[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Twenty-Eight[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Like every so often, Yixing accompanied Seri home after their shift ended. On the way, they also picked Minhee up from school since Baekhyun was working until six PM today and didn’t have time to tag along. The walk home passed quickly, accompanied by the girl’s excited babbling about a picture she painted with finger paint. Remnants of the colors she had used were stuck under her fingernails—Seri would help her wash them off later. The spring weather today was gorgeous and Seri could tell her daughter was enjoying it, eyeing the playground they passed every day after school with a particular interest.

When they reached the apartment, Seri said goodbye to her colleague and removed her shoes before she entered the living area. Baekhyun was nowhere to be seen since it was about four PM and he still had a few hours to work. Minhee followed her and then scurried off to her room—but she didn’t stay for long.

“Mama?” the girl called and returned to the living room, but Seri was no longer there.

“Yes? I’m in the kitchen.”

Minhee followed Seri’s voice and appeared in the doorway. Seri had just cleaned the bottle and the lunch box her daughter brought to school every day. She put them next to the sink to let them dry and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, her eyes landing on Minhee, who wore the cutest little pout. The girl drew her bottom lip between her teeth and pleadingly looked at Seri.

“What is it?” Seri smiled.

“Can I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Can we go to the playground?”

“Do you have homework to do?”

Minhee shook her head, her pigtails flying around. “No.”

“Well… since you don’t have any homework…” Seri looked out the kitchen window and considered it. There wasn’t much she could offer her daughter when it came to material things, so the least she could do was spend time with her. It was one of the small joys in the girl’s life, and who was Seri to deny it to her?

“Put on your jacket and your shoes, Min.”

“Yay!”

Seri chuckled at the enthusiastic squeal and watched the girl zoom off to the front door of the apartment.

The golden rays of the sun were growing weaker by the time Seri decided to head home. Dinner would be served soon, and she didn’t want them to be late. Baekhyun probably was finished with work too and wondering where they went. Maybe she should have left a note for him, but then again, they hadn’t planned on being gone for long anyway.

“Minhee,” she called. “It’s time to head back.”

The girl slowed down the swing and jumped on the sand. It looked like she was about to complain, but then she changed her mind and joined Seri.

“Mama, I’m hungry!”

“Dinner will be served soon, so you don’t have to wait much longer. Papa is probably home too.”

She took Minhee’s hand, and together they walked through the park. The flowers were blooming and the tree crowns were vibrant green—a beautiful sight compared to the barren sceneries of winter. Seri listened to her daughter’s stories about her classmates and started memorizing the names of her friends. Although she had been shy at first, Minhee was getting along with the other children, and Seri was relieved about this. Having friends of her age would benefit her.

As they reached the end of the park and took the street leading to their apartment building, Seri spotted a familiar silhouette farther down the road. It was Baekhyun and he was in a hurry, sprinting down the street and looking around as if he was searching for something. The panicked expression on his face morphed into relief and then anger when he noticed them. With quick strides, he closed the gap between them and came to an abrupt halt in front of them. He took deep breaths, failing to compose himself. His fiery emotions erupted like a volcano and his voice surged, startling Minhee.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he snapped at Seri. She flinched, perplexed by his demeanor. As far as she could remember, he had never yelled at her like this. She didn’t understand what was bothering him and why he was this furious for no apparent reason.

“We visited the playground after school,” she replied and kept her tone level, but her expression took on a warning edge. She felt Minhee tugging on her hand as the girl hid behind Seri’s leg, sensing the growing tension between the adults. However, the soldier didn’t notice the girl’s reaction, focused entirely on Seri.

“You shouldn’t be here on your own!” he burst out. He was livid, his shoulders heaving as he panted for air. It was evident he had been running through town for a while—he must have been desperate to find them.

“Excuse me? Baekhyun, what’s going on?”

“Why…” he took a deep breath and released it, but his anger didn’t simmer down. “Why didn’t you tell anyone where you went? You could have at least left a ing note!”

Seri’s eyes narrowed. “Not in front of Minhee! Keep yourself together,” she hissed and pierced him with a glare. “We will talk about this in private once we’re home. I demand an explanation.”

His eyes darted down to Minhee’s frame, half-hidden behind Seri. She clutched her mom’s hand and fearfully watched the adults arguing. Baekhyun recoiled, gritting his teeth. This time, he managed to hold his simmering emotions in, biting his lip until it hurt.

“Let’s go,” he muttered and his heels. He walked a few steps in front of them and didn’t look back, expecting them to follow him. His shoulders were stiff as a board.

