The next day, Hakyeon arrived in front of her apartment building at the promised time, the time where he would be greeted by his fake wife at her door. The previous night ended up on a good note, even though she hadn’t said anything on the question. He left after a goodnight hug and a goodnight smile from her.

He hoped she wouldn’t let it buried at the back of her head.

Because he still needed the answer.

As soon as he was about to step his foot into the main entrance, his cell phone buzzed but he ignored it. He proceeded walking towards the lift and suddenly noticed a familiar woman standing inside the lift, about to close the lift’s door.

He stopped on his track and he raked his brain to identify the woman. Not long, a wave of recognition lit up in his eyes. The lift’s door had closed and his thought flew to Seojun immediately. He remembered the woman in the lift; she was the woman that laughed along with Hongbin when Hongbin purposely wanted to make him kiss the floor.

‘Not again’, he thought with a sigh.

The appearance of the woman only indicated one thing: Jaehee was not alone.

Delaying his trip, he pulled out his phone to read the text message he just received. Choi Jaehee’s name appeared on the screen and a smile developed instantly on his face. Quickly, he jogged towards the main entrance, with a Jaehee’s smiling face in his thoughts and the widening smile on his lips.

Jaehee was asking him to meet her at a café.

---

Once he arrived to the meeting place, his eyes quickly scanned the whole area inside the café, his eyes stopped scanning as soon as his gaze met a familiar figure. Walking towards the table with a fluttering feeling, he greeted her before he decided to take a seat opposite to her.

Her eyes brightened up to the sight of him and gestured him to take a seat.

“You made it,” she flashed him a pleasing smile.

He nodded, “Glad I didn’t take the walk all up to your house.” Chuckles could be heard from both of them, feeling content to see each other.

“Remember when I said I promise to buy you a drink and you can’t refuse it? Guess what, today’s the day!”

A look of realisation lit up in his eyes, “I almost forgot about the drink.”

Her smile somehow took a sudden twist, fading out slowly from her lips as if something dark just pulled it away slowly. He wanted her to keep the lively smile forever on her face, even if it was a fake smile. His heart ached thinking how many fake smiles had she masked herself with whenever they meet.

After taking the order, his desired drink came not long after.

It somehow felt lacking.

Even though both of them greeted each other with a cheery smile, both of them found out that they didn’t really have anything to say. Hakyeon wondered if this was always the case or both of them had finally reached the point where there were no more stories to be shared?

He cleared his throat to break the pregnant silence.

“Thank you for the drink,” he expressed in advance. She nodded with a brief smile, “I hope you enjoy it. Don’t hesitate to order more, everything on me.”

“No,” he rejected. “Thank you. This is enough.”

“Naah,” she smiled again. “You should have a dinner right now. Not a drink,” she paused. “Or maybe we should go out to a dinner?”

He nodded, “Dinner’s on me.”

“Nope,” she said. “On me.”

“No…” Hakyeon shook his head and both of them continued bickering until both reached their final agreement. Jaehee was going to pay for the dinner since Hakyeon found out she was the most hard-headed woman in his life.

While eating, he was surprised to see a spoon filled with food pointed towards him. He shot her a look but she gestured him to open his mouth and accept the food. Hesitated at first but she was trying to poke the spoon towards his lips and he finally took it before she spilled the food to his clothes.

She praised and complimented her for eating the food, and her action reminded him to Seojun.

“About Seojun…” he began and he caught her attention immediately.

A concern filled her eyes in a second, “Yes…?”

The moment of her defending Seojun flashed back in his eyes instantly. He had no intention to ruin the dinner date. This could be the last date he could have with her, who knew? And he didn’t want to make her worry for Seojun if he raised the topic on Hongbin’s date.

He just realised that he didn’t tell her anything about Hongbin’s date.

“What is it about?” she started to lose patient.

“Did his father happen to get mad at you this morning because of me?” Hakyeon swerved the topic he intended to bring up.

A heavy sigh could be heard from her. She hadn’t finished her meal but it looked like she wasn’t going to leave the plate empty. “He did. Thanks for the mention.”

He placed down the spoon and his eyes fixed on her, observing the change of her emotion on her face. “He told me to stop meeting you…”

The sound of glass broken suddenly heard from behind him.

Her eyes showed horror as she watched the event unfold behind him. She felt bad towards the waitress who quickly tried to clean the mess and at the same time making an apology towards the customers nearby.

So the sound really came from behind him. Hakyeon thought it was coming from his mind but he wasn’t bothered to look at the broken glass. All he wanted was for her to continue her story. The flame he had for Hongbin somehow lit up more brightly, as if someone had putting on more fuel towards it.

Her attention returned to him and she saw the rage in his eyes. Guilty feeling instantly rushed into her.

“Well, of course I won’t listen to him. Why would I?” she released a nervous laugh but seeing the less positive response from him, she scooted forward in her seat and sigh. “I felt angry towards him. He was scolding me as if I just lost his child… And I spoke something I should not.”

His expression softened as he shifted on his seat.

“I told him to stop sending Seojun to me. That I’m not a babysitter and I’m getting married…”

His heartbeat raced to her words and she saw the shock on his face. She quickly tried to make herself clear. “I know. I shouldn’t say something like that. But I was so carried away. No one likes the feeling of getting scolded.”

