Palming his chest Namjoo pushed him away.

“I…I can do it myself!” Twisting and turning, Namjoo halted heating neck down when she nearly bumped into the counter. Pivoting the other direction, she scurried upstairs slamming the door to the bathroom louder than expected. Turning on the faucet she splashed water over her face.

Darn Sehun!

Darn him!

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His heart was racing.

That was all he could focus on when Namjoo left him standing there. It really took a few moments of grappling thin air for control again. By then the cake had been baking for 10 minutes. Namjoo had still not yet come back down.

Was she upset with him again?

He couldn’t help himself. Anticipating her reactions made him want to play around again and again.

The oven beeped signaling the cake was done. He pulled it out to cool on the counter and stared longingly out the doorway. Sehun had thought about doing nice things today. Four days was a limited amount of time. Soon he’d be back to work. Now was the best time to get closer to Namjoo.

Going upstairs he went in search of her. Definitely not in either of the guest rooms. Yes, they were still locked because he knew Namjoo would leave his room first chance she got. And he didn’t want to rouse gossip among the housekeepers that might spread to his parents.

Veering toward his bedroom he found her laying on the bed watching something off her phone. Appearing secluded and at peace without him to bother her.

Today, he promised himself, he would give it up.

Walking right up to her he asked, “Want to ice the cake?”

Like a pouty child whose mother just told her time out was over, Namjoo silently gave him a look then got up. Sauntering downstairs after him she eyed the cake pan.

“And I get to decorate it.” Namjoo declared. Swiping the butterknife off the side she went right down to business. off a good forkful once finished. Unscrewing a bottle of sprinkles, she shook it covering the entire cake generously.

“Fork,” she commanded.

“We should at least cut it.” Sehun remarked.

“Why bother when it’s just two of us?” Namjoo questioned. “Give me a fork.”

Relenting he grabbed one from the dishrack. “But,” he held the utensil at bay, “I want to say something.”

A brow deepened over her eye. “What now? Can’t we just eat?”

“I’m older than you, remember. You should listen to me sometimes at least.” He reminded.

“So what?” Namjoo countered. Drawing an invisible line with her hand, she said, “In this act we’re both pretty much at the same level.”

He lightly flicked her cheek. Yelping Namjoo covered her face glowering at him.

In retaliation she mumbled, “Old man.”

Scoffing, he let it go because it was her. “To celebrate the start of our first term.”

“Of what?”

“Husband and wife.”

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “You’re going to keep that up.” Louder, “It’s nonsense really. I’m only doing it when your parents are around. You know that, right?”

“Then it’s a promise,” he offered her the fork. “We’ll do better to work it out.”

Namjoo shot him a long frown. Snatching the fork from him she stabbed the cake and took a big, greedy bite. Sehun watched with a giant smile.

That night when they went to sleep, he lay on his side watching her. Though she slept with her back facing him, he imagined she wasn’t.

One day, maybe.

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At the breakfast table the following morning, Sehun pushed the plate of entrée toward her letting her have the rest of the main dish. Usually, they fought for their last share of it, but lately he was starting to give it up for her. Was she being too overly observant? Or just sensitive about the food?

She had to wonder.

Sehun didn’t really bother her that day. Right after breakfast he disappeared, leaving her be. Unlike the first two days when he bothered to be around, he was missing. It was kind of perturbing when it shouldn’t.

Her mind kept drifting to Sehun while watching her usual sitcom. Was he planning to pop up around the corner, surprise her? Fly into the room with no warning, switch the channel? Phone her even though he was just upstairs?

Irritating, irritating, irritating.

During a commercial run she went to grab a glass of milk and get a piece of half-eaten cake. To start off he’d said, but only she’d been devouring it since yesterday. She still felt they should’ve bought a cake from the bakery. They were prettier, professionally baked, and probably tasted much better than what he’d whipped together yesterday amateurly. She could have chosen among a variety of decorations. Instead, the cake was crummy and ugly with mere sprinkles.

Cheapskate Oh Sehun even though he was filthy rich.

Shutting the fridge, she reached for the glass of milk on the island. Halting when she spotted a figure through the glass doors leading to the patio. Easily recognizing Sehun’s broad back sitting on the steps staring at what she couldn’t decipher. A further observation and he looked like some desolate, lonely man on a warm afternoon.

The sight was most pitiful. Namjoo nearly felt for him.

