Seohyun feels her bed shifts as she stirs around. Another weight is put on it, making it squeak a little. A familiar scent fills her nostrils as she snuggles more into her other pillow. Only, the pillow isn’t as fluffy as she remembers. It is replaced by firm, toned kind of pillow. Strangely enough though, as if following her instinct, she just scoots closer to it. A low and deep chuckle comes to her ears, while a hand rubs her back gently. Showers of kisses land on top of her head that makes her eyes shoot open. A pair of deep brown eyes is looking back at her; clearly surprised yet amused. He didn't expect her to wake up that fast nor that did he anticipate the hits he receives soon after. She is scared beyond her wits, thinking it might be some strange intruders coming into her house. When she sees him, though, the fear turns into violent acts; punishing him for his humorless joke.

 

"Damn it, Jong In! You scared the hell out of me!!"

 

Kai stares right back at her, feigning obvious annoyance on his face. His lips pouted, his arms cross over his chest as he looks at her accusingly.

 

"So grateful you are" he says with heavy sarcasm which makes her bites her lips in guilt. She turns towards the clock on the bedside table.

 

"Oh! You are early!"

 

"Uh-huh"

 

"You're like three days early!"

 

"Good job, baby. You get that right"

 

She rolls her eyes, pretending to be offended of what he said. Still, a smile cannot be surpressed.

 

"I'm sorry. I thought you were a thief, Jong In"

 

He scoffs. "A thief will not have the time to cuddle the person he's going to rob from"

 

"... Or a . Who knows?"

 

Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath to hold his laughter. "You sure have the worst of everything playing out in your mind"

 

This time, she chooses to stay quiet and instead curl her body closer to him. Settling over his chest, she can hear how steady his heartbeat is. Her nose detects the scent that she misses over the past few days. Her lips form a smile as everything dawns in. That he's here; in flesh. Like what she secretly wants.

 

"Joohyun"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Let's start our day"

 

She frowns at this. The clock on the side screams 8 in the morning. And Jong In never is an early person. At least, though he can take morning flights, he would usually pass out on the bed as soon as he can find one. So it is a bit of a surprise for her to hear that one.

 

"Now?"

 

"No, 5 years later" he says, half annoyed half joking.

 

She looks up to find his eyes. His strangely sad eyes. What's going on? She doesn't really dare to ask. Maybe, something went wrong with his business. Or maybe he didn't actually achieve what he wanted. That can let him down, as he was an epitome of a perfectionist. One that seriously annoys the hell out of her sometimes.

 

"Why would you want to leave this bed now? We fit here just fine" she fakes a yawn, just to show him that she opposes the idea of waking up. She's sure that she can fall asleep in any second only if he let her have her peace.

 

"Joohyun, have you ever realized that we can do so many things in one day? We have let too much time passed by us"

 

By this, she really is baffled. Jong In, a person who usually is the first person that will say yes the moment she suggests lazing and relaxing all day, is lecturing her about time. Her eyes widen in surprise.

 

"Did something get into you?"

 

He shakes his head furiously. "I just miss you. So much. Is it wrong if I want to start the day as early as possible with my love?"

 

She swoons at his words. The rare times he talks sweet to her always caught her off-guard. It's not always in romantic places, or in special occasions, but they will always leave the same effect on her; thousands of butterflies roaming inside her stomach.

 

"No, of course not. It's just strange that's it"

 

"What's so strange about it? Come on. Rise and shine, baby"

 

She stretches her arms once he gets off the bed and skips his way towards the kitchen. The scene of him jumping excitedly makes her shakes her head. She follows him soon after, finding her way to where he is.

 

"What are we making?"

 

"Your beloved roasted goguma. And ma juice. Crushed garlic--"

 

"Are you serious?!"

 

She leans on the counter while her hands slap on it hard.

 

"Why?"

 

"You always tease me of eating those!"

 

"And today I want to comply to all your want"

 

She eyes him suspiciously. "Did you do something wrong while you're away?"

 

"Yah! What do you take me for?" He chops the goguma furiously after hearing her.

 

"Waaa, you're so weird today Kim Jong In. You're being all nice to me"

 

"Aren't I always?" He rolls his eyes, now moving on to make the juice she loves so much.

