So if I love you, It'd be just for you,

So when I'm touching you-

Can I trust you?

Warm, insufferable, drops of sweat trickled down the exhausted Soon-ok's temple when she stormed through the door of the rented conference room. Her breath was ragged and short, the growing belly had become so much heavier and soon she wouldn't be able to do all the things she was doing now. The woman was waving one hand in front of her face in an attempt to create a soft breeze to soothe her boiling skin but to no avail. This certain room was not graced by the luxury of conditioned air, and the young summer had begun with its unbearable heat hours.

It was late, she and Baekhyun should have met up a little more than ten minutes ago, but surprisingly, there was no trace of the male. Soon-ok settled herself in the meantime, taking out her newest sketches and notes for the upcoming project. Although her mind-maps and sketches laid before her, ready to be used and developed, while unpacking the bag, Soon-ok had suddenly paid attention to herself.

The woman couldn't bring herself to even touch the pen in front of her. Somehow, it had suddenly dawned on her how long, how large the dress she was wearing was. Shaking hands reached out for the fabric covering her legs, dragging the fistfuls to behind her waist, allowing the dress to tighten around her body.

A lump formed in her throat upon viewing the true size of her belly. When her trembling fingertips went over it, its comforting warmth seeped through the texture of her dress, just to connect with her directly. Soon-ok for the first time came to realize how it wasn't just any warmth. It was someone else's. Someone whom she hadn't met yet, but nonetheless, was the one closest to her.

The one closest to her heart, someone who had been protecting it throughout the many injustices, hence, she couldn't help but believe that the beautiful blossom within her had picked up the pieces of her heartbreak, putting them together with its gentle petals.

The lump gradually grew when a familiar wetness began to sting behind her eyelids as she caressed her belly softly.

"It'll only be me and you," She whispered and her voice got caught in her throat, teeth furiously drilling into her trembling lips, the taste of salt melting on her tongue, "I hope you're okay with that. I hope I can be good for you." She, Park Soon-ok, was about to become a mother. But she had no one.

"I am so sorry," Her child was going to grow up without a father and all she could bring herself to think about was the haunting question as to whether she would ever be enough. Would she ever be a good mother? She who for so long had been so immersed in her own work, in her own surroundings that she had in many occasions forgotten that there was a blooming flower within her. One that she couldn't allow to wither at all costs.

She was its source of life. Though, Soon-ok knew that if she hadn't had this life growing within her, she would have been the epitome of emptiness, walking without a purpose in this cruel world, probably still crying over the man that had mercilessly ripped her heart to shreds.

Everything was falling upon her as if the pressure of a waterfall crashing onto her bareback.

She tried to contain her tears, she tried to not let out the sob that was hiding behind her quivering lips. But it was too late. Before she had known it, her heart had sped up while loud cries left her throat. "Oh my God," Her whole body shook along with the rhythm of her sorrow as she clumsily reached for her phone, dialing the number that she knew by heart. Sehun answered right away, not giving the woman a chance to catch her shortening breath. His worried voice resounded in her ear when all he got to hear was her uncontrollable sobs.

"Sehun-ah," Soon-ok wailed unintentionally, but it had felt like his name past her lips could have been the closest thing to a grasp of comfort. Internally, she asked herself whether she would be able to say more than so. Though, as of now, just getting to hear his breathing next to her felt soothing, like a tender blow onto her scars. She closed her eyes and with much struggle tried to catch her breath between the choking sobs stealing the oxygen in her lungs.

"Hey, hey," Sehun had murmured gently, wishing that he could've been there physically.

"Tell me what's wrong," He soothed, " I am here." He reassured, and for a moment, she believed he had been crouching next to her, ready to take her into his strong arms, but the scent of ink and electronics would always be there to shatter the comforting pictures embracing her in her mind.

"I just," Soon-ok had to halt herself to take another trembling breath, "I Am-" She hiccuped. It was all futile, her tongue refused to form any sentence as her voice was taken by her infinite cries. Cries that clenched her heart and shook her body tremendously. Soon-ok couldn't see anything as her tears distorted her view. The best friend waited patiently for Soon-ok to find her words, knowing that perhaps she wouldn't be able to find them at all, but that was fine as well.

"I can't...I just...I'm sorry for bothering-"

"Soon-ok, " Sehun cut her off before she could say something derogatory towards herself. "You know I love you, and I'll always be here for you. You can call me whenever you want, even if you don't know what to say. I want you to." His words were like the soft caresses she yearned to feel on the crown of her hair, Soon-ok could only cry louder at the gentleness of her friend who truly, always, knew what to say and how to comfort her. Although her tears doubled after what he had said, they were now more of a relief.

"It's okay," Sehun continued to comfort his best friend as she let her emotions slowly seep out of her. Soon-ok had just begun to calm down when the door suddenly opened with a loud noise and instinctively, the girl whispered a quick: "I have to go!" Before ending the call unexpectedly, though allowing Sehun to sneak back to his work.

