Jong Dae looks into the window on the high rise building where he lives together with Soo Jung. Everything goes smoothly. He has met her family and they are delighted to know that Soo Jung is in the right hand. The new brilliant surgeon has been in relationship with their daughter. On the other hand, his mother is also delighted to see and hear that finally her son decides to settle down.

“Alright,”  Soo Jung talks to the phone with English language, “You can have it settled. We will move back to Seoul and I wish that you have found a new place for us. I mean, it’s not just me and Jong Dae oppa. It’s also about Jin Ri and her mother and the little Sehunnie. Unnie, call me later okay? Say my hello to Min Seok oppa. Bye!”

“Your sister?”  Jong Dae asks and Soo Jung just nods. She walks toward Jong Dae and hugs him from behind, “everything is settled, oppa. Are you ready?”

“I have been waiting years for this.”

“I remind you though, are you really sure of marrying me?”

Jong Dae smiles, “how can I not be sure when I asked you in front of your parents? Don’t worry, everything will be alright.”

I hope so, Soo Jung thinks. It takes six years for her to make Jong Dae considers her more than little sister and friend. Although she is not sure about his sincerity, she knows exactly that Jong Dae is never playing with anybody’s heart. He will do anything to make sure everyone around him is happy. And that is why he did leave Li Yin six years ago…..

She brushes off that thought. It has been six years. Unnie must have already got children and married happily.

Li Yin looks up to the sky and smiles lightly. She walks on the street with many people around her, busy doing what they do.

Jong In is running behind her and he is panting because he also carries box of big cake.

“Noona! Wait for me!”

“You are still young but you have been weaker than me.”

“I can’t believe you will be forty soon!”

“Shut up Kkamjong!”

“I say to you don’t call me like that again!”  She smiles and pinches his cheek. Even though Jong In is already twenty five years old, compared to Li Yin, he is still a child and Li Yin likes him so much.

“Don’t pinch me!”

“Then grow up, Kim Jong In! Come on, the address is on that way!”

“Noona,”  Jong In asks, “why don’t we ask Yi Xing hyung to pick us up?”

“It’s because he is busy with his new work. Now we have to walk so we can have exercised!”  He groans. It’s easy for her because she only carries the address note and the bill note while Jong In carries the cake by himself. He sometimes curses himself to keep working with Li Yin. Ever since her divorce, it seems like Li Yin tries her best to enjoy her single life happily.

Don’t ask Jong In on how she divorced. He doesn’t even know and he knows he can’t ask much because it only carries dark clouds to her. Even though she likes to torture her, he doesn’t really want to see her crying on the corner.

“Well! We arrive!”  Li Yin announces happily and she immediately rings the bell.

“Hello?”

“Hello, it’s from the bakery store.”

“Yes! The cake is here!”  Li Yin has figured out that the cake is for birthday celebration even though the client didn’t ask for any “Happy Birthday” sign. The theme tells her.

After the delivery, Jong In rubs and massages his own back exaggeratedly. Li Yin chuckles. “You are silly.”

“You are silly too, noona. You don’t have to torture me if you want to have your own exercise. I have already gone to gym to make perfect abs.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Wanna see?”

“Silly. If you open your shirt here, I will scream and accuse you as a .”

“You play unfair.”

“You want to streak in front of the public. I have to save those innocent eyes, Jong In-ah.”  She smiles again and walks happily while Jong In follows her from behind. He is still working for her to keep her safe. Well, that is what he has promised to Yi Xing. He will keep his eyes on her.

“Jiejie sometimes….isn’t stable. You have to watch her.”  Yi Xing told him on the day when Li Yin announced that she divorced. Jong In was told by herself and he didn’t believe it so he called Yi Xing to confirm it.

“Stable? You mean…..”

“I am not sure,”  he could her his sigh, “but I ask your help, Jong In. You are the only one that works with her. Now that she insists on living on the bakery, you have more capability to watch over her than me. I have my own family and my parents have gone back to China and they are so devastated with this news. Please, Jong In, I can only depend on you.”

While Jong In is thinking deeply, her phone is ringing. It is from Yi Xing.

“Yi Xing-ah? How are you? I have delivered the package with Jong In. Poor him! He has no stamina for walking for short. And I—“

“Jie, Jong Dae is coming home.” 