 

"Be careful, you might make me fall for you more" murmuring as lowly as possible, she bites her lips to stop the rapid thump inside her chest.

 

Kai turns to her with a gentle smile. "Joohyun, if this makes you fall even harder for me, let's see what the rest of the day will do to you"

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

They finish their breakfast with some laughter in between. Though she still find it strange that he's being very attentive to her, she cannot deny that she enjoys it. They tease each other while washing dishes. She sings for him just because he says he misses hearing her voice. He dances for her comically after she begs him with her puppy eyes. They spray water to each other, creating such havoc in their little yet comfy kitchen. He hugs her from behind, suggesting that the new method of washing dishes is much greater than the usual one. It is always her silent wish to do that for once; being embraced by her boyfriend while hands moving in rhythm to wash off the dirty plates and glasses. She shudders the moment he makes contact with her back. His hand reaching out to hers, and together they move. She swears she can feel her cheeks blushing, but who the heck cares. She doesn't; that's for sure.

 

"Jong In, what happened?" Really, she finds it all too absurd.

 

"Nothing happened. I told you that I just miss you" he kisses the side of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.

 

"But we did this so many times. You going away for business while I stay. And those times are usually longer than this one. This is--"

 

"Don't you miss me?"

 

"Of course I do!" She states. "Just--"

 

"I don't need any reasons to be all sweet and nice to my princess, do I? Let's just enjoy our time together" his smile makes her somehow scared. It's gloomy yet full of love and plea of her believing him.

 

"Okay fine. I guess you'll treat me like a queen today" grinning, she tries to brush off all the questions she has in her mind. After all, he's right.

 

"Noona, I'll treat you the best I can today" he leans down to claim her lips; sweetly, longingly. Nothing else matters at the moment.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Hand in hand, they stroll down the streets while observing their surroundings. He brushes her hand at times, tightening the hold and tugs her closer. There are several kisses land on her face. Some on the forehead, some at the crown of her head, some on her nose and occasionally on her lips. She feels something moves in her heart yet it's not quite in pleasant way. She's happy, no doubt. But something from this, she cannot really make out.

 

He halts his steps, making her bump onto him with a loud thud. She groans while he eyes her suspiciously.

 

"Something on your mind?"

 

"No, I was just observing the road, that's all" she lies with the best poker face she can muster. Shrugging it off, he drags her inside a large building that she knows too well. How can she not? Her shows were usually held there.

 

The dark, spacious hall surrounds them as soon as he closes the door. All the while, she cannot keep shut. Her jaw drops on the ground when he lits up the light, displaying the beautiful view for her.

 

"What's this?"

 

He smiles as he wraps his arms on her waist. "Your dream"

 

"Pardon?"

 

"You always say you want to perform your masterpiece here. I cannot grant your wish to do it in front of thousands of audiences today. But you get to have the stage all by yourself. Let loose, baby. It's all yours"

 

Seohyun stares at him long and hard. Sure, she has shared so many times about her desire to perform her own piano piece which she's been working on for years in this big theatre lying in front of them. But as always, she has never found enough courage to show it to many people. Only to him, to Kai, whom she tells almost everything. Whom she opens up to. Though, she never thought he paid that much attention to this one tiny, faint hope she has about performing here. Because she knows it will all be empty dreams. She's not a famous pianist, nor she's that excellent to showcase her talent. She has a long way to go, and it will take years for her to actually have her own solo concert in here, where all of her idols have performed. Yet, with some magic he did, Kim Jongin made it happen. Seo Joohyun has the grand stage all by herself, and she gets to play her music without minding anything else.

 

Her eyes get teary as she walks towards the stage. Once in a while, she'll look back to her lover who gives her encouraging nods and tells her to go ahead. When her feet ascend the stairs, she swears she can feel her heart beats faster than ever. Her fingers tremble when she touches the keys.

 

"Go for it, baby. Let me listen to your piece" Kai shouts from the audience chair. She chuckles, then takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before setting her fingers on the keys.

