“I don’t really dig much about her,” spoke the man that had his shade on; there was a cup of hot black coffee in his hand as he brought it slowly to his mouth, to blow on it.

“All I know is she found me in the bar and ask how much she need to pay for the renting,” he chuckled as he sipped in slowly the dark liquid down his throat. “She indeed looked naïve and innocent but I couldn’t ignore the look in her eyes.”

“Weren’t you supposed to stop her? She is too young to even understand on what she is doing,” Hakyeon heaved out heavy sigh, the sweet smile of her still lingered in his mind. He was filled with thoughts since he left her house last night, he was genuinely concerned. He couldn’t help but to think of thousand reasons why she involved herself to husband renting.

Gentle pats attacked Hakyeon’s shoulder, instantly breaking the train of thoughts; he looked up to his friend with furrowed eyebrows. “Don’t worry; she has reached her legal age. I believe she knows what she is doing. Plus, she can afford it. To me, as long as she is financially able, it is not a problem.”

“But–”

“That’s why I choose you for the job,” his friend cut. “I know you can do it. Who knows, you will be a great help to her?”

An incredulous sigh escaped Hakyeon’s lips; he couldn’t believe his friend would form those sentences from the mouth that had agreed to offer a rental husband to a naïve girl. “You never question me before this, is it because she is younger than both of us that you fear you will fall in love with her?”

Hakyeon froze to what he just heard; averting his sight to his friend who was now already threw his shade of, “What? Did I just say something wrong?”

“It’s not like that,” Hakyeon denied as he felt blood rushing to his face, sudden feeling of trying to disprove his friend’s words emerged. “It’s not anything like that, she sure is younger than us but I’m a professional. I do this for money.”

The man in front of Hakyeon shot him a mysterious look with a slight curve on his mouth, he made small nods. “It’s good that you still remember the reason why you have this job.”

Small chuckles could be heard from the man in front of Hakyeon as he stood up, “I have stuffs to catch up, call me up if anything come up.” He patted Hakyeon’s shoulder once again, “You’ll do a good job as usual. I know you won’t disappoint.”

Hakyeon’s hand reached his forehead as he squeezed it lightly while chanting in his mind that he was doing it solely for money. He shouldn’t be bothered with her young age and look; she probably had her own reason. He believed everyone have their own reason, including him.

But, why that he began to feel he couldn’t continue being her fake husband?

“…is it because she is younger than both of us that you fear you will fall in love with her?” his friend’s words played in his mind, messing his mind even more.

---

Stopped in front of her apartment, he entered the passcode that she had sent by text message earlier on. He had bought the dinner for tonight, hoping by doing this; he could pay back the meal that she cooked for him. He wanted to make a home cook meal for her but due to the limitation of his ability on cooking made him change his mind.

The house sounded empty, indicating that she was not at home. Quickly, he brought the dinner to the kitchen and prepared the table. While preparing, he found that the table was lacking of spoons and chopsticks. He was still not used to the house and the kitchen, but he tried to predict the location of the utensils and opened up random drawers and cupboard until his eyes caught ‘Pororo’ spoons.

Questions filled in his mind instantly as he let his hand reached for the animated children spoons. Examining it, more questions that he couldn’t answer adding up in his mind. It couldn’t be that…? But he was pretty sure that there were only both of them in the house last night. He didn’t see of other presence in the house. Or is it because he was late that he…?

Brushing the thoughts away from his already messed up mind, he placed it back to where it belonged. Hakyeon quickly took everything he needed and returned to the table. He tried to occupy himself with decorating the table nicely and ensuring that he had disposed the trash completely, not to leave a single dirt.

The sound of someone entering passcode from the front door caught Hakyeon’s ears. Quickly, he cleaned his wet hands with his sweater and hurriedly dashed off to the front door. As soon as the door opened, he flashed his biggest smile while saying, “Welcome home honey.”

Jaehee chuckled in return; surprised to see he was home faster than her. “You don’t have to come early, you can come at seven. A husband is supposed to be greeted by a wife not the way around,” she spoke as she dragged her backpack into the house. Hakyeon helped her and lead her to sit on the sofa.

“I’m not that kind of husband,” Hakyeon explained. “That’s why this business where you can rent a husband exists. It’s to serve the wife opposite to what mostly portray in TV and real life.”

A sugary smile once again decorating her face as her eyes watched him, intrigued. “Really? But I don’t hire you for that.”

Hakyeon shot a puzzle look to her as he blankly stared her. “What do you mean? I can’t let you go greet me if you think of greeting me home. I should pay you then if you think of an opposite way.”

Low chuckles heard from her as she averted her eyes away before glancing back to him, “But I’m talking the truth here, I don’t hire you for that reason.”

Hakyeon became lost of words, he couldn’t think of anything but to be mesmerized by the sweetness her face held at that time. Why was he feeling this way towards her?

Turning her body towards him, he pulled one of his hands and squeezed it lightly making his heart skipped a beat. How close were they already that she had the courage to make a skin contact? Her eyes were staring in his eyes deeply, “Please come at seven and let me do the greeting?”

He stared at her for a moment before realization hit him quick at the back of his head. Pulling his hand away, he shook his head as to denying her request. “I can’t let you do that. I’d rather quit this job and find you a real husband for you to be able to do that.”