She stops her walk.

Jong In stops to and stares confusedly to her from her behind.

“Oh, is that so?”  Li Yin replies, “when will he come back?”

“Two days from today. Later, he has planned to have a party for his comeback. He asks me to come, will you join me?”

“Of course! I would love too! I miss him!”

“Jie, I mean—“

“Please pick me up from the bakery, okay? Thank you Yi Xing! I love you!” 

“What is it, noona?”  asks Jong In. Li Yin smiles cheerfully like a little kid. “Jong Dae is coming home! My childhood friend is coming home! I am so happy, Jong In! I miss him so much; I have so many things to tell him. I want to tell him about my bakery and my marriage and also everything!”

Jong In just stares to her.

It is coming again. The sign of “is not stable” thing is coming again.

Jong Dae and Soo Jung smiles happily to those who circle them at the restaurant where he bid his goodbye six years ago. He is just so happy to see everyone is healthy; Jin Ri and Se Hoon are good and that kid is just like his mother, which means childish; Baek Hyun and Kyung Soo have gotten married and bring their respective wives; Chan Yeol is with his sister and he is still single but he likes it and he is now one of the most successful gynecologist in the country; Joon Myeon has another child and she becomes Se Hoon’s best friend. Everyone has their own lives and they are happy. That is enough for Jong Dae. He left them with heavy heart but now, they are all smiling and congratulating him for the engagement.

Soo Jung is also radiant beside him. She is talking with her sister and Min Seok is beside his wife also smiles all the way. Min Seok and Chan Yeol are now working at the same hospital and that hospital also asks Jong Dae to be the surgeon there. He is still like junior surgeon but being offered from that hospital is a big thing.

He should be happy because everything is fallen into the right place.

But no.

He is still thinking about Li Yin. Six years. He has not heard about her in six years. That also goes with Yi Xing’s. The Zhang’s never gives any information about their lives to him.

Jong Dae knows exactly that he can’t ask Li Yin to leisurely call him and talk to him. But he needs the news. He needs to know what has happened to Li Yin. Does the marriage go smoothly? Is she happy? Has he had children? How old are they? How is Jun Su now?

Those questions haunt him during the flight. He secretly hopes that Soo Jung doesn’t recognize it; he can’t take the risk to break a heart. He knows how hurt it is, on the other hand, he also knows that he can’t forever wait for Li Yin. Li Yin is now married. And that is for the good.  

So he needs to move on. He has to move on. He can’t waste other years to wait for something that he knows he clearly can’t have.

“We are here!”  Sun Young greets them and they are all greeting the Zhang’s back. Yes, Yi Xing and Sun Young have married. Jong Dae can see Li Yin behind Yi Xing.

He sighs in relief.

Li Yin looks radiant, like he remembers how she looks like. Her hair is shorter, though. She must have cut it and also, it is colored with dark brown color.

She looks a bit younger.

“Welcome back, Surgeon Kim Jong Dae,”  Yi Xing hugs his childhood friend dearly, “and congratulations to your engagement. Jung Soo Jung-sshi is nice and kind girl. You have to treasure her well.”

“How could you—“  Yi Xing frowns and then he smiles to Jong Dae, “okay,”  Jong Dae says, “I lied. Thank you, hyung.” 

Sun Young then hugs him too and gives a present for him and Soo Jung until Li Yin arrives and she suddenly hugs him too.

But the hug is different.

It is not the hug that she used to give on two weeks before her wedding.

The hug is just her regular hug; the hug when she didn’t realize her own feelings and Jong Dae’s.

Jong Dae wants to cry silently.

Noona has moved on well.

“Welcome back, Jong Dae-ah, I miss you,”  he can smell her hair. It is not the same strawberry scene; it is now lavender.

He knows she has changed beyond everything that he could imagine before.

“I miss you too, noona.”  On the side, Soo Jung watches carefully. She can’t bear to see them together and now they are hugging and smiling to each other. She wants to shoo away that insecure feeling but she can’t. She knows Li Yin has married but that doesn’t mean that their mutual feelings are changed too. What if Jong Dae suddenly decides to go back to her? What if Soo Jung is left alone?