 

Let loose, and so she does as he told her to. Her fingers fly beautifully, creating such music that gets him going. He's mesmerized by the sight. Her, enjoying herself, getting drowned into her own world. A drop of tear escapes his eyes. That time, he wishes to rewind the time so that he could have done it sooner. For this image of hers is the most beautiful; the picture of her tasting a dream comes true.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Tears have dried up from her cheeks and eyes when they walked out of the building. Kai is still clutching his stomach, getting cramps from all the teasing and laughing. He mocked her for being such a crybaby. Though knowing fully that she was just overwhelmed, the sight of her chubby cheeks and pouting lips were too cute for him to ignore. He laughed out loud upon seeing how red her nose was and she was, undoubtedly, getting annoyed by that. The romantic atmosphere was gone in jiffy, replaced by little bickering here and there. However, he was enjoying it. Her protest about a little bit of everything was like music to his ears. Usually, he would get annoyed at her nags but not today. He savored it, thankful for it, treasuring every second of it. Her blabbers about how irritating he is, never was this meaningful. He wishes for more.

 

"Jongin, wipe that grin off of your face" she crosses her arms, sniffing her nose in the process.

 

"Okay, okay. Smile now, Joohyun" he laughs again, not really grasping her frustration.

 

Strangely enough though, she isn't as mad as she usually would. Something in her heart tells her that she may not get perked up by this little thing and that she shouldn't drag this matter longer. So she exhales, steadying her breath and asks "Where are we going now?"

 

"I want to show you something"

 

She looks up to him, fingers grasping his in anticipation. Her eyes lit up on the thought of another surprise. Holding back her own enthusiasm, she asks slowly "What is it?"

 

"My home"

 

"Your home? Is your mom there?"

 

He shows a little smile before shaking his head. "The one I spent most of my childhood in"

 

Abruptly, she stops in her tracks, making him ahead of hers for several steps. She knows, all these times they've been together, he was always reluctant to open up about his past. Because it was too painful, he said. Because it was not worth talking about. So why now? Why does he suddenly want to show her who he was before he became the successful businessman, before he was adopted by the Kims. However, she has been dragged by him towards the awaiting car. All thoughts gone when he pushes her gently inside. Her heart beats rapidly as she recalls the things he'd done so far. Why is he doing so much today? The sound of engine diverts her attention. She wants to ask so many things. Yet, something is holding her back. There is a strange lump in . Jongin, what are you hiding?

*****

They arrive in front of a little wooden house. It look pretty decent for her; at least it's not collapsed yet. Knowing that he never visited this place, it's amazing to see it still is standing strongly. She frown at the idea. This house should be someone else's by now. It's not a bad one. In fact, it is located in a beautiful village. The view is great, the air is to die for, and the calmness has its own charm.

 

"Are we allowed to be here?" Cautiously, she asks.

 

"Yeah, mom bought this house a few years after she adopted me. I didn't know that until I was in college. Pretty good, hm?"

 

Truthfully, she doesn't know how to react to that question. It's a tricky one.

 

"I mean the house, Joohyun" he laughs a little.

 

"Oh..." She nods. "It's good"

 

"I never understood why she bought this for me" he sighs. "I guess it's for my own benefit"

 

"How so?" Her eyes follow the movement of his hand while he's trying to open the door.

 

"She said once that past couldn't be changed. But I can always crate happier memories here. Also, I did have my good times here. I was raised with love before things gone awry" he clasps her hand. "Welcome to my heaven and hell"

 

The moment he opens up the door, it makes a squeaky sound. She holds her breath unknowingly, contemplating whether she's ready or not to see all sides of him. By this, she will unravel him as a whole. She'll know the darkest days of him which he avoided all along. She's worried about him, emotionally.

 

"Look" he hands her a picture frame. There he was, posing cutely to the camera. His smile was pure and innocent; as if the world was all rainbow. She cannot help but to reflect the smile.

 

"You're cute" she says, giggling shortly.

 

"We were happy back then. So happy" his eyes looked through the picture dreamingly. He must have remembered a piece of his younger days. Moving closer, she wraps her arms around his torso, hugging him from behind to give the support he needs. She wants to hear more of him. She wants him to share the pain so that she can understand even if it's just for a little.

