Although Minho is the only son or better way calling as a hire of the Choi’s Empire and as a further matter he’s one of a classy Chaebol in South Korea, but ever since he embellished into an adult and reached for his ages until now, he’s never extended his hand to ask for money from his parent or even spared his dinky interest over those variety kind of his Dad’s business either. Instead he passionately stepped his own foot into a business world by himself without help from his family. But entered this world, surely he couldn’t do it alone though. Business partner absolutely is a must.

It’s not that big one compared to the others outside in the same field, but to walk through of the path of the operation for several years now plus countless efforts they had put, we could say it’s such a success and one of the leading shop in Seoul which provide all kind of musics, movies, documentaries, software and educational media ….

And here he now sat rigorous on the chair facing blankly at the laptop before him. Minho was in his workplace reviewing some of works which he recently missed them due to times which he mostly spend at home with Sulli and took care of her at the same time. But he couldn’t concentrate fully on what he was supposedly doing now. One week had passed already after the incident of Sulli’s strange deportment since the day when they visited her Mom’s grave. Let’s say now she was much calmer but he, himself still couldn’t get over it at all. Minho wants so much to dig the answer from Sulli in order to solve his curiosity but …… he couldn’t. And it substantially bothered him since then.

Minho shut down his laptop harshly and slumped his back on the chair facing palm. Everything flashed back in his mind.

Minho bolted from his deep slumber in the midnight at the sound of Sulli was whimpering from her room. He rashly rose from his bed and ran out to her. Minho opened the door and saw Sulli shuddering figure on the bed even she was still in her heavy sleep, she was even perspiring all over. Seemed she was having a very bad nightmare. Minho quickly sat down on the bed and shook her shoulder gently while calling her name to wake her up. Abruptly, Sulli opened her eyes, releasing a loud yelling followed at once. She breathed in and out heavily, she then spot Minho’s gallant glimpse was beside her. Sulli madly threw her quivery body into Minho’s chest and hugged him so tight.

“Sshhhh…. I’m here, Jinri. I’m here. It was just a nightmare.” Minho soothing voice blew into her ears with his hand her back to make her tranquil.

Sulli deepened her body into his chest and started to cry harder. Minho sat still with his mouth was lulling her from fear, whispering so softly using his warm breath and embraced his frangible girl securely. They stayed like this for many minutes until Sulli could cool down, Minho then held her shoulders and slowly pulled out the hug.

“Are you okay now?” Minho whispered breezily while fondling her cheeks and wiped her tears stain.

Sulli mutely nodded her head. Her breath also came back to normal now though her eyes were so puffy but the least it made Minho felt a bit relieved but surely not entire though. His worry increasingly kicked in just to look at her slightly trembling figure.

“What’s wrong, Jinri? Can you please tell me, what happened to you?” Minho asked her which made Sulli distanced herself from him all of sudden.

“I’m fine now. It was just a nightmare.” Sulli answered, avoiding Minho’s gaze. She then laid herself down back on the bed and turned around back facing Minho. She then enclosed herself with the blanket almost over her head.

Minho shut his eyes and sighed in dejection. She was like this again. Ever after they left the Mart, Sulli has changed all of sudden and it made him grew more anxious feeling. He tried many times to ask her but she always avoids his question, especially when he insistently continued to interrogate she quickly shoved him away and went inside her room and then crawled onto the bed and covering herself tightly with the blanket.

The more he thinks about the way of her strange acting, the more it causing him to feel trouble and getting perturbed. Was it related to his family again? Did Sulli was harm and threatened from his Dad? Could he be right? Everything happened behind his back again? It aggressively hit his nerve. His chest was boiling in anger in just a split second. He cannot sleep right now, cannot stay silent anymore.

“If you don’t tell me! Fine! I’ll find out by myself, Jinri.” Said Minho, with stony tone. “I’ll deal with him. I can’t stand with that old man anymore.”

That greatly shocked Sulli. Oh no! Was he talking about his Dad?

“No Minho.” Sulli alarmingly grabbed his hand stopped him from leaving. She shook her head, her teary eyes desperately begging him to stop from walking. “It’s not him, Minho. It’s not your Dad.”

Minho sighted before he sat down back, he pulled Sulli’s firm hold off him. “Jinri! To you …. Am I lacking power to protect you? Am I that incapacitated in your eyes? That’s why you always keep things away from me, not minding to sharing them with me. Don’t you care how I feel when you’re acting likes that?”

Sulli let her tear slid down and shaking her head. “No Minho, No. You’re not …… But …. I’m sorry, really sorry.” She bent her head down guiltily.

