#hotpinklists

your schedule has changed so much, driving from seoul to busan to meet with your clients, endless meetings, attending trials and of course, designing the last-minute dresses. aside from fall and winter clothing, allure has collaborated with luxe and lace - a bridal dress company that happens to be your mom’s best friend’s business. you were a bit uncertain with the plan, but, hey, it was a nice opportunity and besides, it was only for this year’s fashion show. on your calendar placed next to your laptop, had two blue ink circles. one being the first day of the fashion week, the other was the day of your period which was three days ago.

shit. you thought, your mouth was slightly opened as your stare at the circled date. it was so unlikely to happen - you were never late when it comes to your menstruation. you buzzed your secretary, and a few seconds later she came inside of your office. you had asked her a ‘no-questions-asked’ favor which she agreed to and headed off to buy you some pregnancy tests at the pharmacy across the street, and as soon as she came back, you rushed to the bathroom inside your office.

you took three tests and had to wait 10 minutes: 10 minutes of overthinking. if it comes out negative, then the divorce will be done as planned. if it’s positive then… you’re fucked. as you wait, you walk back and forth inside the small room, did you forget to take your pill that night? you usually take them every night at 7 p.m., and you must’ve been so drunk that you forgot about it.

“well, let’s just see what my fate is.” you said, opening one eye as you flip the three sticks. positive. all of them.

you are indeed fucked; how are you supposed to tell this to your parents? most importantly, how are you going to break this news to jaehyun? what if he doesn’t want this anymore? he did sign the divorce papers on the last day. what if you had another miscarriage again? history repeats itself, doesn’t it? are you even ready to be a mom? you probably bit your lower lip too strong that you started tasting blood. you shook your head, storming out of the bathroom to grab your belongings and shoved the tests inside your bag. 

it was a busy day inside allure, and as you walked out of your office, you had a lot of people calling after you. at that point, you were ignoring them. you had to be with jaehyun, you had to tell him - after all, it was also his baby. his decision matters (which was ironic because you decided to file for a divorce without acknowledging his opinion), he was also responsible for this baby’s life. 

when you arrived at zetta tech’s headquarters, the receptionist did not bother calling for your name anymore after your first encounter over two months ago. you hurriedly rode the elevator with most of the employees and pressed the button for the 23rd floor.

“y/n, what are you doing here?” hanbyul asked with a shocked expression on her face.

“i- i need to talk to jaehyun, is he around?”

“mhmm, he’s at the conference room as of the moment but i’m pretty sure his meeting with the new client will be done in a few minutes.”

you nodded your head and sat on the ottoman in front of her cubicle, catching your breath. 

you wondered what jaehyun’s reaction would be. happy? well, he probably will be happy because he did want to fix your marriage. but you were a nervous wreck. usually, you weren’t like this - you were a tough boss, a tough one to please but whenever it came to jaehyun, you’re like a lost puppy. you were weak. the moment you heard the doors of the conference room open, you stood up hurriedly. a bunch of people in suits walked out of the room, and one man stood there frozen. you walked towards his direction, greeting a few people as they walked past you.

“jaehyun, can we talk?” you asked, “i-is this a good time? because this is very serious and i need your opinion about it.”

“wow, you need my opinion? that’s new.” he laughed, “i have a lot on my plate, y/n. can we just let this slip today and talk about it during the next court hearing?”

ouch. that actually hurt. jaehyun walked past you as well, his hands were buried in his pockets as he entered his office. this has to end today. you thought, turning around and followed him inside.

“jaehyun, this is really important. if it isn’t, i probably would’ve sent my secretary here instead of me-”

“not now, y/n.”

“yes, now, jaehyun!” you shout, causing him to flinch by your sudden rise of noise.

he pinched the skin in between his eyebrows and groaned, “y/n, i’m doing something really important here-”

“jaehyun, i’m pregnant.” you interject, “you- you got me pregnant.”

silence surrounds the room as jaehyun looks at you, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth slightly agape. it was so clear that he was confused, “i thought you were on the pill, you told me you were on the pill!”

“i was… i think i must’ve forgotten to take one that night.” you sniffed, “look, if you don’t want this, i can always-”

“have you visited the doctor yet?” you shook your head, “then how did you know you’re pregnant?”

you pulled out the three sticks out of your bag, placing them on top of his table. jaehyun held one of it and sighed, “do you have time today? let’s go to the doctor.” he suggested, pressing a button on his telephone. “hanbyul, cancel all my meetings today. i have to go to the hospital.”

you sat uncomfortably next to jaehyun inside his benz. the atmosphere between the two of you was heavy and felt very suffocating. in the corner of your eye, you could see jaehyun drive with one hand and the other was massaging his forehead. 

“i’m sorry,” you apologize, “i shouldn't have told you about it today…”

“then what? tell it to me when you have another miscarriage?” he fought back, stopping at the red light.

that caught you off guard, “yeah, i probably should've just done that.” you said, unbuckling your seatbelt and unlocked the car. “look, i didn’t want this- it wasn’t even part of my plan, i was drunk when we had sex and it was mistake. just call me when you're done being such an asshole.”

needless to say, that jaehyun did contact you a few days later, but you were the one who’s ignoring him - for a good reason though. you didn’t want to stress yourself again now that you were pregnant. you scheduled a checkup the following day to confirm it yourself, the father of this child was being a child himself, so you decided to go alone. twas the day of your second year of handling a fashion show, everything was going on so well and everyone hasn’t made any mistakes. but of course, you spoke too soon. one of your models tripped backstage and injured herself. 

“i’ll do it.” you suggested, all of the staff gasped in shock, causing you to chuckle, “we have no other choice- it’s the last walk in a few minutes.”

“b-but you’re gonna have to wear a wedding dress, ma’am.”

“and? it’s not like i haven’t worn one.”

immediately, you stripped out of your clothes. leaving you in your underwear as you wait for the staff to prepare the wedding dress for you. the lace, trumpet-style white dress fits your body perfectly. it reminds you of the time you were finding the right dress to wear for your wedding. all the staff gathered around you to help you prepare for the last-minute decision of walking down the runway.

“wedding dresses are up!” yelled one of the event coordinators.

“i’m sorry, ms. y/n-” the injured model apologized, you gave her a warm smile and told her it was alright.

you were the last one to walk, to display the final design of the collaborated dress made by allure and luxe & lace. you were holding such a big responsibility. walking down the runway wasn’t new to you. you experienced a few when you were sixteen, but right now, something was definitely up. as the models in front of you slowly disappear and walk back, you could feel cold sweat form on your skin. you could do this, y/n y/l/n. you told yourself as the model in front of you walks out.

the coordinator greets you with good luck as she sends you out. the amount of people outside stunned you, yet you kept your poise and stoic face. what even more stunned you was the person sitting on the front row, next to johnny’s significant other who loved your designs. jeong jaehyun sat there shocked as he saw you walk down the runway, it was like the time he saw you walk down the aisle. time seemed to slow down when jaehyun met your eyes and as you turned to the other side of the runway, jaehyun knew he had to talk to you after this event.

he found himself in front of your apartment door at 6 in the morning the following day. he wanted to let you celebrate your fun after the event because frankly, you deserved it. he knew your plans about moving back to europe once your divorce was settled, but now that you were pregnant, jaehyun thought it would be dangerous for you to fly back, let alone live abroad during your pregnancy. if you decide to keep this baby, jaehyun wants to be part of its life. he wanted to be present, even if you still want to continue with the divorce - being part of that little bean’s life would be enough for him.

“jaehyun, what are you doing here?” you asked, opening the front door after you heard the first ring.

“i- i wanted to talk to you about the baby.”

your mouth forms an ‘o’, stepping to the side to give him space to enter your abode. he looked around and saw the neat furniture and paintings around the living room. your place was minimalistic and eye-pleasing. he smelled fermented kimchi, in contrast to your beautiful place, noticing that you were making yourself breakfast.

“ah, sorry. i woke up craving some kimchi fried rice…” you mutter, covering the pan and turned the stove off. “so, uh, you said you wanted to talk about the baby?”

“i’m sorry if i was such an asshole the other week- i was just so stressed with work and our ongoing divorce, i might've poured all the pressure and anger on you.” he explained, “look, y/n, i really didn’t know what to feel when you told me you were pregnant. i was happy, yes. i’m finally building the family we’ve always wanted but… i wasn’t sure if you wanted it the way i wanted.”

you look down to your feet, unable to speak and played with your oversized shirt to prevent yourself from crying. “y/n, from the very start, it has always been the two of us but… until the previous year, i was a jerk. i know what i did was wrong. i deserve every anger you have for me but i want to be part of this baby’s life.” he cried, “i- i’m okay if you still want to continue with the divorce, but if you do keep this baby, at least let me be part of their life. i’m also responsible for them.”

you sighed, “i have an 8 am appointment with my ob-gyn. perhaps, do you want to come with me?”

without hesitation, jaehyun nodded his head. 

you sit nervously on the couch outside your doctor’s office, your legs bounce continuously - a sign of anxiousness as you wait for the doctor’s assistant to call your name. jaehyun noticed it, his hand found its way to yours, intertwining it with his and held it tightly. “calm down. i’m sure everything will be fine.” he comforted, “i’m right here, okay?”

you nodded your head and sighed, “jaehyun, do you want to come with me inside while dr. kim examines me or do you want to stay here?” you asked, he raised an eyebrow “i-i guess i’m just a little shy to let you see me inside and hear the doctor talk about babies and stuff.”

