Haneul’s POV

He stopped the car at the side of the road and we sat in silence.

“Is this your punishment for me?” He asked finally.

“What punishment?” I asked.

“Because I behaved like an reckless idiot before, so this is your way of punishing me, am I right?” He asked.

“No. What are you saying?” I asked.

“Oh, so the divorce papers were the only punishment.” He said.

“That, is a warning.” I said.

He looked away angrily.

“You’re not asking for permission. You are just informing me.” He said.

I sighed, not knowing what to say.

“Alright. So be it. You want to go, then go.” He said, punching the steering wheel.

“How can I go with you looking like that?” I asked.

“I’ll be looking like that until you come back. May you have fun.” He said sarcastically.

“I know it’s abrupt, I know a year is a long time, but baby, this is really something I have wanted to do for a long time.” I said, making him face me.

“But now? When our new place is almost done, when things are finally coming back together, you want to just leave?” He asked.

“Who said I am leaving? I’ll always be here. We’ll always be under the same sky, breathing the same oxygen, walking on the same ground, living in the same globe.” I said.

“But you’ll never be close to me like how you are now.” He said.

I kept quiet, looking down.

“I know you want to go and see the world. I know you’ve always been wanting to do this. I really know. I wish I could let you go, but call me selfish or what, I… I don’t know how I can tell you to go and have fun. It’s a freaking year, darling. The days back in rehab without you, I thought I could hold on, but I broke down even more frequently than I thought I would. I don’t know how to live without you anymore.” He said.

“That was because you were uncertain if I would return. But now you have my word. I’ll return to you after a year and I promise I’ll never go anywhere without you.” I said.

“Do you really, really have to do this?” He asked.

“It’s my wish.” I said.

He let out a loud sigh and looked away, biting his knuckles.

“Just promise me that you’ll call me as and when, and that you’ll be very, very safe. Not even a scratch on you, do you understand?” He asked.

“Yes, I understand. Thank you so much.” I circled my arms around his neck, kissing him all over his face.

“How are we going to tell the kids?” He asked.

“Oh, they know it already.” I said.

“What?” I asked, surprised.

“They were much easier to convince than you.” I said, sticking out my tongue.

“Wait. Am I the last to know?” He asked.

“Not exactly. Second last? Maybe? I have not told my parents.” I said.

“Ahhh~ I’m going to faint~” He held the back of his neck.

“Don’t faint! Don’t faint! You still have to take care of the kids for a year!” I said.

“Okay, I’m dying.” He groaned.

“Nawww~ You’re not~” I laughed.

***
Our place was done quicker than we expected it to be. Just like how he wanted, we turned the bookstore into a shelter for kids who come from broken families or just anyone who is facing a lot of trouble in their life. Here, we offer them not only shelter but also professional help. Together with the rehab center Junhyung was in before, we set up quite a nice organization.

He also launched a campaign in memory of Loki, to offer free swimming lessons to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of age or gender. His main purpose was that he did not want anyone to lose their lives because of drowning. He hired professionals to conduct the course. Most who came were of course fan-girls, and also families who could not afford swimming lessons for their children.

At times, Junhyung would conduct the lessons himself together with the other members of Beast and MBLAQ, which made it look more like a fan-meeting than a swimming lesson. But nonetheless, Junhyung’s first students were Tae Hyun, Ji Eun and Minki, who looked more like they would drown him than get themselves drowned.

“You’re going to kill Junhyung ahjusshi like that!!” Minji yelled as she watch her daughter jump onto Junhyung’s back and clung onto him like a little polar bear in the pool.

“Don’t worry. Junhyung wouldn’t die so easily.” I laughed as I watched them play in the water.

“APPA!!!” Minki yelled, kicking Junhyung in the face before struggling free from Junhyung’s grip.

“BABY, DON’T LET GO!” Seungho yelled, his eyes widened as Minki got free from Junhyung’s grip.

“MINKI AH!” Almost everyone screamed at the same time as we watch the girl choke on the water in that 1.2M pool.

Just as everyone was about to abandon whatever they were doing to swim to her aid, she surprised us by waddling like a little duckling towards her father.