Minho released his long breath. “Fine! You no need to tell me if you don’t want, then I’ll show you, Jinri. That’s true that I cannot protect you enough before but this time I won’t stay still I’ll try out of my best to stand before you to keep you safe from harm.” Minh said with fierce eyes.

Minho quickly rose from her bed again but when he was about to took his step, Sulli circled her hand around his waist.

“I believe you, Minho. I believe you all of my heart that you can thoroughly protect me. And I’m more even so sure that I trustingly relying myself on you without fear.” Said Sulli along with her streaming tears. “But please believe me, it’s not your Dad. He is guiltless this time, and it’s more and more there is nothing to do with your family at all, Minho.” She halted for a bit. “It is me. What is bothering me right now, it comes from me, come from my own self.”

Minho turned around quickly, his hands held Sulli’s face to make their eyes contact but Sulli trying to escape from his firm touch and avoiding his gaze.

“Look at me, Jinri!!” Minho sharply said which made Sulli ended up in no choice and forcibly looked at him using her moist eyes.

Minho gazed deeply into her eyes for many seconds, he tried to observe every bit of the meaning behind them but he still failed to penetrate her misery. “So …. Tell me, what is it? I know, it’s not just a ‘botheration’ as simple like that but ‘fear’. Your eyes … I clearly descry your fearfulness concealing inside them, Jinri.”

“Sorry, I can’t.” Sulli shook her head. “I can’t tell you, Minho. So please …. Please don’t ask me anymore. Just only this time and for the last time I’m asking you to ignore me, I don’t want to remind it any longer ……. Let’s give me some little space, soon I’ll forget everything and be back to normal. Believe me Minho, I’ll surpass this as long as you don’t ask me. Please! I’m begging you.”

The door was being knocked jolted Minho back from his brooding thought. He sighed and composed himself straightly before allowed the person to come in his studio room.

“Wow! You come to work today? I thought I might be seen a ghost, espying your shadow from outside just now.”

“Shut down Key. I’m not in the mood now.” Minho smashed back with a stern face. “How is the sale lately while I was away?”

Key sat down across him and handed out a file. “We yesterday hold a Star Music Media Limited brand in our market which is registered in Hong Kong.”

“Umm. Well done. Good sign in our future, I see.” Minho said while studied the sale report. “That’s how a great boss you’re, Kim Kibum.” Minho added along with his satisfied smile.

“Of course I am. Anyway you’re still a big boss, Mr. Choi.” Key said and rolled his eyes. “But seemingly I’m handling everything by my own, though I also have shares in this shop but you’re also and a big one so at least can you help me out. Heck! The workload is killing me alive. Amber, many times nags me to quite it and pull back out my share, so I’ll have many lone times with her. See! Lately I’m stuck here and ditched my girlfriend alone. Should I get Amber pregnant as well?”

Instead of feeling guilty or be bothered by Key’s word, contrastingly it made Minho reminded of something when talking about Amber. He closed the reported file and looked at Key which made the latter frowned.

“What? Well! I’m just kidding. Amber will surely kill me if I get her pregnant.”

“Can I borrow Amber for a while?” Minho asked, making Key instantly alarmed and was ready to scold but Minho stopped him first. “Close back your mouth! I have no interest with your girl especially her unique taste. I just want to talk with her about Jinri.”

Minho walked out from his shop and was about to hop in his car, but stopped his track when a voice grabbed his name.

“Minho!”

Minho quickly spun around, in a split his expression went slightly dark. “Jiwon!”

She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed while staring at him. “Until when do you plan to ignore my calls? Was it so hard for you to talk with me or it made you feel disgusted to see my face?” She paused and looked away, pretended to avoid his eyes. “I thought we were fine but I might be wrong.”

Minho guiltily stayed mum when Jiwon looked up at him with her misty eyes.

“Sorry for the stupidest thought that I assumed you already forgave me and we could be friend again at last. Ok! I understand now so let’s not meet each other ever again if that what you want. Please take care yourself.”

Jiwon swiftly turned around but only stopped when Minho caught her on the arm. She glared back at him with a single tear slid down on her cheek.

“Do you have time? Let’s talk then.” Minho said and cracked a small smile to her later.

“Thank you.” Minho said to the waitress after she served him and Jiwon their coffees.

“Umm.” Jiwon enjoyably hummed and nodded her head in pleasure after she sipped her favorite Caramel Macchiato. She smiled at Minho. “Such a pleasing surprise that you still remember it.”

Minho smiled back and slightly nodded his head. “At first I hesitatingly ordered it for you since I thought that you may change your taste already but it’s seemed I was wrong.”

