Turning away he let out a sigh, grabbed his phone, and stood up to walk away. Somewhat confused she watched him and quickly followed.

“Did you drive here?” Namjoo questioned trying to keep up with his drunken pace and staggering steps.

Luhan’s head nodded to and fro, but she couldn’t tell if he was saying yes or no.

Namjoo searched around hurriedly, but he wasn’t going in the direction of the cars parked along the street. When she turned back to him he seemed bent forward absurdly with a frightening stance. About to fall Namjoo grasped his arm to steady him.

“I’ll take you home,” Namjoo offered.

His eyes looked dazed and he didn’t try to pull away. She had to wonder if he recognized her at all.

“No,” he mumbled, “I can’t go home like this.”

She frowned at him concerned and pulled his arm around her neck to hold him still while she waved an arm out for a cab. A few moments later Luhan seemed asleep beside her in the cab, then fine moments later when he walked up the street to her house. Though his feet continuously crisscrossed in front of each other and swayed back and forth he didn’t seem so drunk after all.

Namjoo walked several steps behind just for his safety before they eventually reached her home. She found it slightly ironic how Ki Hoon was spending the night at his house while Luhan was here with her.

“Lay down for a bit,” Namjoo advised, helping him lean back onto the couch so that he could lie down comfortably. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”

Without saying anything Luhan closed his eyes for rest and deeming it okay to leave him alone she walked toward the fridge. Grabbing out a jug of water she reached for a cup and was about halfway done with pouring water into the glass when she lurched forward slightly. Warmth pressed itself into her back before she recognized those arms locked around her, then that head leaning against her.

“I’m sorry,” his voice drifted into her ears, “that I miss you.”

He seemed to fall against her before regaining his balance.

“I miss you.”

Namjoo calmly listened depressed that he was so heartbroken.

“It feels like I’m filming a long movie and I’m standing on stage alone. I forgot my lines again, so I keep filming myself. I’m trying not to think about where the rest of the cast is, but they keep reappearing in my head when they aren’t really there. I’m sorry again for filming the wrong parts.”

Was he trying to apologize for liking her?

“I’m sorry for wondering why your feelings couldn’t turn into love for me,” a deep breath shuddered from him. “That day…I really hoped things worked out. When I told you it was ok, I lied. I’m sorry for wondering why you weren’t having my baby. Namjoo-ah, I’m sorry for thinking that.”

So he’d lied to make her feel better. What other things had he lied to her about just so that she benefited? Why was he so selfless for her?

“But…but…I…I really like you,” his chest ransacked with powerful sobs with tears spilling into her hair. “Namjoo-ah…I’m sorry.”

Namjoo felt her eyes water up. His pain was far beyond an extent she couldn’t understand nor see. She hadn’t realized how much his feelings went for her…she’d underestimated him.

She was so sorry…

The arms around her waist became loose and a cold draft closed the gap between them. Glued in spot she turned to see him stumbling toward the door and disappeared behind it seconds later. When the door closed again she was locked into a silence so heavy it was foreign to her.

+++

“Where are we going?” Hayoung asked staring out the window at the expensive shops they were passing by.

For some reason her mother had dragged her into the car that afternoon without much explanation. She found herself silently locked into her seat with her mother beside her busily stuck into a fashion magazine.

“Oh my…look at her. She’s so pretty. I have to get that dress,” her mother talked to herself repeatedly.

Heaving a sigh with a slight roll of her eyes she turned to stare outside the window again. Minutes later the car brought them to a stop and leaning forward she saw the wedding dresses on display.

“Hurry up, Hayoung,” her mother broke her attention already halfway out the door.

Hayoung twisted back to stare at her shocked before hurrying out after her.

“Mom!” She called. “What are we doing here?”

Pausing in step her mother turned impatiently, a concrete stairway just in front of them.

“Oh don’t be silly. You know why we’re here, it’s self-explanatory,” her mother pushed her off. “Would you hurry? These shoes are giving me blisters. I should send them back and demand a refund. What a rip-off…”

Turning away without care her mother started up the stairs, her shoes making loud clicks along the way. Hayoung heaved an annoyed sigh.

“I’m going home,” she announced.

However, the Chauffeur blocked her from the car door and politely bowed toward her. Hayoung stared at him before feeling a burn on the back of her neck. Twisting around she spotted her mother at the top of the steps staring down at her hard.

