a deep breath. "You can take the pictures from now..." he said while cleaning his table.

"Is there any problem?" Yijeong grabbed his hand.

"The exhibition wouldn't be holding without the main star there, right?" he said being irritated. "I will be back when I am ready for it..."

"Yah..."

"I will be back when all that messed me up is solved," he ended the meeting ignoring all the team just like that, and walked out from the meeting room.

*****((()))*****

Hyunbin was pressing Yejin's passcode weakly trying to face her. Started from the morning he was eagerly wanted to meet her even she doesn't want to. He opened the door lightly and the room was empty. He thought he could hold himself to give her a time, but he almost went crazy after looking at the paper that he put in his car. He was sure that she wouldn't come to his house in that case.

"Yejin-ah..." he called her name softly with a smile while roaming the apartment. He hoped that she was there.

"Yejin-ah..." he opened each door slowly to find her but she was nowhere to be found.

"Yejin-ah..." he opened her bedroom and still she wasn't there. He sighed his breath hardly cupping his forehead.

------

Hyunbin was parking his car on the way near Kim's family house and didn't get out of the car. The stress he got in a day made him losing his strength. He was waiting for her from the day until the sky turned darker hoping she would be there.

"Hyunbin-ah..." a hand knocked his car's window. He lifted his head from the steer and turned his head to the voice. He lowered the window slowly and gave a slight smile to give his respect.

"Why are you here? How long did you park the car here? I thought this car wasn't yours at first, but seeing no one came out and it is right," Yejin's mother said worriedly. He looked at his watch and he didn't know that he didn't budge even an inch for so long.

"Where is Yejin?" Yejin's mother asked curiously while roaming her eyes through the car. The question actually answered something he wanted to know. His heart dropped when she said that Yejin wasn't there. He forced his smile.

"I must be drunk when I came here. Sorry, mother-in-law. Yejin must be waiting for me in the house," he nodded being polite.

"Yah, why don't you eat here first? I know you are here since this afternoon. You must be hungry," she said worriedly.

"Yejin also had cooked for me. I should go there before she scolds me, mother-in-law..." he added with a slight smile.

"Has she cooked for you? Alright, then. She must be waiting for you."

"I get to go, mother-in-law!" he turned the engine bowing his head.

"I get it, Be careful on the way!" she said while waving to him.

*****((()))*****

Woosik came to Hyunbin who was already on his seat drunk. He sighed being used to it already and walked in his direction carefully. He heard about the divorce paper when Hyunbin asked for a companion on the phone and it shocked him too. He didn't know that Yejin would go that far.

"Seems like I can't get drunk after adapting to alcohol for so long..." Hyunbin smirked when Woosik took a seat beside him.

"What is happening?" Woosik sighed and ordered the usual drink for him from the bartender.

"I don't know how to handle this... I got so weak when she is with me..." he smiled sadly pouring the alcohol in his glass again. "I was steady when I am alone, but I turned weaker with her..."

"Just drink that! Don't talk nonsense!" he sighed while knocking his fingers on the table. Hyunbin kept pouring the alcohol in his glass until he didn't know how many bottles he had drunk.

"If I make her pregnant, she wouldn't divorce me, right?" Hyunbin giggled when his eyes became blurrier with tears. "But, she is nowhere to be seen..." he hiccuped.

"I will talk to you when you get your grip. You can't decide something when you are in mess... calm yourself first! I will help you!"

"You help me?" he curved his lips and kept pouring the alcohol in his glass. "Thank you, brother! You are always being my best friend since then..." he hiccuped as his hand hugging him from behind

*****((()))*****

Yejin was scrunching her body in the orphanage's guest's bedroom. It has been three days, she was there laying on the bed weakly didn't know what to do. The nun asked her worriedly when she came to the orphanage in the early morning even before the sun started rising three days ago. Her messed presence and tears were wetting her face, worrying her. The nun hugged her tightly but she didn't say anything since she came. She held it by herself and crying in silence inside the blanket with the curtain closed.

"Yejin-ah... it is time for eating," the nun came in her direction softly while bringing a set for lunch. Yejin wiped her tears and woke up from the bed. She took the tray carefully and smiled at the nun.

"Why Yejin-ah? Are you having a problem with your husband?" The nun asked worriedly.

"No, I don't have..." she forced her smile looking at her.

"Then, why does he park the car over there?" the nun opened the curtain so she could see his car was parked not far from her bedroom under the tree. His car's windows were tinted so she couldn't see the view clearly. Yejin pulled the curtain closing it trying not to see his car again. "Yejin-ah, he is your husband. Don't you want to meet him?" The nun took a seat on the bedside facing her.

"I am... Please, I can't..." she held her tears with her trembling lips.

"I asked him and I answered as you told me to not saying anything about you. But, Yejin-ah. It is a lie. You shouldn't do that..." the nun caressed her hair softly.

"Please, make him leave!" she stuttered begging at her.

"Yejin-ah...you should meet him. He looked like a mess like you. You two should talk about this together," the nun wiped the tears that wetting her face softly.

"I can't..." she sobbed as her breath became difficult from holding the tears.

"It is been for three days. He must be worried about you..."