A disappointment clearly spread through her face before she sighed long. Opening , her words reached the innermost of him.

“We wouldn’t see each other if I found one.”

The atmosphere turned cold all of sudden as she left him alone in the living room. “I’m gonna do a quick wash up.”

“Ok,” Hakyeon replied back as he leaned back on the couch. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he stared blankly to the empty space in front of him, contemplating. Should he let her do what she wanted? Besides, he couldn’t ignore the fact that it was his duty to fulfil her wishes.

Her last sentence had left such a deep impact to him. He couldn’t deny that she was making a point. He needed to remind himself that this time he worked with a total different woman. He could fully understand what the older women wanted from hiring him but from Choi Jaehee…

He was still searching for that reason.

---

Staring at her chewing her food, Hakyeon was lost in his thought for the umpteenth time of the day. Noticing that, Jaehee placed down her chopsticks and shot him a wondering look, thinking what was bothering him. “Are you okay?” she questioned as she waved her hand in front of his face to interrupt his thought but it left no impact to his frozen state.

“Cha Hakyeon?” she grabbed his wrist, shaking it.

Surprised, he focused his sight to the adorable face in front of him. “Yes? Are you done?”

Shaking her head, “What is it that bothering you? You don’t even touch your food.”

“Yes?” he questioned back, flustered. “Yes…”

Picking her chopstick up, she took the sushi between her chopsticks and brought it up towards his lips. “Aaah. Open up your mouth.”

Flushed, he avoid her incoming food and moved away causing her to frown, displeased. “Are you rejecting me?” Standing up, she moved closer to her fake husband who was trying to run away from her but she caught him in time as she pulled him into a headlock making Hakyeon’s heart to beat fast, as if it wanted to burst out from his chest.

With her arm still wrapping around his neck, she brought the food closer to his lips once again and he accepted it without arguing. A content smile then spread on her lips as she loosened her arm from his neck, “Want me to feed you until the plate left empty?”

They were sharing one chair and were very close to each other. Hakyeon began to feel hot; he couldn’t believe that such strength came from the petite body of her. She was very unpredictable that he was afraid he couldn’t keep up with her in the future.

Rubbing his neck, his action caught her attention. “Did I hurt you?”

Anxiety filled her face in a split of second as she assessed his neck, “I’m so sorry, I was joking.”

“No, I’m okay. It’s just it’s the first time that a girl headlock me that strong,” he forced a chuckle but his chuckle was not enough to throw her concern away. “Are you sure? Do you want me to get some ice? I admit it that I sometime misuse my strength.”

Waking up to get the ice, he quickly grabbed her wrist causing her to turn around to see his assuring look. “I promise I’ll be okay. Get back to your seat.”

Obeying, she moved slowly to sit in front of him, a smile hung on his face but his eyes told a total different story. “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry from the bottom part of my heart and I promise I won’t do it again,” she apologetically rubbed both her hand as she showed her his crown.

A big laugh escaped his mouth as he found his hand on top of her head, ruffling her thick black hair. “I forgive you but.”

Her head instantly shot up as she stared at him to finish his sentence. “But,” he arched his eyebrows. “Before this roleplaying game continues and you spend a lot of money on me, can we end this agreement here?”

“What do you mean?” she sat straight, confused.

He inhaled deeply before he heaved out an audible sigh, “Look, this renting a husband thing is not something that you can play with. It’s not like that you can rent a husband with just for fun reason. I mean.” He paused and tried to explain it further but he found it hard to make words from it.

“Like for example, the older women that had rented me before. They rent us because they are not interested of marriage and have no thoughts to make a family. Thus, we are there to at least entertain their empty life–”

“So, is this that had bothering you just now?” she cut. Her expressionless face somehow managed to intimidate him. “Are you worried of me spending my money to you? Cause if that is something that you worry the most, listen here. Stop worrying about it because I have the money.”

“It’s not about the money…” his voice ceased as his eyes caught the pain that played in her pair of eyes.

She looked away before she decided to open once again. She couldn’t believe that she was telling this to him, someone that she knew no longer from a week.

“I… I need someone to fill in the empty space…” she paused.

“But, there aren’t many people that you can trust and bring them home out there.”

Hakyeon stayed silent as he swallowed hard, waiting for her to finish her sentences. “And I found a way that I can guarantee with my money… that I know I can put trust in and won’t disappoint me,” she smiled painfully as she leaned back on her seat. “And I found you.”

“I’m sorry…” he apologized as he cursed himself in his head. He should had taped his mouth or sewed it from spitting stuffs that in the end would hurt someone.

Awkward silence followed his apology and both of them avoided each other eyes. He never made an argument with his employer before and he just did and he had no idea how to face the cold situation.

“Aren’t you glad that you have a younger lady to work with?” she broke the silence and forced a laugh before he hesitantly decided to laugh along and stuffed his mouth with the cold sushi.

~~~~~~~~

A/N: I’m back!!! I miss writing a lot. Hopefully this update won’t disappoint :) Thank you my lovely readers that still stay with this fic even thought I had set this hiatus for like four plus months? Anyway, share your thoughts down there and please subscribe to those of you that haven’t subscribe. Thank you!