“i’d love to hear about it, y/n. this is your first, well, second pregnancy. i want to know more about it so i could help you throughout the journey.”

the doctor's assistant calls for your name and the two of you enter the small office with a bunch of posters and pictures plastered on the wall. doctor kim explains what to expect on your first trimester, you were six weeks in and he suggested an ultrasound to further confirm the baby’s condition. you felt your cheeks heat when jaehyun helped you strip out of your clothes to change into a hospital gown. but once the doctor points the small bean on the screen, the two of you felt so relieved and happy. that little guy right there would be your bundle of joy in no time. jaehyun had a lot of questions for the doctor, it was like he was the one who was pregnant and not you.

you still held jaehyun's hand as you walked back to his car. according to your gynecologist, you had nothing to be worried about as your baby is growing healthy. you were told to be extra careful and avoid any stress as possible. he had invited you to eat lunch with him, which you gladly accepted. it was already noon and you were already hungry as you are eating for two now. 

as your first trimester passes by, jaehyun finds himself staying at your place more often, he offered to take your couch to monitor your journey as a soon-to-be-mom. at 14 weeks, you started to wear loose dresses to work. your bump was visible than ever despite the fact that you have been trying to hide it to everybody. you and jaehyun decided to tell your family about it on the 20th week mark, which resulted in a lot of mixed reactions. both of your parents asked if you were back together again, that also resulted with the two of you talking in the middle of the night about it. you ended up attending couple's therapy to pick up the broken pieces of your marriage and had the court dismiss your filed divorce. it wasn’t easy but the two of you got through it.

in your second trimester, you suggested jaehyun to move in with you officially. he understood why you didn’t want to live in the old townhouse anymore and decided to buy a new place from the money you’ve got by selling the old house. at 19 weeks, you found out that you were having a girl. jaehyun freaked out for a week after receiving the news. at 26 weeks, jaehyun had asked you to marry him again while the two of you took a quick break from life during a vacation in jeju island. the officiant, jaehyun and you were the only ones present at this 24-hour wedding chapel he found at 2 am. 

in the last trimester, things started to get real, real hard. jaehyun realized how hard it must’ve been being pregnant - the unusual and weird cravings (like eating ice cream with pickles) and all sorts of body pains you experienced carrying another human being. he offers to massage your body sometimes and even did the famous tiktok trend where the man would lift the belly slightly which was helpful, by the way. jaehyun found out that sex during the third trimester wasn’t dangerous, after doctor kim told him that it was, quote this, downright healthy. the two of you couldn't keep your hands off each other and were like bunnies hopping around town every damn time. other than that, jaehyun made sure to capture every memory to show it to your baby in the future.

it was 2 in the morning when you started your labor. jaehyun had called the midwife while you yelled inside the bedroom, gripping on the sheets as you tried to find a way to reduce the pain. you had opted to water birth at home, because according to your husband who has read more books than you did, it was less painful than normal delivery in the hospital (which, as doctor kim said, both are painful). jaehyun had joined you in the pool in the middle of your living room, planting kisses on your neck and temple as he told you that you were doing a good job. then he realized, a little later, that he was also covered in blood water and other body fluids but it didn’t matter because he held the two people in his life who mattered the most to him - you, and your baby girl.

it felt like jaehyun was holding the whole world in his arms, jeong dasom was born healthy and weighs 7.5 pounds, a week before your anniversary.

“you did a good job, my love.” jaehyun whispered against your cheek before planting a kiss on your lips. 

starting today, it will be you, jaehyun, dasom and other future kids you will have, ‘til the end. 

COPYRIGHT © THEJE0NGS. 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE.

"You need to tell me what is happening so that I can help you. What is your name ma'am?"

He was still calm, he had enough experience to know what would happen if he lost his cool too.

A message dinged on one of his screens indicating that they had traced the nearest cell tower of the cell phone.

"Officer Lee." He said, already on the other line, talking to the nearest official he could see. "We have a 911 emergency of abuse."

"Roger that. Address?"

"It's…" Baekhyun's voice trailed off on seeing the address. No way- How was that possible?

The address was his house.

He cleared his throat, sure that the address was wrong since they tracked the nearest cell tower, and that could be miles away from the destination.

“The address shows my house but I think it means nearby places.”

There was a pause, as though Taeyong too seemed to be trying to process this.

“On my way.”

“Ma’am,” Baekhyun said, back to line one, “if you could tell me your name or your address, or even what is happening to you I could help you out.”

His eyes were trained to look at all the monitors at once, one monitoring the small dot that represented Taeyong heading towards the destination, another with a blank form about the caller and another one where he was rapidly typing what he was hearing, ready to call in other emergencies in case he heard something.

“Help. Why don’t you help me? Please help.”

“Ma’am help is on the way-”

There was a loud pop as all the lights went out and the only source now was his computer screens. Baekhyun wasn’t scared of the dark ever, another reason he never minded this night shift as a Dispatch Operator but the growing sounds of gurgling and growling in the telephone line was causing shivers to travel down his spine.

“Baekhyun…” The woman rasped, this time sounding like she had gargled razors and Baekhyun felt his blood turn cold.

H-How did she know his name?

The hair on his nape stood up as his breathing came out in pants on this unusual call. With a jolt, he realised how lonely he was, not a single soul on his floor whilst he was plunged in darkness.

The call cut off abruptly, and at the same time the power surged to life. 

Yet, the cold feeling hadn't left Baekhyun as though he could still hear the woman gargling in his ear.

“Byun?”

He jerked as the second line came to life, Taeyong’s voice clear through the landline.

“H-Hey. Did you find anything?” He tried not to sound shaken, but it was hard because the more he tried to ignore, the more the feeling of foreboding grew in him.

“Nothing. We will be needing to get a more specific address. Your entire apartment seems safe to me. Is she still on the line?”

Baekhyun exhaled.

“No. She cut the call. I don’t think she needs help anymore. She sounded alright at the end.” He lied.

“Are you sure? Shouldn’t we follow the protocol still-”

“She told me so.” Baekhyun snapped, and Taeyong quieted down.

He sighed, rubbing his template, trying to forget what he heard. Being a 911 operator, there was bound to be such horrors right? He had heard some similar stories of ghost calls from his superiors.

"Well then...I suppose that's it huh? Are you calling it a night?"

Baekhyun felt his heart leap to his throat.

Calling it a night? On any other day he would have loved to crash on to his bed but all of a sudden going back to his house seemed like a distant nightmare, something which would haunt him and tear him apart.

"N-no. I'll continue my shift. Besides, Kibum won't wake up if I call him now."

"You sound...scared. We've dealt with these before, right?" Taeyong asked, clearly concerned for him.

"Y-yeah. I'll hang up now."

As soon as the phone went down, Baekhyun buried his face in his hands, trying to block out the horrible sounds he had heard.

But the more he tried to forget them, the more he was convinced that they were no more voices in his head but were coming from the room.

I’m hallucinating. I’ve gone mad.

He got up and walked upstairs, walking into a similar room to see only two occupants in the entire floor. Night shifts were starting to become rare.

“Hey Taeyeon.” Baekhyun said, approaching the older female of the two women working as dispatch at this time.

“Hey Baek- Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Baekhyun smiled sheepishly, taking a seat between Taeyeon and Joohyun.

“You know, calls these days. As Halloween approaches things get creepy.”

“I think I’ll leave this job after a year. There’s only so much I can handle such depressing news and situations.” Joohyun muttered, eyes still raking over the screens.

“So, uh, I was wondering if you both could take my shift. I, uh, the last call-”

He really didn't know how to explain the call.

But they were already nodding, understanding his unexplained fear.

“You go home. We will take care.” Taeyeon said, patting his shoulder lightly.

He smiled at them gladly, getting up to leave.

But even after he left the building, he could hear those groaning sounds following him.

He pressed his fingers against his temples, the headache still persisting despite eating the medicines.

He couldn’t sleep even a bit the night before. Everything he shut his eyes he was only revisited by the same nightmare and then he woke up in cold sweat. Even awake he couldn't shake off the foreboding fear in him, shivering in the darkness.

The telephone range once more and he automatically picked it up.

"911. Please state your emergency-"

"Help."

Baekhyun froze, feeling blood drain out of his cheeks.

"Baekhyun, please help."

It was the same woman. He was very sure of it.

But this time he was scared for a different reason.

This time he was scared because he knew this voice.

"Y/N." He whispered, fear clutching his stomach as he felt his heart hammer in his chest.

In the empty office he could only hear his own ragged breathing and the slight buzzing sound coming from the phone.

But how was this possible?

Y/N had died six months ago. 

Or rather, she had been murdered in his apartment. At first he had been charged with murder, but due to lack of evidence he was set free. 

"Help please." She rasped. "Help me-"

"Where are you?" He whispered.

"In your apartment. Why aren't you helping?"

He felt his head spin. Whom was he even talking to? With each word her voice turned raspy and he could feel the famine fear returning.

"If you don't help me he'll-"

Baekhyun heard her gasp, followed by a whimpering as he heard someone slap her.

"Y-Y/N?" He asked, though he didn't want to know what had happened to her.

"Stay away." A male voice said.

Baekhyun nearly fell off his seat, the hair on his arms and neck standing up.

"Stay away." 

He could hear his own voice on the other side of the telephone line.

The telephone nearly slipped from his sweaty hand as he tried taking in a breath to calm himself down.

"And who's this-"

"Just stay away from us."

And the line disconnected.

"Who was that?"

Baekhyun jumped from his seat, hands flying to his mouth to prevent himself from screaming when he came face to face with Kibum.

"You scared me." He hissed, rubbing his sweaty forehead while trying to calm his shaking body down.

Kibum raised his eyes.

"Did I scare you? Or that call did?"

Baekhyun looked away.

"What are you talking about-"

"You asked the caller whether she was Y/N."

Baekhyun shivered involuntarily at the memory.

"It sounded like her." He gulped.

Kibum sat down beside him, concern etched on his face.

"Are you sure? Taeyeon and Taeyong said you were acting a bit differently even yesterday."

He exhaled.

"I'm fine. Just no sleep. You know, Halloween is just around the corner, kids coming up pranking-”

“You should go home.” Kibum cut him, patting him on the shoulder. “I think you need rest.”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to protest, but shuddered in the thought of facing another ghost call. 

Packing his things, he made his way out of the office into the elevator, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

His heart jumped again as his phone rang, cutting the heavy cold silence.

"Hello?" He whispered, wondering who it was.

"Why did you kill me?"

He felt his head spin once more.

"Y/N. How did you- Kill you- What are you talking about-" he panted, stumbling back to support his wobbly legs with the help of the wall of the lift.

All of a sudden the air felt cooler, and his clammy hands seemed to be unable to grip the hand bar of the lift.

"Don't you know? You killed me. Well, not exactly you. It was Baëkhyun. But he is you, you are him, right?"

He heard the lift ding as it reached the ground floor. Frantically, he tried pushing random buttons, not wanting the lift door to open.

But as though his fate was doomed, the doors slowly opened, until he was face to face with her.

She dropped the phone from his hand, stepping into the lift coolly as Baekhyun stumbled back, trying to make as much distance as he could with her. But soon his back hit the wall and he could only stare as this ghostly form of his ex lover smiled at him.

"Now it's time for me to return the favour."

A/N: Please do tell me what you think about this story!! I worked really hard on it and I would love to know everyone’s thoughts on it~ Comments and reblogs are appreciated!

