“LOOK! ONEW'S ex-wife!”

Like a puppy, Jieun’s ears perked up when she heard a girl whispered to her friend which was loud enough for her to hear.

“Look at what she wears, pajamas? Seriously...”

Jieun looked down her pajamas and rolled her eyes as they tried to stifle their laughters.

What’s the wrong point of wearing pajamas to the petshop down the road? Jieun just couldn’t stand her life anymore. She couldn’t blame anyone, though. She knew when she married to a superstar, her life was never going to be uncomplicated.

Her thoughts were broken when the lady counter waved her hand in front of Jieun’s face, lifting the paper bag a little.

“Thank you,” she quickly said, took the bag of dog food from her hands and left the petshop.

Soon enough she reached her flat. She had been living in it for 10 months now. She decided to move out of Onew’s super-mega-ultra-huge house to a mini flat because she hated being alone in a big house although she had Bebee, her beagle that she loved so dearly. However, at first Onew tried to persuade her not to leave but then he never asked her to go back to his house once she left, maybe he already had a new wife or girlfriend. Who knew?

“Bebee, Come here!” she shouted as she put the dog food into the bowl, then a short beagle immediately appeared and ran toward its bowl.

“Good dog.” She gently brushed its fur.

“Bebee, don’t you miss your appa?”

Yeah, I’m talking to a dog, random much? She thought and sighed.

“I miss him...” She sighed and went to slump down on the couch, when she suddenly caught a strange scent. she sniffed the air, wondering what that peculiar odor could be, when her eyes widened with horror and the realization struck her. It was smoke.

In the other side of the beautiful city, inside a small living room in —what everyone said— SHINee’s dorm, a young figure was sitting in the centre of papers that were scattered around the floor. 30 minutes had passed but it felt like 3 hours.

“Gosh...” Onew sighed and scratched his brown hair in frustration.

He looked at the ceiling as thoughts kept come and go. He wanted to go back home and sleep for a long time and do these projects with other members, but being in a group along with four boys made him realized he needed to work on these projects ALONE if he wanted to finish them without any problems. Besides, he’s the leader.

He sighed again and grabbed the remote tv. When the screen , there’s a news about a building was on fire.

“Oh, in Seoul!”

His attention was fully on the news.

...

...

“I think I know this…eh, apartment building.”

He knitted his eyebrows in concern before turning up the volume. “…The firefighters are still trying to extinguish the fire that has burnt most of the apartment in George Street...”

His eyes widened as he recognized that it was HIS wife’s apartment.

Without making any assumptions, he got into his car and drove off as fast as possible.

About 5 minutes later he was currently in front of the building, people were crowded everywhere and it made him a little bit hard to see the road, his chaotic mind even worsened anything.

Before he could do anything, million thoughts had attacked his mind.

What if she’s still in her room?

What if she was sleeping?

What if…

What if…

He shook his head hardly to remove all the bad thoughts and quickly ran toward the building but a firefighter stopped him. “Please sir, do not approach, it’s dangerous!”

“But my wife is still in her room!” he yelled back.

“Okay! Okay! Just stand back! We will help her, just wait!”

He couldn’t help but stood back as emotional tears started rolling down his cheeks.

His mind strove back to picture all the things that had happened hastly. He never wanted to let go of her, he always wanted to live with Jieun again, to wake up every morning beside her, to tell her how much he loved her.

God, If you can hear me clearly, please listen carefully... I want Jieun.

***

HE FOUND himself stood there for quite a long time before slowly walking back towards his car, his shoulders slumped. Just as he was about to open the door, he caught a glimpse of a slim girl with long cascading black hair, standing in front of the apartment and staring blankly into space.

He noticed the small beagle that was standing by her side, and with a start, he realised it was Bebee!

Before he knew it, he was sprinting towards her, his long legs pumping rhythmically against the cemented pavement. He skidded to a halt in front of her, and she looked up at him, startled by his sudden appearance. Her pretty eyes were filled with fear, and almost as if by instinct, he pulled her into a warm hug. Her body was shivering uncontrollably, and he embraced her tighter, feeling the irresistible urge to protect her.

“Jieun-ah! Gwenchana?” he asked but she kept looking at her apartment that was on fire.

“Jieun...” He turned her face with his hands, then and there, he realized she was crying.

He hugged her again. “I’m here, don’t cry…”

“but… there’s nothing left,” she said in the middle of the cry.

“It’s okay, as long as you’re save, just stop crying...”

She nodded while rubbing her eyes. He put his arm around her shoulders and walked toward his car but her fragile fingers that were on his waist stopped him.

She looked down and said, “I-I am barefoot.”

Without thinking twice, Onew squatted down and told her to go up to his back.

***

ONEW WAS busy washing a beaker. He couldn’t find the clean one since he hadn’t been home for over a month. He then remembered it was the reason Jieun left this house and felt guilt all of him. He looked back into her who was sitting in the living room, looking around his house. How he missed her so much.

He took a deep breath and quickly finished making her hot chocolate.

In the other side, Jieun was letting her gaze danced around his house when he handed her the hot chocolate. She took it immediately.

There were silence.

Once in a while, Jieun would steal gaze of Onew’s face. His face looked flat, she assumed that it must be because he was annoyed by her presence.

“The fire came from next door’s stove.” She decided to break the tension-filled silence. “B-but don’t worry, I-I will find a new apartment soon,” she continued.

Onew glanced at her disheveled appearance and frowned with confusion. ”Why? Don’t you want to live with me again?”

She looked up at him.

“W-what? I thought you have a girlfriend or wife,” she choked out, her heart breaking at the thought.

“Who says? I never loved someone besides... you,” he softly admitted.

She stared at the glass as she was reconsidering what he just said and trying to find the right way to reassure herself. “D-do you mean it?”

“Of course! I do love you and I always wanted to have you back but I know you hate me.” Oh how she missed the words 'I love you'.

“No! I don’t hate you, Onew. I- I also never loved someone besides you,” she blankly confessed.

His face seemed brighten at her statement. “Really?”

She nodded.

He kneeled down in front of her with his shiny eyes. “Then, please live with me again, I want to be with you forever. Give me a second chance, I promise you that I’ll never do the same mistakes.”

“Promise?”

She held out her pinky finger.

“Pro-” His phone rang as he was about to say ‘promise’.

She frowned. That must be his manager or another call for a “job”.

But in her surprise, he took out his phone from his pocket and put into her glass. And the next second, the remaining hot chocolate killed it.

“Promise...” He held her pinky finger, pulled her closer and then planted a kiss on her cheek, and all over her face in a cute, childish way while her beautiful round eyes were still blinking in surprise.