“Oh my god, is she swimming?” Minji asked, eyes teary.

“I think she is.” I said.

“Deedee!” Minki hugged, or more like, strangled Seungho.

“Sweetheart, you scared Deedee big time!” Seungho said.

“How big?” Minki asked cheekily.

“Very, very big.” Seungho said, kissing her all over her face.

She kept on giggling and kissed him back.

“Ahhh!! My baby girl! You’re so awesome!!!” Seungho hugged Minki tightly, spinning the girl around.

“Deedee!” Minki grinned before spitting a mouthful of water onto Seungho’s face.

Junhyung and I exchanged glances. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, not because we were surprised that Minki could finally swim, of course we were, but there was more to it. We had the same thought, I assume. If only Loki was here~

“AHHHHHH!!! HYUNG!!! HELP!!! I’M DROWNING!!! I CAN’T!!! DON’T LET GO!! DON’T!!!!!!!!!” We heard a blood curling scream.

We saw a struggling J and an annoyed looking Doojoon.

“I can’t do this, Jun. This friend of yours, whatever his name is, H or what, he is worse than Minki and everyone else here! How the hell can you be so scared when you’re in a pool that’s not even until your chest!? Even Minki can do a better job! Grown man yet yelling like that!” Doojoon got angry.

“My name is J.” J said as he stood up, pouting at Junhyung.

“You’ll be call Z until you can swim without shouting like as though someone is going to shoot you.” Doojoon said.

“Why Z?” J asked.

“THE LAST OF THE ALPHABET! THE VERY, VERY LAST! NOW, SWIM!!!” Doojoon screamed, causing laughter from the rest of us.

“I can’t!!!” J whined.

“TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Shin and Doojoon yelled in unison.

“Yayeeeee!!! SWIMMMMMMMMMMM!!!” Minki raised both her fist, successfully punching Seungho in both his eyes.

“Come on in~” Junhyung said as he gestured me forward.

I shook my head.

“Come here now.” He said.

“Noooo~” I whined.

“Come.” He said.

“Noooooo~” I pouted.

“That’s very cute, but no. Come.” He said.

“I’m fine without swimming. I’ll just cling onto you if anything happens.” I said.

“Really? Then how about that one year when I am not around with you? Who are you going to cling on? You learn swimming now, and you can unlearn it later when you come back.” He said.

“How the hell can we unlearn any AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” I screamed when someone pushed me into the water.

I landed safely onto Junhyung, who had his arms circled around me tightly.

“Are you okay?” He asked as he coughed water out.

“Yea. Who was that!?” I asked in anger, but my anger died away when I saw Ji Eun and Tae Hyun smiling innocently at me.

“You two devils.” I said.

“Uh oh~” Tae Hyun said as he dragged his sister along and ran to the safety of their ever-so-spoiling ahjusshis.

“Now you’re in the water, might as well learn~” Junhyung said.

I groaned in annoyance. I don’t want to learn!

***
“Oh, Noo..” I shushed Shin before he could continue.

“Why?” He asked, almost whispering.

I pointed at Junhyung who was dozing off at the corner.

He let out a silent ‘Oh~’.

“Hyung seems troubled today.” He whispered to me.

“Why?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Hi, Noona~” J greeted as he walked over.

He sighed as he put down an empty cup. I looked at him quizzically.

“Hyung is having a headache, so I gave him painkillers. But he refused to eat something before taking the medicine.” He said with a slight pout.

Shin and J worked night shift here after they end their respective day jobs. We told them that it was not necessary, but they insisted that they liked to come here and talk to the people who come by. They said that while we helped them out, they want to be of help to others too.

“I’ll be here, both of you may go home.” I said.

“But…” Shin muttered.

“No worries. Go home. You two got work in the morning. You need to rest.” I said.

They sighed and nodded reluctantly.

After they left, I sat in front of Junhyung, watching him sleep with a frown on his forehead. I poked his forehead to smooth out the frown, but woke him up instead.

“Oh… You’re here?” He asked in a tired voice.

“I am here. I heard that you’re having a headache.” I said.