The Nakamoto clan had always been known as the most powerful yakuza family in Osaka. Generations after generations, they lead to fear in the streets of Japan. They were the wealthiest, strongest yakuza family known to man.

That was until two years ago and the whole yakuza clan just disappeared without a trace. They said the whole family was wiped out by another yakuza clan. Another claimed that the head was sent to prison while some say that the son of the current head died in a car accident. But the real reason isn’t as gore as what others think.

Yuta slid the knife out of its case, making sure that it’s sharp to use by gliding his callous finger on the side. Once he felt the pain of the simple cut, he threw the piece of meat on the chopping board and started stabbing it. He made small slices, making him chuckle at the perfection he had done.

The perfect slices of beef misono.

Using his chopsticks, he started beating the egg to make the egg rolls she loves. He filled the bento with rice, even making the sausages into little octopus.

The perfect lunchbox. For his perfect working wife.

True, the head of their yakuza family ended up in prison after being framed up for the crime he didn’t commit but he was also the one who advised his son to leave the illegal and dangerous world of yakuza. To create his own destiny.

Then, he fell in love.

“Yuta!” his wife called, running down the stairs of their small home. He even shouted for her to be careful or she might trip herself. “I forgot I have a meeting today. I’m late.” She’s already wearing her shoes when he went out of the kitchen with his apron on.

“But…” The door was already closed before he can even greet her. She already left. “You didn’t kiss me good morning or goodbye yet.” He whispered while pouting. His eyes widened in surprise at the sudden realization that she forgot her lunch.

Yuta sighed, wiping his rough hands on the apron. Maybe he’ll just deliver it to her office after he’s done with the laundry. He stretched his tattoo-clad arms to begin his day. Yuta started loading the laundry in the washing machine, separating the whites and colored shirts. He even removed her bra from the pile of clothes to hand wash them. He started sweeping the floors, making sure to clean the crooks of the room, and even wiping the large shelves. Before he could hang the clothes to dry, he had already mopped the floor.

The clock showed that its ten minutes past twelve. Y/N’s lunchtime. He didn’t even get to message her as he hurried to her office building to deliver her lunch.

He stopped the roaring motorcycle in front of the entrance of the building, removing his helmet and taking the pink lunch bag. The guard gulped seeing him, his neck and arm tattoo showing as well as the scars on his face. “What…” the guard stuttered, “What do you need?”

Yuta hissed, the look of fear. With his uninterested gaze, he handed the pink bag to the other guy. “Give this to Y/N of the Finance Department.” Yuta was about to turn back when he heard a voice calling for him.

His face remained stoic that the guard had to visibly put a hand above his holster. He looked surprised when Y/N hugged him. “Yuta,” she said cutely. “I’m sorry for leaving early.” How can he get mad at her if she looks like this? “What are you doing here?”

“Bento.” he handed him the lunch bag.

The girl pouted. “I already ate lunch though.” She gestured to her co-worker who treated her for lunch, introducing him as Moon Taeil. The guy awkwardly held a hand out but Yuta just glared at him. “This is Yuta Nakamoto, my husband.”

“Nakamoto?” The guard asked, gulping once again. Y/N nodded, even telling them that he’s using the Nakamoto surname for months now. “Did you know that he’s a yakuza?”

Yuta smirked when Taeil whipped his head at her then at him. Y/N nodded, looking curious. “Do you also know?” She asked innocently, making the two other guys look at her in surprise.

“I have to go back home. I haven’t hung your bra yet.” Y/N lightly slapped Yuta’s arm for saying that out loud. She bid farewell but he only stayed in his place that confused her. “Well, you didn’t kiss me goodbye earlier.” He said in a soft voice that made her smile, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

“Thank you for bringing lunch. I’ll eat this later.” She said with a grin before getting inside the building while walking next to her co-worker.

What was his name again? Moon Taeil? Moon? Is he part of the Yakuza clan in Jeju? Or the Moon family from Gangnam? Co-workers? They’re just co-workers, right?

What if that guy is a good cook? Who doesn’t need three eggs to make the perfect egg roll? What is he’s good at sweeping the floors that even the cobwebs at the corner of the wall is gone? What if he knows how to remove stains in clothes? He already lost to a washing machine once, he cannot lose again. What if he knows how to make Y/N’s coffee in the morning? He cannot let that happen. He’s the only one who can know how warm and sweet she wanted her coffee to be.

-------

“You’re here again,” Y/N claimed, obviously surprised that her husband is here. She said goodbye to her co-workers who only looked at her in worry. Yuta glared at Taeil who looked scared. Good, he smirked, assert your ownership.

“I’m going to the supermarket to buy groceries. Do you want to come with me?”

Y/N looked surprised. “You never bring me to the grocery before…”

“Do you want to come or not?” She nodded, grinning at him.

His wife looked like a young child inside the candy store, eyes sparkling as she walked beside him. He should bring her to the groceries more often. “Can we get a cola?” she asked, putting a large bottle of cola in the cart he’s pushing. “Oh and ice cream.”

“You still have cola in the fridge.”

“That’s half-empty.”

“It’s half-full.” he scolded, putting back the bottle. “Besides, too much cola is bad for you.” The girl pouted before taking the cola again and returning it to the cart.

The man sighed. He was reminded of why he doesn’t want to bring her grocery shopping.

“Can we buy this?” she asked holding a huge bag of snacks.

“No,” he said flatly which made her pout.

Y/N was holding a penguin décor, smiling widely at Yuta. “Then, can we buy this?”

“Not in the list.”

Pouting, she just followed him as he took the things from the list of grocery items. “Hey,” Yuta called in a hoarse voice at the woman arranging the canned goods on the shelf. “Where can I get those white powder stuff?”

The girl looked surprised before taking her phone from inside the pocket of her apron. “We don’t sell that here.”

“Oh, he meant the flour.” Y/N immediately corrected, smiling at the girl. They were pointed at aisle four and she thanked her before following her husband.

Once they finished shopping, with little bickering on whether to buy the popsicle Y/N is holding or not, the cashier gave them a coupon for a raffle that made the girl excited. She even claimed that they won that because of the popsicle that made the guy purse his lips.

The mechanics are plain simple, they just needed to roll the wheel and let luck decide on it. “We can win a trip to Hawaii.” she claimed, pointing at the grand prize written on the wheel.

“Or a vacuum cleaner.” Yuta corrected.

He was surprised to see the old woman manning the booth. She was a Madame from a rival yakuza. Why is she working here? “Oh, Nakamoto,” she claimed that surprised Y/N. As cheerful as she is, she greeted the older woman and introduced herself as Yuta’s wife. “So from what yakuza clan are you?”

“I’m not,” she claimed innocently, smiling widely. “But I’m glad to know one of my husband’s friends.”

“We’re not friends,” they said at the same time that startled her.

Y/N smiled at the woman, asking if they can start playing the game. Yuta let her roll the wheel, repeatedly saying that it should land on the vacuum cleaner. The older woman looked at the wheel as it slowed down then it stopped, making her laugh. She handed the prize to the grinning girl before smirking at the guy, “I think you just lost, Nakamoto-san.”

“No,” he said in a low voice. “The real reward is seeing my wife’s smile.”

Jaehyun wants to disappear, this is a totally wrong move on trying to win her heart.

“Bro, what makes you so glum?” Yuta taps on his shoulder and Jaehyun is shaken back into reality. His ears can hear the pounding bass from the DJ and he shakes his head before unraveling his hair and sighing.

“Sorry, just deep in thoughts.” Jaehyun smiles, the girls looking at him all blushed and Jaehyun only chugs on his bitter alcohol more.

No, this was not what he had in mind when he said he would loosen up a bit on the weekend to celebrate his rank but also get his mind away from the guilt of pushing you down the rank.

“I thought this was the way to win your heart.” he whispers in his heart.

“We should go home.” Jaehyun suddenly drops his red solo cup and shakes Johnny who is already half passed out next to him.

“What do you mean? It’s not late and we haven’t bang anyone here.” Johnny chuckles and Jaehyun only shakes his head.

“You’re too drunk already. Let’s go home.” he takes his jacket from the sofa and pulls Yuta and Johnny to stand up.

“But it’s too early to go home.” Yuta whines.

Jaehyun shakes his head “I am your designated driver, we go home now because I want to go.”

The three men stand up and enter Jaehyun’s car. He only drinks one cup tonight, his mind already making him drunk enough to ask apology to you.

After dropping his best friends to the house, Jaehyun glimpses at the watch, it’s still twelve.

He bites his lips thinking if he should do it or not but before he can think, his foot already hits the accelerator and soon he is parking in front of the cafe where the girl he likes is working extra hours on the weekend.

Jaehyun rolls his shoulder back when he sees you in the counter from the window. He is sure his eyes lock with yours but you threw it away.

He takes a step inside, despite his gut saying go home you’re making a fool of yourself. But he is a fool for your attention.

“Good evening,” he cracks a small smile at you.

You force a smile “Hello Jae, what are you doing here this late? Shouldn’t you be in the frats party?” you snicker.

Jaehyun raises a brow “Oh? And what should I do there?”

You shrug “Get drunk? Sleep with some girl, leave them in the morning. Make a dramatic entrance to the class and i don’t know, steal someone else’s scholarship?”

Jaehyun feels his heart pinched, did you really hate him that much? Why is there no single good thing in that sentence?

He rubs a hand on his neck “I did not know about the scholarship, I am so sorry.”

You shake your head “No, I am sorry, I shouldn’t be mad. You worked hard for it.”

Jaehyun wants to scream back “But you need it,” he swallowed it down in order to respect you.

Jaehyun only sighs “Again, sorry, it was not my intention.”

You see another car pulling in so you grab a cup and marker “Hey what can I get for you?”

Jaehyun runs his eyes through the menu, he doesn’t feel like getting any drink. To be honest. He just wants to see you and talk to you, maybe wishing that he got drunk a bit so he has the courage to be honest, but his sober state drowns his courage away.

“Mocha frappuccino please, no whipping cream.” he also points at a piece of rainbow cake ‘And that one.”

You make his order and after that watch him sit on the corner.

Weird, why isn't he going home? You thought to yourself

Jaehyun leans back on the sofa, he watches you take orders for the customer and he tries to keep himself awake.

Your shift ends at around one and Jaehyun sees another person taking over the counter. Huh, he just realized this cafe is open until late.

