27 | New Home

***

Yuri woke up gasping for air and immediately clutched his chest, trying to calm down. Beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead and his lips felt dry. His mind was still struggling to comprehend the bad dream he had just experienced. He couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered after waking up.

Slowly the door opened and Mr. Cha walked into his room with a glass of water and a pill for his heart. 

"Good morning, Mr. Chairman." he greeted once their eyes met. He casually handed him his pill and water afterward. 

Yuri let out a sigh as he returned the glass of water to his butler. Without a word, he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. Once under the warm stream of water, he closed his eyes and let the comforting sensation wash over him, soothing his body and mind.

After returning to the villa, Mr. Cha noticed that the chairman was quiet and distant towards everyone. Although he was curious about the reason, he knew it wasn't his place to ask. Before leaving the bedroom, he placed a card on his nightstand and quietly made his way out.

Moments later, Yuri made his way out wearing a bathrobe while rubbing his hair with a dry towel. He noticed the card on top of the nightstand and picked it up as he sat on his bed. The card was a welcome letter from the Resort Ski he recently joined as a shareholder. 

"This doesn't mean anything anymore." He said as he recalled the reason why he did it. He threw it back to the nightstand and resumed drying his hair. When he's done, he goes to his closet and rummages his clothes to see the coat Jessica gave. It's been 3 weeks and he still couldn't believe they runaway and the reason for it is more than unbelievable. He shrugged it off and took his gray coat and fits of blue business suit he was wearing for the rest of the day.

***

Yoona let out a long, exhausted sigh after finishing the meeting with the board. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the chair's headrest. Work had been keeping him up at night and he felt like his head would explode at any moment. Since the launch of a new campaign, he hadn't been able to take a break for a long time. However, he was glad that at least one meeting was over and he could finally rest for a while.

A sudden buzz from his phone brought his eyes open and he lazily reached for it on his desk.

Taeyeon Hyung: Dinner at my place. Don’t decline this time.

He just throws his phone back when he reads the message and throws his head back once again to close his eyes. He heard his smartphone rings which made him annoyed. He grabbed his phone instantly and answered

“I’m so busy tonight.” He said and hung up right away. He got up and was about to throw his phone into the trash bin when he remembered he had important files and messages from clients. He groaned, turning off his phone and just throwing it back to his desk. He walks to his sofa and lays down instead. “2 hours. Give me 2 hours of sleep.” Mumbled himself as he placed the back of his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes.

**

Taeyeon let out a sigh, choosing not to impose on his friend any longer. He noticed the traffic lights shift and navigated his car with care. As his focus remained on the road, his mind wandered to the ingredients he intended to buy. While he shouldn't be overly concerned about Yoona, the awareness of having no one to care for him stirred Taeyeon to plan cooking for Yoona once again at his place, marking the third time.

Yoona felt the strongest impact upon discovering the true identities of the girls, leading him to keep busy and resort to nighttime drinking as a coping mechanism. As the older, Taeyeon felt a sense of responsibility in aiding his friend, setting aside his own troubled emotions concerning Tiffany.

Moments later, he reached a supermarket where he took time choosing the needed stuff to buy but ended up having groceries, thinking it was not the last time he would cook for his friend. He can see himself going to Yoona’s place every night unless he'll be asked to stop.

***

As soon as Yoona reached home, he just lazily kicked his shoes off and loosened up his tie as he made his way to the living room.

"You're back. Freshen up and we're having dinner." Taeyeon smiled as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Did you just come out from my bedroom?" asks Yoona in disbelief, causing the older to stop and look at him.

"We're having your favorite dinner, steak and creamy pasta." said Taeyeon before he completely disappeared from the kitchen.

"Yeah, whatever." muttered Yoona as he walked to his room. He wasn't surprised anymore when his room was spotless and smelled nice. Taeyeon had been cleaning it since 2 weeks ago. 

After not hearing any reaction from the doe-eyed, Taeyeon picked up his phone from the table and called Mr. Cha. "Did he eat his dinner, Mr. Cha?" he asked the older man right away when he picked up his call.

[Yup, he knows he has to when it's you who sent the food, Mr. Kim. Thank you.]

"No problem. Don't forget to give him his pill before bedtime." He reminded him.

[It's in my daily routine now, thank you, Mr. Kim.]

"I'll call tomorrow again. Good night."

[You too.]

With that said, he hung up and started cooking for the doe-eyed and himself. It took an hour and a half and he neatly placed the cooked food on the dining table, just in time Yoona came out, wearing a sweater and sweatpants. The latter looked like he was ready to sleep after dinner. 