 

"When I was 7, I came home from school, and heard them screaming at each other. I thought it was just a little argument. But it never stopped. It got worse and worse. Then, it was no longer bearable. My dad would come here, heavily drunk and angry. I don't know what made him so furious, what my mom did that make him hated her so much. There was no more love between them" stream of tears springs from his eyes. "My mom was just there, receiving blows by blows. She didn't move, didn't run away. She stayed still, crying. Her body had bruised all over. Blood dripping from the side of her lips. In the middle of the night, I heard her scream in pain and my dad groaned loudly. He cursed my mom, saying that she's nothing but a . A lowly one"

 

Seohyun wrapped her arms tighter, crying along with him. It must be hard for a little boy to witness all that. How much had it pained him, she couldn't imagine.

 

"He started to blame me too. He would come to my room and hit me, slap me, kick me, stomp on me. It hurt, so much. I didn't understand why he did that. What did I do wrong?"

 

Their sobs fill the chilly room. She is shaking greatly with him.

 

"He was getting crazier and crazier that my mom ran away. He chased her down the road and I was running behind them, pleading for him to let her go. Then a car-- it was so fast. I couldn't run as fast as them. I couldn't save them" he breaks down, kneeling on the ground. His body is trembling. The memory that has haunted him is now coming back.

 

"Oh baby" she hugs him close, rocking his body back and forth while murmurings sweet nothings. "It's okay. It's okay" she whispers, her own tears flooding his shirt.

 

"He said I wasn't his son. That's why he was so angry at my mom"

 

She shakes her head. "It's not your fault" cupping his face, her lips touch his. She stays still, feeling the salty liquid that runs between their kiss. She moves slowly, then he complies. "I love you" she breathes out before getting lost in the passionate kiss. She'll let him know just how much.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

The sun has set when they decided to leave the house. They talked all evening, about his life after the awful night. She comes to understand why he was so hard to be approached when they first met. Why it took him years to court her. Why he was so slow in making them official. She knows now that he's just being careful. And that he's afraid of getting hurt. Also, believing in love is hard for him to do and who is she to blame him. After what he'd been through, it would be hard for him to trust people. She's thankful that he puts faith in her enough to let her know his secret. The Kim Jongin who sits beside her now is more perfect than he was.

 

Kai, on the contrary, feels a great relief. He finally can tell her who he really was. He showed her how his life was way far from what she thought. He was satisfied of the fact that he fulfilled another wish of hers. To know his history. The bad ones and the good ones. The ugly ones and the wonderful ones. He's happy to see that smile on her face. Thrilled to hear her saying thank you for his effort. If not for this angel, he wouldn't go to that extent. If he could, he would love to bury the dark days deep inside his mind. But she deserves to know. She, the love of his life, needs to see it. So that she knows how much she means for him. By doing this, it's like telling how important she is in his life.

 

"Uwaaaa!!! Ferris wheel!" She suddenly exclaims.

 

"Baby, sit back. We're going there. You don't have to jump on your seat like that" he mocks.

 

"You kidding?! There?!"

 

He raises his eyebrows. "Why?"

 

"You hate those things. You hate clowns, you hate magic tricks, you hate the stupid manipulative games that never let people win resulting in us having major lack of money after that, you hate the all-too-cheerful people, you hate the crowd, you hate the rides, you hate the--"

 

"Hate is a strong word, baby. I'd go with 'less fond of' if I may" he chuckles, hands gripping on the steering wheel.

 

Joohyun, on the other hand, has her jaw drops to the ground. She cannot believe what she just heard. The only time she took him out to a festival, he totally despised it. He had his unbelievable reasons and endless list of why he would not go there for the second time, ever again. But here he is now, suggesting the impossible. She starts to wonder what it is that he's hiding. Because all of these nice things he do for her are absurd. Pleasing, but absurd.

 

"We don't have to go, Jongin"

 

"Why not?"

 

"You don't like it" she states matter-of-factly.

 

"Who knows I'll enjoy it this time around?"

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Mm-hmm. You said you wanted to go there so badly. It's a massive one this year. So why not give it a try? They might have some good things that I will like"

 

She beams at him, her grin gets wider and wider as she hooks her hand in his arm. She plants a peck on his cheek. "Thank you. I'm sure we'll have a great time"

 

"We will" he kisses her forehead swiftly before parking the car. Anything for you.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

"This. Has. Got. To. Be. The. Most. Delicious. Cotton. Candy. EVER!!!" Kai laughs at the sudden outburst. Seo Joo Hyun is beside him, munching and munching the sweet treat. She isn't the type to like candies, but the pink fluffy thing attracts her attention more than ever due to the fact that she hasn't tasted it in ages.