“Jae? Why are you still here?” you ask him and he stands up, takes his key out and shakes it “To drive you home.”

You laugh and shake your head “You don’t have to, what’s with you? I could walk home.”

He shakes his head furiously “No!” he realizes he sounds creepy “uh, I mean it’s dangerous for girls to go home alone this late. What if a drunk person assaults you, or a psychopath kidnaps you?”

You chuckle “Or what if you just want to kidnap me, use me and then toss me away like your other girls?” Jaehyun did not laugh and you slap yourself for making such impolite joke

“Sorry” you meekly utter, “I did not mean that.”

Jaehyun balls his fist, he hates that what you said made perfect sense one month ago, he hates the fact that you were laughing at that bastard move he always made on Weekend.

He hates himself now for manipulating girls and tricking them, is that how you see him as a man? A manipulative bastard who just wants to fuck around?

But I want to change, and I am more than that.

“I just want to drive you home. Nothing more.” he clears his throat.

You look outside and truth be told, this is your first midnight shift and you are afraid.

“Okay, I’ll take your offer but I won’t sleep with you.”

Jaehyun’s eyebrow rises and he sighs “How many times do I have to say, I am not aiming for that. I just want you home save.” he walks to the door and opens it for you

Thanks, you whisper and wait for him to unlock his car.

“I mean, what’s wrong with a friend wanting to make sure you got home safe?” he asks when both of you are seated inside the car.

He magically seems to know how to go to your house, and if this was in the morning you would definitely find it creepy how he knew so well, but you’re tired and you just want to sleep so when Jaehyun did not ask too many questions you were happy.

“Congrats on getting that rank.” you crack the silence.

Jaehyun smiles shyly “That was thanks to you and Taeyong. But really, I did not know anything about the school and your scholarship. Is there something I can help?”

You laugh dryly “No worries about that. I’ll just work harder and get that scholarship back.”

Jaehyun bites his lips “Okay, since it was partially my fault too, what if we split the bill?”

You squinted “But it was not your fault! I wasn't prepared for the test. You prepared a lot, you deserved it”

Jaehyun curses his slow brain, now what.. She forgives him easily but how can he still meet her?

“I would still offer you to pay half your tuition.” he feels embarrassed, does this sound like he wants to buy you? But he wants to help you so you don’t have to overwork yourself.

“I don’t want to owe someone else money Jae,” you cross your arms over your chest.

Jaehyun grips his wheel “I am sincerely going to help you.”

“With your parents’ money? Heck no Jaehyun. I don’t want to owe money to anyone!”

Jaehyun sees your house in the distance and he knows he has to make a deal quickly.

“I will work and give you my allowance. I won’t count you as owing me money, I really feel bad and I want to help you (y/n)!”his voice raises towards the end making you shocked but he whispers “please.”

You close your eyes and let go a breath. “I can’t discuss this with a tired mind. Thank you for driving me home, but really this is my fault, my problem, and you don’t have to meddle in it.” you get off from his car,

he turns the window down “Okay, just know that if you need any help, I will help you.” he smiles sincerely and you notice the glint of sadness in his eyes, which makes you wonder why the heck is he so sad and worried about your tuition?

--

The next day, he appears with a big smile and he’s so excited to tell you that he gets a job. You and Taeyong were just baffled by how fast he could get a job and how easy was it for him (despite his lack of experience and certification).

“So, what exactly are you working as Jae?” Taeyong asks politely

Jaehyun turns red and blushes, “Um.. it’s something legal do not worry. I just can’t say it outloud.”

You squint your brow “You sure? Are you sure it is legal?”

He nods and you smirk “If it is legal why do you have to keep it a secret?”

He is at a loss of answer but he mumbles “I’ll let you know after two weeks of job! I’d get my first payment in two weeks, if I don’t get kicked out after my first day of work”

You and Taeyong feel worried but since he reassures both of you that what he is doing is not dangerous, you let him do it.

When Jaehyun scrambles out of the class right when the bell rings, Taeyong takes a look around the class and pokes you “Do you think he is working as something embarrassing? Like maybe a waiter or dish cleaner? Is that why he is shy?”

You step on his foot “Yak! Even those two jobs are okay, we need dish cleaners and waiters. I myself am a barista!”

Taeyong pouts “Sorry I didn't mean to offend, I mean he might be shy because his persona used to be a bad boy right”

--

Jaehyun takes the uniform in his hand and reappears with a nice tux. He buttons the two top bottom and smiles, he sure looks good.

“Afternoon new guy,” a young man looking similar to his age greets him and he looks stunning in his own outfit.

Jaehyun nods “Afternoon..” his voice lingers

“Doyoung. I am your trainer.” he smiles, while changing his clothes casually in front of Jaehyun.

“So, what makes you work here? Your uniform shows you come from a rich family.”

Jaehyun is surprised by how observant he is, before he can say anything Doyoung makes a good look up and down “Are you just here to get extra pocket money? Or you just want to play around with girls?”

Jaehyun gulps, “It’s nothing bad, just want to help a friend raise money.”

Doyoung’s look softens “Aw, sweet charm you have! The ladies here will love you, I can sense it. Looks like I got a new rival,” he smirks and Jaehyun shakes his head “I don’t mean to be rivals here.”

Doyoung giggles and pats his shoulder “Relax, I’m only kidding! I got my own customers who love my service already.”

Jaehyun nervously smiles, “Great. So, what’s my job?”

Doyoung smirks “You should make yourself look messy a little bit, your vibe is a bad boy here.”

Jaehyun wants to protests, “But,”

Doyoung shakes his head “Hey being a waiter in this butler cafe means that you are in your character any time you are working.”

“And what is your character?””

Doyoung shrugs his shoulders “I am the calm type who usually stays in the class, read books, ace the tests, have an innocent charm and talk to the girls politely.”

Jaehyun balls his fist Taeyong type, just like how Y/N likes it.

“The man over there, Jaemin, he is the seductive type. Over there on the piano is Renjun, he is the melancholic type and girls love him. Our bad boy character just left because he had to move, so you fit into the job perfectly. And you yourself look like a bad boy.” Doyoung messes his hair and unbuttons two of his buttons then crooks his collar.

“Now, you just have to stay in character and work to please the customers. Do not mess up on day one. Goodluck new boy.” Doyoung whispers closely in his ears and Jaehyun flushes red.

Nakamoto Yuta, you’re a dead meat. Was all he could think.

He did ask Yuta to find him a job with great payment but nothing hard or no prior skills. That Japanese guy was smirking when he said he knew the perfect job for Jaehyun. He said Jaehyun will only be a waiter in this new theme cafe, what Jaehyun did not ask was if this job wanted him to act like a bad boy to attract the customers.

He sees his own reflection on the mirror and he sighs, again what he sees is his old self. Messy hair, messy clothes and a naughty smirk. He straightens his shoulder, if this is what he needs to do to help you, he’ll do it.

---

Jaehyun indeed is a great addition to the team. He has great dynamic with the other butlers, he even got a list of ladies booking him for their next visit to the cafe. Jaehyun can admit he loves this job, serving customers their orders while acting like a bad boy is not hard for him. He kind of finds his old self back, but every time he takes a glance at Doyoung, his heart reminds him again that Y/n is attracted to guys like him.

At the end of the day, the four of them gather in the changing room. Jaehyun talks to them and learns that all of them are students, Renjun and Jaemin barely finished middle school but they have to earn extra allowance and Doyoung was one year above Jaehyun.

“Here is today’s tip. It’s more than usual, maybe because Jaehyun gave us a great dynamic.” Doyoung splits the tip money equally between them.

Jaehyun feels his smile rise, it's not a big amount but he works for this and this is his extra money. He will keep these tips too so he can tip it on your tip jar on your shift.

“Great job today, see you tomorrow guys.” Doyoung sends them off away and Jaehyun goes home with a tired body.

He takes a hot shower and looks at the clock, it’s almost ten. He can still study a bit and do his homework before sleeping and waking up in the morning. He forces himself to stay awake while doing his physics homework, but he ends up sleeping on his desk.

How can you do all of this and still be a great student at school y/n?

He wakes up thanks to his alarm and takes a warm bath. His waist hurts from bending on the serving table, standing the whole shift, and maintaining that bad boy charisma actually feels tiring when he knows he should act professionally for money.

He meets you and Taeyong again and to his surprise, you invite him to sit with you for lunch and Jaehyun gladly rejects Yuta’s invitation to play football and directly dashes to the canteen.

Taeyong is as always next to you, and Jaehyun sighs. When can he get time alone with you?

“So, how was your first day of work?” you ask as you begin eating your lunch.

Jaehyun takes out his book from his bag and begins opening the homework page which makes you and taeyong surprised.

“It went well. I didnt mess up.” he says while glancing at you and continues to start scribbling his work.

You nod and take out your book too, “I almost forgot to do that homework. Want to split the work?” you strategize since the time is short.

Jaehyun nods, his eyes show sparks in it. Work together with y/n? What a dream come true

You begin to do the even numbers while he takes the odds, Taeyong just casually enjoys his lunch while sometimes helping the two of you.

You do notice how brilliant Jaehyun is actually, he can do half of the questions and got stuck on the harder ones and Taeyong could help there. But now, you can’t really blame a brilliant head for taking your rank. You just have to work harder.

“You’re brilliant Jae!” you smile at him after the two of you finish it right when the bell rings.

He smiles and packs his bag. “Thanks, it’s thanks to both of you teaching me.”

You hold your hand in the air “We did it!” he slaps your hand back happily and for once Jaehyun doesn't hate his physics homework.

The small negative thought in your head is slowly fading, maybe he really didnt mean to push you down the rank, maybe he is smart and you’re just not lucky on that test. Maybe he really just wants to change into a better man? Who are you to judge him before listening to him right?

---

“Welcome to butler cafe, how can I serve you today madam?” He greets his customers with big smiles, knowing that the better his service is, the higher their tipping will be. After three days of working his ass off, he is ready to visit you in your cafe and leave it in the jar, because he knows that you’re only working with another person today. So, Jaehyun is ready to also use the tips he collected to buy your little brothers some goods.

He serves ten tables today through his shift and he got dismissed by Doyoung with a great tip.

Jaehyun drives his car to your cafe and he pulls his jacket up when he enters the cafe.

“Hey there, how was your shift?” you ask, taking your time since it’s not crowded.

Jaehyun smiles through his tired eyes, “Great. I am here to enjoy my night while doing some homework.”

