“Where do you think you’re going?!” Minseok shouted to Hyerin who stormed into the house the moment they arrived. “We need to talk!”

Hyerin stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to him. Minseok was shocked when he saw her face of fury. “Fine. Let’s talk,” Hyerin said with sarcastic enthusiasm. Minseok was silent for seconds. “What were you doing with that guy?” he asked.

“I was just having dance practice with him,” she answered. “And why were you having dance practice with him when you should have been in class the whole day?” Minseok asked.

Hyerin stared at him with her jaw dropped, “Why are you interrogating me? You’re not my father! You don’t see me asking you questions!”

“But I am your husband! I have the right to know!” Hyerin laughed sarcastically at his reply. She shook her head still laughing and turned to go up the stairs.

“Hey!” Minseok raised his voice, “What was that supposed to mean?!”

Hyerin stopped on the step, her hand holding on to the rail. She twisted to look at him, “Can we not pretend that you care?” Minseok was silent with his mouth open. “Can we just live separate lives?” she asked with a soft voice.

“I don’t get it,” Minseok replied with a small voice too. “I don’t know you anymore, Minseok,” she answered, “I feel so lost with you and I don’t want to do this anymore. I ran away from class because I was so lost… That was what Yixing wanted me to tell you. I feel like… I feel like the friend I had just got replaced with some cold husband that I don’t recognize… First Eric, then Yixing. You’re not even concerned whether I’M cheating on YOU. You’re only concerned that our marriage looks broken to other people.” She looked down, guilty that she had given up. “Look, if you want us to break up then let’s not drag this out… I’m sorry,” she said and shuffled her feet up the stairs.

Minseok was rooted in his place. Had he really changed that much? He walked up the stairs and stayed outside their room. He heard the sound of drawers opening and closing, and then… sniffles. He heard her release a sigh. He had made her cry. “I won’t let you go no matter what…” He had let her go even before she walked away. He was filled with horror. Kim Minseok you are a jerk, he thought.

He sat on the bed, waiting for her to come out from the bathroom. Hearing the door unlock, his heart raced. She looked up and saw him standing by the bed. “Can we talk?” he requested. She silently walked to her vanity table. “I’m such a jerk,” he said behind her, “I didn’t know I had hurt you like that. I’ve been so selfish not thinking about what you think or what you want. After all I’ve said about treating you well… It hurt me to hear you crying.” She stopped drying her hair upon those words. He squat beside her, and she turned to look down at his face. “Please forgive me. Please give me another chance. To treat you properly as my wife.”

“Tell me what’s up,” she said, “Tell me why you want to be so distant.”

“I’m telling you that I won’t be distant.”

“No, you’re not,” her voice shaking a little, “You’re telling me that you’ll treat me well, but you said before that you didn’t want any love between us. I want to know why.”

“Please,” he begged, “Please don’t ask me that.”

“I don’t know how to be around you, Minseok-ah,” she said exasperated, “We’re a freaking seesaw of emotions. One moment we’re fine and the next we’re not. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want this.”

“I don’t want us to be in love because I’ll only end up hurting you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” he said firmly, “I don’t want you to be hurting, but I can’t. I want to let you go, but I want to protect you,” he replied with a shaking voice, “You matter a lot to me, Hyerin-ah. More than you think you do. All I’m asking is for another chance. If you think that you can’t be with me anymore… Then I’ll let you go when it’s safe. But for now, please give me another chance. I’ll change.”

She looked at him. His eyes were glistening with moisture. She sighed, her own eyes wet. “Okay,” she let out a laugh, “There’s nothing else, right?” She received a shock when he immediately moved towards her and hugged her. Kim Minseok had never taken that initiative to hug her before. It had always been her trying to reach out to him. She wrapped her arms around him. Kim Minseok was a man of little words, and of little expression. But in that one day, he was broken. Tears fell from the eyes of a man who barely cried in his life. Even death had taken fear from him, leaving him void of sadness. But in that one night, he shed tears. They were tears of guilt and relief. “Thank you,” he murmured. He wiped his