"I know..." she said as her body was shaking.

"I know I shouldn't interfere on this. But, please meet him!" the nun said softly. Yejin shut her eyes tightly and nodded lightly. "Eat first, then. Yejin-ah..." the nun asked and Yejin nodded softly.

-----

The tray was still in Yejin's bedroom and the food was barely touched. She only could gulp the water and a bowl of soup to ease her upset stomach. The stress lessened her appetite and she chose soft food instead. She was still laying on the bed scrunching her body inside the blanket in the dim of light. She still didn't get a braveness to meet him again.

The sky had darkened for hours and she was straying afar thinking about the divorce. Just thinking about that made her tears falling slowly. She missed him too. She had turned off her phone since she proposed for divorcement because she has already convinced herself to divorce. If they kept in touch again she would lose her grip. However, his presence that day in front of the orphanage weakened her heart. She shut her eyes tight trying to sleep.

"Yejin-ah..." the nun opened the door slowly. Yejin turned to the opened door and looking at the nun with a plastic bag of bread and milk also a blanket.

"Give this to him! I scare he would get sick..."

Listening to the nun, she pulled the curtain harshly and she found his car was still parked out there.

*****((()))*****

Yejin walked toward his car direction slowly with a weighted heart while bringing the blanket and a plastic bag of bread and milk hurriedly.

"Why are you still here, Oppa?" She bit her lower lip holding her tears. As she reached the car she carefully knocked the window lightly. "Oppa..." she called him softly. She kept knocking on the window and she couldn't get his answer. "Oppa..." she did it once again and she didn't get his answer.

She held her breath and furrowed her brows convincing herself to open it. Slowly she tried to open the door. She found him sleeping while folding his arms on each other. The view itself scrunched her heart. She dropped the plastic bag on the passenger seat and quickly stretching the blanket she bought.

"You must be cold, Oppa..." she mumbled worriedly while covering his body.

Suddenly, she was brought closer by his hand on her waist making her sit on his lap. He was still closing his eyes tightly and gulping his throat. He embraced her with his two hands and slowly opened his eyes when he was sure she couldn't leave his side again and turned out their face met closer with their nose almost touching each other. He looked at her in a relief for long. He leaned to her closer for a kiss but she turned her face away which made him scrunching his face in a pain.

"Finally, I meet you..." he sighed with a satisfied smile. Yejin diverted her face from him and tried to go away from him but it was only making him locked her tight in his embrace.

"Oppa... it is better if you are home. You can get good rest before your Exhibition," she mumbled and tried to leave but he locked her hand by intertwining their fingers. He looked at the grip with a smile.

"Exhibition. Is it related to my Exhibition?" He looked at her eyes with saddened eyes.

"Oppa... you shouldn't do this..." she blinked her eyes nervously. Seeing her uncomfortably face her, he stayed looking at her trying to understand her. The sorrow in her eyes that also hurt him, couldn't be hidden. He brought their grip and kissed her backhand deeply while shutting his eyes. He kissed it for long and reassured his heart seeing her problem that she chose to hide it by herself. He felt wrong for her as he deepened the kiss on her backhand.

"I get it..." He hugged her tight and rest his head on her neck. He caressed her back slowly. "I miss you... Let me stay like this for a while! I can't sleep these days," he sighed deeply on her neck.

"Oppa..."

"I will make you happier after this. Don't worry! I just need you for tonight. You can leave me after I deeply sleep as you did before..."

"Oppa..." she tried to free herself from his hug.

"Please, I can only manage the Exhibition if I get a good sleep!" He mumbled right on her ear while closing his eyes. Hearing his words, she gave up on releasing herself from him. Slowly, she rests her head on his chest listening to his irregular heartbeat and his breath that slowly turned calm as time goes by.

*****((()))*****

-the next day in the morning-

The orphanage strangely became a crowd about something. Yejin walked out of her bedroom and went to the crowd. She looked at the television.

"It is uncle's work, right?" kids talked to each other. A girl went to Yejin with a worried face.

"It is Uncle's Exhibition, right Eonni?" the girl pointed to the news on the television which written with the most awaited potter was shattered before the Exhibition. The reporter reported the photo of the main potter that should be the star of the exhibition shattered into pieces. Yejin was taken aback.

"The HB Signature owner still doesn't respond to this yet. However, the team of the exhibition said that the exhibition might be postponed because of this incident...." the reporter kept telling the situation but Yejin was deafened. She just met him and the incident suddenly happened. She was taken aback and grabbed the nearest thing to make her steadier.

------

Yejin came to the place where the Exhibition was taking a place. The place was a mess and the team was nowhere to be found. The magnificent pottery that was placed in the middle and surrounded by others messing the place. Yejin fell on her knees and grabbed her heart tightly. The tears she was holding streamed on her face unstoppable. Her lips trembled and she wiped the tears hardly.

"Oppa... I am sorry. Why do I always ruin your thing..." she sobbed for a long. She roamed the shattered ceramic and she felt so wrong. She tried to reach for the shattered thing and her tears streaming even harder.

"Oppa... this is because of me..." she sobbed.