Seri sighed and gently tugged at Minhee’s hand, resuming their walk home. They were all silent. The girl no longer felt like talking and neither did the adults. Seri’s thoughts were on fire as she tried to figure out why Baekhyun was irritated with her. What did it matter if she left the house with Minhee for a while? Today had been the first time she and Minhee had explored the city on their own, without Baekhyun or any of their military friends. This should have been fine. It shouldn’t be an issue at all, so why did he make it one? Seri had a suspicion. A nagging sensation at the edge of her mind that gradually invaded her thoughts—what if Baekhyun knew something she didn’t? Did this island pose a danger she wasn’t aware of? But then why hadn’t he mentioned anything? No, there had to be a different solution. This couldn’t be it. Baekhyun had always been honest and open with her. He was blunt and not the type to keep secrets.

Since they would be late for dinner if they made a detour to their apartment, they decided to head to the cafeteria right away. However, it was a rather uncomfortable situation. Neither Baekhyun nor Seri struck up a conversation with anyone, which garnered them concerned looks from their closest friends. Yeji frowned at Minhee’s troubled expression and initiated a conversation with the little girl, asking about her experiences at school. This, luckily, lightened the atmosphere somewhat, but it wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say they were all relieved when dinner was over.

Once they were home, Seri brought Minhee to her room and helped her change into comfortable clothes. The girl sat on the edge of the bed and dangled her legs.

“Mama, why is Papa angry? I-Is it because of me?”

Seri froze and stared at Minhee’s hunched-over posture. Her chest constricted. “No, no, that’s not true,” she insisted and kneeled on the ground in front of Minhee. “He would never be angry at you, honey. I will find out what’s bothering him. Don’t worry about it, everything will be alright, yes?” She leaned forward and gave her a brief hug, kissing her forehead. “You should enjoy the rest of your day before it’s bedtime!”

“Will you talk to Papa?”

“Yes, right now.”

Satisfied by the answer, Minhee nodded and pushed herself off the bed, padding to the box where she kept her dolls. Seri got up and observed her for a moment, making sure she was alright before she slipped out of the room and closed the door. She took a moment to calm her beating heart—not as easy as it should have been, considering the confrontation she faced—before she passed the empty living room and entered the kitchen, where she found her fiancé. He stood at the window with his back to her and gazed at the scenery bathed in waning sunlight.

The door fell shut when Seri gave it a shove, and he turned around but didn’t speak. Baekhyun merely looked at her, and she couldn’t figure him out. It was hard to read his expression. He was tense and closed-off, with rigid muscles and tight fists that hung at his sides. It was as if she was facing a wall. felt uncomfortably dry, and she struggled to speak. They were separated by a few meters, but she perceived the distance as far greater. She didn’t recall any disagreement she’d had with him that had escalated like this.

When Seri couldn’t stand the quiet anymore, she her dry lips and filled the silence. “Baekhyun, what’s going on? Why are you upset?” she asked and put her hands on her hips. “Visiting the playground is not a big deal! Minhee loves going there and you know it. We were in this area many times and there never was an issue.”

“Yes, because I or another member of EX9 was there. You never went alone before. Just because this is a safe zone doesn’t mean you should get careless, Seri,” he huffed and began to pace up and down like an agitated tiger in a cage. He kept moving incessantly, and his restlessness soon began to irk her. It seemed like he was dodging her question.

“You’re hiding something from me.” She crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow. Anger sparked in her chest. “So what you’re saying is that I can’t leave the house on my own? Not even to visit the playground with Minhee? That’s bull, Baekhyun.”

He stopped abruptly and glared at the tiles, his body becoming even more rigid if that was even possible. “We did it this way ever since we came here, it’s not like it ever bothered you before. You never complained when I accompanied you to work or picked you up afterward. It never bothered you when Yixing and you share your shifts, and you didn’t mind being accompanied by me whenever we went into town. All I’m asking is that you don’t go anywhere on your own. It’s as simple as that.”

“Tell me what’s going on, Baekhyun. Now.” Her voice was as sharp and cold as a shard of ice, and he knew there was no way she would let him off the hook. However, telling her the truth would make things worse…

“I’m not stupid. There’s a threat somewhere on the island, and for some ed-up reason, you didn’t think it would be smart to tell me.”

He didn’t meet her eyes and his expression remained angry, lines of frustration forming on his forehead. She had never seen him like this—it was as if she was talking to a stranger. Seri’s patience wasn’t endless. In fact, it was about to reach its breaking point.

“Do you think I want to marry a man who’s dishonest with me? Who’s keeping secrets concerning my and Minhee’s safety? This is not something I take lightly,” she hissed. It was a harsh blow, but she couldn’t take it back now and watched as the anger on his face melted away. Frustration and disappointment took its place.

Baekhyun raked his hand through his black hair and his shoulders deflated. It appeared as if he had given up resisting—it was hard to get through his thick skull even for Seri. “I will tell you.”

Seri’s chilly gaze never left him. “Go ahead.”

“Shortly after we arrived on the island, I paid a visit to Junmyeon and he shared something important with me. What I’m telling you now has to remain secret at all costs. Only members of the military are