 

"Slowly or you'll choke on it" he warns softly, tugging her hand a little. Her eyes lit up while grinning so charmingly. "Sometimes I wonder who's older between the two of us"

 

She shoots him a death glare. "Oh, I'm sorry mister. I'm young at heart" her head tilts to look at him. "Holy freaking Keroro!!" Kai jumps, startled by her scream. "That's a big Keroro Plushie!!! Jongin, let's play!"

 

"This is ridiculous! You'll never win this " he glares at the shooting game. Inside his heart, he believes that games like this is a total, major fraud. Why? Because you have to be either super, duper lucky or cheat to get the prize.

 

"You're no fun!" Scoffing, she turns towards a man who guards the game. "Ahjussi, one game please" just when she's about to pay, Kai stops her and hands his money instead.

 

"Be prepared to be swooned" he smirks before holding up the gun and focusing on his target.

 

*BAM*

 

"Missed"

 

*BAM*

 

"Give up, Jongin. You'll never get it"

 

*BAM*

 

"Pffft. Aww, it's okay baby. Better luck next time, okay?" She teases, patting his back while laughing madly.

 

"Another game!"

 

"Yah! You crazy! I don't want it that bad anyways. Let's just go and ride other thing!"

 

"No, one more, Ahjussi! Let me show you how Kim Jongin rolls"

 

"You have to get all three of them to have that keroro--"

 

"AHRASSEOYEO!!"

 

The poor man shuts up immediately.

 

"Jongin, you don't have to--"

 

*BAM*

 

"YEAH BABY!! See that?!"

 

"Okay, maybe you get lu--"

 

*BAM*

 

Seohyun widens her eyes as she sees the second target got shot. "OMG!! Yeaaaaahhhh!! Let's go Jongin!! You can do ittt! Wooohoooooo"

 

He chuckles. It's not often to see her so hyper like this. And he loves it. So, he puts his focus on the target, eyes closed momentarily when he takes a deep breath. For you.

 

*BAM*

 

"ASSAAAAA! You won! You won! You won!!!!" She jumps onto him, hugging him tight. He can smell the scent of her hair, and how her body shakes because of laughter. Her scream is muffled by his shirt. "You were great, baby!" If he knew that playing a game like this can make her so happy, he would have asked her to go and play as much as she wants. Clown and those scary things be damned. Making his girl happy is way more important than his fear. If only he knew sooner.

 

He close his eyes, inhaling her sweet scent. His hands wrap around her tiny waist. Seconds passed, they're still tangled to each other, forgetting where they are for the moment. Neither wants to let go of the warmth.

 

"Here's your Keroro" the man coughs, reminding them that they're not the only one there. People look with envy as the sweet couple laugh; their cheeks turned bit red already.

 

"Thank you, Ahjussi"

 

They skip their way to the other stall with her hugging her new toy.

 

"Tarot reading! Let's do it!"

 

"I don't believe in superstition"

 

They stop in front of a closed stall. She scans it carefully whereas Kai is ready to leave.

 

"Just once. This once. Pleaseeee"

 

There is only one time when he will lose to her in an instant, and that's when her aegyo explosion comes out. There he sighs, shaking his head yet following her steps.

 

"Welcome"

 

"Hello"

 

Jongin scoffs.

 

"Please pick 3 cards, young lady. And you too, mister"

 

Seohyun happily picks her cards and hand it to the lady with a big smile. She anticipates a good news. But not him. He is afraid of what the lady will say to them. His fingers tremble hesitantly, choosing his card in a slow manner. Once done, the lady flips it open. And she gasps, out loud.

 

"Why? What happened?"

 

"I see love at its peak"

 

Seohyun nods.

 

"What you have for each other right now has bloomed immensely. You have gone through a lot in the past. I see it's about young miss doubting so many things. And I see persistent and determination from the young mister"

 

"Ohhhhh that's true. Remember, Jongin? You chased me for a long while"

 

He smiles bitterly.

