As usual, Hakyeon would be the first to arrive in her apartment. The house was deserted when he first entered and hurriedly, he prepared the dinner for both of them. There was ten minutes left until she would appear at the door, not even a month working for her, he already could pick the pattern of her work’s schedule.

Her house was clean as when the first time he stepped his feet into the house but he helped clean anything that he thought he could. He even refilled the food and drinks that were running out; he had taken note of them last weekend when he found he was trapped in the kitchen.

The sound of the door being unlocked caught his ears, quickly; he walked to the door and pulled his friendliest smile. As soon as his gaze landed on her face, his heart fluttered. “Welcome home, how was your day?”

Jaehee giggled as she heaved out a heavy breath, “Normal, another day worth living.”

Hakyeon nodded and helped to put away her stuffs but she refused to give it to him. “I’ll put it myself,” she said as she left to her bedroom. Hakyeon let her and watched as she vanished into her room. He thought maybe he could wait for her in the kitchen.

Waiting for her at the dining table, he then heard her shuffles towards him. She then appeared and took a seat in front of him. “You know you can let me cook the dinner for us, right?” she asked as she popped in a piece of cucumber into .

He released a chuckle, “I know… but I’m the one that’s working for you. So, you should leave all this housework to me.”

She gave him an annoyance look, “I don’t remember hiring a maid?”

Hakyeon choked hearing that from her and there was an irritated look on her face, making him wondered if today was those days of the month. He remembered he was being silenced the whole day after the woman he worked for stopped talking with him and there was a big grimace on her face, only to be told the next day she was on period.

She then walked to the refrigerator and he wasn’t expecting the almost exploding look came into her face. “You bought these?” she asked and Hakyeon knew what she was referring to; the refill food. He managed a nod, not dare to say anything. He was pretty sure that day was ‘those days of the month’.

“Cha Hakyeon…” he called, clearly frustrated. “We can go out to do grocery shopping together; you don’t have to do this by yourself. You’re so kind!” She sighed out loud.

He somehow breathed out in relief, he thought she was going to explode but she only showed how disappointed she was.

“I’m just doing the things I thought I can help,” he answered.

She sat back in front of him and her facial expression softened, “Why you’re so kind?”

He pulled a small smile, feeling guilty for disappointing her. “I’m sorry…”

She then straightened up, “Okay, I can’t let this things continue.”

He looked at her in puzzlement as she pushed the untouched food aside, leaving empty table between them. He wondered what she was going to do because he knew well how unpredictable she could be.

A smile flashed across her lips and that smile managed to melt him once again. She looked like she was prepared to give him a long lecture but he felt as if he was already in cloud nine with the soft smile she just flashed to him.

“Look, Cha Hakyeon,” she called his name and her calling his name sounded like a music to his ears.

“There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding between us right from the first time I chose to hire you,” she began and Hakyeon watched her silently, letting her to speak out everything she was preparing in her head.

“There are reasons why I don’t want you to do this or that but you don’t seem like a type to listen,” she released a disbelief chuckle. Hakyeon felt bad hearing that he wasn’t doing the thing she wanted but that was how it was. He needed to work.

“I told you that I hired you for the reason to make you fill the empty space and that I trust you for the money,” she paused. The looks in her eyes told him that she was taking this thing seriously. There were unexplained struggle in it and Hakyeon thought it was the best for her to stop there.

“You don’t have to tell the rest if what you’re going to tell next is too personal. I don’t dwell with my employer’s personal life.”

She shook her head, “No, you have to know this or else it would be a bigger misunderstanding at the end.”

“Choi Jaehee…”

“Listen to me. It’s okay for me to being personal if I want to. You don’t ask it for yourself. I made the decision, so don’t worry. I won’t report you or anything,” she said stubbornly.

“But still...” his voice trailed as he saw her persistent looks.

“Please Cha Hakyeon. Please let me do this. I can’t keep it bottled inside me; it’s beginning to eat me from the inside.”

