Her heart skipped a beat as blood rushing up to her cheeks immediately. Her tongue turned numb and she was afraid to move, in case he caught her eyes. He was still waiting for her response and she wasn’t even daring to breath in front of him.

Avoiding his eyes, she suddenly stood up and acted as if she wasn’t hearing his question. “It’s getting late, we don’t wanna catch cold,” she said as she began to walk back towards the place they started. Hakyeon noticed the uneasiness from her tone and stood up quickly, trying to match her pace but she increased her speed every time he tried to catch up.

“You’re fast…” Hakyeon breathe as he widened his step and managed to walk beside her. He searched for her eyes but she kept looking away. He somehow could feel that she was trying to end the night quickly. Where was her promise to bring him a drink?

Wait. What about his question? She was not going to answer that?

Or was it a very bad timing? Was it too fast? Or was the question wasn’t clear? Should he question her once again?

Jaehee had her lips shut since the last few words she spoke. The walk was getting fast at every step they took. Hakyeon kept looking at her for her reaction, and she seemed too immersed to her own walking and acted oddly. This was not the Choi Jaehee he knew.

“Aren’t you tired?” Hakyeon asked, genuinely concern. They were not walking anymore, but running; he found himself panting after the question. She then sprinted, leaving him behind, making him pulled to a halt and watched as she sprinted home.

Running away, without leaving any words, she began to fade from his view, swallowed by the corner at the end of his sight.

He just watched at the lonely dark view, not expecting her to return. He thought that was it; that was it for the night. He wouldn’t chase after her because the more he chased, the faster she ran. Let her go, he thought. She would return back to him. He didn’t have to run to catch her. They would be still meeting tomorrow anyway.

---

Anxious to know how she was doing after the night out, Hakyeon found himself standing in front of her apartment building the next day, much earlier than the promised time.

He went through a sleepless night and his cell phone had never left his hands. He was tempted to send her a text message, to know if she was doing okay and he wanted to make an apology for being thoughtless. But, he was a coward.

He hadn’t had the courage to press the ‘send’ button and the text message left as a draft.

To think back about it, he wasn’t really being thoughtless. His question might sound random and rushed but he was not asking as long as he got a response. He really needed the response.

He needed to know he was not the only one feeling it…

After about an hour later, his eyes caught the figure he had been thinking about since last night. She came out from a cab and walked straight into the main entrance. She was unaware of her surroundings as she walked straight to the lifts. That was when Hakyeon got out from his hidden place, and tailed her towards the lift, without her notice.

As soon as both reached the lift, she entered and let him into the lift, without knowing that Hakyeon was with her. She then pressed the number to her level and Hakyeon only stood still in front of him, waiting for her to recognise him but she remained clueless.

From the reflection of the lift’s wall, Hakyeon could see she was staring vacantly at the floor. It looked as if something was bothering her mind, leaving her to unconscious to her surroundings. He had been standing so close to her and it only took a glance on the reflection to see him, but she wasn’t interested of knowing who the other person in the lift she rode in.

She could be seen digging something in her purse and he could see she produced a cell phone from it. After punching on the screen with her thumbs, he felt his cell phone buzzed. His eyes broke from the reflection of her and as he checked on his phone, the lift door opened.

He could feel she was leaving passed him, and as the text message appeared on his screen, his heart ached to the words.

[Choi Jaehee]: Hi. I hope you haven’t left from your house. I feel very generous today and thinking of giving you an off day. You don’t have to come for today. I won’t deduct today from your payment. Have a nice day.

He looked up, hoping to see her but the lift’s door had closed and the lift remained unmoved.

He stared at the lift’s door for a moment.

Wow. Was she…?

She was avoiding him.

He was wrong.

He thought that they would see each other today, but he ended up being wrong. He was being too optimistic and flashed back at the moment he saw she was on her phone. She was typing without hesitant –no thumbs’ random dance on top of her phone’s screen and she just hit sent without a second thought.

He calculated her wrongly.

It took a whole lot of courage for him to send her a small message but she could do that under one minute, without worry.

Was he the reason of the changes? Was it because of the questions? Was it wrong for him to ask the question? If he was given a chance to come back to the night, he would still ask the same question. And even if he was given more chance to change the question, he still would ask the same question because he was sincere.

He sincerely wanted to be the one in her life.

He wanted her to feel the same way as him.

He wanted to show her that falling wasn’t that scary… Because he promised he would catch her before she be able to hurt herself.

As he was trapped in his thought, he felt the lift elevated. He then sensed the lift stopped and the lift’s door opened in front of him. His eyes then caught small pair of shoes and heard a familiar voice. Raising his head, Hongbin’s face greeted him.

“What are you doing here?” questioned Hongbin sceptically. He held Seojun tighter towards his direction. Seojun was standing in front of him, closed to his legs and he was looking up on Hakyeon. A glee expression could be seen on the little boy’s face, indicating that he recognised Hakyeon.

Hakyeon decided to not answering him as the hatred for the man in front of him suddenly flared up. He suddenly couldn’t control his emotion and began fuming, pulling a most irritated look. Hongbin snorted to the sight, “So you’re not going to answer my question? I can’t believe this.”