Soon-ok ran her sleeves across the delicate skin of her cheeks to dry her tears, breathing harder to stop the snot from dripping down her nose. "Are you okay?" a breath that she didn't know she had been holding tumbled down her lips. Shaky and slightly louder than intended, nonetheless, Soon-ok could only remark how relieved she was to hear the voice of Song Jinah instead of Baekhyun.

A careful, and somehow amiable hand landed on Soon-ok's shoulder followed by the scent of honey shampoo emanating from her colleague's long hair washed over her.

"It sounded like you were crying," Jinah confessed quietly, almost shyly even.

"And I wanted to see if you were okay- but if you want me to leave it's also okay and-" Despite her state, Soon-ok couldn't help the little chuckle that the younger one had prompted although unintentionally. Jinah halted her rambling upon hearing Soon-ok's sudden laugh and broke into a shy smile, a little question mark hung above her head, not really knowing what she was smiling at but happy to see her friend wear a lighter expression.

"Do you need to vent?" Jinah cocked her head to the side with an inviting, gentle expression on her features, however, Soon-ok shook her head while still wearing a smile.

"It's all fine now," She hummed contentedly and Jinah couldn't help but let her gaze wander down, carefully taking in the way Soon-ok's hands were constantly resting on top of her stomach, rubbing it repeatedly, as if a motion of reassurance.

"You're amazing, Song Jinah." Soon-ok ended the short silence with a murmur, amusement, and fondness coated her voice like a sheer veil while she let her eyes focus outside of the window, where the blue immensity reflected in her glossy orbs.

"Huh?" Jinah shifted curiously in her seat, leaning closer as the woman had unconsciously started speaking lower. "How so?" She wondered with her pupils dilated with eagerness to know more. Her heart raced excitedly in her chest.

"Before you came in, I was just wailing my soul out," Soon-ok laughed at her own self while reminiscing, "Then you sat down and all you did was ramble and ramble," Her hands left the subtle baby bump just to gesticulate in a circular motion before turning her head to face the younger girl. "And it cheered me up." Jinah's eyes widened once more, and suddenly it looked as if they had stolen the universe to reside within them, the glistening emotion revealed the entire galaxy when Soon-ok's joyful, yet thankful, crescents were directed to hers.

"I'm happy I could do that for you." The younger one beamed.

***

The aching in Baekhyun's throat reminded him constantly of the fight he had just had with the woman he was supposed to call mother. Her high-pitched voice ringed like obnoxious alarm clocks in his ears. Her pleading timbre, begging him to let go of the most important thing in his life. The expression in her eyes that he absolutely despised, and his father standing mute in the corner of their living room, as if any emotional tie had been cut years and years ago, there wasn't even a trace of them. Just the thought prompted his fingers to curl into fists, his nails leaving marks inside of his palm as he pressed them closer.

"Why are you so insistent with this? Why can't you give us a chance!?" She had cried desperately, and the young man had to give it to her for constantly trying to change his mind, compared to his emotionless father who had stopped connecting with his son ever since that day. Though Baekhyun hadn't been able to help the mirthless laugh that had boomed in the luxurious space.

Us? What was us? Baekhyun had for a long time believed he had lost everything he had. He found it so humorous how everyone suddenly seemed to know even a single thing about him, especially in the moments he dared to make decisions that didn't profit them.

Everyone seemed to know him so well except for himself, Baekhyun, who had barely decided who he wanted to be.

He had a clear plan in his head, but it always seemed to float further away from him, the harder he tried. As if a feather, by now caught by the wind and impossible to reach with his bare hands. Sometimes he wondered if it was meant to be- but he truly wanted to make it... for her.

I know what I want, he had said to himself, a pair of words that would daily cloud his thoughts, only to be met by the hurtful truth.

He didn't know anything, nothing at all. He felt as if he was made out of the sand, building his way with his bare hands, but it was so extremely weak and constantly crumbled underneath his weight, and then he would find himself with his arms falling limp next to his sides. Strong, weak, he was everything in the middle of it. Nothing at all.

***

The chair next to Soon-ok was vacant, Jinah had left for her desk just a few minutes ago when the door suddenly burst open. The breath hitched inside of the pregnant woman's throat when she realized that the footsteps hurrying inside were too heavy to belong to her friend. Within a few seconds, Soon-ok had recognized the continuous stressful pants as Baekhyun catching his breath followed by the noise of his jacket being swiftly shrugged off. She stilled in her seat, aware that the salty stains of her tears were very much visible on her red cheeks.