“Just a little ache.” He muttered.

“Are you okay?” I asked, letting him lean on me.

He nodded.

“Want to eat something?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“Well, you got to eat.” I said.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” He chuckled.

“You don’t.” I laughed as I went to cook him something light.

“Let me feed this little baby here~ Aigoo~ Who is this cute baby here~” I said as I walked towards him who was lying on the floor, trying to reach his toes.

He laughed and sat up.

“Come, baby, say ahh~” I said as I scooped a spoonful of soup.

“No.” He covered his mouth.

“Look at this plane flying towards your mouth weeee~” I made the spoon ‘fly’.

He laughed and rolled around the floor.

“Get up!” I laughed, smacking his .

He sat up with a pout and ate on his own obediently.

“There’s more.” I said.

He nodded.

After he was done eating, I washed up the bowl and we headed down to the basement. I put out the blankets and pillows, making it comfortable for us to lie in.

“Is something bothering you?” I asked as I lied in his arms.

“Mmm~” He hummed.

“Yea?” I asked.

“Just thinking.” He muttered.

“About what?” I asked.

“It’s so unfair, isn’t it? Life.” He said.

“Eh?” I asked.

“Why do all these people have to suffer for things that they don’t deserve? Why do they have to pay for their wrongdoings when it was not exactly their fault to start with? And how about me? Why can I get away with it? I should end up in jail too, no? I mean, I took drugs too.” He said.

I propped myself up on my elbows, looking at him.

“You were in jail too, no?” I asked, smoothing his hair.

“Eh?” He looked at me, confused.

“You were in the jail you locked yourself in. Isn’t that a bad enough punishment you gave yourself?” I asked.

He looked down.

“Junhyung ah, we all pay for our mistakes differently. You are paying for yours now too, no?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” He muttered.

“What is the headache doing to you, hmm?” I asked.

“Maybe it’s you, not the headache.” He said.

“Me?” I asked.

“Yea. Thinking about you leaving me next week is making me very depressed.” He said.

“Ahh~ So you had this show on just to talk about this?” I .

“What show!? I was serious!” He frowned, obviously offended by my statement.

“Hey, hey. I was kidding, okay? Just kidding. I’m sorry.” I said.

He looked away, the pout still not leaving his face.

“Aigoo~ How can I make my Junroro feel better?” I asked, hovering over him.

He circled his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest. He let out a seductive smirk.

“Ahhh~ So this is the main point?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders.

“I heard that kissing cures headache.” He said as he cupped my cheeks and kissed me.

“Really?” I asked in between our kiss.

“I don’t know. That’s why we need to try.” He said, his hands roaming all over my back.

He was biting and gently onto my neck as he left gentle kisses all over me.

“Lionny~ It’s been a long time~” He said.

“Mmmm~” I responded, too distracted by his movements to give him a proper answer.

“Shall we?” He asked, looking into my eyes.

I smiled and nodded.

He looked so excited, like a little boy who got the permission to buy an entire range of toys.

“Wait. Did you lock the door?” I asked, stopping him from pulling out my bra.

“I even pulled down the damn shutter.” He whispered into my ear in a husky voice as he my ear lobe.

“I’m yours.” I whispered back.

“You said it huh~” He said.

“Of course. After all, the next time would be a year later.” I giggled.

His smile died down.

“Opps~ Did I just kill the mood?” I .

“No. We’ll talk about that later. Maybe I’ll have you come back once every three months for this.” He said.

“What!?” I laughed.

“Shhhhh~ So noisy~” He chuckled.

I kept quiet and let him do what he do best. After all, Junroro, I’m yours.

-끝-

***
And that's it! We're done with this sequel hahaha~ It's been a long time, ever since I'm Different, and if you guys read Crazy as well. Thank you for sticking around despite I always make you guys cry buckets or leave you hanging and then disappear for a few days, or a month or so~ I have a little present for all of you. Well, more like it is for me to really let go of the characters I created here. I'm planning on writing a closing story, to give I'm Different, Crazy and Our World a proper ending. It's going to be a short one. Here -> Shared Responsibilities 

I hope you'll like it :)