You nod and grab a cup “What’s the order?”

“Can I get a cup of hot cappuccino? With latte art on it?” he teases and you laugh ‘I can do that!”

“Oh and can you pack your brother’s favorite donuts?” he eyes the display

You raise a brow. “You don’t have to spoil them.”

He shakes his head “No, it’s okay. I got some spare money for them. Please, just pack them their favorites and It’s on me.”

You feel your heart flutter when you pack some sweets for your brother, they will love htis. “Thank you so much Jae, again, you don’t have to help me and spoil my brothers.”

He whispers “Don’t you know I am doing this because I like you?”

But you didn’t hear it and Jaehyun leaves the counter after paying his orders.

You work on the latte art, this is something you love to do, making customized art for different orders.

As you wait for the milk to froth, you see him sitting on the corner. His tired hair shows how hard his day was, and a part of you feels your tummy flutter when he brushes his hair away and bites his pencil as he deciphers questions on the textbook.

“He sure is brilliant, handsome, and full of surprise.” you smile to yourself when you begin making the foam art.

Afterwards, you put the cup on a tray and steal a cake from the display, it can go into your pocket. He worked hard today.

“Excuse me, here is your cup of cappuccino and a complimentary cake on the house.” you put down a plate of cheesecake and his eyes glimmer.

“This is super cute!” he speaks in a tiny voice which makes you grin, “You’re so talented” he says as he takes out his phone to snap a picture of your art. It has three bears hugging and it’s cute.

“Enjoy! Don’t tire yourself tonight.” you hug the tray to your chest.

Jaehyun smiles “I won’t as long as you don’t either. Also what time do you get off?”

You look at the clock “Two more hours.”

He nods “Enough to finish the homework and I can drive you home. Is that okay?”

You want to reject it but he cuts you off. “Please, just let me drive you home so you don’t get too tired again and dont waste time waiting for the bus.”

You blush “Fine, thank you. I owe you a lot.”

His heart whispers “All of them count as a gift if you say yes to my request of being my girl.”

--

Two weeks passed by and Jaehyun held his first paycheck in his hand. His smile is super big as he could imagine how proud he will be when he offers this to you.

That day, finally he finds you alone after the class and Taeyong had to run to a class president meeting, so Jaehyun is glad when he sees you alone in the class.

“Hey Y/N, so.. I am sorry about this whole rank thing.” he rubs his neck shyly

You pat his shoulder “Don’t be, you were great! You worked hard and you deserve it, I should've studied harder and not blame you. You just want to improve right?”

His heart feels a pang of guilt, he just wants to improve so you like him.. Nothing more.

But he will keep it a secret as long as you are interested in him.

“Thank you, and as I promised you. I will help you pay your tuition with my own money I earn.” he reaches for the envelope in his pocket and hands it to you. “Maybe it’s not much, but I got more two weeks after this.”

“I cannot accept this,” you shake your head but Jaehyun insists.

“Please, I don't know how else to help” He bites his lips and sighs when you stay lip locked

“Don’t you see it Y/N?” his eyes become glossy as he stares into your eyes deeper.

You just stare back at him, holding back the butterflies in your stomach.

“Don’t you see that I did all of these changes to get your attention?” his voice comes out as a whisper. A sad desperate whisper.

You gasp and put a hand over your mouth “No, you did not.”

He looks down, puts the check on your hand and hides his hands in his pocket. “I like you.” he silently feels his cheeks turn super red.

You notice how his ears are so red too and you almost squeal at how cute he looks right now.

“I like you, and I thought that you like guys like Taeyong, that’s why I changed my style and everything.”

You feel a warm feeling in your heart, it turns out the school bad boy is a softie, is a cutie and is so silly!

“I’m sorry if you hate me, if my move looks like a bastard move. I didnt mean it, I just want you to like me back.” he chuckles blankly at his own desperation.

“I am stupid right? Looks like you just love guys like Taeyong and I am never like him.” he suddenly feels stupid for wishing you can like him back when its so clear he still needs so much more to fix.

You slap his head with the check and that made Jaehyun surprised, but he was more surprised when he sees you crying.

“You don’t have to do all of that babo!” you stifle a laugh, Jaehyun is surprised.

“You’re pushing all of this to yourself, working yourself to pay my tuition, studying like crazy so I like you, and my head thought you had ill will to me. I am the bad guy here!” you cry, feeling so bad for thinking he was selfish and all.

Jaehyun rubs your shoulder “May I hug you?” he asks but before you answer, you already bury your face on his chest.

“You should’ve just told me the truth from the beginning. You don’t have to work yourself off like this.” you cried and Jaehyun brought his hands to rub your back.

His heart wants to explode at how you two are positioned right now. He never imagined you crying on his chest but he loves this feeling when you finally know his true intention.

“I am sorry, I’m a coward who cannot admit his true intentions. I didn't mean to use you or to manipulate the school. I really just want to improve myself because I think you only like excellent guys.”

You punch his chest “Yes, but you don’t have to push yourself this much babo!”

Jaehyun grins, secretly loving this soft side of you and how babo sounds cute from your lips.

Jaehyun hugs you deeper and you hug him back “I am sorry Y/N, I should’ve been honest.”

You mumble “I should be the one asking sorry for assuming bad things about you Jae.”

“Please accept me, and please let me get to know you more.” He puts a distance between you so he can see your face.

He cradles your face in his hands and you smile through your teary eyes “Is this why you keep driving me home and buying my brothers sweets?’ you chuckle when he kind of blush and nod shyly.

“I will always pick you up if you are my lover, or not to rush you, but I’ll pick and drop you home any time you tell me.” he pushes a strand of hair away from your face.

You wipe your tears and nod, “Okay, you can get to know me only if you do this one thing.”

He feels his breath hitch when you mess his hair. “You look better with your messy hair, and if you tell me how you get your money.” you wave the check.

Jaehyun scratches his neck, feeling super shy to admit to you where he is working.

“If you do not tell me where you get this check from, I sadly can’t receive it. What if this is black money Jae?”

Jaehyun sighs and boops your nose “Okay if you really want to know, follow me to work today?”

You nod “I am free today.”

He smiles and ruffles your hair. “I’d say don’t bring Taeyong along, he might not take me seriously after this if he sees me.”

You pout ‘But Taeyong needs to know too!”

And like the devil,Taeyong was at the door “Yeah I should be included in whatever you both are planning.”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes ‘Fine.”

--

Both you and Taeyong stood in silence on the door when Jaehyun said he would go change first and both of you can start entering and picking a host for the table. He looks so excited when he runs away to enter from the back door.

You nudge Taeyong, “So, is this why he doesn’t want to tell us?”

Taeyong shrugs his shoulder “Maybe it’s just a regular cafe, maybe it’s only the name.”

You shake your head “No, I’ve seen this in a girls magazine. You won’t believe me.”

Taeyong smirks “Only one way to prove it, let’s go. After you.” he opens the door for you and both of you are like transformed to a magical land.

Jaehyun appears in front of the two of you, looking great in his coy bad boy vibes.

“How may I serve you today miss and mister?” he offers his billion dollar smile and you can swear your heart drops and you caught Taeyong focused on the other server.

“Taeyong, do you want to change servers? Looks like you are glued to my friend, Doyoung over there” Jaehyun teases Taeyong who can’t keep his eyes off the cute guy.

Taeyong chuckles “I can come back next time for him, this time let’s have you serve us Jae.” he winks and both of you break into a laughing fit.

Jaehyun is grateful that he can be friends with both of you now and that you already accept him for what he is.

You told him that he doesn’t have to copy Taeyong entirely, you told him that you like his responsible and good class manners now, but you don’t want him to lose his real self. The real Jaehyun who always leaves you wondering what's going on in his head.

You secretly smile to yourself, after all he did, he sure is a womanizer. You, in fact, finally crack your ice and fall for him too.

end

oh yeah i was inspired by the maid-sama cafe and ofc ouran highschool host club

Sooyoung sighed and followed behind, Yuta smiling instantly when seeing her. "And how's my beautiful wife?" he cooed, but the look on her face told him otherwise.

"Mina, why don't you go get ready for the game with your friends. Do some stretches OK baby."

The little girl smiled nodding, giving both her parents kisses before running off to her team's wait zone. Once she was out of sight, Sooyoung turned back to Yuta with a frown, and he knew exactly why.

"Whatever you have to say, let's wait until after the game." he said about to take her hand, but shocked when she moved away. "Come on love, you know I didn't mean to miss out the pregame..."

"That's not the point." Sooyoung said strictly. "You know very well than to go on missions during her games, you promised you'd stay for her then. I know you can't give her a lot of time Yuta, but isn't that why you promised to not miss a single football event?"

Yuta sighed and moved closer, pulling his wife's body in for a much needed hug. He was gone for almost a week, and delayed his return, all he wanted was to lay in bed holding his wife and daughter to himself. But he knew the promises he made, as a mafia father he figured this was the least he could do. Besides, he couldn't have been any happier seeing his little angel pick up the exact speciality he had as a child until teen years, and now he hoped she'd continue with it long term unlike him.

Sighing as his hands grasped her, Yuta kissed his wife's hair before pulling away. "I'm sorry Sooyoung, you know how much I regret it. I wish I didn't have to but there was an emergency and I couldn't leave or else we'd lose some good people."

Sooyoung furrowed her eyebrows listening to his reasoning. She had to admit she married an amazing man, the most caring she's ever met.

She just wished he'd care for her and their daughter like he did for his crew.

"Well nothing can be done about that now. Let's go, today's the semi finals. And I hope you have nothing for day after tomorrow, the finals are on remember. Mina would give up if you don't come."

"I know..." he sighed tiredly, but a smile immediately replaced it when seeing the game start off.

The couple sat with smiles amongst the other parents, Yuta cheering every now and then whenever his daughter scored a goal. Just as he wished, his daughter was becoming a football prodigy like himself back in school.

As expected, her team won. Yuta ran down to the field and carried her into the air and spun her around, then started kissing her face all over. "Daddy's so proud of you Mina, you're the best daughter anyone could ever ask for."

He never let her down from his arms and carried her back to the car after saying goodbye to her friends and teachers. Her medal hung around her neck as she now sat with her mother while Yuta drove them home, Sooyoung taking many pictures to send to their families.

