❝Everything you love is likely to be lost, but in the end, love will return in a different way❞ - Franz Kafka

∞

8:36 am 

"I'm first!" 

Seojun exclaimed, running through the front door of the house inside with his giggles of contentment erupting around with Areum running behind him to beat the hell out of him. "You cheated!" 

"Don't fight!" Baekhyun yelled, as he entered inside panting only to find his little ones playing catch me if you can, except the theme was Seojun saving himself from Areum as he shook his head before feeling a hand grasping his forearm and he didn't have to turn his head as only one family member was left behind, Gayoung. 

But as soon as he looked over his shoulder, he couldn't hold back the smile gracing his lips. "Are you already tired?" 

"It was supposed to be a morning walk, not a running race!" She whined, giving him a tired glare as she heaved out a deep breath where Baekhyun raised his eyebrows with a teasing smile. "You just couldn't catch up to me." 

"You just couldn't drive after running around." She snapped back, with a 'back at you' look and Baekhyun just made a face before walking to the room. "I'm going to wash up." 

Gayoung just shook her head, then she froze as she was also supposed to wash up but the man tricked her as she scoffed to herself with a grumpy pout before telling the kids to wash up as they went to the room as Seojun was fast one to run towards the bathroom where the mother and daughter gave each other a pouty look. 

"Let's use the upstairs one since they are going to take forever." Gayoung stated, making a grumpy face toward making Areum to laugh, causing Gayoung to smile where she was about to kiss her but Areum was fast enough to run upstairs with a giggle. "You can't kiss me before we are clean!" 

"You little-" Gayoung exclaimed, but Areum just giggled away leaving her mother smiling as Gayoung went to the kids room to give Seojun his clothes to fetch Areum and hers later before leaving upstairs. 

It was Sunday, their usual routine of going to the morning walk to meet Sung-min there, like always to have a joyful conversation with him. 

It's been two weeks since that day, and after that day everything continued like it usually did from their routines to their habits but a lot of things had changed. Soo-Ah and Ji-hu took their time to adapt to the new fact about Yoon Tae-woong and after two days, they met him again to forgive him to meet him often as well as persuade him to get the surgery which he has been afraid of but ended up giving in as he got his two friends by his side. 

Baekhyun was the one who operated as Gayoung already knew about it, since he was the one who told her about it but Gayoung strangely didn't feel anything, and after that day she didn't met him except after his operation to see him for the last time, as he will leave for abroad for good this time and to tell him that he was forgiven like how Gayoung also had came to accept it and strangely she didn't feel anything which made her believe that she indeed had let go of it because after realizing it, she felt like a weight lifted off her chest. 

And since the night both Baekhyun and Gayoung had shared their feelings of their past, it had become easier for them to converse and share about their feelings often as Gayoung was quick to share her feelings with him and Baekhyun was surely happy for her while Gayoung wanted the same for him but it can wait since letting go isn't always easy but can take time so she was just waiting for him to get grow out of it. 

Gayoung's family had gotten the news by Min-Jae and Woo-Jin as they were casually conversing about it to let Sung-min listening to it where after hearing everything he had called Gayoung as the next second, she was getting scolded for not telling him with Baekhyun getting praises for being such an understanding person and husband which just told her that he had finally become their favorite in the family. 

However, strangely Gayoung couldn't get pouty over it but it was the opposite of it but she wasn't the only one as Baekhyun was having the exact feeling of her getting along so well with his parents that almost, everytime he would catch her talking to his mother on the phone or video chatting with her and his dad, yet it just made him happy about it. 

And in those whole two weeks, there was another pair getting along with each other over the time as Soo-Ah and Yixing were getting more closer since her visits at the hospital had gotten them to meet each other to hang out often with Yixing, who had came to the realization of his deep feelings toward her but was too afraid to let it out in front of her as he was afraid of them getting apart since they had just gotten closer so he was just taking his time while Soo-Ah, who was good at catching the signs had gotten it but was too afraid to face it yet. 

"Dr Baekhyun-sii!" 