"Please, wipe your tears!" A man's voice came with a handkerchief handed in front of her face. Yejin looked at the man who was standing in front of her. "Hello, Son Yejin-ssi. I am Hwang Yijeong, Hyunbin-nim's friend. He would be sad seeing you crying like this..." he said with a slight smile to lighten her sorrow.

------

Yejin and Yijeong were sitting on the nearest couch and Yijeong gave her a cup of mixed coffee in front of her.

"He said that you don't like a bitter coffee. There is no caramel macchiato. So, I made a mixed coffee instead," Yijeong opened the conversation awkwardly while rubbing his hands nervously to meet Son Yejin.

"You know that?"

"Hyunbin is always bragging his wife to me," Yijeong smiled.

"How did you know him?" She stuttered with her cracked voice.

"Ehmm... I was a timid guy back then and Hyunbin is the one who can't stand with bulliers," he said as Yejin turning her head to face him. "Switzerland. I studied there too even we took different majors. He was the only one who was being nice to me when others were... yah.." he shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish smile.

"You are a..."

"I am a reporter in FWNet but I am also being loyal to him," he said widening his eyes. "We should keep the living expenses though. So, this could be my part-time..." he smiled wider showing his teeth awkwardly.

"Ah... yes.." Yejin lowered her head to the cup awkwardly.

"He looked miserable these days, and I don't know why. He never told me," he added sighing his breath deeply. "This exhibition is the biggest and special, why does it turn like this?" he tilted his head aside curiously.

"I know..."

"Yejin-ssi, Did Hyunbin tell you that you should come to this exhibition?" he turned his face to Yejin after remembering something, but Yejin shook her head. "Ah... how can he forget when it would be held in days," he mumbled shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why?" Yejin turned her face to face him curiously.

"Honestly, the shattered piece should be the main star and he said that it was inspired by you."

"I don't get it..." she stuttered.

"HB Signature would make a special occasion in this Exhibition by announcing his wife. Also, he doesn't prepare for the hidden room like he used to make."

"Why?" Yejin blinked her eyes in a confusion.

"He chose to tell the world that HB Signature is his and proudly announce his wife. That's why he marked the exhibition as the biggest and the special one."

"Pardon me.." she trembled listening to his explanation.

"But sadly, why must the magnificent one is shattered? If the ordinary one is shattered, this exhibition wouldn't be postponed."

"This exhibition is postponed?"

"Since Hyunbin couldn't be reached, so, there is no way. The team chose to postpone it until he could be reached. Ah... right. Yejin-ssi, you always with him, right? Can you call him for us? We did anything to call him but he didn't pick up any of it. Please, Yejin-ssi help us! We don't know what to do about this Exhibition," he begged while clasping his hands to Yejin.

*****((()))******

"Oppa...." Yejin called him inside his house. However, the house was empty and he couldn't be found anywhere. She kept calling him for times but, he turned his phone off. "Oppa..." he opened the door in his house slowly one by one and he couldn't find him.

She sighed deeply. She almost burst her tears but she held them. It wasn't the right time. She could find him fast to fix the problem as a married couple and the exhibition thing. She strayed her eyes away not letting her tears burst out. As she strayed her gaze away, her eyes landed on his workhouse outside. She went to the workhouse and tried to open the door.

Looking at the passcode, the tears fell on her cheek. Even for the simple thing, they bickered and she missed it. She took a deep breath while wiping the tears away and pressed number 123456 like she always did when she sneaked to his workhouse without he was knowing. Her brows furrowed when the passcode was wrong. She tried once again in case she slipped her finger and put her attention to it and it was still wrong. She tried pressing the HB Signature's birth date since it was his workhouse and she still couldn't open it. She pressed his birth date after, and she couldn't open it. She took a deep breath while thinking hard. She reversed the HB Signature's birth date and Hyunbin's birth date and it was still locked. She exhaled her breath hardly. The tears slowly fell from her eyes realizing something.

"Is it?" Her brows twitched even just thinking about it. She pressed her birthday and the door was opened. Her brows scrunched and tears streamed on her pale face. "You're still old-man Oppa..." she sighed with her teary eyes in disbelief.

After the door was opened wide, she walked to the place and looking for him.

"Oppa..." she called with her cracked voice.

"Oppa..." she roamed the room inch by inch and she couldn't find him. As she roamed the room thoroughly, her eyes fell to the pottery that caught her attention. The familiar puzzle ceramic that was put on the safe shelves which she was looking at it with a daze.

"Broken pieces that can't be like a new one" on his first ceramic puzzle and the new one beside it was written with "can be fixed even it would be imperfect one" like she wanted to do when she tried in the clay class.

"You really did it..." she mumbled lowering her head covering with her hand. She fell on the floor and cried loudly.

"Oppa, I am sorry..."

-to be continued-

Authors note:

Hi my beloved reader ^^

Here is an update ^^

I want to announce that this story would end soon. More two chapters to go ^^

Thank you for giving a tap on the star, comments, and direct messages that support me much all this time ^^

Enjoy the story and meet me again next chapter ^^

And for the last, kindly check my other stories The Binding Angel, Through Their Lenses, and The Luckiest ^^

Sincerely, Byeol-nim