Pivoting on a foot she intended to return to the lounge room when she heard sounds telling her the sitcom was back on. No less than a step and she paused. Grunting, condemning herself.

Slamming the glass down along with the plate she stalked toward the door, sliding it open and stepped out. Crossing the patio, she plopped down by him.

“Why, I didn’t know you’re a man who appreciates nature.” Scouring the open surroundings, Namjoo counted, “One, two, and three trees. A thousand blades of grass. Very interesting. What is it telling you?”

He kind of smiled. “Nothing. What are you doing out here?”

Now, why was she?

“I thought you were inside.” Was what she went with. After a second she started rising, “Then I’m going back in.”

Reaching up for her arm, he said, “No, stay.” Letting go he continued, “Sit with me a bit.”

Sitting back down she rested her arms on her knees. “Are you thinking about your girlfriend?”

“No.”

Namjoo grew doubtful.

“You don’t really talk about her.” she pointed out.

“I don’t have much to say.”

Narrowing her eyes, Namjoo reminded, “You were waiting for her…two years?” She nudged him, “Come on. That means you must have really liked or loved her.”

“I don’t know now.” Sehun quietly said. “Maybe time and distance caused changes.”

“But she’s back?” Confused, Namjoo raised her shoulders. “You’re making things so difficult.”

“She was with someone else. Telling me sorry slams it down, don’t you think?”

“Ok.” Namjoo quickly ran it through her mind. She could counsel this old guy. “Yet she came to the wedding. What if really seeing you again reignited the feelings in her? Then you should give her another chance. Dun, dun, dun, dun!” Spreading out her hands, she proclaimed, “All your problems would be solved!”

And she could finally go home!

“An uncertain future versus one I could already have,” Sehun turned to her, “what would you choose?”

That familiar glint in his eyes again.

Suddenly it didn’t feel like a question about himself but involved her.

“Uh…” she breathed somewhat anxious, “my show is starting.”

Getting up she raced back indoors with her heart galloping inside her chest.

The entirety of the day she remained at a distance from Sehun. When he came inside, she went upstairs. When he came upstairs, she ran back downstairs. Only until it was time to have lunch or dinner. Namjoo ate with her head lowered to keep him out of sight. Yet Sehun still pushed the main dish toward her letting her have the last bites. As much as she hated it, she gobbled everything down.

That night she lay wide awake in bed turned away from him. Something was off about him yet she didn’t want to regard it as any kind of special treatment just because they’d had a wedding. But Sehun consistently regarding her as his wife didn’t quite sit right.

He couldn’t be serious about this.

He just couldn’t.

He started this lie. He should keep it that way.

Namjoo grew uneasy. Thinking again of his question earlier in the day. Would he wait for Jin whose heart had changed to fly back to him? Or keep what he had now, the fake marriage?

No, no, no, no.

Maybe he didn’t even mean it that way. Darn it. She was overthinking again. It wasn’t like Sehun was a moody teenager whose emotions swung back and forth daily. He was a grown man who made rational decisions.

Of course, he knew what he was doing!

The problem was her. Thinking too much. Namjoo just needed to calm down and stop worrying.

When she turned over onto her side early morning the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was the man who’d recently put a ring on her finger. Sehun asleep. Correction, sleeping in despite it being past seven in the morning.

Strange. He always woke up first.

Rolling onto her back away from him, Namjoo sighed. This was why she needed the long pillow. To put some kind of barrier between them.

Contrary to the usual, she was first to wake up. Breakfast was nearly ready when she arrived in the kitchen. A deep bowl of fragrant herbs settled before her.

“Madam instructed you to have herbal chicken stew this morning,” the cook explained. “She says it will be healthy for you and baby. Please make sure to have all of it.”

Awkwardly smiling, Namjoo shifted in her chair uncomfortable. “Yes, thank you.”

After preparing a separate meal for Sehun the cook exited the kitchen. Sehun walked in a few minutes later. Pausing when he noticed their separate meals.

“What’s that?” he asked.

Tapping her spoon against the bowl, she explained, “Soup for the baby.” Sighing exasperated, she asked, “Can’t we just tell them we lost the baby? You got angry and kicked me out?”

An amused smile skittered across his face. Sitting down he said, “Of course not.”

dropped open. “And why not?”

“I’m paying you, aren’t I?”

“Then you can stop paying me when I leave.” Namjoo thought that was the smartest decision he could make to save them.