Hakyeon’s hand balled into a fist and in a blink of an eye, he threw his fist towards the man against him. Hongbin who wasn’t seeing the flying fist coming, crashed on the floor, bottom first. Seojun’s cries could be heard a second after, and he got up with his eyes quickly searching for his son.

Seojun was crying on the side, unharmed. He then saw Hakyeon who was breathing heavily, looking prepare for a second attack. Hongbin moved his jaw and could feel the pang of pain instantly. Hakyeon was blinded and deafened by his own revenge as he glared towards Hongbin who didn’t seem to retaliate.

He forgot about Seojun and had preparing to continue the assault until Hongbin couldn’t form a proper word from his mouth. Seeing Hongbin on the floor was not enough to erase his grudge towards him but then he was pulled into reality as Hongbin pushed him on his shoulder.

“Are you going to be like this till tomorrow? You’re not gonna leave this place? Hey!” Hongbin called, still holding Seojun tight. Seojun had been copying his father to wake Hakyeon up. Hakyeon looked as if he was in catatonic state. He had been in the state for a few minutes, raising the angered in Hongbin.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened as he realised that he was avenging in his head. Hongbin was still in a perfect condition and not on the floor, no bleeding lips. He was still breathing fine and now, looking completely irritated.

“I swear I’ll call the police if you’re still not budging from my house.”

Hakyeon instantly shook his head. Not the police. He might be killing Hongbin in his head but police didn’t have to involve in this. He then dropped his gaze to Seojun. “You’re bringing him to Jaehee?”

Hongbin inspected Hakyeon, giving him a suspicious look. “Why do you ask?” he questioned back. Hakyeon somehow could see his intention. His date would be coming soon and he thought of sending Seojun to Jaehee. Jaehee wouldn’t mind taking care of Seojun.

But since this guy from nowhere came, he could see the reluctant look on Jaehee’s face every time both of them showed up in front of her door.

It would be difficult for him if one day Jaehee decided to stop being Seojun’s babysitter; this guy in front of him might be the prime reason. He didn’t trust other people much. Jaehee was the only person he put his trust on. He didn’t want other babysitter.

“Because if you’re doing so, I can bring Seojun with me. You don’t have to go down,” Hakyeon answered politely. As much as he hated Hongbin, he wouldn’t act thoughtlessly in front of Seojun. He didn’t want Seojun to be the victim of his own wrath.

If he decided to beat Hongbin up, he would do it on Seojun’s absence and away from Jaehee’s awareness.

He couldn’t believe he was being too nice to Hongbin. He thought he might vomit anytime soon if he didn’t cut the meeting short.

“Who are you? I don’t even really know you and you’re offering me a help?” Hongbin then snorted. “Bad guy don’t straight up confess that he’s a bad guy.”

Hakyeon gave Hongbin a fuming look. He was being nice but then Hongbin wanted to turn everything into hate. He really knew how to wake the devil in him. What did he want more from him? Was it not enough that he made him tripped on his foot? Good thing he didn’t go after him and made a scene that day.

As he was about to open his mouth to speak, Hongbin’s phone rang. Reaching it in his pocket, Hongbin answered with a slight smile on his face. Seojun now had moved to Hakyeon, pulling Hakyeon towards the lift.

After the brief call, Hongbin looked at Hakyeon, “I don’t have time to fight with you, take Seojun with you and if he’s not with Jaehee the first thing tomorrow morning, you’re dead.”

Hakyeon didn’t answer and the three of them rode the lift. Hakyeon and Seojun left the lift as soon as they arrived at Jaehee’s floor. Hongbin took the ride until the ground level. Hakyeon could feel that someone was expecting Hongbin, making him wondered if it was still the same woman.

Both of them trapped in front of Jaehee’s door. Seojun stared at Hakyeon, waiting for the next move Hakyeon would take. Jaehee had notified him not to come and seeing her condition earlier, he didn’t think it was a great idea to go against her order.

But there was Seojun with him.

How would he explain to her if she saw both of them on the door step?

Thinking hard, he then crouched down to Seojun’s level. “Seojun, do you like ice-cream?” Hakyeon asked with a friendly smile on his face. Seojun looked blank but after Hakyeon mimicked eating an ice-cream, Seojun reacted positively.

---

After the night out with Seojun, he carefully entered the passcode and unlocked the door. Slowly, he pushed the door open and carefully held Seojun in his arm. Seojun was exhausted from the walked and had dozed off in his arm.

He closed the door slowly, not to make any sound and took off his shoes. Walking to the living room, he thought of resting Seojun in the guest room and spent the night in Jaehee’s house. He would explain everything the next morning because he was out of choices.

He couldn’t bring Seojun to his place.

He couldn’t send Seojun to Hongbin’s place.

And he couldn’t send Seojun into Jaehee’s bedroom.

As his feet reached the living room’s floor, he noticed the light was still on. He raised his head and unexpectedly met someone’s eyes. His blood turned to ice as he abruptly stopped on his track.

