The mother and daughter duo went on their way after walking out of Jong Kook’s office. Ji Hyo was fuming with the sudden interruption and clinginess that unfolds in front of their daughter’s eyes. She was trying to avoid putting her daughter into such situations because she was so curious about everything. She’s on a stage wherein she asks too many questions if a thing or situation interests her.

“ Momma, are we really going to the mall and I’ll sleep over at granny’s today?” Min Hee giddily asked her mother while they were on their way to the parking lot. This was the promise that Ji Hyo whispered to her ears a while ago to avert her attention away from the new visitor in Jong Kook’s office.

“ Yes, my love. Momma will buy you new toys today because you were good to momma today. It’s your reward for being a good girl. And yes, I’ll send you to granny’s house later after eating dinner love. You missed granny that much already that the sleepover makes you giddy?” Ji Hyo replied to Min Hee as they walked toward their car.

“ YESSS!” Min Hee squealed while Ji Hyo fastened her seat belt in the backseat of her car. And it made Ji Hyo giggle.

She poked Min Hee’s nose before going to the driver’s seat so that they can proceed to the mall. But before she could even enter her car, she heard someone calling her name. And when she looked back, she saw Jong Kook running towards them. She hurried up in getting inside the car, but Jong Kook ran faster and blocked the door before she could even totally close it.

“ Do you still need anything from us? You have someone inside, why don’t you entertain her? Why did you even bother following us here?” Ji Hyo asked him coldly, and it scared Min Hee. Even if Ji Hyo was almost whispering already, Min Hee was still able to hear her mother because their surroundings were quiet.

“ Sorry, I just want to say goodbye properly to Min Hee, ‘cause you were in a hurry a while ago inside.” He replied, and she just stared at him coldly. He went to Min Hee’s door and saw Min Hee’s teary eyes. He was taken aback after seeing Min Hee crying.

“ Why are you crying, my little princess?” Jong Kook asked in a cute voice and wiped his daughter’s tears away. Ji Hyo was shocked after hearing this and immediately went to the backseat to comfort her daughter.

“ Momma’s voice a while ago was so scary dada.” Min Hee finally let her feelings go and she started to cry out loud. Jong Kook cradled her into his arms while swaying and whispering some sweet words to stop her from crying. When Min Hee calmed down, she just hugged his dada tighter and asked:

“ Are you mad momma? You sound like the bad ice queen in Narnia a while ago.” Min Hee turned her head in Ji Hyo’s direction while wiping her tears. Ji Hyo went to where the two were standing and she wiped the remnants of her daughter’s tears and tell her slowly.

“ No. Momma wasn’t mad at all, it’s just that I was thinking of something and I got upset suddenly when I was interrupted. But now, I’m not mad anymore. Promise.” Ji Hyo explained and pulled a smile for her daughter.

“ Really?”

“ Really.” Ji Hyo assured her one last time and Min Hee smiled brightly.

“ I’m sorry for crying then, momma. You scared me a little bit there.” She giggled and wriggled down from her father’s embrace and went back to the backseat and fastened the seat belt by herself.

Ji Hyo on the other hand, let the two talk to themselves. After their talk, Ji Hyo and their daughter went on their way. Jong Kook doesn’t know that Min Hee will be having a sleepover which at her granny’s tonight. Good thing Ji Hyo thought of making her spend the night with her grandma because she’s so devastated seeing Ji Hyo act weirdly in front of her just now. When they arrived at the mall, that was still owned by her husband, the valet took her car and they went inside the mall.

She didn’t intend to drive to the mall that her husband owned, but being married for a decade, she visited there frequently with Jong Kook before. That’s why she just found herself driving in that direction every time.

INSIDE THE MALL:

Min Hee dragged Ji Hyo to the toy section of the mall. When they enter, a sales lady immediately approached them and gave them a trolley. She was about to assist them, but Ji Hyo refused her help and told them that they can manage- politely. Min Hee pointed here and there when they were taking a look at each aisle full of toys. Before Min Hee could get the toy, Ji Hyo would ask an attendee first about everything to make sure that it was safe for her daughter. When Min Hee had her 5 new toys, 4 big ones, and everything and a small plush toy.

