Yunho pulled his hood to complete his disguise, and check his reflection for the last time before stepping out his car. Checking his surroundings, he quietly enters the lift that sent him to the 4^th floor of the building where Ri In lives.

He raised his hand to ring the bell, but it was halted by a sudden thought. ‘What are you doing here, Yunho?’

Yesterday event crawled back into his mind. Truthfully, he can’t forget the hurtful gaze emitted from her eyes the moment she caught them hugging inside his room, as he never feels the urge to push his lover away like yesterday. For some reason, he feels like recognizing the innocent orbs who was watching him from afar…

He sighed heavily before turned and lean his back against the wall, he needs to find a solution for this tiring issue. He knows everything could be easily done if he accepts the reality of his marriage; and starts a new relationship with Ri In. But how can he do those things if his mind is still longing for the love of his life, the woman he waited for seven damn years?

And how long Ji Hyun wants to stay by his side, only as a lover?

“Young man, are you waiting for Ri In?”

His train of thoughts stops immediately by the voice coming from his side. He fixed his cap beneath his hood instinctively before slowly look at the figure beside him.

“Yes, ahjumma…” He replied in relieved once he noticed the person seems like didn’t recognized him, the old woman looks older than his mom to noticed today’s idol..

“That young girl wasn’t home. I waited for her yesterday to return her plate for sweet pudding she gave me before, but she wasn’t home. And I didn’t hear the sound of her keys also last night…” She said before walking off.

Yunho was terribly worried by now. He knows she wasn’t in a right state of driving, his grandfather already voiced out his concerned towards Ri In condition to his mother, not directly to him of course since Grandfather Jung already gave him cold treatment right after the staircase incident.

He flipped his phone and starts searching her number between his incoming calls list, and sighed in relieved once he saw it; he knows it hers since it is the only unnamed number in the contact list.

‘The number you have dialed is not available…’

He stares at his phone for a second, before punching the call button repeatedly only to meet with the same reply.

Yunho continue dialing her number, start walking far from her house before he heard a ‘ting’ sound coming from the closest elevator, and as if his attention was dragged to see the owner of light sound of footsteps who is coming closer to him.

It was Ri In.

But it seems like she was not in the living world, as she didn’t realized his existence when she just walk passed him with her head hung low, even her steps look so weak.

 He looked at the figure who was leaning to the wall while finding her keys in her bag, and he cannot just look anymore looking how bad her aim finding the keyhole.

And he could feel her cold, shivering hand when he snatched the keys from her.

“Y…Yunho-shi…”

He frowned at the formality used at the end of his name, as far as he remembers, he asked her to call him by name exactly nine days ago.

They got into the house and Ri in quickly distanced herself from him, letting her back facing him. “What are you doing here, Yunho-sshi?”

Her simple question seems hard to be answered, he feels like this girl before him emitted the same aura like his grandfather.

“I am checking on you…”

“I am completely fine, thank you for your concern…”

He watched as her figure vanished inside her room, before coming out and start heading to the kitchen. “Have you eaten your breakfast, Yunho-sshi?”

“No.”

“Do you have extra time? I am going to prepare breakfast…” She replied, not even looking at him.

He remembered how cold her hand before, as he quickly walked to her; stopping her who already starts rummaging her refrigerator.

“Ri In, stop… I can eat outside with my member…”

“It’s okay… just a simple one…”

He pulled her by arm before slamming the refrigerator door shut, and it succeeded to make her look into his eyes.

“What again I do wrong, Yunho-sshi?”

He was caught off guard with the unexpected question. “Ri In-ah…”

                She slowly pushed him away and move to another part of kitchen, putting a clear distance with him before busying herself with a cabinet above her.

                “Yesterday… I am so sorry about yesterday…” He hesitantly starts, breaking the painful silence.

“It is okay…” it helps me to stop dreaming about happy family…

“I am sorry…”

“No need, we are nothing to begin with…”

Her reply throws him far from relieved; he was expecting her to be mad, yelling crazily like Ji Hyun does when he kissed Go Ara for a drama he acted.

He straightens his body when she suddenly turned around, he didn’t miss her red eyes, and it wasn’t like that seconds before.