 

"You have your happiness. A stable relationship. And a new faith. But I see heartbreak. Major heartbreak. I'm sorry to break this to you but... Love isn't enough to tie you guys together for eternity"

 

"What?! Are you sure you read it right?!"

 

"Joohyun..."

 

"I'm so sorry. It's not me. It's the card. I don't--"

 

"Stupid card" she murmurs angrily. "Let's just forget this. Come on, Jongin. Let's not believe in craps" making a dramatic exit, she stomps her ways out of there, leaving Kai behind.

 

"Thank you" he says weakly.

 

"You're lucky enough to have this chance"

 

"I am. I know. Thank you for not saying this to her"

 

"She'll be broken"

 

"But she'll survive"

 

The lady smiles. "She will. She's strong"

 

He bows deeply, grateful to the lady as well as acknowledging her observation. He runs out, trying to find where his girl is.

 

"Hey"

 

"That stupid tarot card" a stone flies in front of them. "You know what? Let's never go there anymore. Such a waste of money"

 

Chuckling, he steps closer to her. His hand searches hers, then intertwine their fingers. Tightly, he holds it.

 

"Why the heck is love not enough?! Stupid tarot" still angry, she kicks another stone.

 

"You'll hurt people by doing that"

 

Her nostril widens as she snorts. "Jongin, let's ride ferris wheel"

 

"You don't like heights"

 

"But I like the view. Well, at least I am sure I will like it. I want to see the city from up there. Also... We get to spend some quiet, peaceful time"

 

Kai pecks her cheek, pressing his lips there as if he doesn't want to let go. As if he wants her to fully remember how it feels like. "This reminds me of our first date"

 

"We didn't ride Ferris wheel that day"

 

"But we went to amusement park. As you wished"

 

"You're granting a lot of wishes today too" she finally let out.

 

"And...?" He asks after seeing her somehow disturbed face.

 

"I'm so happy. But afraid. Weird, right?"

 

His finger brushes strands of her hair. They are leaning on the railing, waiting for their turn to get on. The wind blows soothingly yet it feels so gloomy. Her heart clenches for some strange reasons.

 

"What are you afraid of, baby?"

 

"Time"

 

He frowns. "Why?"

 

"I don't know. I just suddenly think of it. Ahhh, what's wrong with me?" Tears drop from her eyes, it nearly breaks his facade that he successfully built throughout the day. He doesn't want to be weak now.

 

"You cry-baby, crying for no reason" if only he can speak up what he actually has in mind, he will. But words escape him, preventing him to say what he wants to say. Instead, he just flung his arms around her, securing her body inside his embrace as long as he could. In a way, he is trying to convey his message, to let her know how he feels about her, and to soothe her fear.

 

"Jongin, I'm weird, aren't I?"

 

Oh baby, no. I know exactly how you feel. "Aren't you always?"

 

She smacks his arm hard, letting out an annoyed snort. "Sheesh, you never take me seriously"

 

"You're worrying too much. I thought you're having a great time. What's with the sudden change of mood?"

 

"I don't know... I just feel something is amiss... My heart knows something's not right but my brain cannot figure out what it is exactly" sighing, she diverts her attention back to the giant rotating thing. What she doesn't catch is his teary eyes, staring at her intently.

 

"Don't think of anything bad, let's just enjoy this rare free day, okay? I'm being this obedient is not something that happens often, you know? The ticket is nearly expired"

 

She laughs. "Since when did I get that 'control' ticket exactly? I should have bargained for more"

 

"I should have treated you better"

 

"You treat me just fine, Jongin" she smiles radiantly and his heart aches. For he won't get to see that again. For he knows it'll be gone in jiffy.

 

"Yeah" he breathes out, dismissing the heavy atmosphere. "Let's get on. It's our turn now"

 

They hop on, taking their seats inside the glass box. She decides to have her legs over him while her arms circling his waist. It's rare to see her being so clingy like this but she wants to, for today. She has this urge to just be beside him, hugging him as much as she can.

 

"Tired?" He asks when he feels her head on his shoulder.

 

"No, not really" snuggling closer, she kisses the side of his neck.

 

"Joohyun... Noona..."

 

"Hm?"

 

"When did I hurt you the most?"