Once they reached, both father and daughter went to take showers while Sooyoung prepared dinner. Yuta helped Mina first before sending her out and showered himself. He finally felt so relaxed, he almost dived into the bed and disregarded dinner. But Mina had been awaiting for him on the bed, so he threw out that idea and followed her to dinner where her mother prepared her favourites.

"Wah! Thank you mummy!" she kissed her mother cheek as Sooyoung placed the last dish on the table.

"If you win the finals, I'll bake your favourite cookies too. And we'll go to the theme park just as we promised."

Mina squealed in excitement, repeating how much she loved both her parents over and over. Yuta chuckled as he took seat next to her and kissed her head.

"Even if you don't win, I'll still be proud as long as you give your best. And I know you will."

"Would we still go to the theme park?" the young girl asked, making her priorities obvious to her parents who simply laughed.

"Well, depends on how well you play."

"I'll be the best player in the whole world!"

"Why isn't daddy here yet?" Mina was on the verge of tears, while Sooyoung was seconds away from making an angry phone call. They had been waiting for Yuta for thirty minutes at the field but there was so sign of him, even his calls getting cut off.

Sooyoung feared this, not only because she was mad that he couldn't come to Mina's games thus making the child upset, but also because she didn't know how to respond to their daughter. Yuta never wanted her to find out what her father did, and Sooyoung always made sure she never figured it out.

But sometimes she ran out of excuses and could tell Mina was sick of the subject changes when she couldn't answer. Sadly, that was the only thing she could do now again.

"Mina, go get ready. I'm sure he'll come soon. You know he'd never miss your games. And don't let this distract you, you're the best player remember."

Sniffling, Mina nodded and hugged her mother before running off to her teacher. Sooyoung waited for her to be out of sight before making another call to her husband, again going unanswered.

"Damn it Nakamoto!" she cussed. "You better hope you're dead or I'll kill you myself."

What Sooyoung failed to realise was exactly the thing she was hiding from Mina.

His job.

More specifically, how we was now stuck in a building trying to escape the several oppositions wanting to kill him and his member.

"I should never have agreed to this." Yuta grunted again. "I'm late for her game, I promised. Do you realise how upset they're gonna be with me... Are you even listening Doyoung?"

"Shush!" his member held his mouth shut. "You'll get there in time if you could just help me find a way to escape for God's sake and stop talking!"

Yuta grumbled and continued to help Doyoung find a way out from the map of the building he held. The mission was supposed to be simple, which was why he took the last minute decision of taking over Kun's place as the latter called sick. But instead they fell into a trap and now were locked up. They hid in a storage room, using the minimum light of their torches to find any secret way to escape.

After some thought Doyoung figured out a way and explained to Yuta. The two got ready and made a run for it, sneaking past as many men as possible. They finally reached a window and jumped out, dodging any injuries thanks to their vests.

Just as they reached their car parked away in a hidden spot, a loud gunshot rang through their ears. Doyoung froze in fear, taking a few seconds before checking himself. "What happened?" he turned to Yuta, who was quickly getting into the passenger seat.

"Doesn't matter. Let's go, drop me off at the school. Hurry!"

Knowing his temper, Doyoung knew it would be best to just drive off quick and drop him off at the football game. He drove, but couldn't ignore an odd feeling in himself. He turned to Yuta who simply fidgeted in his seat, which he figured was from the adrenaline of the mission and the need to get to the game.

It wasn't until they reached the school, once Yuta left the car, that Doyoung finally turned to the seat and looked, and his eyes widened as fear took over.

"And Red House takes the trophy for elementary division football thanks to their player's awesome strikes, as always the amazing Nakamoto Mina!"

Yuta smiled as he just reached the edge of the field, watching the players in red jerseys run to his daughter and hugging her, the coach carrying her up on his shoulders to celebrate. He walked closer, noticing his wife run down the steps of the bleachers towards the crowd of kids.

"Sooyoung..." he grunted. His voice was almost lost, but he pushed himself closer to the crowd. "Mina. Daddy's here." he managed to say, but not loud enough over the cheers.

But one voice managed to get all their attention.

"YUTA HYUNG!"

Sooyoung turned her eyes widened at the sight of her husband limping towards them. Their eyes met and he smiled weakly.

"HE'S HURT!"

She looked beyond him and saw Doyoung running towards them. Her eyes went back to Yuta and noticed his left hand inside his jacket, over his right waist. She didn't have time to process as he finally fell on his knees, Mina's voice bringing her to reality.

"Mummy! Let's go! He's hurt!"

Doyoung quickly held him from behind before his head could hit the ground, Mina reaching first before her mother. "Daddy! Daddy wake up please!" the young girl cried shaking his chest. Sooyoung came behind her, still in shock and unable to say anything.

"We have to take him to base, Taeil hyung can heal him." Doyoung said, pulling Yuta's body over his back. "I'll take him, you follow me behind Sooyoung."

Sooyoung nodded and they ran in the directions of their own cars and we're quick to get on the road, Sooyoung following behind Doyoung like he had instructed. The car ride was silent and full of tension, Mina not even daring to ask what happened or why.

What the child did notice was how they were suddenly driving out of the town, through a secluded area, and finally reached big gates through which she could see a much bigger building. "Mummy..." she finally spoke softly. "Why are we here? Daddy should go to the doctor..."

"Daddy's friends are doctors here. It's better for him than to wait." Sooyoung answered without missing a beat, as if she had prepared for this question before hand.

Which she of course had in case they ever needed to come here.

Doyoung stopped the car at the steps in front of the main doors, and Mina watched as another man who had been standing there ran to the car and carried Yuta out while Doyoung drove away. Sooyoung parked next and came out with Mina, running behind the man when another came to her.

"Here Shotaro, park it for me. Thanks." Sooyoung said and received a nod before they ran either directions. She followed behind the man carrying Yuta, who she guessed was Taeil from behind, until they reached a white room.

"I'll do everything I can from here. You just wait outside." Taeil instructed her as he shut the door. Sooyoung peeked through the small window on the door, finally processing that her husband was really fighting for his life now. She sank to the floor as tears started streaming down her cheeks, a small hand wiping them off then hugging her.

"Don't cry mummy. Daddy will be fine, he's strong remember."

Sooyoung turned to her daughter and smiled, knowing it was best to stay optimistic for her at least. She moved to sit next to the door leaning against the wall and brought Mina to sit on her lap and wait.

"Mina!" the two turned to see Winwin, the only person Mina actually knew and was close to among the rest of Yuta's gang. "Wanna go eat with me? I heard you won, so I'll treat you, then we can rest while your dad heals, OK."

Sooyoung knew he understood the situation, and if there's one thing Winwin was good at it was distracting Mina during times like this. Mina jumped giggling and ran to his arms, not bothered to ask her mother, though Sooyoung didn't care since she knew she was safe. She nodded and mouthed thank you to Winwin who smiled back sadly and carried the child away with him.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, it felt like hours as she dozed off against the wall. Though it was really just one after which the door opened again, and she got up at the noise and immediately turned to Taeil.

"He's healed, but it's hard to tell when he'll wake up. He held the pain for way too long, and even forced himself to walk... He's really too much."

Sooyoung let out a deep sigh, thanking Taeil as she walked into the room and watched her husband's lifeless body lay still with a mask over his face. Flashbacks hit her as she remembered this exact image she faced, the day she found out about his work when they were still dating. He had apparently been calling her name in his unconscious state, and that was what really kept her to stay with him.

She knew he loved her, and she couldn't break it off when she did so back, even if it meant sacrificing a normal life.

She sat next to his body on the bed and held his hand. "I hope you know you're in for a big one once you wake up." she spoke. With no response, her heart hurt more and she couldn't help anymore as a year left her eye. She brought his hand up and kissed it, then held his palm against her cheek.

"Fine, I won't scold you.... Just wake up, please... We have to celebrate Mina's win..."

Mina finished up her food as Winwin helped her with the last few spoons of soup. "Let's eat ice cream after this, my treat since you won the match." he cheered clearing up her plates with the last spoon.

Mina ate, then looked at him sullenly. "Is daddy going to be OK?"

Winwin paused as he pushed her plate away, then looked at her with hopeful eyes. "He'll be fine. The uncle taking care of him is a really good doctor, he's helped all of us. If your daddy loves you a lot, he'll force himself better if he has to. You know how much he loves you, and how stubborn he can be." he joked, relieved when the young girl smiled.

"Daddy is very stubborn. I always have to drag him for dinner, he's so lazy he doesn't like to get out of bed after work."

Winwin laughed along as she kept telling stories while he pulled out ice cream from their fridge, and continued to listen while eating their ice cream. Once they cleared up their bowls he planned to take her to his room, but the young girl was just as stubborn as her father.

"I wanna go to daddy, please!" she whined sitting in the middle of the hallway. Winwin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, but gave in thinking Taeil was probably done by now. "You sure are as stubborn as your daddy." he grunted quietly as he picked her up and walked back to the medical wing of the building.

Once they reached he quietly opened the door, scared to disturb, though Sooyoung was sitting up next to her husband's body and smiled seeing Mina.

"Go ahead, I'll see you later." Winwin put her down and left. The young girl walked to her mother and sat on her lap, touching her father's lifeless hand.

"Will he be OK mummy?"

Sooyoung sighed holding Mina tighter. "Let's pray baby. He'll be with us again soon."

"What happened to him?"

This was the question she feared. She never wanted to disclose Yuta's life to their child, and Yuta had made it very clear neither did he. It wasn't like he did anything bad, if anything he was fighting the bad. But it was dangerous, and having the woman he loves know was bad enough for him. That he couldn't stop because he loved her too much to let her go, and he didn't want his child to have the same stress at such a young age.

Mina loved her father, despite his odd timed absences, but those only seemed to make her grow more attached to him.

"Someone hurt him, and he didn't say it because he wanted to come to the game badly."

"Who?"

"A bad man."

"Is it my fault?"

"Oh no baby!" Sooyoung cupped her chubby cheeks, "It's just him being stubborn, it's not at all your fault. He loves you so much, he just wanted to be there."

"But why wasn't he?" Sooyoung was caught in a dead end. "Where does daddy always go? Everyone else's daddy comes to the games, why does mine have so much work?"

"Well... He works hard so we can always live without worrying about money."

Another lie. And Mina knew it.

"I don't want that, I want him to stay normally..."

She finally confessed. Sooyoung never thought this is how she felt, or that she'd ever open up like this. Blinking away the tears forming, she pulled her child closer to her, hugging her to her chest.

"You'll know when you're older. But for now, I'll tell daddy what you said, that you just want him around more. You're right baby."