"Sorry for being late," He had muttered the apology rashly, still stressed out despite being in the office and being allowed to be at ease. Soon-ok only let out a distant hum, not wanting the male to see her red eyes and eventually ask anything about it. Knowing Baekhyun, she wouldn't know why he would care if she cried, on the other side, if there was an opportunity for him to mock her he would take it, and she was simply too tired to deal with him.

The woman was caught off guard when suddenly, an arm placed itself by the side of her head, a beautiful hand landing next to her working one on the desk. A scent of rain and pinewood embraced her senses as if a soft blanket being draped on her shoulders, and a frown kissed her forehead at the shiver that ran down her spine. Baekhyun had leaned over her shoulder to observe the papers she had been working on, however, regretting his actions immediately when he noticed how close her body was to his. The crown of her hair was just below him, and all he needed to do was to look down to nuzzle his nose into her hair. His eyes squeezed shut for a while, mentally trying to repress the addicting, sweet smell of strawberries deriving from her hair. His chest brushed against her back and a trembling sigh left her lips, her thighs closing tightly, it felt as if her skin was burning underneath her shirt. Nervous, why was she so nervous at his proximity?

Clearing her throat, Soon-ok made a weak attempt to ignore the warmth suddenly pooling on her cheeks, mentally shooing the butterflies tickling her belly as she hesitantly started telling Baekhyun about the things she had written down. Reading out loud the dialogues that she had come up with, knowing that they would possibly fit well with their ad. Baekhyun was quiet the entire time as she spoke softly, patiently, nodding as a sign that he was listening to everything she was saying. Soon-ok's heart throbbed painfully when the male leaned slowly down so that his eyes could rest on her face, the pen in her hand trembled along with her fingers.

Once she was done, he leaned away and Soon-ok finally felt at ease, noticing how she had been holding her breath all the while. A sigh of relief tumbled down her lips while Baekhyun crossed his arms over his chest and reminisced about her dialogue.

"I like it," He murmured gently and took a seat next to hers, making the girl scream on the inside when he had to sit ever so close to her again as if the previous position hadn't been enough to upset her. "It sounds perfect, except that we could do some touch-ups here and there," Baekhyun nodded towards her papers but quickly averted his gaze on her.

"What do you think?" He quired, leaving space for her to disagree with him if she wanted to. But she was happy with his answer and soundlessly bobbed her head, letting the relieved smile blooming on her lips be the answer to his question.

That smile wouldn't stay on for long as she remarked the way her rival had been baring an unusually soft tone in his voice while speaking to her, confusion twisted her features, but soon she decided to leave such unnecessary thoughts be.

Baekhyun hadn't missed the way Soon-ok's eyes were red and slightly swollen, the glassiness indicating that she had cried, and the dried paths of salty water on her cheeks were all he needed to confirm his assumption. At the view, it was as if all of his issues got replaced with questions about who could have caused her tears, his thoughts rushed and he found himself unable to sort out anything of it. His tongue-tied as an outcome of the inner war going on in his mind. A part of him wondered why it would be his business to know? But at the same time, Baekhyun had never considered himself to be that much of a cold man, showing concern wouldn't suddenly mean that he necessarily wanted to get involved with the woman on a deeper level. Hence he would show that kind of concern to anyone, Soon-ok wasn't anyone special.

And yet all Baekhyun was able to do was steal uncertain glances from the corner of his eyes as he settled down beside her in the office room where they, as usual, were alone. The words "Did anything happen?" or "Is everything okay?" danced eagerly on his tongue, his vocal cords itching to tell them, but despite so, Baekhyun drilled his teeth deeper onto his lips.

Minutes passed in absolute silence as the two fumbled with their project in concentration, Baekhyun eventually managed to discard the urge to ask the woman about her well-being. Clearing his throat, he slid the sketches of the designs and mind maps he had worked on during his free time closer to the woman for her to see.

"So I came up with a few ideas for how the commercial can look..." Baekhyun initiated the conversation with a soft murmur, afraid that his voice might break whatever calm atmosphere had laid itself upon them like the softest veil. They would always be fighting, bickering, and screaming at each other. But this once, Baekhyun couldn't help but enjoy the peacefulness, it felt refreshing. His heart swelled in satisfaction at the number of hours they had been working, trapped within the best flow ever. And he hadn't been the only one to think that.

Minseok and Chanyeol had passed by Baekhyun's and Soon-ok's rented office, their loud voices hearable through the thin walls.

"Woah, not a single noise from that office," Chanyeol had exclaimed while activating the coffee machine, Minseok hummed in agreement.

"They must have realized that they actually make a great team," Minseok added cheerfully, it was typical of him to utter such positive words. However on the other side of the wall were the two, with their faces aflame while furiously ignoring the fact that they had both heard the words, but decided not to acknowledge any of it, refusing to give up their competition.