“Let us make an agreement, Yunho-sshi…”

He frowned, what kind of agreement she was talking about?

“We can’t separate now; Grandfather must be angry and won’t allow us to get divorce.” His breath stops at the word. Divorce?

“So let’s endure this hateful relationship for six months, maximum one year before we tell Grandfather that we are going to be separated.”

“Ri In…”

“I’ll tell grandfather I can’t force myself to handle your busy schedule, fan girls, or bring myself to love you…” She paused.

“Any reasons, I’ll tell it… So you won’t meet with his wrath…”

He was speechless; this conversation never crossed his mind. He cursed the inner side of him for feeling a blooming happiness knowing his partner also hate this relationship.

She walked to the closest cabinet and starts finding any material for cooking. “Actually I am not expecting you to eat breakfast here, I thought you have radio schedule every Saturday…”

He nodded his head absent mindedly, his head was trying to register each of her statement when a sound of closing cabinet door was heard. “My kitchen is kind of empty today…” he look at her back figure who was walking to her room direction.

“Lock the door before you left, goodbye Yunho-sshi…” And it was followed by a faint sound of double closing door.

*

It takes a lot of courage for Ri In to say that. She slides down the door, letting all her restraining tears falling down, blinding her eyes.

She brings both her palms to cover her face, muffling her loud cry. Realization that he accepted her proposal without any argument pain her twice, it shows how cheap, worthless their marriage in his eyes.

“Six months… you only got six months to be with him, Ri In…” She lightly shook away the dizziness that start roaming on her head before wiping her tears away, she hope for the last time.

“Come on, Jang Ri In… it is time to work…” She whispered to herself before reaching out for her camera.

*****

The debut performance for all TV stations has finally ended, and SHINee were given a day off before they start practicing for their second MNet show.

And Jonghyun was longing for a person, and he decided to spend his day for that one particular person, Ri In.

His appearance with his manager creating a small chaos at the entrance, he pushed his black sunglasses deeper on the bridge of his nose, before passing through the small pool of fan girls.

Jonghyun headed to his class, expecting Ri In seated at their usual spot, but she wasn’t there. He pulls out his stationeries from his sling bag, but his eyes were fixed at the door, not at the white board, that half of it already dirtied by the old lecturer.

And finally, she came.

Jonghyun was shocked looking at her in this state, the first thing he noticed is the wide eye beg under her eyes, her long once silky hair was tied in a half loose bun, her face was as pale as the paper, and when she walked closer he could see her red, dry lips.

“J…Jonghyun…”

*

Their class only ends at afternoon, and both of them can’t walk freely like the old time since a small group of girls are following close, and Jonghyun still didn’t used of it. He reached for her hand after giving a signal to his manager and they quickly ran inside the library, the only place they know will be safe from his fan girls.

Jonghyun usher them to hide between music shelves, it is secluded and less visited compare to others.

They lean to the wall, and Jonghyun turn to look at the figure beside him, panting with her eyes closed. It feels like forever since the last time they be this close.

She slowly opens her eyes, having a feeling of somebody watching. Their eyes met and locked for a second, only broken by Ri In’s soft whisper of his name.

“What are you doing here, Jjong? I thought you are still on heavy schedule…”

“I am, but I got a leave today to have a last time in our class before I start the long distance study…” He replied before raising his palm to her face, caressing the burning skin of her face.

“What is wrong with you, Ri In-ah…walking around with this fever?”

And one thing she likes about him is his low, calm tone despite his worries, as he completely knows that she was afraid of the sounds of scolding.

“Vogue is finding a photographer for their special edition… I am applying for it…” She slowly replied while gently removing his hand, only to have a grip on her hand.

“You become a freelancer because money is not your priority…and ignoring a fever for a post is not you…” He retorted before trapping her between his arms, he could see the uneasiness in her eyes.

“Jonghyun…”

“Is your husband giving you a hard time?”

She was afraid on how easy he read her, as if she is an open book. “No…”

“Then why are you becoming like this, not less than a zombie with a cold eyes… life never kill you like this, Jang Ri In…”His last question comes out like a whisper.