“How can I? Although I perhaps abandoned it for a while but that doesn’t meant I get over this moreish taste and found some other more delectable than this.” Jiwon said while looking straightly at Minho. “Eventually it’s still my best-loved one ever. I now just came back to own what I love and stopped getting carried away.”

Minho instantly changed his expression. Jiwon’s word somehow was way to describe in another meaning which didn’t please his frame of mind. “Jiwon!! Listen, I think yo-” He stopped when Jiwon suddenly burst out her laughter.

“Yah! How far are you there?” Jiwon asked while trying to suppress her laughter.

“Huh??” Minho questioningly looked at her.

“I meant! What are you thinking about?” She grabbed her cup of coffee up and sipped it. “Of course I talked about my best favorite coffee which I hadn’t been drunk it for many years already. And so looked at your expression right now, it’s more like you misunderstand my meaning. Am I right?”

“Oh? Well .... Sort of.” Minho cleared his throat. “Just forget about it.”

“Umm. So let get into our serious intention now. Why are we are here?” Jiwon asked.

“Err …. I’m sorry.” Minho uttered, sound in purely apologized. “I didn’t mean to ditch your calls for the pass days but it was just …. Well …. I ….. I don’t want ….”

“You don’t want what?”

Minho sighed and gazed at Jiwon. “I don’t want to cause any consequence between us.”

“Consequence?” Jiwon repeated his word in scowling. She chuckled in disbelieve. “What made you think like that, Minho? Didn’t I already tell you what my sincere intention was, since the first place? Doesn’t it either mean you still hold grudge on me? I know, even though how much I’m trying my best to rescue our good relationship back but in the end it’s still worthless in your eyes. Once I used to be wrong, forever I won’t be forgiven. Isn’t that right?”

“Jiwon! That’s not what I mean. I earnestly appreciated your good deed.” Minho said, he then sighed. “I just want to set my mind clearly first before I can be able to face you without any barrier from our past but on top of that I don’t want to create the misunderstanding between us.”

Jiwon instantly got what he meant. Her expression rapidly turned dark, a slight of outrage snapped in. “Misunderstanding?! You referred to …… Her?”

Minho nodded his head. “I don’t want her to have any kind of thought that it’s never happen at all. You know! The pregnant woman is kinda sensitive.” Minho said trying to neither sound harsh or made her felt offended.

“Yes I see.” Jiwon replied and tried her best to set out her casual expression even though inside her, she was greatly boiling in jealousy.

“Don’t worry, everything gonna turn back to normal after times pass by. Let’s just wait for the right time.” Said Minho, smiling. “Thank you Jiwon for understanding.”

“No, I don’t.” Jiwon emotionlessly replied back immediately, catching Minho in a flash faded his smile. “What if I do not only want to be friend with you but with her as well?” She smiled, tingled a slight smirk on her lips. “Everything will surely turn to the best way with what we want. Minho! Regarding to what you always praise about her having a beautiful personality and kind-hearted made me really want to know her badly and thought that, why not I make friend with her as well? So I guess your girl definitely won’t turn my wish down right?!”

Minho pressed the password number of his unit’s door. He then turned his head to the side and smiled at her. She nodded her head and made an okay sign in assurance.

“Jinri! I’m home.” Minho yelled out as usual whenever he arrived.

Soon later, Sulli figure popped out from her bedroom. “Oh! I ju-” Sulli’s word was hung in the air when she saw another person was standing beside Minho with a wide smile. “Amber Unnie?! What’re you doing here?”

“Yes Sulli!! And why you look at me like that? Or you don’t welcome me here?!” Amber pretended to sound offended.

“No Unnie! It’s just that I’m surprise.” Sulli said with a big smile and quickly made her way toward Amber to give the tomboy a quick hug. “I missed you, Unnie.”

“Yes me too. I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you for the pass weeks.” Said Amber and pinched Sulli’s cheek.

“It’s okay. I knew that you’re quite busy. So what’s this? You two come here together?” Question threw to Minho who was watching the girls enjoyed their bonding.

“Oh well ….” Minho glanced at Amber.

“Ah yeah! We met downstairs just now.” Amber replied with a light shrugging. She looked at Minho with a slight smirk behind their secret. She then held Sulli’s hand to observe her. “Sulli-ah! You look so skinny far from the last time I saw you. Waeyo? Is there something bothering you lately?”

Sulli instantly gazed to Minho before she looked back at Amber, she bit her lower lip with an ungainly smile. She then shook her head. “Nothing Unnie, I’m fine.”

Minho felt a quick pang hit his heart. There she was like this again. Why it was so hard for her to open up with him? He secretly sighed and later brushed it away.