Gayoung walked in the room with her damp hair falling right behind her lower back, clad in her plain shirt and shorts with a spoon and honey jar in her hands while her eyes wandered around to find no signs of Baekhyun as she walked further with a huff. "Just how long would he take in the shower?" 

Baekhyun had heard her the moment he walked out of the bathroom as he opened the door softly not to make any noise while walking out in his plain white shirt with his damp hair falling over his forehead while towel around his neck only greet her back by the dressing table but for a moment his steps halted to find her clad in just shorts as somehow it made him feel strange, but in a way he couldn't pinpoint it. 

Shrugging it, he walked softly toward her with a playful grin on his lips and as he was about to scare her, Gayoung was quick to turn around. "Boo!" 

He immediately gasped, jumping as he palmed his chest as the next second, he narrowed his eyes on Gayoung who seemed to be trying hard to calm herself from her laughter as her head was thrown back but somehow he couldn't stay made to just stare at the sight intently which only brought a soft smile on his lips. "Seriously, how did you know I was behind you?" 

Gayoung calmed herself as she gave him a smug grin. "You think you can fool me twice? And I can tell now." 

It wasn't that long but a day before yesterday when Baekhyun pulled this little prank of scaring her from behind when she was in the kitchen and this time it didn't work but Baekhyun smiled anyway. "You won't be able to tell next time." 

"Is that a challenge Baekhyun-sii?" Gayoung gave him a 'seriously' look to which Baekhyun shrugged, standing right in front of the mirror to dry off his hair with the towel as he looked at her through the mirror. "What do you think, Gayoung-sii?" 

Gayoung just stared at him for a moment as she was standing beside him where Baekhyun looked at her confused. "What happened?" 

"Open your mouth." 

"What?" Baekhyun gave her a confused look and Gayoung smiled. "Say Ahhh~" 

Though he was confused, he still complied as he opened his mouth a little with Gayoung immediately shoving the honey filled spoon in his mouth where the next second, Baekhyun grimaced by the sweetness. "Honey?" 

"Too sweet?" She giggled. "Actually, the season is changing and so it's good to have honey in the morning to be healthy enough." 

"One of your remedies?" He asked, as he was used to it now with Gayoung nodding with a confident smile where the next moment, Baekhyun took the spoon from her hand to shove the spoonful of honey in as he giggled at her expression of surprise. "Let's be healthy." 

"But I already had some." She whined, wiping the corner of her lips with Baekhyun nodding with a satisfied face. "Be double healthy then." 

"Baekhyun-sii!" 

"Gayoung-sii!" 

And she huffed while realizing something as she looked at him blankly. "Do you find it weird the way we call each other?" 

Baekhyun stared at her with a confused look. "What do you mean?" 

"No, I mean are we too formal with each other?" She questioned, as she had pondered over Woo-Jin's words and Baekhyun let out a hum as his lips formed in a pout with a pondering look. "We probably have gotten used to this so we won't find it weird but I guess it won't hurt if we get informal with each other." 

"Right." Gayoung nodded, "Then we'll try to call each other comfortably now." 

Baekhyun nodded, looking at her expectantly as Gayoung looked at him confusingly. "What?" 

"What?" 

She chuckled. "Why are you staring at me like that?" 

"You said we should call each other comfortably." Baekhyun said, and Gayoung frowned. "Right now?" 

He nodded with a much excited face as the latter shook her head. "Later." 

"There's no later." He instantly took a hold of her wrist to make her sit on the chair of the dressing table with him sitting on it as they were sitting face to face with their knees touching while he still kept his hold on her wrist. "Come on, let's try it." 

"Why are you so excited?" She reasoned out, chuckling. "So how about I call you Baekhyun sunbae?" 

"We didn't even know each other back then," Baekhyun let out a light scoff as he shook his head with a look. "You really have bland ideas." 

Gayoung leaned forward with a look. "Did you just call my ideas bland?" 

He leaned forward as well. "I did, would you like it if I called you Gayoung junior." 

He mimicked which made Gayoung chuckle as she nodded. "Okay, how about blue alien?" 

"How about prof. Clumsy?" 

"No!" 

Baekhyun gave her a mischievous yet playful look. "Just admit you can't call me by my name and that's why you were running away." 

