*PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE ON THE END OF THIS CHAPTER

The pair stayed in silence. Kris glanced at her way before sighing lightly; the atmosphere burden him so much. Just after their make out, the two suddenly pulled away and being awkward. He saw her leaning her head on the window; his hand holding on the steeringwheel tightly.

Kris pulled down the window and inhaled the fresh air. “Are you still mad at me?”, he asked; eyes on her.

Jieun shook her head. “No”, she answered with w loe voice. It wasn’t that she was mad; but her bold action previously caused her to feel embrassed; not to mention her words.

“Then why are you so silent?”, he asked again. Before she could answer, Kris’ phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the ID.

“Wha it is, Junmyeon?”, he asked as soon as he answered the phone. With the mention of Suho’s name, Jieun looked at Kris; knowing something must be happen because he called Kris when Junmyeon himself knew that Kris was with her, sending her away from Gloria’s reach.

“What the hell?! Are you kidding me?”, Kris’ voice raised up; almost yelling at Junmyeon who was on the other line. “Alright. I’ll be there soon. Please take care of my mom, Junmyeon!”, his voice back to normal as he calmed himself down and placed his phone on the dashboard; almost throwing it.

Kris ran his hands through his hair in frustation. His eyes were closed; breathes quicken in nervousness.

“K-Kris, what happened?”, Jieun took all her courage to ask him. She never knew this kind of Kris would be scary; when he didn’t do anything but stressed over something.

He took a long breath. His mind was in a mess; occupied with all the problem that caused by Gloria. His worry about his own family; his worry about Jieun’s safety, her mother’s, and also his own friends. He was ready to let go of everything if it was all he needed to threw Gloria away from his and the people he cared about’s life.

“Let’s go! We need to arrived there soon”, he said. He didn’t want to answer her question or it would caused her to be morried more than she already was. But unknown to him, she would knew everything he hide; she could read his expression. She knew something must be up and it wasn’t something good. Not at all.

“Kris-“, before he could say anything, he already drove away in a fast speed. Jieun sighed. He really didn’t want to tell her, and she won’t force him to tell her.

Twenty minutes after, his car stoped in front of a two-floor house. It wasn’t that big; but big enough considering that it was his hidden place of peacefulness. It looked pretty; far from Kris’ personality. It even had a garden; flowers blooming here and there. There was a veranda on the upper floor; faced the garden. It just so pretty. Kris bought the house not long after he arrievd in Seoul. This is the place where he would stayed at and spend his free time; far from his works, far from the busy life of the Seoul City; far from pollution, and far from any stressing ife of his.

No one knew this place except for him and his friends; even his mother didn’t know about this place.

“It’s not that big, I know. I hope you’ll comfortable here for a while”, he said.

Jieun’s eyes wandering around the view of the garden before she opened the car’s door and walked inside the small gate. Kris followed behind her and bit his lips; right now, he was hoping that the two could spent the rest of their life here, without no one distrubing them.

Jieun’s hand holding on the gate and opened it. “It’s pretty, Kris”, she smiled and looked at him. Suddenly it hit her; they weren’t supposed to be happy about this, not with all this mess. “Kris...”

Kris pulled out a key from his pocket and handed it to her. “Go inside and rest, you must be tired. Go wash up and sleep, okay! You can wear my clothes until Luhan arrived with your things. The bedroom is on the upper floor”, he said. He was about to turn around when she grabbed his wrist.

“You are not going to go inside and rest first?”, she asked; eyes scanning his while he tried really hard to avoid it.

“I want, but I can’t. Just rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can and until that Luhan and the others will be here to accompanying you, alirght?”

“Kris...”

“I’m alright, don’t worry. I can take care of myself. Can you take care of yourself here? Don’t make me worry. There is a phone inside and my number, you can call me since you left your phone home. Understand?”, with a last glance, Kris turned around and walked away towardq his car before drove off.

Jieun watched as his car drove away and vanished from her sight. A tear rolled down from the brim of her eyes. She was worried about him; but why can’t he understan it and just make her more and more worried?

Jieun stepped deeper to the empty house. It looked clean and neat dispite no one lived there. There was a picture of Kris and Mrs. Wu; his hands on her stomach, chin rested on her shoulder as he backhugged her mother. Smiles spread widely accross their faces; they looked happy and lovely. It might be taked when years ago; or even when Kris was still a teenager; knowing that the Kris she knew was much taller than Kris on the picture. But nothing changed; he was still handsome. He grew up beautifuly.

She smiled and walked again. another pictures on the desk. Again, a pictures of him and his mother. He must loves her so much. On the egde of the desk, she found a picture of hi, his mother, and his step-father; without Gloria. The looked just as happy as the other pictures. Eventhough he wasn’t Kris’ biologycal father, they sure have same features. The was they smiled, they look alike. Kris looked more carefree and outgoing back then.

Walking up the stairs, there was only bedroom. Just as soon as she stepped on the last stair, she already saw a bed. Eventhough Kris barely here, his scent was dominating the surrounding. There weren’t nothing much; just a king-sized bed, a make-up desk, another dask she sure was his work desk, a rack of books, and a big cupboard where he placed all his clothes; also a big glass door that connected the room with the balcony.

She opened the door and walked back to sat on the bed; laying her body there while smelling his scent. “You are going to be fine, right?”, she whispered before she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

==

Luhan opened the front door with the spare key Kris gave to him and brought Jieun’s luggage inside. He looked around and find no one was there to be seen.

“Jieun-ah?”, he called; feet stepped closer.

“Luhan oppa? Is that you?”, Jieun’s voice echoed around the small house before the sound of someone running from the stairs followed.

“Hey, calm down. No need to run like that. What if you fall on the stairs, you dummy!”, Luhan chuckled as soon as he saw Jieun running toward him.

“It’s boring. Being alone here. I’m going to go crazy”, she pouted. “I cook something, let’s eat dinner!”, she pulled Luhan’s arm toward the dinning table.

Luhan shook his head and watched as Jieun pulled him. She looked stunning with no ake up on; looking casual with white shirt and a short that was hidden underneath the big shirt. Then he frowned. His heart clenched at the sight. It must be Kris’ shirt that wrapped around her body. The thought of the time when Kris saw that sight of her caused his heart to be in pain.

He wanted to shrug it off, but unconciously he stopped his movement; causing Jieun to look at him with confusion. She blinked as he just stared at her.

“O-Oppa. What’s wrong?”, she asked. She checked herself; just in case something was wrong, but she found nothing so she looked up at him again. still no movements from him. “Luhan oppa?”

“Is that.... Is that Kris’?”, he asked; voice a bit lower than it supposed to be.

“What?”, she