I glanced at my watch and saw that I still have time. I looked at Hyesung and found him typed on his phone and neglected his breakfast all the while. I stared at him but he was still busy on his phone.

“The meeting will only last for a couple of hours. Then I would go home immediately.” I said after finished my milk. Actually, I wanted to stay at home with him all day just like yesterday, but this today’s meeting was so important, I couldn’t leave it to Minwoo. Besides, he had his own schedule too.

“Uh huh.” Hyesung was still focused on his phone.

“You will be okay, right?” I studied his face carefully.

“Uh huh.” He answered with no attention whatsoever and continued to type quickly.

“Shin Hyesung.”

“Just go! I’m not your wife, why would you explain your schedule to me like that?” He finally looked up at me. A second later he erupted in laughter. “Oh my God, your expression is too funny!”

“You find this funny?” I asked perplexed.

“What you want me to say? You’re going to a meeting, that’s not a big deal.” Hyesung answered still laughing.

“You’re too much, Shin Hyesung.” Didn’t he realize how worry I am, right now? “And who texted you nonstop like that?” I snapped when he once again lowered his head to his phone.

“Just somebody you don’t know.” He said nonchalantly. This jerk dared to ignore me again?

“Who is it?” There’s no way I will let this thing slipped.

“My subordinate. Happy now?” He finally put down his phone and resumed to eat his toast and egg leisurely. “He’s the one who takes over some of my work. He just asks for some advice.” He said while chewing his breakfast. Then he shook his head in disbelief at me. “Just leave now or you’ll be late. Don’t worry about me.” He smiled this time.

“Fine. Just call me if you need anything. And if I call you, make sure you pick up my call on first ring.” I told him while grabbing my jacket suit and bag from the table. But he only pouted. “And if you’re bored, you can do some washing or cleaning, Babe.” I grinned at him before walking fast to the front door.

“Why would I? I’m not your wife!” He shouted annoyed. But I already shut the door behind me.

The next hours, I was doing my job with my mind wandered to Hyesung. I glanced at my phone every minute, in hope that I would see his message or something. But of course, there was nothing. I had no reason to call him. If I called him and only asked if he was okay, I knew he would think that I was overacting. Did every man feel the same as I do when they left their wife at home? But hey, Hyesung wasn’t my wife!

I felt stupid just thinking about it.

I exhaled deeply to chase away all my stupid thinking from my head. Focus, Eric. Better to finish this meeting quickly then go home. I blinked a few times and once again focused on the many reports I held on my hands. This Shin Hyesung was the worst distraction.

Once the meeting ended, I practically ran to my car and sped up to my apartment. It was almost ridiculous how I miss him even though I didn’t meet him for just three hours. I found him sitting on the bed with his phone beside him. He looked up at me and smiled weakly while saying, “You’re here.” I knew right away there’s something wrong. For these past hours I wasn’t just missing him. Somehow I could feel his distress and that sent me some anxiety too. I threw my bag and sat beside him, but he didn’t move.

Instead, he said “I tried to call my mother. She did pick up but she won’t talk to me.” He blinked once before a tear fell. He wiped it right away. He was scarily calm and serene, made me lost of what to do. So I only held his hand and caressed it slowly. And it sent me much relief when he held my hand back.

***

“I think I should apologize to Minwoo and Junjin.” Hyesung said suddenly that afternoon when we were walking at the supermarket alley. I decided to take him out for shopping to take load off his mind. He was pretty shocked after his mother refused to talk to him, so I dragged him out of the apartment and not even let him changed his clothes. I even made him left his phone at home. Now here we were, walking on supermarket alley and truthfully didn’t know exactly what to buy. But somehow it seemed worked, because right now he looked more relaxed. He observed the canned fruit to avoid looking at me. When I said nothing, he turned his gaze to me and pouted.

“So you realized how harsh you were yesterday?” I asked while grinning.

“I wasn’t on my right mind yesterday.” Hyesung pouted more.

“There’s nothing stopping you to apologize to them.”