"I was not, I can do it!" 

"No, you can't." 

"I can!" 

"Then, say it." 

"Baekhyun." 

His name rolled off her lips softly leaving Baekhyun to freeze for a moment as his heart skipped a beat with a tingle and Gayoung felt the same as well with their eyes bored intently where the next second, she stood up trying to appear out confident. "See, I can do it and I bet you can't." 

She turned around, walking away only to stop when her name left his lips. 

"Gayoung." 

And her breath hitched, as she felt a ticklish sensation in her stomach before turning around to look at him where he was already staring back at her with a soft curve of his lips. "Are you ready for the battle?" 

A smile curved on her lips as she extended her forefinger toward him. "Are you ready to lose?" 

"Hah!" Baekhyun scoffed. "As if." 

Before Gayoung could say anything, his phone rang as he stood up while leaving the towel on the chair to which Gayoung immediately whined, walking towards him grabbing the towel. "Don't put the towel there!" 

Baekhyun just let out a chuckle, as he walked past her patting her head softly leaving Gayoung to freeze for a moment as she scoffed to herself while walking towards the bathroom. "Why did he pat my head? Am I a kid or what?" 

But her smile was saying otherwise. 

With a lot of change, something had shifted between them as well. It wasn't that they weren't comfortable, because they were, more than before and more closer than ever but the air around them felt different nowadays, something unknown but yet it left them with a pleasant feeling like a blooming flower in the garden. 

Soon enough, time was passing by as the time struck 12 in the noon with Gayoung waiting for Baekhyun to play the game but he suddenly got busy with the phone talk and the latter couldn't even wait patiently to call her team for a quick play. 

"Yah, Kwon Ji-hu."

Gayoung gritted out while her fingers rapidly clicked the keyboard keys with her other hand doing the same thing with the mouse while her sharp eyes focused on the screen of her laptop. "You better concentrate or I am sending you-"

She stopped her almost threatening words spouting on the other side going through her earbuds as they were playing the PUBG game.

"You're lucky because I don't want my kids to hear bad words or else you know..." She trailed off, pointing toward something which Ji-hu immediately got as he laughed. "Wow. No wonder I haven't been hearing you cursing me these days, tell the kids that their Ji-hu uncle loves them."

"Shut up and concentrate on the game, you brats or be ready to lose!"

Sung-min's words rang through her earbuds who was also playing with them but not in their team where their granny who was in Sung-min's team spoke up. "Yah, Lee Sung-min, why would you even tell them?"

"Now that's cheating granny!" Gayoung huffed, because gasping. "Yah, Ji-hu run!"

Baekhyun, who walked out of the room with a pouty frown at the woman for starting the game without him but flinched by Gayoung's loud noise as well as the kids as they also walked in the living room from their room.

Gayoung was too focused on her game to even realize that Baekhyun had took a seat beside her just where she was sitting on the floor leaning against the couch where feeling the fabric of his jeans brushing against her arm, Gayoung flinched immediately looking up towards the owner only to find Baekhyun leaning forward on his elbows while his eyes peering through the screen with a much concentration.

A wave of warmth crawled through her chest to which she couldn't decipher into if it was because of she suddenly felt embarrassed by her loud screams or that Baekhyun was sitting close to her and before she could come to the decision, Ji-hu's loud high pitched voice roared through her earbuds startling her where instantly her eyes were back on the screen only to gasp out loud.

They were freaking losing and she couldn't afford it as her fingers rapidly clicked with her head shaking vigorously. "No, no, no!"

"Go right way!" Baekhyun's voice erupted right beside her where Gayoung instantly compiled without thinking twice only to get herself saved as a relief sigh left her lips with a smile while Seojun and Areum stood right beside her plopping together on the couch as they watched the game interestingly.

"Yah, Gayoung, we're not done yet!"

She heard Ji-hu, where as she was about to go to other side, Baekhyun was fast enough to dodge it by clicking on the keyboard where his fingers brushed through hers but at the moment, they were too focused on the game to realize it and before they knew it, Baekhyun was already playing the game with Gayoung as he shifted right behind her while bending his leg so he could be comfortable enough to lean forward.