After raiding the whole toy store, they went to one of the restaurants that serve delicious stake and a meal for kids. Ji Hyo ordered a tomahawk steak while Min Hee got her spaghetti and meatballs. They ordered peach mango sherbet for their dessert too. But before they finished eating Min Hee suddenly asked Ji Hyo.

“ Momma, who was that lady that was holding to dada’s arm tightly a while ago?”

“ Uhh, baby love, it’s just one of dada’s friends. She wasn’t able to see dada for a long time that’s why she hold dada tightly.”  Ji Hyo escaped again.

“ But Dada looks angry at her a while ago. He even shouted at Jae In eonnie. Why is he angry?” She questioned further.

“ He’s not angry love. He’s just surprised that someone suddenly barged in and took time to recognize her that’s why.” She explained and thankfully Min Hee stopped her questioning.

They drove home after their mother - daughter bonding at the mall. Min Hee was knocked out after their visit to one of the kid's cafes located on the 2nd floor of the mall. She slept throughout the ride while Ji Hyo was thinking about the thing that they’ll talk about later tonight that day.

After dinner, she sent Min-Hee to her grandma’s for a promised sleepover. She was so happy to see her granny and didn’t even turn her head back to Ji Hyo when she was about to leave. On the way home, Jong Kook called his wife. He went home early that day as Ji Hyo instructed him. When he arrived, Jong Kook immediately look for his little princess, but the empty and pitch black house greeted him. No one was around and it looked like his family went out for a while. When Ji Hyo and Min Hee didn’t arrive after almost an hour, he decided to call Ji Hyo, but she didn’t answer. While waiting, he decided to cook food for himself and some for Ji Hyo and Min Hee too, which he rarely does on a daily basis. When he can’t wait furthermore, he called Ji Hyo again and this time she answered.

“ Hello?” Ji Hyo answered after some time of thinking.

“ Oh Ji Hyo-yah. Eodisseo?” He asked her almost immediately after answering his call.

“ I’m on my way home. Don’t do anything else and just wait for me. I sent Min Hee to my mother’s so she won’t be able to hear our discussion tonight. I’m almost there so wait for me.” She said with finality.

“ Okay, then. What would you like to talk about? So that I can prepare myself if ever, you know.” He asked her with a bit of hesitation.

“ I’ll tell you later, just wait. It’s quite an urgent and serious matter. I’ll drop the call now I’m still driving.” She ended the call and Jong Kook was left agape. He knew that he was in trouble after the incident that happened a while ago so he prepared himself while waiting for her. True to what Ji Hyo said, she arrived in less than 10 minutes. Jong Kook was in deep thought that he wasn’t even able to notice Ji Hyo punching the code in their house. When she called his name, he was pulled out of his trance and he immediately stood up, Jong Kook was puzzled why his wife is not with Min Hee so he asked her:

“ Min Hee?” 

“ I sent her to my mum’s house. She said that she missed her granny so much.” Ji Hyo answered as she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

“ Hey, have your dinner first before we discuss the thing that you’re talking about. I cooked your favorite.” He said. JI Hyo scoffed silently while she put a smirk on her face since her husband won’t be able to see her anyway.

‘hm, you still remember. But it’s too late now. Have you just done it before, to me, to Min Hee- to our family, I won’t get this ridiculous thing in my mind right now.’ she thought silently before turning back to her husband, the smirk was placed with the coldness that sent shivers down to Jong Kook’s spine.

“No thanks, I ate my dinner at mum’s. I won’t be beating ‘round the bush since this thing has been pushed for way too long already. Why don’t we stop this oppa.” she straightforwardly told him, he was taken aback by this statement but nonetheless, he was still able to ask her. The way she called her ‘oppa’ at that moment felt like . He felt a stinging pain in his heart with that term of endearment that sounds so sweet before has turned into a painful one at that moment

“ W-w-what do you mean to stop this? D-don’t tell me---” He was stut