Isn’t it kind of amazing how a person who was once a stranger can suddenly, without warning, means the entire world to you?

24^th September 2020

“Welcome on board, this is Captain Shim speaking. We will be cruising at 33,000ft from Beijing back to Seoul. The sky is clear and we aim to reach Incheon at estimated time of 4.50pm Feel free to contact my crew if you need any assistance, have a pleasant flight ahead.”

Back to Seoul. The lady had never dreaded this much to return back there. She had already mentally prepared herself to go through another torment like she did in London for he was legally recognized as married back in Seoul. And the moment this aircraft touches the runway, onto the Korean soil, he no longer belonged to her, he belonged to another woman’s.

Despite the man constant affirmance of how much he loves her through gentle words and physical means, she couldn’t help but to feel scared. She did not wish to be swallowed by that bottomless pithole again. She can live with him without a status but she just couldn’t watch them being together. That just hurts too much.

“There’s something on your lips.” Aleyah looked up to see Kai standing beside her seat. She was shocked to see him here when they were at different section of the aircraft. And him passing by was definitely not along the way to anywhere. “Here.”

“Thanks.” She accepted his folded napkin coolly without arousing any unnecessary interest from the other staffs around her.

Instinctively, she opened to clean her lips but she stopped when she saw something written on it. From the black ink that seeped through the thick napkin, one could tell from his handwriting that he held his pen tightly and applied much force when he was writing. Because he was as afraid as she was when he penned them, making sure that they would offer some comfort they he couldn’t provide right now. The words he wrote were the 3 most plain yet meaningful ones he had ever written, and she had ever read.

Nothing will change.

******

Solbi watched the minute hen of the clock struck 6pm as she laid out the last dish on the dining table. Before her was all of Kai’s favourite dishes that she had specially prepared for him. A proud grin spread on her pretty face as all the food turned out edible after all the practise. She had been preparing for his return since a week ago - decorating the house, changing the bedsheets, updating his closet and learning how to cook his favourite dishes – so he could be surprised when he returns.

She skipped happily into their bedroom, clearly couldn’t contain her excitement. Opening her closet, she pulled out his favourite pyjamas of hers and threw it over her head before walking over to her dressing table to spray the most alluring perfume among her collection. Tousling her hair, she ran her hands through them, making sure they were presentable yet y. Because Kai likes her like this.

Just right when she’s done, the front door unlocked. She ran out immediately, stopping in her tracks when she was a short distance away from him. Her heartbeat was beating irregularly at the sight of him, just like how she first met him. She could still clearly remember the day when she walked into the dance studio and saw him standing in the middle of the room. Comparing to the others who were showing off their dance moves to attract the prettiest trainee in SM, the dark tanned boy who did nothing took her breadth away instead. He was plain, yet attractive.

“You’re back.” Kai took off his shoes and saw Solbi standing a distance away. Wearing the black satin nightdress that he once loves.

“Welcome home.” She buried herself into his embrace, locking her arms around his firm waist. For weeks she had been sleeping alone on that big, cold and empty bed. Now that he’s back, he could warm it up for them like he always did. “I miss you baby.”

Solbi pressed her lips on his. She slowly nibbled on his lower lips before going to his neck to plant butterfly kisses. It was his weak spot where he would press her down to finish what she had started instantly. Her body was slowly moving against his, seducing the man in every way possible. After weeks of separation, her body long for him as much as her heart.

However, Kai just stood there motionlessly. He did not move an inch, neither did his raise his hand to touch the woman. Because he couldn’t. The moment her lips crashed on his, he started missing another pair of lips. They would never seduce him by giving him those light kisses down his neck but he doesn’t need them to make his adrenaline rush gushed through his veins. And no matter how the woman rubbed herself on him, he didn’t felt arouse in anyway. Because he no longer could. His body will no longer respond to any other female being other than her. He was doomed to fall under her spell.

“Solbi..” Kai put his hand on her arms, pushing Solbi off him slightly. “Don’t.”

The woman looked at him in shock, she didn’t know what was happening. Because this was the first time he asked her to stop. It had always been the other way round.

“I.. I am going to the broadcasting station in a while.” He lied as he walked towards the bedroom, ing his sleeves button at the same time. The irk he felt when Solbi touched him was so strong that he knew he needed to get away but guilt hit him when he saw the food on the table, they were all his favourite.

“But you just came back!” Solbi let him know her disappointment through her tone of voice.

“I don’t have a choice Bi. You should know that.” Kai looked away from the table and went into their room with his LV duffel bag before coming back out in a simple red and blue striped sweater and jeans.

