Minhyuk returned to his apartment, few days after the departure, and it was very quiet. Yoora wasn’t there. After what happened yesterday, he somehow felt relieved but guilty in same time. Did he do the right thing, by letting Jiyoon go? He assured himself that he did, because it was wrong.

Beep.

He looked back to the door only to find his wife came in wet state. The weather was surely getting worse. “Yoora, where did you go? You are soaked.”

“Why are you here?”

“It is our apartment.”

He really used our instead of my. “Why do you come back?”

“Yoora—“

“You are here to give me the paper, right?”

“Paper?”

“Divorce paper.”

“Yoora, what are you talking about?” Minhyuk was confused. She talked about divorce? He thought that she liked her, and he thought that it was clear that they were going to make everything work between the marriages. How stupid you are, Minhyuk, of course she doesn’t like you anymore. “We are not signing any divorce paper.”

She held back her emotions. Inhale, exhale, don’t cry. “This is not going to work. Us.” Minhyuk kept on staring at her so she continued. “I know everything. You and your feeling. Jiyoon Eonni. Everything. And it is useless to keep on doing this. Tell me, Lee Minhyuk, how many lies have you told me? And how many things you still have it hidden behind your jacket?”

So many, Yoora. There are so many things until it hurts to keep on lying.

“If you just dry yourself, I will unveil the truth afterward.”

=====

September 1998

The economic crisis was unbearable.

Some people didn’t even hesitate to do bad things for their own profits.

And those ‘some people’ happened to take him.

They asked for a big amount of money.

He was treated no more than an animal.

Tortured. Abused. Forced to follow every command that they gave him.

He was rescued, of course.

But life wasn’t easy after that.

He stayed in Gwangju for some months.

Refusing to talk. Panic attack. Eating disorder.

Until someone came from Seoul.

“Hey, let’s go to Seoul. I will introduce you to my friends.”

She was there,

Listening to his first word,

On his worst panic disorder,

Stuffing him with various foods.

Surely, his life changed.

The one that once dark, it was bright.

He adored her.

He thought highly of her.

And it was too late to stop, once he knew that he gone too far.

 So he just protected her on her darkest night.

He promised to not leave her once the lights went out.

He vowed to be her human-shield on the wildest war.

====

“You have every right to hate me. As you can see, i am not good. Which good man did this to his wife, to his cousin.”

Yoora just looked at him with soft smile. “Don’t you think that the situation is too tense right now? I miss the times when you sing randomly, or your un-amusing jokes. It becomes plain and too serious now. Too many things happen,” she confessed as she shook her head at Minhyuk’s disbelief expression. “No, don’t you dare to think that I forgive you that easy, Oppa. The wall has been destroyed, and it takes time to build it back. It just, I hate this situation, the stress on your face and the tense atmosphere between us.”

“Everything may be awkward from now on, sorry.”

“Stop with it. I would rather celebrate a late birthday that mourning over a husband that lied to me.”

“So you forgive me?”

“Of course no. But I don’t want to see those wrinkles and stressed-face anymore, it’s stressing me out more,” Yoora said as she massage Minhyuk’s shoulders. She gave it light punch before stood up, “Dress up. We have birthday to celebrate.”

Yoora looked at her mug as he waited for Minhyuk to get ready. Holding grudges were tiring, she thought. At first, she wanted to stay mad at Minhyuk and left him for months. But after saw him in the apartment today, apologizing and even told her the truth, she just didn’t have heart to. No, she wasn’t going to be like those girls on movie that forgive her loved one like that. Like she said, it took time to build the walls back. On the meantime, she thought that it would be a bit awkward between them, as the trust had been broken and both of them was miserable as hell. Tons of questions were running on her mind. Would her feeling remain the same? Would he return the feeling? Was there anything that hid from her? But yeah, let the time answer it.

“Are you ready?”

Minhyuk’s voice shook her to the reality. “Sure. Your favorite restaurant, right?”

The ride to the restaurant was mostly quiet. Minhyuk the radio to light up the mood. Yoora was right, everything became awkward between them. And she needed to remove this tension.

“Oppa, there are so many people staring at us,” Yoora whispered as she felt pairs of eyes on them.

The said one just chuckled. “Maybe it because you are my girl.”

“So?”

“Well. Who doesn’t want to steal Lee Minhyuk’s girl. Especially when they are like you. Everybody wants to steal my girl~ Everybody wants to take her heart away~ Couple billion in the whole wide world~ Find another one 'cause she belongs to me,” he joked with one direction’s song. But soon he realized his mistake, “I am not suppose to say that. Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay, really. Glad to see that your singing-spirit is back.”

He pulled the chair for her before took a seat in front of her. “You know, I was thinking about making up all the dates that I’ve missed. Well, I am not forcing you, though. It’s okay if you want to have some time away from me.”

“Are you going to buy me another figurine?”

“What?”

“Like Draco Malfoy one that you got me ages ago. I want more.”

“Shouldn’t you be the one that get me something? It was my birthday, after all.”

“I thought that you’re making it up to me. You ditched me a lot, Oppa.”

MInhyuk just smiled as he felt guilty. Yeah, he ditched her lot these past few months. Even though it was for her good some times, but she didn’t know it right? “So… draco malfoy figurines?”

“Yesss,” Yoora nodded her head eagerly.

“How about Lee Minhyuk figurine instead? I am more handsome than him, anyway.”

“No, thanks,” she answered. Waiters came  with the foods, and just before they started eating, Yoora took a spoon of her mashed potato and move it closer to Minhyuk’s mouth. “I don’t have a cake, but I have this. Make a wish.”

I wish you won’t get hurt, no matter what happen.

Minhyuk ate the potato and smiled. Oh, only god knew how much he felt guilty toward this woman who still treated him nicely after things that happen between them. He didn’t have heart to tell her that there was a danger waiting for her, and there were another big lie that hiding under his sleeve. 

Author's note:

I know that it has been a year since i posted something here. I am deeply sorry for that, and if this chapter doesn't live up your expectation. I am really sorry~ >< 

I will try to write better on the next chapter. This story won't be more than 35. according to my plan. So yeah, let's finish this journal together shall we? :)

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