6 months later

We arrived back home a week later after our honeymoon. I remember Jinri complaining about how drained she was coming back from Japan, unable to walk straight to which I reacted proudly. Yes we had made love every night during our honeymoon, woke up at noon the following day, missed most of our pre-planned activities but draped in white sheets with Jinri underneath me was my favourite activity.

Now, it has been half if a year into our marriage and things have finally started to get back to normal. Jinri is a flourishing actress, which I had never doubted would happen in the first place. Her beauty gains her recognition over other actresses but Jinri isn't just a sculpted goddess. She has skill as an actress so much so that I believe that if only she knew English, she'd make Hollywood go insane for her.

I on the other hand, have been taking care of Shinae, playing the role of the mother while I get opportunities from various sectors of the entertainment world. I enjoy my time at home but I believe that Jinri thinks I'm bored. In fact, one day she suggested that I should run a dance studio like Kai or that I should ask him to hire me as his assistant. 

This suggestion irked me.

Did she think Jongin was a better dancer than me? Of course we laughed it off after and she kissed me whilst stating that in her eyes, there was no one who could move his body better than me and she was lucky to be privy to that. We were under the sheets after that again.

I feel like like we were lusting after each other more than necessary so whenever we deemed that an opportunity was seemingly right, we'd give ourselves up to each other.

However, a week or so ago, that lust was cut short when Jinri got casted for a big movie that was going to have millions spent on it, but some of the filming had to be done overseas.

So now here I am, lacking in my life with Shinae coloring my face with a variety of Crayola markers.

"There, daddy. I put makeup on you like mommy," she announces with a proud grin, smacking her tiny hands together as she finishes.

She hands me her princess mirror and I gasp before faking a reaction only a four-year old would buy.

"I do look beautiful, almost like Cinderella," I lie, giving her a peck on the cheek.

She smiles, and starts packing her box of colors and says she's going to open a makeup "shop" in the future.

I smile proudly at her cute endeavors and suggest, "Maybe you should try it on uncle Jongin next."

ღ ღ ღ

Shinae runs to Jinri when she sees her mother's figure at the arrivals at the Seoul International Airport.

"Mommyyy," she shouts, running at full speed, arms flailing, letting the whole civilization know the identity of her mother.

"My babyyy," Jinri yells back, arms open wide. I chuckle. Like mother, like daughter.

Noticing her neglected husband, Jinri gives me a tight embrace while I welcome her with: "Glad you're back baby," to which Shinae refutes that the term "baby" can only be associated with her as she is the younger one.

On our way home, we stop by an ice-cream shop because Jinri has an obsession for the tasty dessert and without saying, Shinae does too. I pay for both my girls and we stroll along a path shaded under massive trees, holding hands with Shinae who is between us. As the heat gets to her, Shinae begins singing f(x)'s Hot Summer in her adorably off-tune voice, while Jinri tells us about her adventures in Italy.

"Oh, it's beautiful. We really have to go there someday," she says.

"Just the two of us," I ask a bit too enthusiastically but she rejects it immediately.

"No, the three of us. Lee Taemin, do you not want to further your daughter's knowledge of the world beyond Seoul?"she asks, clearly unimpressed with me.

I laugh it off. We walk in silence after that because Shinae is no longer singing and has fallen asleep in my arms.

As we near the end of our stroll, a few fans spot us. I'm about to tell Jinri that maybe we should run away (like I use to back in my idol days with Jongin) but she surprises me by going forward and giving her autograph to them. None of them ask for mine and I feel disappointed even though I had come to terms with the fact that my life as an idol/entertainer was over. Even though I was glad I wasn't at the center of the media's speculation anymore, I did feel a bit regretful.

Noticing my disdain expression, Jinri reassures me by saying: "It's because you've been out of the media for so long."

I nod and think 'Or maybe it's because I disappointed them by abandoning both my child and the mother of my child.'

ღ ღ ღ

Shinae tests out her markers on Chanyeol next, not Jongin.

He comes over after a long day at work, hosting a variety show, and tells Jinri to cook him something because he is engulfed by fatigue and he doesn't have the energy to make a meal for himself.