 

She frowns at his question. Looking up to find his eyes, she sees how he smiles down at her; the sad smile again. "You never did anything that hurt me. I cherish every second I have with you" he bites back his tear. Reaching out his hand to caress her cheek, he kisses her forehead again.

 

"If I ever pained you in any ways, I am so sorry. Know that I never wanted to hurt you. I love you more than life itself. I kiss the very ground you walk on. I want to protect you from all the harm in the world"

 

She chuckles. "That's cheesy"

 

"But Joohyun, I realize that I cannot do everything I desire. Fate has its plan that seems to play with our own"

 

"It won't be too mean to us, right Jongin?" Her eyes show anxiety and hope. A flicker of fear also apparent, probably from the wait for his answer.

 

"It won't play something you can't handle" it's a vague answer. Her heart starts to hammer madly for the umpteenth time today. She hates the feeling. Like she's lost, like she misses something but she can't pin-point what exactly. "You know, sometimes I regret all the business trips I needed to do. Those lessen my time with you"

 

She gulps. "You gotta do what you gotta do, I didn't mind"

 

"Well, I do now. If only I wasn't such and idiot and insecure, we could have skipped the part when we did push and pull game. Stupid game. I could have you way sooner"

 

"There's no need to dwell on the past" Really? She doesn't believe herself, to be honest. What if she actually wishes that the past could be rewind and changed?

 

"Yeah" he. Takes out something from his pocket. "I bought this for you from Japan" the star-shaped necklace twinkles under the light. She has her eyes widened in disbelief. It's beautiful; beyond beautiful even. The word "Forever" along with their anniversary date was engraved on the backside. Her eyes flutter as water pools inside.

 

"This is breathtaking. Thank you. Thank you"

 

He nods. "Here, let me put it on" the cold silver chain comes in contact with her skin. That makes her shiver a bit. "Remember that I will always watch over you. And I love you"

 

"I love you too" beaming so radiantly, she circles her arms around his neck. He hugs her just as tight while closing his eyes. His hand rubs her hair in attempt to calm himself. Luckily, she isn't facing him. Or else, she would have seen how he wipes away his sorrowful tears. Why is fate mean to us Joohyun? His thoughts contradict his words earlier. Will you be fine? Will this be okay for you? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I cannot do anything, baby. If I could, I would. Oh, I so would. I'm sorry. "I love you so much. I love you. I love you" and for the rest of the ride, he steals as many kisses as possible from her, whispering away as many "I love you"s he can verbalize. Because she needs to know that he will never ever stop doing so, no matter what their circumstances are.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

When they reach home, she is already half-awake. She rushes to the bathroom to take a quick shower while he prepares for bed. They lay shortly after she's done, uncharacteristically passing the subject of him being un-bathed. She could careless now.

 

His hand acts as her pillow, her hand traces up until it reaches his broad chest. Resting it there, she begins to count his heartbeat. She loves the sound of it. She loves the fact that it brings such calmness that she can't find anywhere else. Just being in his arms like this is enough to make her feel like she is where she truly belongs.

 

"Noona" she slaps his chest lightly, so much for a lovely and peaceful night. Because she gets a little irritated when he calls her that. It's like a constant reminder that they're apart by three years. A deep chuckle comes out of him. "Alright then. Baby Joo--"

 

"Yah!"

 

This time, he laughs out loud. Her head shakes along with his body. "Joohyun... If there is one thing you want me to do or to give you, what will it be?" The light atmosphere turns into a serious one in a snap and that startles her to hear how his voice is dripping with sincerity.

 

"Honestly?" He nods.

 

"I just want to be loved by you like this, Jongin. I won't ask for more. I just want us to stay like this"

 

Suddenly, he turns her body towards him and wraps her in his arms. He rubs her back gently, placing several kisses on the top of her head. He badly wants to tell her how madly, deeply in love he is. But no words can describe that. "I'm so lucky that I am given a chance to make you happy today. I am lucky to be given a chance to say that I love you as many times as I am allowed today. I am so ecstatic to be able to make one of your dreams come true. I am thrilled to see that beautiful smile of yours. It's a relief that you had a great time today. At least, I can give you one last good memory before it ends. And I get to see you here, sleeping in my arms like this" Seohyun's eyes start to close. "Always be happy, sweetheart. I love you. I'll say this one last time... I love you" and she really falls into her deep slumber.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

KRING... KRING... KRING…

 

"Hello?"