The two sat around longer, unaware of the man being awake. His eyes were still closed, but he heard everything, and it hurt him more than the any gunshot or broken bone ever did. And he knew what he had to do. It would upset some people, but he knew this was the only way.

I left, for you For your safety, for your future, for your life to be better I love you both too much to have you stuck in this any longer You don't deserve this, and it's my fault So I left, for your mother, for you Happy birthday my dearest daughter, remember I'll always love you and only you two I never thought I'd ever say this, but I wish my life was different I wish I could have given you the normal life you wanted I promise one day I'll return, and as a normal father For you

Tears welled up in Mina's eyes, as well as her mother's who held her tight as they read the letter together. It's her fifteenth birthday, and she opened the gift her mother had discovered in the closet back at their old house before they moved out ten years ago.

After he left.

The gift had an envelope attached, and as much as she hated it at the time, Sooyoung decided to follow it's instructions of giving it to Mina on her fifteenth birthday, and kept it hidden until today.

"I miss him..." Mina sniffed into her mother's chest.

"Me too... I hope he's safe." Sooyoung pecked her head. She picked out the necklace, with the initial of her husband's surname, and put it around her daughter. "He hasn't seen you in so long, let's hope this necklace will help him recognise you."

Mina smiled at her mother, and Sooyoung realised he wouldn't need the necklace to recognise her. Not when she wore the same smile on her face as he did. One that healed her heart whenever they were together.

The two headed out for dinner, to a fancy restaurant as Sooyoung promised her daughter. A waiter took their order, and they talked amongst themselves when he suddenly came back with a cake.

"We didn't order th-"

You still remember the exact reason- no, reasons why you hated that man. Reason number one: Jaehyun bumped into you while you were walking in the hallway. He was chasing somebody and due to the strong impact, you fell on the floor and spilled the coffee that Doctor Park had asked you to buy for him. He didn’t look back, nor apologized for hurting you. 

Number two: The time he accidentally hit your head with a basketball. You happened to be talking with one of his teammates, Johnny Suh when the ball flew right to your head. He blamed Mark for that, but you were a firm believer that he was the one who did it. 

Number three: The time when you got paired up for a semestral worksheet. You tried to plead to your professor to change your partner, even tried to convince him that you’d do the worksheet alone but no really meant no for your professor. You had to sit next to class for the whole semester, he would annoy you with his corny, cringey jokes every morning before your lecture.

You had a list of reasons, even petty ones, why you hated that man, but you had only one reason why you fell in love with him.

During the university fall festival, you and Jaehyun became victims. The organization under the Department of Criminology had handcuffed the two of you for 4 hours. You were annoyed by the fact that Jaehyun almost went inside the restroom with you because he really needed to pee. Thank god he didn’t, thank god you were friends with one of the criminology students and had removed the cuff for a few minutes. After he finished inside the restroom, you were cuffed together again - it was the last hour and frankly, you were looking forward to finishing it. 

He had pulled you to the Ferris Wheel line, explaining that riding it while the sun goes down would be an amazing experience. It was the time that you realized… he wasn’t as bad as you thought he was. It was the time you realized that you fell in love with this man. So suddenly that even you, yourself, weren’t expecting it.

“Look at the sun, Y/N-” Jaehyun excitedly said, pointing at the sky. His legs were bouncing like a kid who got ice cream. 

“I think I’m in love with you.” You blurted out, “I- I mean, yeah. It’s beautiful! Super beautiful.”

You avoided Jaehyun for a whole month after that accidental confession.

And now, as you stare at the wedding picture sitting next to your laptop, the two of you have been together through ups and downs. Been together since university through Med School and Law School. Built dreams and achieved those together. You as a Doctor of Pediatrics, and Jaehyun, as a Lawyer and working under a known firm. Together for 8 years, married for two and living the life you have always wanted to.

Being a pediatrician wasn’t your original plan. To be a Cardiologist was your dream. But during your residency, you had one patient that caught your heart. She was a 4-year old girl who dreamed of being a doctor, but fate took away that chance when her parents found out that she was suffering from a terminal illness. She was under your care for months. You still remember the day she passed away so clearly. You were on graveyard shift and for the past 24 hours you have been walking around the hospital. Following the command of the senior residents, and the only hour you had a chance to nap, you heard a loud bawl, causing you to jolt up from the stretcher you were resting on. 

It was the first time you cried over a patient inside the locker room that day and every time you pass by the room she used to stay at, you couldn’t help but wince. 

But despite what happened, you learned how to love your job. 

“Dr. Y/L/N? The patient is here.” The nurse peeked her head through the door, you nodded your head and put your phone away. 

The patient enters with her mom, she was probably a little over 8 years old. “What can I do for you today?” You ask, grabbing a pen and started writing. 

“We’re new in town, and unfortunately, our neighbor’s dog bit her this morning when we were out for a walk. The neighbor said that the dog is vaccinated with anti-rabies, but still, I want to be safe. Just in case.”

You gave her a warm smile, understanding that she didn’t want anything bad to happen to her daughter. As you get ready, the little girl seemed to be nervous. But as a pediatrician, you knew the drill. You were used to comforting your patients no matter what age they were. A smile appeared on your face when you heard the little girl tell her mom that she won’t cry because she’s a big girl, and that big girls don’t cry over a little needle. After giving her a shot, you grabbed a peach-flavored lollipop on the jar next to your computer. She smiles from ear to ear, revealing her deep set of dimples. What a beautiful kid. 

After reminding her mom that Jaein needs to return three days later for another shot, you walk them out of your office. When you opened the door, you were surprised by your husband. Standing in front of the office with a bag of takeaways. Jaehyun’s smile fades when he sees your patient’s mom, his eyes widened.

“Nayoung?” “Jaehyun?” They said in sync.

“You two know each other? What a small world!”

Nayoung shyly nodded her head, “Yeah… we were friends in high school up until university.” She said, holding her daughter’s hand tightly. “Well, my daughter and I have to go. Dr. Y/N, thank you very much. We’ll see you in three days.”

A week has passed and Jaehyun felt uneasy inside his office. 

He kept walking back and forth inside his office, he even discarded his tie as it felt suffocating for him. Since he saw his ex, who happens to be the parent of your patient, he was anxious. The last time he saw Nayoung was the year before you started dating, the year she left for Australia. It was 9 years ago and they lost contact with each other since then. The two had a clean breakup, no fights, no anger towards each other. The decision was mutual and Jaehyun was sure that there were no issues with each other. 

But seeing her with a child made Jaehyun think twice. Did she cheat while they were still together? Most likely. Because that kid was almost 9 and she was as old as the last time he saw Nayoung. Jaehyun felt like he was going insane; most people would say forget about it, it’s all in the past but no, Nayoung was his first love, his first girlfriend and he needed answers. He grabbed his phone, opened his Instagram account and tried to find his ex lover’s account. In the span of 5 minutes, he found it. 

[PHOTO] @nayoung.lee: Back in Korea! Jaein’s a little nervous but I’m glad she’s starting to love this place.

[PHOTO] @nayoung.lee: Can’t believe my baby’s 8 years old… it seems like yesterday, I was holding you in my arms like a small bean.

Fuck it. He thought, clicking the message button. 

Jaehyun found himself in a park, at 8 o’ clock in the morning, Nayoung said it was closer to her job. He was still in shock that his ex-girlfriend replied to his message, even agreed to meet him personally. He sat on the bench, enjoying the fresh air and the amazing view of various flowers. He felt uneasy again, his leg was bouncing up and down as he waited for Nayoung. When he spots her walking towards his direction, he stands up.

“Why did you want to talk, Jaehyun?” Nayoung asked, sitting next to him.

“I- uh, nothing. I just wanted to catch up with you.” 

Nayoung chuckles, she knew her like the back of her hand. His red ears screamed that he was nervous, flustered and lying. At first, they talked about their lives and the things that happened the past nine years. Jaehyun found out that Nayoung was an architect who moved to Korea from Australia for a major project by the company she was working at. Nayoung was stationed in Korea for a year and a few months. As they continue to talk about their lives, somehow, Nayoung convinced Jaehyun to tell her the truth on why he had asked her to meet up. Jaehyun was not able to answer at first, even tried to make up a terrible excuse but ended up confessing the truth.

“Your daughter, Jaein… is she-”

“She’s yours, Jaehyun.” She replied bluntly, looking at the sky, “I didn’t know I had her, to be honest. I was just randomly chilling with my friends at home when I felt a random, excruciatingly bad pain on my stomach. The next thing I was told by the doctor was, I had a cryptic pregnancy with Dahlia.”

“Dahlia?”

“Her real name is Lee Jaein, I call her Dahlia because it's her english name and it was the flower you gave me on our first date.” She explained, “I know you’re still in shock right now but… the reason why I hid her from you is because I didn’t know how to tell it to you, I didn’t want you to think that I cheated. Frankly, even before her I knew your plans about your future, your plans about law school. A responsibility like Dahlia could’ve been a huge distraction to your studies.”

Jaehyun shook his head in disbelief, all these years… he didn’t know he had a child. How was he supposed to tell you this? To his parents? To his in-laws? 

“Nayoung, you should’ve at least told me! I had every right to know.”

“I was supposed to tell you, Jaehyun. Three years ago when Dahlia asked me about you- I wanted to contact you… my sister was the one who found your Instagram account but by the time I was ready to tell you, you posted a picture of your engagement with Dr. Y/N.” She said, “I was even shocked that the pedia at the nearby hospital was your wife… I saw the picture she kept by her computer.”

After explaining each other’s side, the two separated ways. Nayoung agreed for the two to have a scheduled DNA testing the following day, to make sure if Dahlia really was his. As he drove back home, thoughts clouded Jaehyun’s mind. How would you react? What would you say? Just as he stopped at the red light, he received a message from you.

loml ♡: hey handsome! got out of work a lil early today, i’m preparing dinner. could you grab some wine on your way home, please?

jaehyun: of course, love! i’m on my way back to the office. be home in a few hours.

He wasn’t able to work properly that day. His mind was elsewhere throughout the day. By the time everybody else was getting ready to go home, he decided to stay at his office for another hour. Not to work, but to practice what he will tell you later. He found it silly; he was a lawyer who fought big cases, a man who isn’t nervous when he’s in the court, a man who had a strong, intimidating image to his colleagues. But how come he’s nervous about what he was about to tell you? Damn it, Jaehyun. Get your shit together, man. He thought, grabbing his belongings and headed home.