I walk in to the kitchen in my pajamas, half- (because of the sweltering weather), holding Shinae who is yawning but upon seeing him, she sprints to her room and comes back with her "makeup" kit.

I, however, am not appeased by other men telling my wife what to do, even though knowing Jinri's love for her friends, she would've done it anyways. It irks me but I behave for Jinri's sake, and go put on a shirt.

Chanyeol greets me formally and then begins conversing with Jinri, both of them completley ignoring me. They chat about subjects that are all indifferent to me like Chanyeol's job, his love life, thoughts on children.

Chanyeol slumps a little in his chair, "Nana is still giving me the silent treatment. I didn't even do anything wrong."

Later that night, I understand the real reason Chanyeol had come to eat here. It's because he wants some comfort and advice from Jinri, and just as I had predicted, they are both sitting on the veranda that night, drinking.

I listen for a while, a bottle of beer in my hand as well, but it gets too emotional for my taste so I go to bed.

ღ ღ ღ

Chanyeol visits the entire week and Jinri comes to bed at 3am every night. I don't even bother asking her what they could possibly be discussing about because I hardly care. Even when I feel her faintly kiss me and whisper good night, I pretend like I don't notice.

A week later, I bring Shinae to the park to play with Junmyeon-hyung's son and daughter. Chanyeol happens to be there too, looking quite disturbed as he talks on the phone. He sees me and walks over while I inwardly groan about what the next couple of hours may be about.

"How's Jinri?" he asks.

I tell him that she's fine. He nods.

"I'm glad you came back. There were times that she would come over to my house and drink several bottles of beer until she passed out."

I look over at him, quite taken aback by his confession. I hadn't really dug into Jinri's past after coming back because I wanted to move on from my remorseful past or maybe it was because I didn't want to know what my absence had done to her. However, after hearing Chanyeol touch the subject, I wanted to know everything.

"What else did she do?"

Chanyeol gives me a panicked look, and I'm guessing he's contemplating if he should say anything else.

"She was suicidal at one point," he pronounces quietly, on the edge of his seat as he probably senses my sudden bewilderment and my anger.

"She was tired, alone with a young kid, and Shinae was weak when she was young. There were always some issues that would arise with Shinae's health."

I don't look back at him, completely horrified by these mind-blowing facts that had been missing in my relationship with Jinri.

"She quit her job in the middle of shooting a film, getting a lot of backfire for it, a lot of lawyers on her case, the production team insulting her feeling like they had been betrayed. Everybody was at but we, her friends, understood her."

My heart is tortured with every new detail that passes through my ears.

"One night she reached her breaking point and said that she couldn't do it anymore, that she was tired."

I don't even notice until Chanyeol begins shouting for a tissue that I am crying. Tears trickle down to my thighs as I sit on the bench, feeling guilty, feeling lied to, and feeling like I am a despicable person.

Chanyeol gives me a good pat on the back as I choke up even further.

"She was really going through a hard period but we helped her get through it. She told me months later when I asked her how she was doing that she was listening to your music. They were remnants from the past that gave her hope for the future."

He stops and looks at me directly, confidently, "You gave her hope. Your memory, your history with her, your promises, they were her hope. She must really love you."

Junmyeon-hyung's daughter begins crying so babysitter Chanyeol gives me one last comforting pat before helping Junmyeon-hyung with his diva child who’s throwing sand on the latter’s attire.

My mind is clogged with too many facts that I ignore the scene in front me. My vision blurs as I remember Chanyeol's last words. "She must really love you."

And then I cry again because I don't believe I am worthy of her love.

ღ ღ ღ

A/N: Okay guys, so here's the update I promised. I am now halfway done with this fic and hopefully, it'll be done by September. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am writing it. As for the Chanyeol and Taemin's relationship, I think they are actually good friends in real life (more like Chanyeol has a crush on him, judging from these pictures).

And we all all know that Chanyeol and Sulli are good friends so I thought Chanyeol would be a nice addition to this fic (plus he's my bias so why not). Don't worry, he's not going to them after this as he is already in a relationship with Nana.

gif & picture credit to the owners