Stomping her foot against the ground she forced herself up the steps having lost. Moments later as she remained on the velvet couch while her mother searched through the racks and spoke with the designer. Her eyes roamed over the neat table in between the fancy couches and to the dresses on the other side. The short pile of magazines were invisible to her eyes when she caught sight of a dress she fancied.

A slight moment went by as she thought she’d like to try them on. As any other woman she wanted to look stunningly beautiful for the man of her dreams.

Sehun appeared in her mind and she saw herself dreamily walking down the aisle with heart threatening to pop out of her chest. He was waiting with the priest so that he could have her hand in his forever…

It quickly faded away when she saw someone else step in front of her to take Sehun’s awaiting hand. The way they smiled perfectly at each other shattered the imagery before she turned to her mother calling her.

“Hurry! Your dress is already here! Go try it on!”

“Mom,” Hayoung tried calmly at first, “I’m not getting married.”

“Of course you aren’t,” her mother went along, but the tone of her voice spoke of sarcasm. “Now hurry up.”

Before Hayoung was able to retort the designer walked toward her with a dress carefully draped over her arm. Feeling that it was rude to say no after the designer worked so hard on the dress she bit her lip and allowed the designer to lead her toward the dressing room.

Slipping into this delicate dress was a charming experience for her. Her heart jumped a bit, but she calmed herself forcibly. There was no one waiting to take her hand. It was a lie and she shouldn’t get her hopes up.

However, when she stood in front of the closed curtain on a stand she hoped that he was there on the other side with anticipation. He should be excited and nervous. A smile should pop up on his face proudly when he saw her. His eyes should want to cry once he saw how beautiful she was…  

But she was lying to herself again.

Sehun wouldn’t be there…

Then she heard the door open and her heart jumped.

“Hurry, come in,” her mother beckoned from outside.

“Is she in there?” It was Sehun’s mother.

If she was forced here Sehun might have been dragged along by his mother. That might just be him…

Hayoung held her breath and stood nervously. The gap of the open curtain became wider and wider by the second, her heart beating faster and faster. When it fully opened she stared back at her mother and Sehun’s mother. The small smile on her lips dropped when she heard them gasp and compliment her. Even then her eyes searched the small room for him.

Sehun wasn’t there…

+++

Sehun poked his head out from the side to peer in through the window to see Namjoo standing by at the counter. Smiling he pushed the door open and walked in.

“I heard someone’s going on a date today,” Sehun turned sideways and leaned his left arm on the counter.

When Namjoo didn’t reply he continued smiling as if expecting her eyes on him before turning. Namjoo made a face at him before turning away.

“What are you doing here?” She didn’t sound excited.

“You’re quite rude to your handsome customer.”

“It’s a forte.”

Sehun glanced at her flatly before shifting and leaned his right arm on the counter.

“Lets go eat. I want to go eat with you.”

“Sorry, but I already have lunch.”

“Oh come on.”

Namjoo smiled and looked passed him. Curious, he turned around to see that it was the clock. Several minutes later they strolled down the street with hands held and swinging between them.

“Thank you,” Sehun said, “for letting me back into your life. I’m really happy.”

Namjoo clutched onto his hand and leaned up as if to whisper into his ear, but instead placed a quick peck on his cheek.

“AH!” Sehun touched his cheek and glanced at her. “You touched me without permission. Now I have to punish you!”

Wrapping his arms around her he squeezed her, shaking her back and forth as she tried to run away. When they laughed into each other’s world it felt like they picked up from where they left off. No such thing as awkwardness or strangeness existed.

They were happy as if they’d been together the past three years.

“Here, have a bite of mine.” Sehun offered holding his sandwich out. “It’s really good!”

“I already have mine,” Namjoo held hers out for him to see.

They were sitting outside a convenience store after roaming around. They’d each bought their own snacks, but Sehun didn’t quite seem satisfied with what he’d gotten. Namjoo wanted to eat peacefully, but Sehun kept bothering her.

“No!” He complained. “It’s really good! Just have a bite!”

Namjoo frowned with suppressed annoyance before he tucked it against forcing a bite from her.

“See? It’s good, right?” Sehun questioned anticipating her answer.

Namjoo made a face at him wondering why he was making a fuss. “It’s all right.”

