;reposting the lost chapter

Sooyun is in the kitchen when Myungsoo comes out from the room. He has just done with the shower. He sits on the tools and grabs an apple from the basket and watches her while she’s searching for something in the fridge.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to cook breakfast for you.”

She replies without looking up, her hands still busy searching for the ingredients to make a pancake. She had done groceries shopping last night and now their kitchen is filled with a lot of stuff.

“Only for me?”

“Yeah. I’m going out after this.”

“Where to?”

She looks up and her face puzzles, then she facepalm herself. Of course, I’m married now. I can’t go out without telling my husband first.

“I’m just going for a jog and I don’t usually eat my breakfast before that.”

“Jog? Can I come with you? I haven’t done exercise for a while now.”

He got up and stretches his stiff muscles. It’s true that ever since he got married, he could have hardly spend times on doing exercise, although his body is fit and perfectly fine.

Sooyun looks at him blankly as if he had said something shocking.

“Let me change my clothes first.”

Myungsoo wears his comfortable black suit track with a white shirt while Sooyun wears all black track suits that hug her petite body perfectly. He eyes her from top to the bottom as they step out from the house and his eyebrow raise in disapproval.

“Don’t you think the outfit is a little too tight for you?”

“I think it’s pretty comfortable.” She just shrugs it off and heads toward the exit door.

“Wait, where are you going?”

His eyebrows furrow when she walks toward the stairs instead of the lift.

“I’m afraid of the elevator, I told you before.”

He just chuckled awkwardly as he lazily follows her to the exit door. He made a mental note to remember about that.

He walks beside her as both of them steps out from the building and heads toward the park at the end of the building. There are already many people around. Because it’s weekend, it’s a normal sight but the place is quite desolate when the people goes to work. Myungsoo smiles when he sees a little boy trying to walk beside his mother whom looking out at him attentively, afraid of the little boy might fall down and gets hurt.

Sooyun watches him from beside and look at the direction where he’s looking at a smile creeps to her lips. She loves kids. Being alone for so long, she wished that she has a brother or sister to look after or vice versa. She has been living alone for such a long time and now that she’s married, it feels weird for her. She has to inform him before going out first, cook for him, does laundry everyday and all sort of things. It’s not that she’s a lazy bummer or anything, but before she got married, she’s doesn’t really care about her house’s appearance. Mainly because she’s just the only one who lives there and then, no one had ever visits her before. She wonders whether someone has already buy or rent her old house. She misses it a lot.

“Do you like kid?”

“Deh?” She snaps back from her thoughts when she hears Myungsoo’s voice.

Her gaze changes from the kid to Myungsoo whom looking at her. He points to the little kid.

“Oh. Yeah. He is such a cutie.” She smiles as a respond.

“Me too.” There’s a hint of sadness in his tone. “Before Haeyong knows that she’s barren, she tried so hard to give a child to me.” He let out a low sigh.

“Unnie told me about it. I was really shocked when I know about it.”

“Same goes to us, but it was Haeyong whom suffers the most. Eventhough she acts like it’s nothing big of deal, but I know she’s hurting inside.”

“Myungsoo...”

She stops and turns around to face him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talk about this with you.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, but I don’t think talking about the past would be any better, right? I know, Haeyong unnie had suffers so much, that’s why I agree to the marriage proposal.”

“You’re right.” He sits down at the nearest bench and Sooyun follows him.  “Oh, I haven’t got the chance to tell you this, but... umm, thanks, perhaps? I know that sounds weird but thank you for agreeing to do this.”

She chuckles. “You’re welcome, I guess.”

He smiles at her and pinches her cheek. It’s the first he sees her smiles brightly towards him and he couldn’t help it. She freezes when Myungsoo’s fingers make contact with her skin so sudden, and both of them standing there awkwardly under the tree. He scratches at the back of his head which she doubts because it’s itchy.

“Well, umm.. I have an interesting game to play.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Do you see the small restaurant at the end of this road?”

“Yeah, I can see it.” He squint his eyes to get a better view.

“Let’s see who will get there first and who will be the last. The loser will treat the breakfast. Deal?”

“That sounds interesting. Deal!”

She chuckles when Myungsoo gets all excited after she proposes the game. He looks like a kid waiting for his mother to bring a treat as he starts to do some stretching and warming up.

“I’ll let you go for five seconds before I’ll start my running.” He playfully winks at her.

“Oh, that’s really nice of you.” She winks back at him before she starts to run and leaves him behind.

He laughs and mentally counts to ten before he starts his running. Much to his surprise, Sooyun is pretty good at running. Maybe because she’s younger but it just takes him a little effort to match with her. She squeals when Myungsoo jokingly teases her from behind and she speeds up towards the store and in the end it’s her who wins the game.

“Wow, you’re pretty good.” He said within short breathe, trying to regain his breathing.

“Tch, I know that you gave in to me. But you’re still buying anyways. Mehrong.”