“Should we invite them for dinner tonight?” He suggested expectantly.

“Very good idea, Shin Hyesung. Let’s call them.” I immediately fished out my phone before asked, “What should we cook?”

“You know me, a lot of meat.” He grinned happily.

“Hey, but we would cook for Minwoo and Jinnie, not for you.” I shook my head.

“Jinnie loves meat too! I can assure you that!” Hyesung exclaimed happily before robbed the cart from my hand and pushed it to the meat section. Fortunately, Minwoo and Junjin were free tonight, so both of them agreed right away to come have dinner together. Or probably they were waiting all this time, waiting for Hyesung to finally ask meeting them.

“They’ll come?” Hyesung pursed his lip in anticipation when I ended my call.

“Yeah.” I smiled at him. And his face quickly beamed in joy. He turned his attention to the meat packages again while mumbling something about imported meat which I wasn’t really listening. Somehow the scene before me made me stunned. Hyesung was on sweaters and jeans, busy picking meat with me standing beside him holding the cart. Even this simple scene, I wanted to stop the time so I could stay like this forever. Because no matter how you see it, at the moment we positively looked like a couple.

“Eric, I’m asking you if we’re going to make stew, which meat should we buy?” Hyesung waved one meat package in front of my face. I blinked. 

“Uh, lean cuts meat.” I pointed at some meat behind him.

“Really? I thought steak meat is the tastiest?” Hyesung mumbled himself.

“Well, not necessarily. The fat would melt during the long cooking and the meat would go tough.” I explained easily.

“Wow, you’re very useful sometimes.” Hyesung grinned widely. He threw the package he was holding before turned away and picked the lean cuts meat. “And you should stop staring at me now.” He said without looking at me. But I saw he was smiling while saying that.

“I did it again?”

“I think you never really stop.” He tried to sound mad but I knew he didn’t.

“What should we buy next?” I touched his hand and smiled. I’ve kind of hope that he would jerk my hand away, but for my surprise he let me. He looked at me and gave me a vague smile. “Why you didn’t push me?” I asked perplexed.

“Because I like it.”

“Shin Hyesung, you really lost your mind, did you?” I asked stupidly, because I couldn’t believe he just said that he liked it when I held his hand on public.

“Maybe.”

***

“Yah, Shin Hyesung! What are you doing?” I nearly slapped his hand. He pouted right away and glared at me.

“I told you it needs more spice!” He stubbornly yelled at me. 

“No, it is not!” I pushed him away with my shoulder. “You’ll get us diarrhea if you add more of the pepper!”

“It tastes bland without pepper!” He tried to pour some more of pepper powder while talking.

“And we already added enough pepper, Hyesung-ah.” I blocked his hand which was holding the pepper powder.

He glared at me viciously before hissed, “Whatever!” He turned away, put the pepper powder package furiously on the kitchen counter then sat up on the chair. All the while he never stopped pouting.

“Good. Just sit there and let me finish the dish.” I sighed in relief.

Hyesung was unbelievably annoying when it comes to cook together. He would talk endlessly but work messily. He had to comment at anything, from the vegetables weird shape or the smell of it. He nagged at the way I held the knife, or how hot it was to stir the stew. He had a weird sense and weird taste, and I didn’t make it up. And every minute he would taste the stew and always found something wrong on it, he ended up add more salt or sugar or pepper. Then he would taste it again and redo the sequences all over. It was nice though, to have him standing close to me, his shoulder and hand brushed mine every now and then. Or to have him laughed so close to my ear, I could actually feel the puff.

“I won’t take any responsibility if they say the stew isn’t tasty.” Hyesung suddenly said. I glanced at him from my shoulder and found him crossed his hands on his chest. God, my boyfriend is sulking!

“Relax. I got it.” I smiled goofily.

He was quiet for a good minute before suddenly he was laughing heartily from nowhere. I turned my head so quickly I felt a bit ache on my neck. He looked up at me and tried to restrain his laughter a second after.

“Were you laughing at me?”

