A/N: /sobs/ Guys, like seriously, how come you are all separated when it comes to shipping? I swear if you choose your OTP on this fic right now then you have to fight for it until the end. OH BTW, the end of this chapter is such a bomb. So hurry up and read! Don't forget your comment after, okay?!!! FIGHTING!

“Jalgayo, appa~” Yoogeun waved happily as Jonghyun bid his goodbye to his son. Soeun, on the other hand, was just behind her son waiting for the two of them to finish talking. “Be safe.”

“I will. Thank you, son.” He smiled and held his son's hands firmly. “Be good, okay? See you tomorrow.” Yoogeun nodded and Jonghyun placed a kiss on his cheek. He stood up and looked at Soeun, “I'll go ahead.” She nodded as a recognition and Jonghyun started to walk away.

However, he stopped when a familiar car arrived and parked just beside his car. He knew it was Minho's. Jonghyun could have ignored him, but as soon as Minho saw Jonghyun was there, he immediately went out of the car to go to him.

“Come on, Yoogeun. I think Uncle Minho will talk to appa.” Soeun thought it would be better to have Yoogeun out of the way, so if ever the two end up arguing and fighting, the child wouldn't see what's happening.

“Hyung, Can we talk?” Minho, trying so hard to seek for Jonghyun's understanding and forgiveness, tried again to settle things with him. “Please, hyung.”

Jonghyun looked at him and thought for a while, trying to feel in his heart whether the hatred and anger towards Minho were still there. Jonghyun wanted to make a sigh of relief. It was over, the anger towards Minho had subsided and now he can at least talk to him. “Let's drink.” Jonghyun said to which Minho nodded.

“Follow me, hyung.”

They went on the closest grilling place where the owner sells beers for those who eats. They sat opposite each other. They were silent at first, awkwardly just waiting for someone to talk first.

“I know I should've told you, but Soeun begged me not to, so I didn't.” Minho finally broke the silence and was the first one to talk. “I saw how difficult it was for her, and being the only one aware about it. My conscience couldn't take it if I have left her and moved on in my life – pretending I didn't see anything. I just had to help her, and eventually, I became fond of Yoogeun as he grew, so I stayed, until now.”

“Honestly, should I thank you for it?” Jonghyun looked at him mockingly. Yes the anger had subsided, but somehow he was still irritated, and couldn't just tell Minho that everything is alright now. “Should I thank you for being there when I was the one who should've been there in the first place? Should I take you for taking my place to help and guide Yoogeun for five years? Should I, Choi Minho?”

“No. Not me.” Minho answered which kinda surprised Jonghyun. “If you ever feel the need of thanking someone, it should be Soeun.”

Jonghyun smirked in sarcasm after hearing what Minho said, “Oh really, I should thank her.”

“Because if she did tell you about her pregnancy, then you would probably be stucked here in South Korea, and maybe up until now, you're dreams would've stayed as a just a dream, and most especially, you couldn't have met your wife.”

Jonghyun looked at Minho. He knew he had the point but he won't admit and submit to the fact. “But you didn't know how much I've suffered when she broke up with me – and I had to leave Korea with such pain.”

“She suffered even more than that.” Minho intended to apologize at first, but right now, it just appeared like he was defending Soeun. “You didn't know how much pain she had to endure just to get you chase after your dreams, while she carried the baby alone by herself.”

“Are you stupid? No one told her to decide for myself. I don't think I ever gave her the fact to choose the decision with me as the top priority. In the first place, she could've told me.”

“Will you stay?” Minho asked bravely. “If she really did tell you, will you stay by her side?”

That question made Jonghyun silent and he was caught off guard. As of this moment, he had never asked himself if he would really stay if he had known the truth earlier. “You were so into your dreams, hyung. We didn't know, but maybe one of the reasons why she didn't tell you, is because she was afraid you would reject her and the baby. Soeun has that mentality. She'll choose hurting herself than let someone do it – coz you know, that's more painful.”

“You're talking as if you know her very well. I didn't even remember you getting close with her way back years ago.” Jonghyun gulped another shotglass of alcohol. He was getting a bit tipsy already. “Tell me, one of the reasons why you didn't tell me is because you like her.”

Minho didn't answer. Jonghyun chuckled bitterly and pointed at Minho. “You are such a fool. Explaining so hard when the point is... you just want Soeun by yourself so you let me leave and then you can steal her.”

“That's not it, hyung. You don't understand.”

“I understand, Minho. I've understand it long ago when I met you and Soeun. Aigoo~ sneaky kid.” He said while laughing. “Don't worry... I guess I don't need to be mad about it. You were right. If Soeun didn't do it, then … I would've just stayed the same, and yeah, I won't meet my wife.”

He sighed and Minho did the same, “I guess it happened so everything will fall into their right position. You with Soeun, and me with Yeojin.”

“There was never Soeun and I.” Minho corrected. “I've tried, but she told me we should remain friends.” He looked at Jonghyun before talking again, “Not because you fell into the right place means everybody else experienced the same thing.”

*** *** ***

Soeun kissed her son's forehead after making sure Yoogeun was already fast asleep. He was tired of the long day with Jonghyun and her, so she made sure Yoogeun would have enough sleep to gain his energy back.

She left him there in the room and walked outside to fix her things and somewhat clean the house. But she couldn't stay focus, for her mind always flew somewhere she never wanted it to go.

“...it was a decision you made out of destiny's choice.”

Soeun stopped after recalling one thing that Yeojin said. “Destiny's choice? So this is my destiny?” She couldn't help but bit her lip as tears slowly ran down her face.

She felt miserable and lonely – and she couldn't explain why. She was admittedly jealous of that warm smile on Yeojin's face – sign that she was very happy and contented. There was this wonderful and beautiful smile on Yeojin's face that it was pretty obvious she was happy of what she got. Yes, Yeojin might have been problematic about being pregnant, but still, her happiness is there – and Soeun didn't know why she, on the other hand, felt loneliness in some part of her heart.

After almost six years, the same guy she loved appeared right in front of her, but it wasn't the same, for he was already with the one he chose to be with for the rest of his life. And yes, it wasn't her – and it could never be her – not anymore.

Being honest enough to herself, she had the thought that maybe one day, Jonghyun will appear and know about Yoogeun, then eventually things will settle down as if it was something meant to be fixed smoothly. She, Yoogeun, and Jonghyun will live happily ever after, but then, that was just her dreaming, but never could she imagined the hurt that it will bring her when reality hit her – that Jonghyun could never be hers again.

Slowly, she wiped her tears away. All these years, the tears she had shed are for Jonghyun – during those times when she couldn't help but remember the past. She couldn't keep herself from remembering how happy they were together, how they planned their future together and set goals together, how they even told about their part on each others lives.Six, seven years ago, she had clearly imagined herself beside Jonghyun, the famous composer and lyricist, but as how she looked at it now, someone else has taken her dreams.

However, she was thankful enough of Yoogeun's existence, coz somehow, he fulfills the emptiness inside her mother's heart.

Then Minho opened the door and accidentally met gaze with her crying eyes. Soeun suddenly realized that all this time, there was still Minho, and he never left her side. Again, she realized how important he was to them. If there wasn't Minho, then she could have quit some challenges that came to them.

Without thinking about it, Soeun stood up and went towards Minho. She tiptoed as she wrapped her arms around Minho and hugged him tightly.

“Soeun-ah.” Minho was shocked for she never did it before. “Are you okay?”

“Minho-yah...” In between sob, Soeun whispered, “If you want... we can give this relationship a chance.”  

Chapter 25 - Yoogeun's Birthday