She playfully stuck out her tongue at him before both of them goes inside the mini restaurant. It was quite crowded but thankfully there are two available seats at the corner of the restaurant. Myungsoo walks ahead of her and she finds it hard to keep up with him when the people all around are blocking the space. She even has to use some force to go through the narrow space but it’s all hopeless. She looks at Myungsoo helplessly but he doesn’t notice her and perhaps, she’s too ego to call out for his name. She mutters ‘sorry’ whenever she accidently made contact with someone, her eyes lowers to the ground as she tries to find the way to the table.

Her head tilts upward when a hand grabs hers. She wants to jerk her hand away but when she realizes it’s Myungsoo, she just follows him and they make it through to the table. She just stares at the table and her hands tapping awkwardly on her lap.

“So, what do you want to eat? What’s so good about this place? It’s crowded with people.” He says as he examines the restaurant, looking rather impress eventually.

“The foods here are delicious and cheap too. I guess that’s why people tend to come here and have breakfast before going back.” She replies to him before she raises her hand to the waitress.

The waitress stands beside the table with a pen and notes in her hands. She’s looking at Myungsoo with an interest, which of course, he doesn’t realize as he is too busy looking around. Sooyun bite her lower lips before she places an order for both of them. She orders two set of egg toasts and two cups of ginger tea with strawberry flavour.

“Do you come here often?”

“Oh, yeah. But it only opens in the morning. My friend and I would come here to grab a breakfast after we have finished with our exercise ‘routine’.” She made a bunny sign with her hands and a smile crept to her face when she talks about that one friend.

“Friend? What is her name?” He asks, curiously.

The same waitress comes with tray of foods with her and Sooyun notice how she would smile shyly whenever she turns around to face Myungsoo but he is looking at Sooyun, waiting for her answer. She waits for the waitress to go away before she starts to talk again.

“Just, a friend from my university. We are in the same batch and I’m currently doing my final project with... that person.”

She starts to indulge in the pancake, her eyes lowers to the food as if she is trying to avoid his gaze. She hears a metal sound from his side, indicating that he starts to eat his pancake too.

“Oh, that Hoya guy?”

The fork stops midway and she glance up to look at him. His eyes are on his food, his mouth is chewing the pancake and he acts like nothing happens.

“Yes.”

She replies to him and her voice comes out as a whisper before she continues her eating. The pancake tastes bitter all of sudden and she’s anxiously waiting for his reply. She doesn’t know why but talking about Hoya with Myungsoo, doesn’t feel right.

“I’m not preventing you to meet your guys’ friend but I just want to remind that you’re married now and I’m afraid that people will start to talk if they saw you with other guys.”

She looks up and he gives her a genuine smile before he takes another bite of the pancake. She feels agitate over his ‘warn’ but knowing that he is right and the way he reminds her is rather in a soft manner, she just nods.

“I know, I’m sorry. He is just.. my friend, that’s all.”

“I believe you. That’s what important in marriage, trust.”

He gives her another warm smile and both of them finish the meals. Both of them step out from the restaurant with ease because it’s less crowded by the time they finish their breakfast. They walk alongside each other, just walking, while breathe in the fresh air.

“Why are you afraid of the elevator?”

His sudden question surprises her and she just sighs.

“I had a bad experience when I was a kid.” She pauses for a while, inhaling the fresh air. “I couldn’t really remember it well but I could still remember the tiny bit from the accident. I was with my father in the elevator, there was a lot of people in it so it was kind of crowded. I tried to hold on to his hand but he kept on slapping my hands away and when the elevator opens, people starts to rush each other to go out and I was left behind. I couldn’t find my father and when I was about to step out, the door closes and it went up. I hit on the buttons several times, knocking on the door, crying and shouting for help, before I passed out. And that’s how I ended up at an orphanage.”

Myungsoo is rather surprise to hear the story from her. Who would have thought that a father would do that to his own daughter?

“I didn’t tell anyone about it, because I don’t want to hear their sympathy.”

She keeps her poker face but her eyes b with tears which she quickly wipes it away before she laughs awkwardly.

“Oh, we’re already here.”

Both of them arrive at their apartment, which he thinks in such short time. He keeps quiet and just watches her as both of them going into the building.

“You can take the elevator, I’ll see you in a minute.”

He reaches out for her hands and spins her around before she could make another step.

“We’ll take the elevator together. Don’t worry, I’m here.”

He grasps on her hand gently before he drags her with him to the elevator.

“Myungsoo oppa, it’s okay I can just take the stairs.”

She tries to retrieve her hand from his grip but she gives in eventually when both of them arrive in front of the elevator. She looks at the sight in front of her with a trembling look in her eyes.

“I’m here, I will protect you. Don’t worry.”

She looks at him, puzzle over his words. He smiles towards her and before she could even utter another word, the door opens and her gaze darts toward the elevator.

“Myungsoo oppa, I can’t...” She pleads him for the final time.

“Do you trust me?”

Trust is important in marriage. That sentence ringing in her head and she slowly nods to him. He interlaces their fingers and both of them steps in the elevator together. She bit her lower lip when the door closes down and her body shakes badly when it starts to move.

Myungsoo, upon realizing her reaction, hold her even closer to him, wrapping his hand around her shoulder and mutters ‘it’s okay I’m here’ endlessly. Her body relaxes knowing that someone is there to look after her. Someone who will not leave if something bad happens to her.

She has found her own knight amour.