“Don’t wait for me.” With that, he bypassed her and walked out of the door, stranding the woman for the second time. Just without a kiss this time.

******

“Hyung, how does if feel to fall in love with your best friend?” Kai sat on Kyungsoo’s bed as he stared at the older’s back.

“Why do you want to know?” His question caused Kyungsoo to stop his computer game and turned around to look at him weirdly.

“I mean.. SoYeon Noona and you have been best friends since high school right? But you two only got together in the recent years. So I’m just curious you know.” His question was so well-phrased that it seemed like it was just being genuinely interested in their relationship but deep down, it lies more than that. He needed to make sure of something.

The mention of his girlfriend caused the older to smile immediately. “Ah.. about that..”

“How would I put it? I would say it’s nice to fall in love with your best friend? Actually nice it’s not even the most appropriate word to describe it. Because we had been best friends, I mean we still are just with a relationship status but we both still share a mutual understanding of the fact that we both have our own lives so we won’t be able to talk or hang out all the time. But when we do talk or hangout it’s like picking up right where we left out.”

“It’s comfortable yet amazing.”

“So is she the one? The soulmate of your life?”

“Hmmm, soulmate. People always think that soulmate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But SoYeon is more of like my mirror? The person who shows me everything that is holding me back, who brings me to my own attention so I can change my own life. A true soulmate is probably the most important person you will ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. Just like her, she came into my life with a purpose to shake me up, tear apart my ego a little bit, show me my obstacles and addictions, break my heart open so new light can get in and make me so out of control that I have to transform my life. So yes, I think she’s the one.”

“How do you know, I mean, what if in the future there comes another girl that is capable of what SoYeon Noona had done?”

“There won’t be.”

“I mean what if. Hypothetically, if you falls in love with her too?”

“If there is, that only means one thing. I’ve never loved SoYeon enough.” Kyungsoo looked at the younger one who seemed to be in deep thoughts. He didn’t understood why was he asking such questions but he was quite sure that something was up. However that didn’t stop him from giving him his most truthful answer.

Kai digested Kyungsoo’s words before he sprang up from the bed. His face was filled with relief as he stretched himself lazily, a smile spreaded on his handsome face for the first time ever since he stepped into the apartment. “Thanks hyung. For your wisdom and sharing of your love story.”

“You are welcome.” The older looked at him as he walked towards his door.

“Kai..” Kyungsoo called him right before he closed the door, “Is everything alright with Solbi?”

“It will be.” Kai had never been so confident when he said those words because the moment he closed those door and walked out of the apartment, he was sure of what he wants.

******

Aleyah closed the door of her wonderland and dropped the key into her small pouch. After a month of being away, she kind of missed her old routine. Where she would come to work, being surrounded by flowers as she tuned in to listen to Kai’s radioshow. Nothing beats that. Not that she’s complaining that she has him with her right now. It’s just the insecurity that she could feel lurking somewhere made her feel terribly scared.

“What are you doing here?” She turned around and saw him leaning against his car with his arms folded, smiling lovingly at her. Her hazelnut eyes lighting up immediately.

“Why can’t I be here?” Kai walked up to her and took her hands in his. Openly.

“Kai!” She hissed as she pulled back her hands but was held tighter. “We are on the streets.”

“So? I don’t care.” He shrugged. “I came to fetch the love of my life from work and I don’t see any problem with that.”

Shaking her head, Aleyah sighed. She couldn’t beat him in his sweet nothings but she couldn’t deny that she enjoys hearing them too. No matter how cliché or greasy they were, they never failed to make her heart flutter and stomach queasy.

“Shall we go home?”

“We? Go home?” She looked at him questioningly. “I don’t remember us having a home Mr Kim.”

“Your home will be our home as of now. Till I buy us a nice decent one, Mrs Kim.” Kai promised her seriously.

After hearing what Kyungsoo had said earlier, he couldn’t be more sure of how he sees her. She was his best friend, his soulmate, his lover and will be his future wife. He could already see their unborn kids in her eyes, it was something he had never seen in Solbi’s.

Because she had always been his family that he failed to have.

And he had been sustaining himself with the love of family for the past 10 years. Till she came along.

******

I will be away for 2 days so there won't be any updates for. 

Wanted to update MDIAS but I got home at nearly 2am last night and now I'm awake at 6am preparing to leave my house.

Gonna go to Indoneasia for a short getaway. I can't wait!

Meanwhile, enjoy the chapter till I see you guys soon.