“Tshh…” Sehun made a face back at her and took a large bite out of it before scooting closer to her. “Doesn’t this remind you of the days when we studied late into the night and left campus hungry? We’d eat two dollars’ worth of food on the streets.”

“You’re spitting food on me,” Namjoo moved away.

“By the way,” Sehun started, “when does Ki Hoon get out of Day Care? Can I go with you to pick him up?”

Namjoo’s bite released itself from her sandwich and she slowly chewed. Ki Hoon’s uproar and his crying seized her mind.

“Namjoo?” Sehun called confused about why she’d gone silent.

The soggy bits of sandwich became hard at the back of making it much harder to swallow. When it finally went down her esophagus she felt like she was drinking rocks from the sea.

“I don’t think he wants to be with me right now.” Her voice was quietly depressed.

“What?” Sehun asked unsure if he’d heard right.

“He didn’t want to come home with me yesterday,” Namjoo explained. “I think he hates me.”

Sehun’s eyes softened before he slowly put an arm around her for comfort.

“No one can hate you,” he comforted. “He’s just taking it hard. Give him time. You said he grew up with him, didn’t you? It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

And Namjoo could only pray that Sehun was right.

“Sehun,” Namjoo worried, “your mom…”

“You don’t have to worry about her, I promise.”

Namjoo was going to tell him about the pictures of him sneaking out with Hayoung and coming to her. He made it sound as if he knew everything and since he sounded dependable she said no more.

She’d believe him. There was no choice, but to trust him now.

+++

Too quiet. It was too quiet when Sehun walked into his home. This home seemed empty and gray sort of like a prisoner’s cell; just the bars weren’t there. They weren’t visible, but they could be felt; kind of threatening and scary at the same time.

“Where were you?” A voice made him stop in his steps.

Sehun stared at the winding hallway ahead of him that was straighter than the road to the mart. The voice had come from the barren room to his right. It was his mother’s sitting room. The softness she’d harbored for him the day of his engagement ceremony had quickly worn off when he started being lively again.

She had never greeted him as he came home.

“We waited at the bridal shop.” She said it in a way as if he should feel guilty and disappointed for failing her. Then she stated a bit icily, “You said you’d come.”

Sehun turned her way quietly at first.

“I wanted to do something else. Besides, isn’t it manners for a groom to see his bride in her dress the day of the wedding and not beforehand?”

His mother laughed haughtily.

“Have you not heard of a photoshoot?”

Withholding a sigh he stuck his hands in his pants pockets and slightly stretched backward, narrowing his shoulders upward before relaxing them.

“We’re not doing the wedding.”

“So you say,” his mother said not a bit tempted to strike out at him with his refusal. “You were so obedient earlier. What are you exactly?”

“Your persona.”

His mother turned to shoot in a calm glare that spoke of her inner rage. Turning from him she grabbed something in front of her that was out of his sight before tossing it to the floor where it slid to a stop before his feet.

It looked like a thick envelope. Without word Sehun picked it up used to his mother’s rude antics by now. It felt more like they were arch enemies than mother and son, which wasn’t normal at all.

Upon pulling the pictures out he saw that they were of Namjoo and Ki Hoon. Some of them contained Luhan in the pictures, and of course; they were all smiling happily as if they were a real family. He, himself, was in some of them. This meant his mom had sent someone to stalk Namjoo as well as he.

It was a quiet threat with real warning.

“You’ll listen to me if you don’t want me to ruin what they have,” his mother seemed to speak through gritted teeth.

“And what are you going to do?”

Slamming her palm onto the table she raised her voice, “Just when are you going stop, Sehun!? Come to your senses already! It’s a game, you don’t want her!”

Instead of lashing back, Sehun remained calm, “Are you me? Are you the guts inside me? The butterflies in my stomach?”

He shook his head, “I don’t think so. I might have come from you, but that doesn’t mean you’re like me or that I’m like you.”

She smiled spitefully, “Why? Is it because of your son? If I get you your son, will you stop going to her?”

Sehun stared at her quite sternly.

“You went back to her because of that boy, didn’t you?”

Suddenly frowning he inched his back to stare at her like she was the craziest woman he knew. 

***Just one more segment to go through and then I'll be wrapping things up for this story!!! I hope I can complete it before February comes!!!

***Big trouble next!