“Mmm…” Sehun prolonged his thought process. Digging into his food, he flatly rejected her. “No.”

 “You want to trade?” Namjoo changed tactic.

“If it’s supposed to be good for you, eat it all.” Scooping a mouthful he gestured toward her bowl.

She hissed at him. He was really just letting his mother push her agenda on them. How was she going to fake a belly later? Sehun really better be prepared to kick her out with a vengeance before all hell breaks loose.

The thought of pretending to be pregnant was going to start being frightful. How was she going to deal with that later? God!

Sehun spent his last day lounging around the house. Early next morning he was gone before she even knew it. Must be so eager to return to work she supposed. Well, good. Now she had the entire house to her heart’s content.

Laying down on the couch she stretched her leg up over the back. Hogging all the space possible. This was just the way she liked it. Home alone. No one to bother her.

Or so she thought.

Late that afternoon the bell rang forcing her up. Grumbling she pushed herself up grunting like an old woman. Expecting to meet one of the housekeepers from the manor. Elder Oh wants to chat with you. Or Madam Oh has prepared tea for you.

She met none of that.

“Hi!” Hwayi broadly grinned, hand raised up for a short greeting. “My father stopped by, so I tagged along.”

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Regret filled him from toe to head as he woke up an hour early that morning, washed up, dressed, and left for work. Grabbing a cup of coffee on his way in. Knowing full well there would be a pile of work waiting for him to sort through.

Sehun wasn’t wrong. He was kept busy at his desk the entire morning. A bigger half of him eager to return to the sanctity of his home. Spend an evening with Namjoo snickering behind his back or trying to counter all his jokes. Then complete the evening watching her engulf the dishes on the dinner table. Afterwards she’d sleep as far away from him as possible.

These were parts of his day he looked forward to.

Namjoo and her scrumptious behavior. Yet her buoyant attitude made him feel alive.

It was very different from Jin’s overly cool, mature demeanor that was just like his.

Since talking with Namjoo the other day he came to realize several factors. Talking with Jin over the phone had made him feel close to her, but when those calls dwindled, he’d made up excuses for her. Until eventually, all the calls stopped.

Perhaps he should have inquired after her more, but how and when; the answers had never been really clear. Jin claimed her phone was stolen. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she wasn’t. Sehun would never know, because he’d blindly trusted her.

He had really trusted her.

But she broke that trust first. He didn’t know how much time he’d wasted until the moment he saw her holding someone else’s hand.

Two years was quite some time.

Especially for him.

Not getting any younger. Every day was time passing. His future was wasting as his mother always chanted, so just marry Hyena. She’s the perfect girl, Sehun! You can start a family right away!

But not Hyena. She was too ambitious. Pardon his words, but she was a rabid bunny that would never give him the chance to speak.

So now, he was starting to weigh in his future. The forked road that lay ahead. Which one was he going to take?

Jin who’d shown up at his wedding out of the blue? What if Namjoo was right? Now that they’d met again, maybe her feelings had changed again. She realized she loved him; she shouldn’t have wavered. Would he give her the time of day again?

But Sehun didn’t want a life with a woman whose heart went different directions every other day.

Hyena wasn’t even an option at this point. Goodbye to her.

As he drove home all Sehun thought about was Namjoo immediately blabbering about something. It wasn’t like her to bother about how his day was, what he did. And he was fine with that.

At this point, merely seeing her was a kind of satisfaction he couldn’t pinpoint. Namjoo was still like a starlight pointing toward the north star, home, and, he, the big dipper always rotating around her.

He’d find her in the kitchen. More likely upstairs in bed napping or watching something on her phone. Being lazy but content because she was always bored out of her mind in his home.

One of these days he planned to fix that for her.

He heard a male voice when he opened the door. Hesitated a bit confused, but more curious who Namjoo had let in. Walking in he turned to find Hwayi taking up a chair adjacent to her. The two of them absorbed in some kind of talk, and she was giggling.

He didn’t like it.

***I know a few of you were wondering about Sehun and his feelings toward his ex. Hope that clarified it somewhat. I'm planning to just let his feelings unravel and clarify himself later

***But umf things are beginning to change between them now

***And Merry Christmas everyone. I have no special chapters planned :( I agreed to work tomorrow, so no writing. I hope you all have an excellent day and most of all, thank you for enjoying and reading! <3