His expression softened and he saw the struggle in her eyes amplified, causing the urge to pull her into an embrace but he held himself. It was true that he hadn’t know anything about this young lady in front of him but he wasn’t sure if he could handle the fact after knowing the reason of the fake smiles and the unexplained sadness of her eyes.

He nodded to her as a gesture for her to continue with her intention.

She pulled a genuine smile as she reached for his hand and wrapped it with both her hands, “Thank you, Cha Hakyeon.”

He gave her a small smile and began to be the ears for her.

“I moved in to this city…” she began to explain it to him one by one. Hakyeon nodded as he paid his attention towards her, not even once he averted his eyes from her face. He took in every detail her face made and the tears that began to fill in her eyes.

She told how she moved from the village she was born and raised after his father passed away from chronic disease. Her mother had left her without reason since she was around Seojun’s age and that made Hakyeon see the reason behind the tears she had when she was talking about Seojun.

Everything seemed connected to each other so well.

She felt it was unfair for Seojun to have a similar fate as hers, but compare to her, she had the greatest father in the whole wide world. She was the little girl that dreamed of marrying her own father. Hongbin was nothing compared to her father but God loved her father more, that he had to go early, leaving her alone.

His tongue felt numb the whole way she told her stories. She seemed so immersed to it as if she was replaying every moments of her past in her eyes, but it was invisible to him.

The sympathy feeling increased as the stories unfold and he began to question of himself; if he was the right guy to help her stood up again from the past. He hadn’t really had a good and wealthy life, but he had both his mother and father by his side when he was growing up, and his mother was still calling him to know if he had his meals.

“I have nobody but I remember Hongbin, a senior from high school. He moved to the city as soon as he graduated high school. So, I made contact with him and found this apartment,” she explained. “Good thing, this place is not far from my workplace,” she grinned.

“I thought, at least, with Hongbin, I won’t feel lonely...” Her expression turned grim all of sudden.

Hakyeon could feel where the story was going and it made his heart ache.

“But I saw it. His life… It makes me feel even… lonelier,” she paused. “Well, there’s Seojun… but he’s still a little boy. He won’t understand how I feel, if I had a good day or bad day…”

“And I heard about this rental business from a senior at my workplace, and thought by hiring a husband, I would feel less lonely,” she pulled a small smile.

“And that’s when you came into my life,” her smile turned even wider and there was a spark of happiness in her eyes. He returned her a smile, happy to see that cheerfulness decorating her face. She always looked beautiful to him, but the genuine smile just added it to more level.

“And then you said that I should find a real husband instead of hiring one,” she paused. Her words made him wanting to glue his own lips from speaking without thought.

“I’m not ready for a marriage. I don’t want to get marry in young age... My parents’ fail marriage make me develop fear of it. It is so worst that I fear of falling in love.”

“Well… You can wait,” Hakyeon suggested.

She shook her head with a sour face, “That doesn’t help. He can leave me anytime, I will never know.”

There was a painful smile on her face and Hakyeon was run out of word. She was speaking the truth and he could see a traumatised girl in front of him, she must be badly hurt in the past.

“My parents eloped around my age, maybe even younger… and they had me…” she paused as she stared blankly at the empty space in front of her. “They were madly in love and decided to elope and even so… My mother still left both of us without notice.”

Hakyeon breathed out inaudibly and quickly got up from his seat. He then walked to stand behind her and leaned down to give her a hug from behind and that was when she burst into a big cry. She cried out loud as she held on his arms that were holding her under her chin and Hakyeon let her to pour out everything she had been stuffing inside her.

She must be waited so long for this day. He felt sorry for coming out so late… It must be so painful. He was extremely guilty to the sound of her cry.

“Shh…” Hakyeon comforted as his heart ached even more on every sob she let out. Her heart was broken into more pieces than he thought. She was the strongest girl he ever seen in his life. Imagine the days she lived with a force smile on her face, trying to move on when her past trying to drag her back on her feet as she marched towards the next day.

