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CHAPTER 41
⸻ SERENDIPITY
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I STAND STILL in his arms, too shock to even move an inch. A part of me almost wanting to hold him tight and never let go as the emotions come bearing in but this is just wrong.

After processing the thought, I shrug his arms off and push him. My eyes are blown out wide as I stare at him in disbelief.

"What did you just do?" I snarl in a low grunt, my heart beat speeds up.

His eyes are softened but soon, it morphs into despair before he licks his lips carefully, looking at me with his fixed emotion.

"I.. I missed you. I don't know how to explain but I really do mis—"

I raise my hand up, which causes him to stop rambling. "Just stop. You have a family. Go back to your wife and son. Don't come looking for me anymore because wife won't be happy about this,"

Given by the guilt expression on his face as he swallows thickly, his eyes advert downwards for a second before looking back up.

"Please.. I wanted to know what happened between us," he lowly mutters, his voice fills with desperation.

I gasp out a shaky breath, my emotions tick in and my chest tightened. "Go home, Kim Taehyung,"

I'm about to leave with Eunbyul, who's currently watching, her lips pucker into a pout as her eyes genuinely watch us in pure confusion but Taehyung wouldn't give up.

His fingers gently cross onto my arm, forcing my body to face him. "I'm sorry, but if you won't tell me the reason, I won't go until I get to know why,"

I grit my teeth in frustration and glare at him, pushing his hand from gripping my arm. "Suit yourself,"

With that last words, I turn and stride further, not sparing a single glance. I couldn't look at the way his handsome face wretches apart in pain. Why does it always hurt to see him?

I try to keep my emotions at bay until I reach my apartment and couldn't hold it in after I place my handbag on the kitchen counter.

My heart clenches as if someone has crushed it into tiny pieces. I breakdown into tears, not realising that a little pair of concerned eyes are monitoring my movements.

"Mummy.. are you crying?"

I sniffle and wipe my tears quickly, shaking my head in return. "No, sweetheart. Why would mummy cry? Come here,"

Eunbyul blinks twice as she slowly stalks her feet forward to me. "Are you okay, mummy? Did dust come into your eye again?"

"No, mummy was just sad that you're growing up so fast," I lie through my teeth, hiding my facade with a smile. "Are you still hungry, sweetie? Let mummy cook for you,"

A slight confusion visible in her features before it washes off with her adorable smile levitates upon her lips. "I want strawberry!"

I frown lightly. "Why do you love strawberries so much, hmm? Let's just eat rice instead,"

"No, no, no," she lifts her pointing finger in the air as she sassily swings it from side to side. "I only want strawberries,"

I scrunch my eyebrow in amusement as I chortle to see her cute reaction. "Where did you learn this? Did Uncle Jeon teach you?"

"Maybe," she shrugs, humour lacing in her tone.

"Okay, fine but promise me, you have to eat rice too, alright? Then I'll give you strawberries,"

"Okay, mummy!" she attentively replies that causes me to chuckle.

•••

The day goes by smoothly and I realised that it has been a few hours since the sky darkened. Eunbyul has fallen asleep after quite some time at 8 while watching her favourite cartoon show, which is earlier than usual.

I carefully placed her small figure on the bed before going back into the living room. Sighing, I clean up the kitchen until my phone rings across the counter.

My eyes fall onto the unknown caller as my heart almost dropped when a loud thunderstorm roars from the outside, causing my whole body to flinch. I slowly press answer with my eyebrow raising.

"Hello, who is this?" I ask barely above a whisper.

"Hi, Miss Mia, this is Hong Dusik, the manager of this building. We're sorry for this sudden call but there's a man, who's been waiting for you for hours. He is outside in the rain and he won't leave unless he sees you,"

A shock gasp emits from my mouth as I walk out my apartment to the lobby in a hurry. What the hell is he still doing here?

When I reach the ground floor, my eyes train to him out the entrance, standing in the rain like an idiot.

I mindlessly reach for an umbrella beside the front desk before scurrying my way to him. As soon as he notices me, a smile plays on his lips despite the heavy rain drenching down his dress shirt.

I clench my jaw angrily as I stand in front of him with the umbrella above our heads. His clothes are soaking with rain water but it doesn't seem to affect him at all.

"What the hell, Taehyung? Why are you still here? Are you crazy?!" I shout at him.

He only smiles but then his eyes are becoming droopy and soon his head resting weakly onto my shoulder.

I quickly embrace onto his muscular body to balance him as worries grow inside my chest.

"Yah, are you okay?" I try to shake his shoulder but it is hard since the situation and the rain aren't making it any better.

