C h a p t e r  T h r e e

Days passed and the routine was almost the same for each day. He would wake you up and bring you out for either breakfast or lunch, depending on what time you woke up. Then after that, he would bring you to various places that held memories for the both of you.

It was already the fifth day and Kris thought that it was a great day to go on a picnic. Earlier in the morning, Kris and you had gotten up early to prepare food. Even though the both of you still did not talk much, it was much better as compared to the past few days. The silence was neither awkward nor uncomfortable.

“We are here!” Kris said excitedly while parking the car.

You just smiled and shook your head. You were not exactly excited. Till now, you still did not know what Kris was trying to do by having this ‘7 days’ plan of his. You could not help but feel like as if he was courting you all over again. He treated you like how he had treated you in the past when the both of you were still dating each other. He bought you gifts, gave you flowers and sometimes he would even sneak in a kiss on the cheek or forehead.

However, the weird thing was that you never once protested and kept going along with his little game. Somehow, you felt something inside of you tell you that you should just go along with him. Anyway, it has been awhile since you went on dates with him and you kind of missed it. Though, in the end when the both of you are officially divorced, you know that you were going to suffer even more.

“Hey, why aren’t you excited?” he asked, cocking his head.

“It’s nothing. Come on, let’s go,” you murmured before getting out of the car.

Kris got out of the car soon after and the both of you walked into the park, trying to find the perfect spot. Finally, you found a spot under a tree and Kris laid out the picnic blanket on the grass before proceeding to take out all the food. You could not stop your stomach from grumbling at the sight of all the scrumptious food.

While eating, you suddenly thought of a question to ask Kris. It had been bubbling at the tip of your tongue since the first day of the ‘7 days’ plan but you never got around to asking him.

“Kris?” you called out to him.

“Hmm?” he replied, too busy eating his food.

“Do you…er…” you stopped midway and took a deep breath before continuing. “Do you ever miss us?”

“What do you mean?” he asked with a questioning look on his face.

“I mean, do you miss us like this,” you said, trying to put your thoughts into words. “Well, maybe not exactly like this. But, like, you know...like just being with each other and how we aren't ignoring each other.”

“Like how even though we don’t talk much, at least the silence is comfortable a-and,” you swallowed the lump in your throat. “When we do speak to each other, it doesn’t sound like as if we're forced to choke out words out of our mouth.”

“L-like how when we were both so in love with each other,” you said, your voice breaking slightly at the end.

You did not realise that a tear had rolled down your cheek until Kris wiped it away with his thumb. He cupped your cheek and your cheekbones lightly. The look he gave you, it was so full of love that you almost - yes, almost - believed that he was still in love with you. However, you knew better than to be delusional. You got your answer that time when he did not reply to your question of whether he still loved you.

“Yes, I do. I miss it every single time. I-I…” he sighed.

You were waiting, hopeful even, that he would say those words to you but of course, you were left disappointed.

“I’m not good enough for you.”

You did not understand. What does he mean by that? How is he not good enough for you? Before all this happened, Kris was always the loveable, thoughtful, kind and loving husband he was. You always thought that all this happened because of the fact that his family business was taking a toll on him but now, you doubt so. You felt as if there was something more to it.

He leaned in and placed a soft, lingering kiss on your forehead. You let out the breath that you had been holding and closed your eyes, letting a few tears roll down your cheeks. When he let go, he quickly turned around and started packing the picnic basket. He cleared his throat and said, “We should get going. Maybe we can get ice-cream for dessert or something.”

You did not reply and just wiped away the remaining tears on your cheeks.

***

“So, it is the last day today,” Kris said. You cannot help but realise the tinge of sadness in his voice.

“And I’m bringing you to Lotte World. Quickly get dressed, I’ll be waiting for you,” he continued.

Since it was the last day, you decided to wear something nice – a white sundress with matching flats. You even put on some light make-up. By the time you were done, Kris was already downstairs waiting for you. He was wearing a plain white v-neck shirt and over it, he wore a light blue blazer. His hair was styled in a way that it was messily combed but it still looked good. You could not help but realise how lucky you were to have such a good-looking husband. No man can compare to him. But you would have to get used to saying the words ‘used to’ since soon, the both of you would not be called husband and wife. You snapped out of your thoughts when you heard him clear his throat.

“Ready?” You nodded. “Let’s go!”

At Lotte World, the both of you went on almost all the rides and you had to admit it, you were actually really enjoying yourself. For the first time, out of all the seven days, you never threw a tantrum or appeared depressed. You actually smiled and laughed along with him.

Before you know it, it was already dark, indicating that it was night time. Somehow, you wished that the day could last longer because you sure did not want it to end. He took hold of your hand and the both of you walked for a couple of distance before reaching a patch of land nearby Lotte World. You loved that place.  It was the place where Kris dropped the question on you, the place where you said ‘yes’ to him when he asked you to spend the rest of your life with him. It was definitely one of the best moments of your life.

You let go of his hand and went to lie down on the grass. You looked up to see all the beautiful stars in the night sky. It was quiet as nobody was around. You have never felt so peaceful before. A few minutes later, you heard the sound of the grass rustling and Kris laid beside you.

“Don’t you love this place?” he asked, his voice so soft.

You did not answer; you did not feel the need to answer anyway. He should know the answer himself.

“Anyway, I am going to miss you, you know.”

‘I am going to miss you too.’

”But it’s for the best. I am glad you asked for the divorce.”

‘No, I am not glad. I kind of regretted it.’

“I feel that it’s time for you to be happy, like really, really be happy. You deserve true happiness. I feel like I never truly gave you happiness the whole time you were with me. So, I am glad that you’re finally setting yourself free from all this.”

‘No, that's not true. I am always happy being around you...’

You felt tears playing at the back of your eyes. You did not cry though, all you wanted was to enjoy the moment.

***

“I guess this is it. But, before you go, let’s take one more photo.”

He wrapped his right arm around your waist and pulled you close. This time, instead of putting on a forced smile, you genuinely smiled with your eye-smile showing.

“1, 2, 3. Kimchi!” *snap*

Throughout the seven days, he would end the day by taking a photo of the both of you using his polaroid camera. For each polaroid photo, he would write the words ‘two’, ‘three, ‘four’, ‘five’ and ‘six’, together with the date of that day and give it to you for you to keep.

He took out a black marker from his blazer pocket and wrote ‘seven’, together with the numbers ‘20120824’. He then took out all the other five polaroid photos – the first one you had already kept it - and passed all six to you.

“Here, keep it. We don’t usually take photos anyway, so I want you to keep it,” he said with a smile on his face.

You said your thank you and uttered your final goodbye to him. You had nothing else to say. Well, actually, you had a lot to say to him but you knew that you were going to break down once you open your mouth. He gave you a quick hug and a soft peck on your forehead. It made your heart beat at an unusual pace. Before walking away, he looked at you intently as if memorising your face and gave you one last smile. However, you could not help but notice that the smile did not reach his eyes.

You turned away and dragged your luggage with you. You entered Su Min’s house with a heavy heart and before you know it, tears just started streaming down your face. It hurts so much that you had to clutch your heart. Su Min came out from her room when she heard your sobbing. She walked towards you and pulled you into a hug. She did not say anything and just your back, hoping for you to be fine soon. You were glad for that because at that moment, you could really use a hug.

Most specifically, from your soon-to-be ex-husband.

[A/N] Soooo, as usual, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Stay tuned for tomorrow's chapter! 'Cause in tomorrow's chapter everything will be revealed! :)