Jaehyun could smell the aroma of the food you were making as soon as he opened the door of your apartment. He could hear Chet Baker playing in the background. The moment he placed the wine on the counter, he wraps his arms around you instinctively. You jumped by the sudden skinship, but immediately calmed down in his arms. He planted a kiss on the top of your head as he listened to you talk about how your day went.

”I have something important to tell you.” You both say in-sync, you let out a giggle, while Jaehyun was stunned. 

“You go first, Jae. I’ve been talking about my day too much since you came home.” You said, pouring wine on his glass. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“What I’m about to tell you is pretty big, so.. I’m kind of hoping that you’ll react nicely.” He started, “Remember when I surprised you last week at the clinic? I met an old friend from university?”

“Oh, Ms. Nayoung Lee? Yeah, I remember her. Her daughter's on her next shot this week-”

“Jaein’s my daughter.” He cuts off, “N-nayoung is my ex-girlfriend, she’s the one before you… I just found out about Jaein’s existence today and we’re set to take a DNA test tomorrow.”

How does one react when a significant other tells them that they have a child… from another person and not them? 

Because that’s exactly what’s happening right now. 

Happy? Angry? Sad? How are you supposed to act after he told you that his ex - the one before you, told him that they have a child together? You sat across Jaehyun on the dining table, the platter of food you prepared the whole day was long forgotten at this point. Your mind couldn’t process what your husband just said; “S-say something, please.” He said, his voice so low, it was almost a whisper.

“You can’t just… you can’t do this to me, Jaehyun.” You say, biting your lip. “You can’t tell me news this big and expect me to react in a nice way.”

“Y/N, even if the test results come out and- and it turns out that I really am the father. It doesn’t change anything between us, I promise.”

Jaehyun tried to hold your hand, but you were fast enough to pull it away from him. You stood up and left the dining room, heading straight to the shared bedroom and locked yourself inside. You had every right to be upset, and Jaehyun would let you calm yourself down and he’s sure you’re willing to talk about this thing once you’re ready. He wouldn’t force you to talk about it. 

On the other hand, you were under the covers, crying your eyes out. He was expecting you to react nicely. How would you react to something like that? You love kids, why would you be working for pediatrics if you didn’t? But you… you were told that your chances of getting pregnant was low. Despite that, you and Jaehyun never stopped trying, because it was part of your plan and dream together. A child of your own, a child with the DNA of you two. 

Will those dreams come true, or will they remain as a dream?

Weeks have passed and it was confirmed that Jaehyun was the biological father of Jaein. The two started going out on father-daughter dates, getting to know each other as Jaehyun missed 9 years of his daughter's life. You and Jaehyun have talked about it a few days after a silent war between the two of you. On Jaein’s last anti-rabies shot, Jaehyun volunteered to take her to your clinic. He was comforting her throughout the process, which made you realize that he was a good father. It’s been only weeks since Jaein experienced a father figure in her life, but he immediately gained her trust.

When Nayoung had to return to Australia for a week due to an emergency at work, Jaein was staying at your place. It was okay, she didn’t have any family in the country but Jaehyun. The two spent the whole week out on dates again, while you distracted yourself at work. Though you felt like Jaein was aloof when it comes to you, you understood her. The little girl was too young to understand that her dad was married to another woman and not her mom. There were days that she may have stepped over the line by saying some hurtful words, but you try to be a good stepmom to her as much as possible, when Jaehyun’s not around and you were left with her at home, you try your best to let her know that she’s more than welcome to your home. You didn’t want her to feel like a stranger, even if the two of you are not blood-related.

Today, after volunteer work, you came home only to see Jaehyun and Jaein snuggled on the couch while the TV played Disney movies in the background. It was past 10 in the evening, an hour since Jaein’s bedtime. You put away your belongings and woke Jaehyun up, carefully as you didn’t want to wake his daughter.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice we fell asleep. Let me put her to bed and I’ll heat the food for you.” He said, gently replacing a throw pillow on Jaein’s head that was resting on his lap.

“No, no, it’s okay. I had dinner with some of my colleagues, go ahead, get ready to sleep. I’ll put her to bed.”

You scooped Jaein out of the couch with the help of your husband. As you placed her on the bed, you noticed the similarities of her face and Jaehyun’s. She had his dimples, pink lips and bushy brows. You couldn’t help but smile and feel a little sad at the same time. You dreamed of having a child with Jaehyun as well, part him, part you. Such a beautiful kid, you really look like your dad. You thought, brushing away the strands of hair that fell on her face. After tucking her to bed, you took a shower and sat down on the floor with a glass of wine in your hand. Jaehyun was busy replying to some emails from his clients and noticed that you were spacing out as you played with the hem of your shirt. 

Jaehyun sighs, he was calling you five times already but you were ignoring him. He closed his laptop and sat on the floor with you, “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you these days?” He asked, taking your hand and intertwined it with his. 

You shook your head, “No, I just- it's just work. Nothing special about it.” You said, removing your hand from his. You hated yourself for shutting people out whenever they’re trying to talk to you about your problems. You and Jaehyun have always promised each other to never keep secrets from each other, but this time you decided to keep something to yourself because you were scared of what he will say if he finds out about it.

Before Nayoung left Korea, she bumped into you at a diner near the venue of your volunteer workplace. You were on lunch break and so was her. She had asked you to eat lunch with her which you accepted. It was going on so well until;

“I have always wanted Jaein to meet Jaehyun, I wanted her to experience a complete family because I couldn’t experience it myself.” She chuckled, “If it weren’t for my sister who told me I was being ridiculous, I could’ve flown back here to stop your wedding because I knew deep down, I still love Jaehyun. Until now, actually.”

You were taken aback, “But… I couldn’t do anything to stop that wedding because I would’ve been the petty ex.” She added. “Thanks for giving him a chance to be a father to Jaein. Though I know that Jaein’s having a hard time accepting you as her stepmom. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

Suddenly, you realized, the quote ‘first love never dies’ might actually be true. You noticed it actually. The way Jaehyun would look at her whenever she picks up Jaein at your place. The same way Jaehyun would look at you at the beginning of your relationship. Heart eyes and ear-to-ear smiles. 

You sighed, “Jae, I’m sorry.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“I know how badly you wanted to be a dad a-and I have a low chance of getting pregnant, and we’ve been trying so hard but still… nothing.” You mumbled, “Then Jaein came along and you just looked so happy around her. I- I don’t want to be a hindrance to your relationship with her and her mom.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jaein deserves a complete family. She’s… she’s too young to understand the concept of our family. They need you more than I need you.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yes.”

The sound of happy kids running around the campus and the blasting music reminds Jaehyun of the time you told him you fell in love with him at one fall festival a few years back. Oh memories… It’s been three years since you and Jaehyun parted ways. The first few months without you was hard, he was trying his best to be happy. While you volunteered to different organizations across the country. You learned to love yourself and moved on from everything that happened. Jaehyun had forgiven you, and you forgave him. Agreeing that everything was and should be in the past now. 

He had lost contact with you. Though the two of you are still living in the same city, he barely saw you around. An epitome of the idiom ‘so near, yet so far’. You were either busy with work, or out of the country for a volunteer job. Jaehyun was peacefully chilling by the picnic tables, watching the kids run around when he got a glimpse of someone who looked just like you. He shook his head, thinking that maybe it was just an illusion.

“Y/N?”

You turn around, finding the familiar voice that called you. You felt the chills when you heard him. Standing tall and proud, Jeong Jaehyun. He looked different the last time you saw him. He became much manlier, much bulkier. The man you thought you were spending your lifetime with was standing in front of you once again, not in the altar this time. But in a school family event. It was so clear that Jaehyun was surprised to see you around. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Oh, I’m here for-”

“MOM! LOOK WHAT I GOT AT THAT SHOTGUN GAME! A WOOKIE STUFFED TOY!” A little boy excitedly said, jumping as he held the toy in his hands. “Can I play again? Is it okay?”

You nodded your head, “Go and have fun, Hyun. Be back in a few minutes, okay?”

The boy, who Jaehyun guessed was around 10 years old, nodded his head and ran back to his friends, leaving you and your ex-husband alone again. Jaehyun sat in front of you, a little confused about what just happened and was waiting for an explanation.

“You’re a mom now.”

“Yeah.” You smiled, “Taehyun’s my… he’s my son. I adopted him at the orphanage I volunteered for the year after we split up. He was 7 when I got him.”

Jaehyun looked through your eyes, like he always did because he believed that your eyes were very expressive. No remnants of sadness, but pure happiness. He could see it very clearly. You asked questions about his life, asking how Nayoung and Jaein were doing. 

“Enough about me and Jaein. What about you? I noticed a ring on your finger, seems like there’s someone new?”

You chuckle, “I’m doing good actually, and yes. There is.” You answer, looking at the ring that rests on your finger. “He’s a doctor, we met during a hospital outreach program in Jeju.”

“Congratulations, Y/N. You deserve him.” Jaehyun smiled, “Since you’re both doctors- the wedding must be a huge one.”

“No, we’re keeping it simple. Only a few friends and family members. An intimate one.” You replied, “...we didn’t want to stress the baby and put them at risk.”

“Y-you’re pregnant... wow. Congratulations.”

“Mhm, three months now. Thank you.”

Jaehyun was about to reply when a man suddenly planted a kiss on top of your head and placed a bag of food on the table, “Hey, love. I’m sorry if I’m late, the line at the drive-thru was too long.” He said, “Oh, hello- Jaehyun, right? I’m Dr. Kim Doyoung, Y/N’s fiancé.”

The two men exchanged ‘nice to meet you’ to each other, and Jaehyun left soon enough after Taehyun returned. He looked back at you, you were smiling as your fiance tried to offer you a spoonful of strawberry cake. When you met his eyes, you waved him goodbye and mouthed ‘thank you’ before focusing on Doyoung and Taehyun again. Jaehyun smiled back. She’s happy and she deserves it, he thought.

“Dad, Mom got us some fruit!” He heard Jaein say.

You look at Jaehyun on the other end, he was smiling as he listened to Jaein. He’s happy and he deserves it. You thought. 

Mahirap labanan ang tinadhana,

I can’t go against your destiny,

Pinapatawad,

But I forgive you,

Pinapalaya,

I’m setting you free,

Pinapaubaya ko na sa kanya.

I’m letting you go and entrusting everything to them.

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