“Hongbin called me.”

Goosebumps spread on his skin and he felt extremely cold all of sudden. He stared at the woman on the couch. She had a humanlike feature but why did it feel as if he just saw a ghost. Her hair was neatly combed and she was wearing a modern pyjama. His eyes were playing no trick.

It was quite late already and he had made sure he came in the house after she had gone to bed.

He forgot that Hongbin had put no trust on him.

He released a nervous laugh, “What did you tell him?” he asked.

Jaehee didn’t look impressed and she got up, walking towards him. She stopped before both of them collided and she released a heavy sigh in front of him, sounded disappointed. “I told him Seojun’s with me… Even though he was not with me…”

Her hands then reached for Seojun and Hakyeon let go of Seojun to her. Without words, she then moved quickly to her room to lay Seojun’s down for a better sleep. Hakyeon waited anxiously outside of her bedroom, not daring to step his feet into her bedroom.

After few minutes, he heard her shuffles and she appeared from inside of the bedroom, with her arms crossed against her torso. “What did I miss? What did you guys doing?” she asked with an expressionless face but her words sounded as if she was being sulky for leaving her out.

She was now leaning on the door’s side, still with the crossed arms. A genuine smile spread on his lips as he replayed the time he spent with Seojun, “We just go out, eating, playing and fooling around…”

She stared at him, expecting him to add more but he had stopped talking. She nodded; somehow satisfied though she hoped he would talk more, specifically, especially the part where he didn’t answer her call. “I called you but you never answer. I guess you two really playing hard.”

He looked shock and immediately looked for his cell phone. Pulling it out, he turned it on to see twenty-three miss calls and eighteen unread text messages. His jaw dropped and he could feel his heart beating fast. She must be extremely worried and that explain her appearance in the living room.

They weren’t supposed to be seeing each other that day; it was his off-day but here they were, talking to each other.

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t aware…” his throat all of sudden dried up and he was running out of word at the same time. “I didn’t know…”

She nodded, “I think so.”

She looked mad and he began to panic. Their relationship had gone a bit shaky since last night and he wouldn’t want to get even shakier. “Look, I can explain.”

“Goodnight, Cha Hakyeon,” she waved her hand and was about to turn back into her room but Hakyeon was fast enough to pull her away from her room. He grabbed on her wrist and pulled her towards him. She pulled back, struggling to let go.

“Let go of my hand,” she said as she pulling back her hand hard.

Her request made him to tighten his grip on her. “Let me explain what happened,” Hakyeon spoke but she didn’t seem to get interested on his explanation. She was too focused to set herself free. She kept asking him to let her go but Hakyeon went against her.

He stopped trying to explain after seeing her struggles. After a while, something settled in his mind as he watched her begging him to release her. He somehow could sense that she was acting cold not because of Seojun.

Not because of the unanswered calls and texts.

Not because of Hongbin’s call.

Not because of leaving her out from the fun.

Not because of the unexplained situation.

But because of him…!

“Is this because of last night?” he asked.

She stopped struggling and froze in her position.

He could see her breathing heavily but she stood frozen like a mannequin. She didn’t answer nor did she attempt to answer. Hakyeon was disappointed to her response and caught her chin between his fingers. His other hand still holding on her wrist but his grip had loosened, giving her the chance to set her hand free but she blew the chance away by being frozen like a statue.

Forcing her to face him, she complied but her eyes refused to meet him.

He was right. It was all because of him. He then set her chin free and she stayed in her position, face on his direction but her gaze on something else. “You know you always have the choices?” he paused as he stared on her face. The long eyelashes he used to see had gone, probably because she had taken off the fake eyelashes but her natural eyelashes were quite long as well.

“You could choose to not answer my question and tell me that you don’t want to answer my question but avoiding it? And then acting all cold?”

She remained stubborn as her gazes still glued on the empty space.

“I don’t mind if you’re answer’s going to hurt me but really? You cannot avoid me and treat me like this because you’re hurting me more than you think you do.”

There was a hesitant look in her eyes for a moment. Her facial expression softened. Hakyeon sighed seeing the persistent Jaehee. “Choi Jaehee?”

His call remained unanswered, but heard.

“I was talking as a man, as Cha Hakyeon. I really wanted to know what do you think of me but you left me hanging. I can’t ask you the same question in this house… because as soon as my feet stepped into this house, I become Cha Hakyeon, the hired fake husband.”

He let go of her hand and his gazed fixed on her face. He then advanced towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, to give her a goodnight embrace –the request she always asked before he was leaving.

He inhaled her scent as he patted gently on her back. After few pats, he spoke.

“You know I can’t leave you without a goodnight hug?”

That was when she snuck her arms around his torso, and pulling him tighter as she buried her head in his chest. Hakyeon was caught off-guard and was stumbling but he could get back on his ground. His hand then hesitantly reached the back of her head, her hair gently…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N; I’m sorry for the super late update. I was busy with family gathering and have no time to update this. I’m so sorry! I hope you like this chapter by the way, well... Please don’t hate me. ^_^

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