 

"J-J-Joohyun... C-C-Come here soon! Please!"

 

She frowns. "Unnie? Speak clearer, I can't understand you. Why are you crying? What happened?"

 

"J-J-Jongin..."

 

"Hhhh, this prank isn't funny, Unnie. Jongin is here---" she looks to her side only to find an empty spot. Creeps start to fill her system. "What happened?"

 

"Jongin's plane crashed... No one made it... He didn't survive Hyunnie" Hyoyeon starts to bawl on the other line, leaving Seohyun all confuse.

 

"No, that can't be. The system is probably down or something. I mean, he can't be on the plane. Maybe they forgot to write off his name from the list of passengers. He arrived here yester---" she stops abruptly as she glances at her calendar. No, it can't be. I must forgot to cross one yesterday. No, this can't be happening. No! No! No! "What date is it today?"

 

"Joohyun!"

 

"What date is it today??!!"

 

"T-Twenty Fifth..."

 

"No! No! You are lying!!!"

 

"Joo-Joohyun. What's wrong? What's wrong?"

 

"Jongin is here! I don't believe you! Jongin is here, safe and sound!!"

 

"Joohyun, stop!! Listen to me! Calm down. Just... Lay will pick you up in any minute. Please, honey, calm down"

 

"No!! Ugh! Why don't you just cut this joke right here, Unnie? This isn't funny anymore. I swear if you are in this with him I will--"

 

"Joohyun, I won't kid around with stuff like this. Please, just come with Lay"

 

Seohyun shuts off her phone. Anger boils inside her. It's not funny!!! No!! She is about to descend her bed when she feels something light dangles around her neck. With shaky hands, she reaches for it. The star-shaped necklace, the one he bought her, is still there. So that means he was here for real. However, a piece of paper is present on her bedside table.

 

"I'll be your guiding star, love" is written on it. Then realization hits her. Jongin is gone. Jongin is not here. He will not be coming home anymore. He left her. All of the things he said last night make perfect sense now. She thought she was hearing things about last time and second chance. She thought her tired mind was doing tricks for her. But no, it was him. It was her Jongin saying his goodbye.

 

"Joohyun?"

 

"Lay... Lay... Jongin is fine, isn't he?"

 

Lay gazes down at her sadly. "I'm so sorry, Joohyun"

 

With those words, she breaks down and cries her heart out. Everything is so absurd right now. He was just here yesterday, but it's not really yesterday. It's a dream yet not really a dream. Her mind is jumbled up. All she knows is this unbearable pain in her heart.

 

"He moved up the date of his return..."

 

“This is my fault. This is my entire fault. It’s my fault. He couldn’t have been gone. He couldn’t. Tell me it’s not real. Please, Yixing, tell me this is all lie” She cries even harder. Her whole body trembles greatly as she clutches the note over her heart.

 

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Joohyun" Lay hugs her and let her pour out everything. He holds her, giving her the support she needs. And together, they mourn over the death of an important person in their lives; his dear friend and her eternal love.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Are you done with work?”

 

“Yes, baby. It’s over sooner than I thought”

 

“Hm. That sounds good”

 

“Is there anything you want to say?”

 

“Nothing, I just miss you so much”

 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can”

 

“Surprise me”

 

“Oh I will”

 

“I love you”

 

“I love you too, baby. Always”

====================================================================================

AN: I am really, really, really sorry for the very, very late update!

I have been tired these days and got no chance to write any stories.

Anyways, this will mark my SEO-EXO stories gallore xD

Not every EXO member will be paired up with her, But I've chose some that I could totally see as cute and/or obviously harboring some admiration towards her.

 

The members would be:

-Kai

-Suho

- Lay

- Kris

- Sehun

- Luhan

- Chen

 

I am sorry for not picking D.O., Chanyeol, Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Tao

But I see them as brothers for her. They, however, will be present in the stories as well, though not as a main.

 

Lastly, I Hope you enjoy this one!

Happy reading!!

And thank you for all the comments and support!!