His simple question succeed making her eyes got teary again, as she managed to limit the tears to come out only before she went to sleep, after her last meeting with Yunho three days ago.

“And now you are crying…”

“He doesn’t love me, Jonghyun-ah…” She whispered before pouring her heart out, muffling her cry on his chest.

Almost instantly, Jonghyun punched the row of books behind her head, making few books falls down.

“That bastard told you directly? His voice finally raised, not able to control his fuming heart.

“He already has a lover before the marriage; I am the third wheel, I am a home wrecker Jjong…”

He pulled her face from his chest, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Yet you are still crying for a stupid man you love for years?”

“What should I do to stop?”

“I always told you I am here!”

His voice almost echoed out form their hiding place, and Ri in could see anger in his eyes.

“Four years, Ri In-ah… I’ve waited for you for four freaking years, how could you be so blind towards my feeling?”

“I love you, and only you… can’t you just let me love you, like what I always do? Why do you need to be pathetic for someone who doesn’t even look at you?” He asked in a restrain whisper, his eyes were red-shot as she starts to see tears start to form along the brim of his eyes.

“Don’t make things harder for me, Jonghyun-ah…”

He launched forward, and seconds later his lips is already on her. Her eyes widen, her lips frozen  beneath the connection as she saw a lone tear falls from his closed eyes down his cheek.

“Let me love you, Ri In-ah… even if you won’t love me back… just let me…”

*****

“Ten minutes break!”

The five boys sat tiredly on the floor after three hours direct routine practice for their performance. It is more than two years since their last Korean album, and they really want to show their very best for their first comeback.

“Hyung… I am hungry…”

Yoochun and Junsu who sat the nearest to the hungry boy try to ignore him, but failed when he start pulling the hem of their drenched shirt.

“Hyung…” Changmin continues to nag them about a delicious Japanese cuisine the staff had prepared.

“Are you bothered by something?”

Jaejoong asked after stop laughing seeing how easy Changmin dragged the unwilling Yoochun and Junsu to find the Japanese cuisine outside their practicing room.

“Why?”

“You forgot twice that we already revised Mission second chorus dance…”

Yunho finished his water before motion a staff to refill his bottle.

“Ri In suggests a divorce after a year…”

“And you agree?” Jaejoong asked, tilting his head at Yunho’s direction.

“Not really, I just can’t think anything at that moment. Blank.”

“What makes her asked that?”

Yunho gulped his saliva, not knowing how to tell the incident at his family’s house.

“Ri in already saw Ji Hyun…”

“When? How?”

“Three days ago, grandfather fainted while talking to her on the phone. She rushed to Gwangju, Ji Hyun already at my house visiting my mom, and later I came…”

“Perfect.”

“She saw me and Ji Hyun in my room…hugging…”

“Great.” Jaejoong rolled his eyes in annoyance before reaching for his drinks.

“Maybe this is a better choice for both of us…”

“What about ‘I’ve touched her’ thing?”

Yunho gaze meet Jaejoong’s glare, as he immediately feel shiver running down his spine.

“She wants this separation, it wasn’t me initiate it…”

“Are you that dumb Jung Yunho?”

His raising voice did attract attention a few backup dancers who was resting quit far from them.

“She saw you with another woman, and plan for a divorce only a year later… If I am in her shoes, I’ve run to Grandfather Jung immediately if I saw you with other woman, instantly asking for a divorce. No need for a year! You both are not lovers to start with!”

“She plans it for grandfather’s sake, Jae!”

The backup dancers quickly walked out from the room looking at the stress conversation the men had under their hissing whisper, even though the details didn’t reached their ears.

“Is it? Or to make it looks as if she is the bad one in your relationship?”

Yunho frowned listening how similar Jaejoong’s opinion with Ri In’s idea. “I don’t get it…”

“Ri In loves you, Yunho. Your wife loves you…”

*****

Is this update short?

I am sorry… but my vocabulary is getting worse each day…

JJ’s ‘protect the boss’! Can’t wait to return home to watch it… *sigh*

Hope u love the update… thanks for subscribing, n silent reader, one comment please!!

Love u girls, hug!