She tries not to have those thoughts but seeing how uncomfortable Jong Dae was in the flight is like confirming her suspicions. She is nervous ever since she heard that the Zhangs are coming.

“Now!”  Li Yin releases her hug and goes to Jin Ri, “how is this little guy?”  She points to Se Hoon who is eating happily on Jin Ri’s lap.

Jin Ri smiles but everyone who sees it knows that it is not a genuine smile. She is still pissed about the marriage thing six years ago.

“He is fine. Se Hoon-ah, say hello to Aunt Li Yin.”  The little guy just glares to her coldly and Li Yin frowns, “last time I checked you don’t have that kind of glare, Jin Ri-ah. Where did he get that?”

“I don’t know. I have never taught him that,” And neither his father has this glare too. “Don’t be rude to elder and say hello to Aunt Li Yin!”

“Hello, Aunt Li Yin. My name is Choi Se Hoon.”  He politely bows but then back to his eating activity. Li Yin chuckles. “He is so cute! You are blessed to have him!”  She then sits beside Yi Xing and happily drinks the water. Everyone is frowning with her attitude. It seems like she is back to her cheerful side (or too cheerful for people who don’t know her before) but it is a strange cheerful side.

Yi Xing coughs. “Jie, shall we eat? It looks like everybody has been eating.”

“Oh yeah, sure.”  She answers.

“How are you, unnie?”  Soo Jung asks carefully.

“I am fine. Oh yeah, congratulations to your engagement! May your wedding will be more blissful than mine.”

“Wait, what?”  asks Baek Hyun. She just shrugs her shoulder like it is nothing, “I have divorced so I think I can’t share anything about marriage life.”

Everyone suddenly becomes silent.

Well, beside Se Hoon.

“Wait….did you just say that you are….”  Jin Ri asks again. Li Yin then smiles and does mehrong. “Lie! No I haven’t divorced. I am still married to him.”

“Oh….”  Everyone is relieved. They are so shocked with the news, especially to Soo Jung.

“Where is your husband now, noona?”  asks Kyung Soo.

“Hm…I don’t know? We don’t have much contact now. He is busy.”  Yi Xing carefully looks to his sister and feels relieved that Li Yin can answer those questions leisurely. If she was asked three years ago, she would have released backlash to everyone.

“Oh….have you got any—“

“Hey, don’t they have salad? I am on diet now.”  Li Yin abruptly cuts Mrs. Choi’s question. She asks to everyone and they all only can nod. There are salads on the menu but she just cuts someone else’s words. That is…..strange.

Jong Dae looks to her suspiciously. What is it? What is happening? Why is this confusing me?

“Hello?”

“Jong Dae-ah? It’s me.”  Yi Xing calls. Jong Dae looks to the time. It is afternoon but he has night shift for these three weeks since he is working and he is still sleeping.

“Hyung? What is it?”

“You have to come to hospital. Please.”

And so he comes to the hospital where he works. Min Seok looks to him when he arrives to the room which Yi Xing told him.

He frowns. “Hyung, what are you doing here?”

“Your noona is my patient.”

“What?”

“That Zhang Li Yin is my patient. She came this morning just after you left and she has this small car accident. Well, everything is well, beside—“  Jong Dae doesn’t wait anymore; he dashes into the room only to see Yi Xing and the guy named Jong In there.

He looks to Li Yin who looks healthy like usual.

She smiles to him.

“Jong Dae-ah! Why don’t you call me before—“

“My husband! You are here!”  Li Yin screams and runs toward him. He only can stare while she talks to him, “it’s mean! I mean, your brother-in-law insists that we are not married! Tell them we are married for six years! Tell them, honey!”

Jong Dae is stunned. He can’t do anything and everything is suddenly so complicated for him. 

@13thmembersofexo: yeah his brain is confusing :) but that is the point of this story. It will be not sweet love story

@nizzyool: I have revealed a bit of it. I know this chapter is a bit confusing but I will explain to you all later bit by bit :) I don't know about the girls though because their eyes are all about the same LOL and no she is not pregnant hehehehe

and where are the others? I demand comments from all of you! LOL 

Kidding, but seriously, I like comments :) they make my day :)))) 

thank you

XOXO