Propping an arm around his torso, I guide him inside the building and up to my apartment to avoid the odd stares from people. Thankfully, he is still pretty much half-conscious, his body weight lifts slightly against mine with his supporting arms on my shoulder.

The door is unlocked after I inserted the passcode in a few seconds. I could feel Taehyung's arms tightened as if trying to radiate heat from my body.

Once we're inside, I plop him to the couch, sending him to lay down on his back. I switch off the AC before going to my room, looking for sweatshirts or hoodies that might fit him.

After finding an oversized black hoodie, I tiptoe out the bedroom in order to not wake Eunbyul up.

"Change or else you'll get a cold," I icily order and gesture to the hoodie, causing him to stare up at me with a wary look on his face.

He looks quite pale as he nods, starting to unbutton his dress shirt from the top. My face heat up in embarrassment as I quickly turn around.

After a while, I hear him groaning before he mutters something under his breath.

"Can you help me? My head is kinda dizzy and I can't really.." he mumbles so softly as a sigh escapes his lips.

I turn and watch him closing his eyes with his head tilting back to the couch. I look at his shirt to see that he only manages to unbutton the first top. Is he for real?

With a heavy sigh, I slowly sit next to him. I look away when his slightly exposed chest unravel as I begin to undone the buttons.

When all the buttons are unfastened, I slip the hoodie onto him before he mutters a thank you. I hum and take a turn to get up but his fingers then latch on my wrist.

"Can you switch off the AC? I don't feel really good," he shivers, hugging his legs close to his chest. He looks so tiny and adorable.

I raise an eyebrow as I look at him in worrisome. "I just did a while ago. Are you okay? You're shivering,"

"Really?" he breathes heavily, his teeth clattering. "It must've been the effect from the rain then,"

I lean closer and place my back hand onto his forehead. "Oh my, God. You're burning up!"

"Huh?"

"Lay down. You're sick,"

"What? No, I'm not," he mutters incredulously as he puts his back hand against his forehead. "See? I'm okay,"

"Shut up and lay down. God, Kim Taehyung. Why did you even wait outside in the rain? This is all your fault," I harshly say, my mouth turns down in distaste. "And look where it got you because of your stubbornness. I clearly told you to go home,"

His lips pucker into a slight pout as he lowers down his head, not meeting my gaze. "I'm sorry,"

I heave out a sigh and immediately prepare a wet towel to cool down his fever. I stride back into the living room with a small basin and a towel, watching Taehyung already laid down on the couch.

His eyes are shutting close, his lips are chapped and his eyebrows crinkle as if he is in absolute pain. I bite my lips, feeling remorse all of sudden. He's sick because of me.

I sigh and start to dip the towel into the basin before twisting and placing it on top of his forehead.

"Wait until your fever cools down, then you go home. You hear me? Go home,"

His nose wrinkles as he flutters his eyes open and tilts his head to look at me. "What if I don't want to? What if I want to stay with you?"

"You have a family and they're probably worried sick. I'm just a stranger to you," I reply to him with a heartache.

"Who says? You're my wife," he debates, his jaw clenching.

"Stop spewing nonsense. I'm not your wife anymore, Kim Taehyung. Your wife is Kang Haera,"

"No, you're still my wife because we're not divorced. We never did," he promptly adds as I send him an odd look.

"What are you talking about?"

"How can you leave without discussing with me? Did you not love me anymore?"

"I.." I stare at him, appalled as I was out of words to spill.

"Was I meant nothing to you? Was our marriage a foul to you?" he presses further, not giving up. He looks like he's about to cry as his eyes are glistening with tears, gazing into mine intensely.

My tears are begging to threaten down my cheeks when the reality hits my soul, stabbing and kicking my invisible wound over how ridiculous this is.

I swipe my tongue over my lower lip and swallow thickly to release the tension. "G-Get some rest,"

"No," he protests. "Talk to me. Tell me why you left. Why did you stop loving me?"

My denial turns into anger as I emotionally yell upon his false accusations. "I was mad because of what you did! Not because I stopped loving you!"

A silence elapses between us, his eyes gawking as his breath hitches, staring at me with glossy eyes. "You still love me?"

With my chest heaving up and down, I look away after realising over what I said. "No, that's not what I meant. I.."

I could feel the couch shifting and before I know it, his pair of large hands pull my cheeks closer and his lips crash against mine in a heartbeat.

•••

A/N: Hi, so this time.. I updated a little earlier than usual. As always, thank you so much for reading <3 I love and appreciate every comments and feedbacks from you guys. THANK YOU !! Also, if you guys watch Friends, you might know which scene this chapter inspired from. Anyways, stay safe and take care !! See you next chapter <3 PS: you guys are not ready for what's about to happen ;)