“You two can talk inside the room. Let’s me change first before I prepare the dinner and then I’ll call you out.” Minho said in smiling before he walked to his bedroom but only stopped when Sulli called him. Their distance was about a step away.

“You’re tired, Minho. Let’s me prepare the dinner. Hmm?” Sulli said.

Minho smiled sweetly at her. “I’m sure tired but ….” He halted and in a fast movement, he leaned in and kissed Sulli on her cheek which made the latter instantly turned red and more even redder when she realized Amber was looking at them. “I now already charged my energy fully, no longer tired.” Minho held her shoulders. “I don’t want you to tire yourself. Go and have a nice talk with Amber.”

Sulli smiled at him and also paid him back with a quick kiss on his cheek as well. “So that was your bonus.”

 She shyly ignored Minho’s reaction and then quickly turned around to call Amber heading inside her room.

“Spill the bean, Sulli.” Amber asked and grinned in mischief at the younger girl. They were sitting on the bed.

Sulli smiled shyly. “We cross it, Unnie. We decided to step into the real relationship.”

“That’s it, Sulli-ah.” Amber exclaimed in excited tone. Amber and Key also knew about their secret plan. “I already predicted it in the first place. How could you two have a baby together and even sharing the same roof but there’s no loving sentiment toward each other?! It’s impossible right? Anyway, Congrats Ssul.”

“Thank you, Unnie.” Sulli replied with a smile which Amber found lacking of something since it obviously couldn’t reach her eyes.

“Ssul! Just tell me, lately is there something is bothering you?” Amber asked and held her hand. “And don’t try to run away from my question. I know it by looking in your eyes, Ssul. Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Amber now she totally believed Minho which he told her about Sulli’s condition. She’s seemingly hiding something between herself. So that was why Minho wants Amber to talk with Sulli helping her to solve her problem since she didn’t let him to know it. And if he could, he also wants to know about it either, that was why he invited Amber to charge in his place.

“Unnie….” Sulli voiced out in low tone. Her eyes slightly turned moist.  “Can ….. Can you not ask me about that?”

“Come here, Ssul.” Amber pulled Sulli into her arms and tapped her back lightly. “I’m your Unnie, you already considered me as your family after Auntie and so do I. You’re my dongsaeng Sulli so how could I pretend like nothing happen when I easily see through you that you’re now having a hard time? Don’t hide it, tell me and then we’ll find the solution to help you out from this misery.”

Sulli broke down, her tears escaped from her eyes and sobbing hard. “Ottoke Unnie?? I’m really scared.”

“Scared of what? Can you tell me?” Amber broke the hug and stared at the weak girl. “Stay clam dear. Nothing harms you. You have me and Minho protects you.”

“For 7yrs I thought …. I really thought that I completely forgot about it but it turned out other way around when I saw him.” Sulli pursed her lip trying not to tremble in fear. “He is in Seoul, Unnie.”

“Him? Who?” Amber creased her brows in confusion but later on she gasped in shock when remembered something from Sulli’s past. “Oh my god! Are you sure, Ssul? Maybe you were mistook him to another person.”

Sulli shook her head. “I really wish I was, Unnie. But the more I think about it, the more I believe that it was indeed him.” Sulli squeezed Amber’s hand. “What if he sees me? What will he gonna do to me if he see me, Unnie? I’m really scared.”

“Sshhh …  Nothing will gonna happen on you, Ssul. Listen to Unnie, let’s tell everything to Minho? Even if it was really him, surely Minho is always here to protect you. That insane man will rot in jail for sure if he dares to lay his filthy hand on you.”

Sulli quickly turned away from Amber and shook her head repeatedly. “No, I can’t tell Minho. I don’t want him to know about my shameful past. I won’t let him learn about it, Unnie. Dirty …. Minho surely thinks that I’m dirty.”

“Ssul please, Minho won’t-”

“Unnie!!!” Sulli raised her voice a bit. She looked at Amber pleadingly and endlessly crying. “Please Unnie, I’m begging you. Don’t tell him. Truly that I’m really afraid of that man’s appearance but I’m more even afraid than this if Minho knows about it and starts to distance himself from me. I’m afraid that one day he’d leave me and left me behind alone.”

Amber shut her eye and heaved her heavy sigh. She then stared at Sulli. “Okay, we won’t tell Minho. But you must stop pestering yourself over that problem, maybe you might imagine thing or everything was just wrong contemplation since the first place. You’re now pregnant, Ssul. What’s important right now is, taking care of yourself and your baby. Believe me, nothing is gonna happen on you because I’m here as well as Minho will always stay with you. Hmm?”