“Yes. I mean no.” He shook his hand to emphasize his ‘no’. But his unstop-laughter made me doubted him. “Sorry, just silly thought.” He covered his mouth to stop his laugh now.

“Tell me.”

“It’s too silly.” He shook his head again. When I didn’t budge he continued, “Please just let me go this time.”

“Tell me.”

He inhaled once before said, “Well, I was thinking about telling my mother that you are actually a good material of son-in-law.” He grinned sheepishly.

“Come again?”

“I mean, you’re from a good and also rich family. You’re the only son and never married. You’re good looking and you can cook!” He laughed again. “My mother couldn’t get a better son-in-law.”

I had to chuckle at that. I agreed it was a silly thought. But what captured my mind the most was the fact that Hyesung laughed so hard now. I never thought that seeing him laughing like that would ever give me this much of relief and satisfaction.

“Then you should tell her. That I am so damn great and handsome, she won’t be disappointed to have me as son-in-law.” I nodded exaggeratedly.

“And you even know what the best meat to make a stew! My mother should be at ease knowing I’ll stay with you.” He said between his laughter.

And we continued to laugh until tears were forming on our eyes.

“Oh my God, it’s so funny.” Hyesung wiped his tears with his fingers. And eventually we stopped laughing.

“You’re crazy, Hyesung-ah.” I said finally.

“If only it is that easy.” He exhaled. I turned off the stove and approached him. I squatted in front of him and held his knees. He looked down at me and waited.

“But I’m afraid I won’t marry you, Hyesung-ah.” I said slowly.

“Me too. And I won’t ask you to.” Hyesung nodded. Then we smiled at each other.

“But I’ll stay with you and love you for my whole life. And a full commitment on that.”

“Okay, let’s do that.” He smiled again and this time squeezed my hands.

“You know what it means, Shin Hyesung? That you would also stay with me and love me for your whole life?” I imagined myself grinned like a fool.

He gave me the funniest expression. “You still asked me about that?” He asked. I grinned widely at him. I guess, now I don’t need to.

“It feels like I just proposed.” I suddenly said and his face got reddened after hearing that.

“Proposing, my !”

“We’ll figure it out, Hyesung-ah.” Now I caressed his hands with my thumb.

“I think I feel really fine now. It’s a worthwhile fight for me.”

“Worthwhile fight?” I furrowed my forehead confused.

“I never really realized the possibility of my parents going to actually leave me. I always believe that they would relent on me sooner or later. And I’ll just need to be stubborn and wait for them to accept us.” He took a deep breath. “But now I know, having someone accepting us is a privilege. Minwoo and Junjin are our privileges. And it was a blessing that they stick with us and treat us normally. I could not ask my father and mother to accept us just because they’re my parents.”

He waited a few seconds before continued, “I’ll try to persuade them, but now it’s a complete different matter. It’s a fight now and a worthwhile one.” He put his hands on my shoulder then smiled. “If I win, I get you and also my parents. And if I lose, I still get you, right?”

I crushed him on a tight hug even before he finished his last syllable. “I promise, Hyesung-ah.”

“That’s a relief.” He chuckled lightly on my ear. And of course we had to kiss after a moment like this. Not a comfortable position, with me squatted and him hugged me from the chair, but I didn’t care. I was kissing the love of my life, nothing could go wrong.

But suddenly we heard somebody opened the front door followed by the sound of familiar chuckles. We pulled away abruptly and Hyesung unceremoniously pushed me away, made me fall on my . I stood up immediately and turned to the fridge. I pretended to search something inside the fridge when I heard the chuckles were approaching the kitchen. All the while I could hear Hyesung cleared his throat and even though I couldn’t see it, I knew he was busy fixing his hair. We tried to calm our breath and heart beat.

Those stupid chuckles stopped on the kitchen door, just to be replaced by the stupid question. “Did we interrupt something?” Oh, I could actually imagine the stupid grin on Minwoo’s face.

_____________________________________

A/N

I hope this chapter could ease your sadness from last chapter..

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