He cleared his throat, “I understand…”

“And one thing, I’m just making up on the getting married part.” Hakyeon didn’t say anything on the ‘getting married’ part but she voluntarily explained herself without him asking it. He somehow found it was adorable of her, not wanting to make him feel bad.

Her eyebrows shaped in concern, “Now, I’m actually worry of Seojun. What if Hongbin takes my words seriously? What will happen to Seojun? What kind of ‘Mama’ am I?”

The image of the woman in the lift flashed back in his mind. He wondered where Hongbin would hide his son from his date. He hoped he wouldn’t hide the little boy in a closet or anywhere dangerous.

“Don’t worry, Hongbin won’t do anything harmful to Seojun. Believe me,” he comforted her and she took a deep breath with small nods. “I hope so.”

“Choi Jaehee…” he called and getting her response immediately.

“You’re a good Mama. I can tell that.”

She was surprised to hear the compliment from him and she found herself blushing from it. Hakyeon chuckles as his eyes caught on the redness on her cheeks. He wasn’t complimenting her to flirt on her but the words sincerely came from his heart.

She is really a good mother, making him wondered how the day looked when there was a mini Jaehee and mini him.

“Well, thank you,” she expressed. “That was unexpected.”

“Compliment sound the best when you don’t see it coming,” he smiled purely and she acknowledged it.

“So, have you thought about it?” Hakyeon questioned.

Her smile turned dead, “What… What thought?” Her heart raced, remembering the question he had posed on the night at the park. She wasn’t ready. And never thought she would.

How should she respond?

To be honest, she had been thinking about it since she heard the question but she was still unsure and scared… She imagined both scenarios where she decided to react positively and negatively.

“What else? The thought. Thought of having your own kids one day,” he chuckled as if it wasn’t a big deal and her heart almost exploded for his another unexpected question. “What else can it be? We’re still on a topic about you being a good mother.”

She chuckles to hide her nervousness. Why did she feel as if he just proposed her to be the mother of his kids?

“I always have those thoughts since I was a younger little girl. Every little girl does.”

“Is it?” he seemed interested.

She nodded, “Of course. I dreamed of having as many children as I can. Don’t you know? I’m a nursery teacher. I have lots of cute children in the nursery.” Her thought flew back to the morning when she was in the nursery; she couldn’t help but to smile to the memory.

He looked her in awe.

No wonder she was always look motherly towards Seojun and always on the little boy’s back. Lucky little punk, he thought.

“I’ve wondered of what you’re doing for living but I never have the chance to ask. That sounds amazing,” he stared at her in fascination. He found another loving side of her and his feeling towards her just blossomed even bigger.

“Didn’t you read my profile? Wow. I filled it for nothing. You don’t even go through completely.”

“I was stuck at your birth year,” he made a face and she pulled the irritated look. “Of course you are.”

He laughed but his laugh cut short when she called his name.

“Cha Hakyeon…”

He hummed with a pair of arched eyebrows.

“About your question…” she began and the atmosphere felt heavy all of sudden. “I just want you to know that I hire you with a mind-set of having a partner to brighten my city’s life…”

“Merely a partner…” she emphasized.

He took time to response and the long silence began to burn up her seat, making her fidget in her seat. He could be seen inhaling deeply and his eyes bored deep into her soul. She never seen him this serious, making him suffocated as if he wanted to her soul out of her body.

“I know you were avoiding… And still is,” he said and decided to pause. She could see there were more words prepared in his head.

“And I just want you to know that it is not a bad thing. You have been acting as if it was a bad thing to fall in love with me. It is not bad thing. Believe me.”

She looked at him in stun.

“Please. Don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with me.”

She was speechless and lost.

Hakyeon had been saying about falling in love with him.

What is this falling in love like?

She thought she was a bit of lost. What did he mean to not act as if it was a bad thing? What was this all about? What? She was confused.

She never said she had fall in love with him.

Her eyes searching for him as her orbs wavered against his. He remained calm and her hand had found its place in his, wrapped securely. He wasn’t forcing or putting a spell on him but why? Why did she feel such a great force of attraction towards him? Why did it have to be him to be her fake husband?

She wondered if the thing would turn the same if she happened to have a different fake husband.

Was this a common thing to happen in this rental business? Did he say the same thing to his previous employer?

“Is this bound to happen… to every women that involve themselves in the renting?”

He shook his head in a much calmer expression, “I like you, Choi Jaehee. Only you. I only like you.”

She looked shock. Hakyeon couldn’t interpret if the shock was a positive or a negative response but he squeeze her hand tighter, fear that she would pull her hand away and leave him once again, reliving the night on the park.

“You won’t leave me again, right? Like the night?”

Her chest hurt from the hammering of her heart. He just confessed to her about his true feelings and he was being so fast on this, faster than her for her to catch up. She remembered the night on the park where she could run away from facing the reality but tonight, she had her hand tight in his making her couldn’t run away.

If she was to run, how far could she run more from him?

She couldn’t.

“Cha Hakyeon,” she called.

He smiled to the sound of his name on her lips.

“How can I act as if it’s not a bad thing…?”

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A/N; Hello ^_^

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