"Thank you for the food." said Yoona nonchalantly as he took a seat and grabbed the fork so he could eat his steak.

Taeyeon sat down in front of the doe-eyed and smiled briefly. "A red wine is better paired with a steak," he said, pouring the wine into Yoona's glass from the bottle of wine. "Tell me what happened at work today," he added, prompting the other person to speak. At first, the latter looked at him coldly, but after a few minutes, he started talking about some complaints from their investors, messing up meetings, and how exhausted he was feeling. Taeyeon listened attentively, sometimes reacting a little, but it was all Yoona's voice that filled the dining area.

The entire night was smooth, Taeyeon is glad Yoona somehow got to share stuff with him. It's progress and he wants to continue doing it until he'll see Yoona and Yuri's smile again.

He successfully tucked Yoona into bed without any complaints and then left the room to enjoy the rest of the night quietly in the living room. While he was there, he enjoyed listening to music and scrolling through photos of Tiffany with a glass of red wine in his right hand, sipping it from time to time. 

***

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden glow across the expansive countryside. The air was filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers, carried by a gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of ancient oaks and maples. As Seohyun walked along the narrow dirt path, the soft crunch of gravel beneath her boots echoed in harmony with the distant songs of chirping crickets and the occasional call of a distant bird.

The landscape unfolded like a picturesque painting, with rolling hills dressed in a patchwork quilt of vibrant greens and yellows. Cows grazed lazily in the meadows, their contented moos harmonizing with the whispering wind. A babbling brook meandered through the fields, its crystal-clear waters reflecting the cloud-dappled sky above.

Far in the distance, a quaint farmhouse stood proudly, its weathered wooden walls telling tales of generations past. A plume of smoke lazily spiraled from the chimney, carrying the savory aroma of a home-cooked meal. The rhythmic clatter of a distant tractor added a rustic symphony to the tranquil scene.

She reached a wooden fence that bordered a field of wildflowers, each blossom nodding in agreement with the gentle breeze. The air was alive with the hum of bees, diligently working among the blossoms. Butterflies danced in graceful patterns, their delicate wings carrying them from one bloom to another.

Amid this bucolic serenity, she found a weathered wooden bench beneath the shade of an ancient oak. As she settled onto its creaking planks, she let her gaze wander across the countryside, absorbing the simplicity and beauty that surrounded her. Time seemed to slow, and worries melted away in the embrace of nature's embrace.

The countryside spoke in a language of tranquility, a dialect of peace that resonated deep within. In this quiet corner of the world, the heartbeat of the land echoed through the rustling leaves, the buzzing bees, and the distant melodies of nature. It was a place where the soul found solace, where the beauty of simplicity painted a portrait of life untouched by the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

When she felt a sudden buzz in her sling bag, her peaceful mind was disturbed as she checked the message from Tiffany.

Tiffany Unnie: Get down here, we need an extra hand for today's lunch.

She raised her brows as typed her response.

Wae? Isn't it a normal Wednesday?

Tiffany Unnie: For us but for a certain little boy, it's special.

Omo, who?

Tiffany Unnie: It's Da-On's 5th birthday.

"What the... I forgot." She quickly put her phone back in her sling bag, ran to her bike, and started pedaling back to town. However, instead of going straight to the orphanage, she dropped by a small toy store along the way and bought a car toy before she continued her way back.

***

While Jessica was busy cutting the red roses on a farm, she heard her name being called from the distance. She turned her head and saw Lee Donghae, waving his hand in the air.

"It's break time,  Jessica Jung! Come to the table and join us!" Donghae shouted. 

"Coming!" She replied brightly, placing down the scissors and the flowers in the basket. She fixes her hair as she walks toward the big oak tree where her co-farmers are preparing their lunch. She immediately smiled when Donghae moved aside to give her a space to sit on the wooden bench. 

"Have you guys heard what happened to Suhyun-ssi?" One of the farmers asked. 

"What is it again, Sohee-ssi?" Donghae chuckles as he hands Jessica her chopsticks. 

Jessica smiled briefly. She casually took a bite of her food while listening to the conversation going on at their table.

"He fought with her son again."

"Didn't her son lose the key to their car? Is that the reason?"

"No, not this time. It was because her son bought an expensive car without her knowing."

Everyone gasped excluding, Jessica who suddenly felt her phone vibrating in her sling bag. She excused herself and checked the message from Tiffany.

Tiffany: How about a special bouquet of blue roses for our Da-On, Sica? He would be so happy for his birthday today. I'll give you thirty minutes to finish it and come to the party.

After reading such a message, she hurriedly returned to her co-workers and apologized to them before running to the fields of roses. A big smil