Sulli nodded her head before she crawled into the older girl for another embrace. “Thank you Unnie. Thank you so much.”

“Where are we going?” Sulli asked Minho when they made their way out from the elevator to the parking lot.

“Baby furniture Centre.” Minho replied shortly.

“What?” Sulli opened her eyes wide and stopped Minho from walking. She chuckled. “Isn’t it too early? I meant, we have no idea about the baby’s gender yet.”

Minho was staring lovingly at Sulli. His memory snapped back to Amber’s advice a few days ago.

“Don’t worry Oppa. It's only natural that she feels stressed at some point during her pregnancy. Maybe apart from the responsibility of bringing a new person into the world, there are plenty of other things which may be playing on her mind. That’s why recently she acting differentially. Umm … For my suggestion, why don’t you relieve her stress by doing excited thing together? I bet it will lighten her mood if you two can spend some precious time together outside.”

Although it made some sense about what Amber told him, but it wasn’t enough to convince him believed it entirely though. But Amber was right, he should make Sulli find her mood back first.

“C’mon Mommy. Let’s enjoy it.” Said Minho, his eyes nearly pleading. “We can take a look of the other things aside from clothes.” He bent his knees a little to talk with Sulli’s stomach. “Baby, do you also want to see your stuffs with Mommy and Daddy? Of course, you surely want and now might be so excited, right?”

Sulli chuckled at Minho’s behavior. He then smiled sweetly back at Sulli before extended his hand out and Sulli gladly took it before they walked happily toward his car.

“Minho!”

 The two stopped when they heard someone called his name. They turned around and saw Jiwon was waving while made her way straightly toward them. Minho instantly conveyed his gaze to Sulli. She set a small smile to him. Sulli intended to take her hand off from Minho’s but he held it tightly not letting her free.

“Hi Jinri.” Jiwon greeted which made Sulli was kinda confused but she didn’t show it out. “Where are you going?” Jiwon continued while staring brightly at Sulli.

“Oh, maybe just simple shopping.” Sulli replied and took a glance at Minho.

“Really? For the baby’s supplies, I guess. So can I tag a long?” She asked, still her eyes on Sulli. To much more Minho and Sulli surprise, Jiwon went to Sulli’s side and used her arm clung around Sulli’s and pleading. “Please Jinri, can I go with you both? Please please please…..”

`

Sulli smiled adorably when her eyes caught a pair of baby crib shoes, a pink cutie tiny one. She touched it and placed it on her palm. She chuckled lightly thinking about her baby is wearing it, how cute he/she is?

“Do you like it?” Minho appeared from behind Sulli. “It’s really cute. How adorable of our baby is when he/she wears it?”

“You think so?” Sulli replied him in smiling.

“Umm. So let’s buy it.” Minho said but before he could say another word, Jiwon showed up between them.

“Minho, I saw many cute baby gears over there. C’mon let’s go.” Jiwon said, she was ready to drag Minho with her but he spoke out cutting her intention.

“Jinri, c’mon let’s go there together.” Minho said.

Sulli looked at Jiwon, she saw her also smiled back toward her but she still felt something wrong behind that smile. Sulli then rolled her eyes back to Minho.

“Aniyo, you two go ahead. I want to stay here and take a look more.” Sulli said and before she knew it, Minho was already dragged away from her by Jiwon. Sulli cracked a hardest smile before she turned her attention back on the baby shoes which was still in her hand.

After minutes pass by, Minho went back to where Sulli was before but he found out that she was no longer there. He run his head and rolled his eyes to everywhere but Sulli was still nowhere to be found. His eyes then landed on a unique plastic bag on the floor, Minho bent down to pick it up and found the toddler shoes inside, the one they agreed to buy earlier. Strangely, his heart started to beat fast in strong motion. Minho clutched the shoes tightly and started to search for Sulli again.

Minho quickly pulled out his phone about to call her but then it was like a big rock was lifted away from his chest when he finally could spot Sulli. Spending no time, he ran toward her.

“Aish Jinri! Where were you go-” Minho cut his word at the mid-sentence. He sweated hard as his heart started to race again but this time in fear. “Jinri, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Oh gosh, you look really pale. Don’t scare me, Jinri.”

Sulli’s figure was shaking involuntarily, typically as a result of frightfulness. She grasped on Minho’s arm tightly with her tremble hands. Tears were extremely running down from her eyes.

“M-Minho ... I-…. I ….”

But before she could finish her word, everything around her went blank and dark. Sulli instantly lost her conscious inside Minho’s arms.

To be continued.....

Thank so much for reading and I'm sorry for load of mistakes there :-)

I'll update soon