His palm was just over the back of her hand on the mouse, his jaw kept brushing her temple with her back against his chest while both of them were in a winning mood to win the game whilst the kids cheered for them. 

Gayoung realized the position to have her heart beat fast with the warmth as her eyes averted to their brushing fingers almost getting threaded between which somehow brought a ticklish sensation in her stomach before hearing Ji-hu saying something which snapped her out to instantly plug out her one earbud to put it in Baekhyun's ear as he slightly flinched to immediately tilt his head towards Gayoung who was already looking at him as their eyes met leaving a fluttering sensation in their hearts. 

This time it was Sung-min's exclamation of them winning which brought them to the present to immediately look back at the screen to concentrate on the game and their partnership was great as the next minute they won.

"Yay! We won!" Areum and Seojun were quick to exclaim as they stood up to clap together where Baekhyun and Gayoung smiled widely to immediately look at each other with the same smile but somehow it got more soft and warm before Baekhyun brought his palm up to which Gayoung chuckled to highfive it.

"Byun Baekhyun you rock!"

Both of them flinched when Ji-hu shouted through the earbuds before laughing at him where Seojun was quick to hop on the couch to hug Baekhyun from behind where Areum placed herself on Gayoung's lap and that's when they realized the position, that if someone from the outside saw it, would think that he was back hugging her as his arms were literally around her.

"That's cheating, Baekhyun wasn't in the game!"

Baekhyun frowned, as he heard Sung-min's voice to which he looked at Gayoung with a surprised look asking if he actually heard him and Gayoung nodded. "You can ask Woo-Jin and granny to join you but he can't even help me out? Let's be fair, Dodo."

Baekhyun's lips curved in a smile at her words, where they heard granny scoffing. "I see, now you're changing sides? Just come to Gongju once and I'll tell you then!"

"Granny, you can't be unfair now!" Ji-hu shouted, and Sung-min also shouted behind. "Don't shout at my Bear!"

"Stop taking her side because we lost!"

Granny shouted again to which Gayoung closed her eyes knowing where this was going as she immediately logged out since their bickering wouldn't end soon before noticing Baekhyun's arm still around making her look at him with a serious expression. "I'm not thanking you."

"I'm not asking you to." He chuckled, bringing his arm back to hold Seojun's small arms around his neck. "I didn't know Dodo also plays this game and granny too?"

"You bet," Gayoung chuckled, leaning her head against Areum's head. "Dodo gets bored easily so Woo-Jin downloaded this game and he told granny about it so now both of them just don't stop playing it."

"The more I hear about granny, the more I think she's cool." He commented, and Gayoung raised her eyebrows with a smug grin. "She's cool like me."

"Like you?"

"Please, I am, right?" She peered through Seojun and Areum who immediately nodded making her giggle as she looked back at Baekhyun. "See? Even my kids know that!"

"Dad is cool too." Seojun spoke, and Areum giggled, nodding. "Yes!"

Baekhyun giggled, taping Areum's nose to kiss Seojun's cheek before looking back at Gayoung with a smug grin. "My kids knows even if I don't ask them."

She just mimicked him to which Baekhyun laughed, along with Areum and Seojun making her chuckle before Baekhyun's eyes stopped on the wallpaper of her laptop who looked like Seojun but his small version.

"I'm cute, right?"

And he heard Seojun speaking beside him to which Baekhyun chuckled, nodding. "A lot."

"And thank you so much because it's me!" Gayoung exclaimed, with a satisfied grin on her face where Baekhyun stared at her surprised. "It's you?"

"But it's me!" Seojun whined, and Gayoung giggled, before opening the album folder in her laptop where all of his pictures were and the three of them were looking at the pictures interestingly leaving Gayoung to smile at them.

"Seojun was a baby version of me."

She leaned her temple against her fist by the support of her elbow on the table before finding them peering through the photos and her then Seojun making her sigh. "Come on, I was literally the adorable baby and Seojun takes after me."

Baekhyun just gave her a look where Gayoung imitated his expression. "What?"

"What?"

"What? Why are you making th