A/N: 5 years later, and here I am with a double update! Welcome back! Please go back one chapter. Happy reading~

"Mr. and Mrs. Jung?" the doctor said as he walked into your hospital room. You were still groggy from the procedure, but anxious to hear the news. "We're really sorry, but.." The rest of his sentence started to tune out.

You couldn't believe it, but at the same time, it was feasible. You didn't take care of yourself, you were constantly under stress, and always refusing to rest. Jinyoung blamed himself; he felt that your marriage problems were the most recent and most impacful stressors to your health. You looked down at your belly, which was now a bit flatter, even under the hospital gown. Both of you were too tired and shocked to cry. Instead, you sat together in silence. 

One week later, you had fully recovered. You and Jinyoung sat on the couch watching TV together. For the past week, you talked for hours, addressing every issue the two of you had, and for some reason, your relationship still didn't feel completely healed. Even before the traumatic experience of losing what was supposed to be your first child, you felt as though you were carrying something heavy in your chest. Perhaps it was because you still lived in the past; you couldn't forget about everything that happened before your marriage: years of being apart with little communication, large misunderstandings, and most importantly, Jinyoung's infidelity during a time when you trusted him the most. It was the same for Jinyoung. Despite all the joy that came with reuniting, getting married, and conceiving a child, all those problems remained in the back of his mind. This wasn't to say that either of you felt any less for each other -- the love was still there. However, these problems just had too much of an effect on both of you.

"I think we need to spend some time apart," you suddenly blurted out. 

Jinyoung continued to stare at the TV, but he wasn't watching. His eyes began to fill with tears, but he didn't let them fall, and stopped them instead. "I understand," he replied. He took your hand and kissed it. Your wedding ring glimmered in the light. "I'm gonna go see the boys," he said, grabbing his keys and putting on a coat.

He sat in his car, crying. He wanted to fight for you, badly. He didn't want a break, he wanted to be with you, through everything, but at the same time, he couldn't stand the thought of you being unhappy because of him.

He didn't go to see the boys. He decided to drink alone, and then came back to your house, stumbling. He climbed into bed hoping you'd be there, but as expected, it was empty. That night, he cried himself to sleep.

Meanwhile, you decided to go Mir's place. Normally, Hyojin would be your first option, but she was out of town with Shinwoo. When you arrived, Mir and Byung Hun were sitting, with bottles of soju and cans of beer scattered on the dining table. 

"Hey, look like I've got some catching up to do!" you said, already grabbing a glass. You proceeded to tell them about your current situation with Jinyoung, all while avoiding the sensitive topic of your miscarriage.

"You're what?!" Mir exclaimed. Byung Hun looked disappointed.

"Relax, I'm not getting a divorce. I just think that he and I need to be away from each other for a little while. With everything that's been going on, I honestly don't think it's healthy for either of us to keep sulking and talking about our problems, like, 24/7," you explained. "We've both just been feeling unhappy for a while now, and I think that time apart would help us heal and clear our minds."

This didn't make sense to Mir, who was just staring at you with disbelief. "I disagree. With everything that's been going on, especially now, the two of you need to be there for each other. You're each other's support system," Mir said softly. 

"Mir has a point," Byung Hun said. "I know it's a rough time for you guys right now, but this really isn't right."

You were just about to say something, when Byung Hun followed up with more.

"But," he started, "if you've been unhappy, then that's a different story."

By then, you couldn't even process what either of them were saying. After over half a year of not drinking because of the pregnancy, your tolerance had gone down and you were starting to feel drunk. "Guys, I need to lay down," you said.

The next morning, Jinyoung woke up to a text from Mir letting him know that you were there with them. He was slightly bothered that you had been spending some time with Byung Hun lately, but at the same time, he knew he could make you happy. He had already felt this once before, back when the two of you were still dating. He tried to shake his insecurities away and attempted to feel confident in himself to make it work with you and be happy. After all, you chose him and married him, not Byung Hun. Mid-thought, Jinyoung's phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"It's me, Min Hee. We need to talk."