“I miss my father,” she managed to speak as she held tighter to Hakyeon and he could only nodded to her words, feeling even sadder.

Everything was crystal clear to him. The reasons she scolded him for doing what he was doing, the smiles, and the hug requests. It was so clear that he became mad to himself. All he could do was to listen to her and obey to her requests but he was still stick to his own rule. He forgot that he was working for a younger woman, not an older woman and the reasons for hiring could be different.

With him, she could trust him with her money. But he was getting worried for the future. He wouldn’t be there on her side forever. Once the contract ended, the day she feared would come and he would leave her, probably working for another woman…

How would she cope with the days?

What would happen to her?

Would she waste her money to another rental husband?

Will the others be good to her?

No! he thought.

I will never let those days to happen.

---

After the unexpected situation, she asked to be left alone.

She went to her bedroom without a sound and Hakyeon concluded that she had calmed herself to sleep. She would get puffy eyes the next morning if she brought her crying self to sleep but he hadn’t had the courage to tell her.

He cleaned the kitchen, with the stories she told jumbled in his head. He wanted to promise her that he would be on her side till forever but she would laugh it off, saying that she couldn’t afford to pay him till forever. He wanted to be someone that she could lean on, no matter on her sunny days or the stormy one.

He wanted be the one.

Forming a big smile on his face, he promised that he would light up her life and she would forget everything that kept haunting her. Wait for me, he thought as he began to plan for the day onwards.

---

The next day, he purposely came late; letting her to come home first before him. He walked into the lift, with his sport gear, thinking that he might bring her out to late night workout at the nearest park. He found himself couldn’t stop smiling thinking of her.

He had been planning a lot of fun activities to be done with her and as the lift’s door closing; someone’s hand stopped it from closing. He was startled but remained composure before the owner of the hands emerged in front of him.

His face fell as his gaze landed on someone that he wanted to see last. Lee Hongbin was as shock as him but he tried to remain calm, and arrogance. Giggles of a lady caught Hakyeon’s ears and he found out that Hongbin wasn’t on his own, he got a company.

The woman with Hongbin was still giggling when both of them entered the lift. The irritated feeling in Hakyeon shot up to the sky. He suddenly had the urge to stop the closing lift’s door and use another lift but it was too late already. The door closed and the three of them ride the same lift.

Hongbin acted as if he and Hakyeon never met and Hakyeon could only careless about it. He could see Hongbin was busy flirting with the unfamiliar woman he brought in and Hakyeon sneaked a glance from behind since he was standing behind both of them.

The woman seemed to unaware of Hakyeon being in the same lift as her giggles getting louder while Hongbin kept whispering her things. Hakyeon was beginning to suspect that Hongbin was badmouthing him to the woman, making him to sigh out in annoyance.

The ride to Jaehee’s level was getting longer than it used to be with the two annoying people in the lift. He noticed Hongbin pushed the higher number and with that information, he could easily find his house if he had the crazy urge in him, and beat this guy into his senses.

From a single look, Hakyeon could see that the woman was tall and had slender frame. Her dress was so short, making him to look away instantly. He wasn’t supposed to inspect her detail fully but he was just curious of the woman he dated.

Could Seojun’s mother look like this?

He felt sick all of sudden. Wait.

Speaking of Seojun… So Hongbin actually brought this woman to his house with Seojun in it? That was so disgusting!

Thankfully, the lift stopped as they reached to Jaehee’s floor. The door opened and he was about to exit before he stumbled on someone’s foot. He almost fall to the floor but he managed to save himself and his ears managed to caught big laughs from inside of the lift but before he could turn back to face them, the door had closed.

He cursed under his breath, promising himself that one day he would take revenge.

He knew Hongbin intentionally stuck his foot out and as he hoped for, Hakyeon walked on it, not seeing his ugly plan. He tripped on Hongbin’s foot, humiliating him in front both of them.

He couldn’t let the douchebag escaped that easily; Hongbin would taste his own doing anytime soon but not today. He must be still laughing till he reached his floor with that woman of her. The thoughts just burn him up even more but he didn’t want to ruin the day just because of that prick.

Taking a deep breath, he took care of his looks as he found his reflection. Brushing off the invisible dust on his shoulders, he then pressed the bell to Jaehee’s door. He intentionally not put in the passcode to enter, he wanted to relive the day when he first met her.

There was a stalk of yellow rose in his coat that symbolise ‘promise of a new beginning’ and ‘I care’. As he promised, he purchased the yellow rose from the florist shop that helped him to get purple Hyacinth. Instead of the young, cheerful girl, he was helped by a middle age woman.

At first, he wanted to get Jaehee a red rose, but he remembered that flowers have different symbols. He was glad that he found the right flower for the right meaning. Thankfully, he didn’t buy a bouquet of the rose or else he ruined it by falling from the lift. He couldn’t easily forget the moment and made sure Hongbin would get what he started.

Pulling out the rose from his coat, he waited in front of the door with a smile plastered on his face. The door opened to a beaming Jaehee. Her eyes moved quickly from his face down to the stalk of a single yellow rose in his hands.

“Wow!” she expressed. “Is this for me?” her voice was filled with energy and he loved the sight of her delighted face.

He nodded eagerly and handed it to him, “This yellow rose symbolise ‘a new beginning’. I think we should begin a new fun life together.”

“Really? Wow!” she exclaimed.

She had the rose in her hand as she nodded, genuinely happy. She gave him an appreciative look, “Thank you! You’re so kind.”

He heard the last sentence too many times already, making him think if he should be a bad boy sometime? Since she scared of falling in love, he doubted if she ever had an ideal type. “Giving a flower doesn’t make me a good guy; I can be bad and still give flowers.”

She shot him a judging look but the looks vanished as soon as he laughed at her. He took of his coat and she took it from him, acting the fake wife role she always wanted. He could smell food from the kitchen and could tell that she cooked for him.

“Come in,” she invited and as soon as his feet stepped into the living room, his eyes caught Seojun on the couch. He paused on his track as his eyes glued on the little boy who had been playing on his own.

Jaehee noticed that he had been standing awkwardly in the middle of his track and she looked up to follow his gaze. “Hongbin said he can’t take care of him and asked to look for him till tomorrow morning. He said he got urgent work call.”

He huffed in annoyance and Jaehee saw the sudden change of his facial expression. He was a sweetest guy of the world a moment ago and now, he looked like he could eat someone raw. He could feel his blood boiling and catching her wrist, he dragged her to the kitchen.

“How much he pays you?” he asked, boiling.

Jaehee looked at him in confused, “What do you mean?”

“That douchebag. He sent Seojun here and you gladly believe the reason he gave to you?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand,” she was so confused, not getting what he was trying to tell but she knew he was talking about Seojun since he mentioned the little boy’s name.

He took a deep breath as he turned around, calming his nerves. His fuming feeling wouldn’t solve the problem and she would defend Seojun no matter what.

“Cha Hakyeon,” she called, unsatisfied. “What is it? I don’t get it? He said he needed help and I saw Seojun. I can’t tell him no, especially about Seojun.”

He turned back to see her, “Nothing, I just feel like he shouldn’t send his son to you and make you the babysitter.”

“You know it. I don’t mind, if it’s about little Seojun. I’d do anything,” she softly answered and he nodded to it, quite expected.

She was still unconvinced and gave him a sceptic look, “Did something happen?”

He forced a smile and shook her head. He almost got into trouble with her and shook his head, “No, nothing happen. I’m just… I’m just hungry.”

A smile developed on her face, “You came into the right place.”

She then walked to prepare the table for him and he turned to see Seojun at the living room, oblivious to his surroundings. He sighed out again for the umpteenth time and apologised to the little boy in his head because he could feel that he would teach his father a little lesson.

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A/N; This story have its readers! A good reason for this story to continue! ^_^

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