The rivals' little mental war was interrupted by the door to their office gently peering open, revealing a hesitant Jinah and the two simultaneously let out the breath they had been holding- only to once again stiffen in their seats when realizing their similar actions. They were both secretly happy when Soon-ok was invited by the new girl for some tea break. Quickly the woman left and Baekhyun took the opportunity to completely slack against his chair, wondering what the hell was going on with him. Baekhyun tiredly massaged his temples, reminiscing about his actions, wanting for nothing else but to disappear. He had found himself being ever so cautious as if he didn't want to upset her, but where the hell did that come from? Since when did he even care about that wench's feelings?!

"I've been craving ice cream so bad!" Soon-ok's voice boomed from the other side of the wall, and Baekhyun's mind automatically wandered to the fact that she was pregnant and how she was most likely going through all sorts of things.

"We should go have some soon!" Jinah suggested with a chuckle, eventually squealing when Soon-ok demanded MC'Donald's fries with it too.

"You must taste vanilla ice cream and fries, it's so good! My mouth is watering." Baekhyun grimaced to himself at the ridiculous combination leaving his rival and partner's lips- His eyes focused on nothing in particular, however, his ears remained perked for as long as he could hear their voices discuss by the water boiler.

It mustn't be easy on her, he thought, especially since she had been trying to keep it a secret with all her might. Baekhyun found himself displaying her figure before his eyes, remembering how she had started wearing undeniably larger clothes recently, succeeding on looking natural while hiding her baby bump.

For a second, he wondered how big it was. But soon wished he had never done that, for the flashback replying in his mind brought nothing but discomfort. Remembering when Soon-ok's nurse had asked him for a word after the ultrasound. How she had whispered different ways to please his pregnant wife in different ways, into his ear. Baekhyun felt the urge to punch the air in embarrassment because, despite himself, he had imagined it...And the pictures in his head fluttered his chest, speeding his heart rate up.

The sun had set a few hours ago when the two rivals had finally started wrapping up their work. On the other side of the windows' danced a gentle breeze and the moon was bright, it was still warm enough to wander around without carrying a jacket. The office was shrouded in a silence almost eerie as the two were, as usual, the only ones left.

Baekhyun had been pondering over his words for the next ten minutes, maybe twenty even, he felt like was going crazy. But in the end, he did it. He asked the question he felt too disturbed to ask. "Hey, Park Soon-ok," Baekhyun blurted, voice gentle yet loud enough to break through the thickness of the silence. The woman whipped her head in his direction.

"What is it, Byun?" Soon-ok hummed, not sounding the least interested in what he had to say. Turning her head away again, she started packing her bag. This casualty, this calmness between them was so unfamiliar, so scary to Baekhyun, a part of him needed things to be as they used to be just a day ago, and quickly, because he wasn't comfortable with this new change. Despite everything, he was polite when he asked;

"Do you have a ride home tonight?" He finally said the words, feeling like the weight on his shoulders had been partially lifted, but not quite yet. He was glad that she was looking away because his hands were fidgeting like crazy and he couldn't stop it. What would she think of him now? "Why is this idiot asking me this?"

The imagination made him want to put his hands in his hair and tear every strand out of his scalp. He couldn't take a step without second-guessing everything he did.

To his surprise, Soon-ok seemed nonchalant when she simply answered, "Nope, public transport for me," she chimed in, chuckling a little to herself.

"No," Baekhyun disagreed softly, not really knowing why or what he had pronounced that two-lettered word for.

"Huh?" Her eyebrows met into a frown as she faced Baekhyun with confusion twisting her features. For a second, the male thought he saw question marks popping above her head.

"I'll drive you, it's late." Baekhyun left no space for interjections as he had spun on the balls of his heels and left before Soon-ok could even have said anything.

Just moments later, Soon-ok found herself sinking comfortably against the familiar seat of Baehyun's luxurious car, completely shrouded in the scent of him, and she found it so obnoxious that he would perfume his car like that. Despite that, the woman unconsciously inhaled the fragrance, on and on again.

Baekhyun started the car wordlessly, pulling out of the parking lot and driving away. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his eyes slightly widened as they took in the road before him, Soon-ok noticed the single drop of perspiration trickling slowly down his temple and wondered whether he was okay- perhaps nervous about something? Whatever was going within that big head of his, Soon-ok didn't dare to ask the man, instead placed her hand on the armrest and skillfully pressed a button. Her actions prompted the window to roll down just a tiny bit, allowing the fresh breeze to squeeze through, and Soon-ok knew she had done well when her rival sighed with relief, his neck craning backward to rest against the cushion, not aware of her gaze.

The gel in his tresses was more than worn out, and it was a miracle that it was still holding up that amount of hair. Though soon enough, the wind had blown gently, pushing through his brown locks and eventually putting an end to the gel's effect. Within seconds, the bangs had fallen onto his eyes. To her surprise, the male continued to drive, not minding the ends of his hair tickling the skin of his eyelids.

Long...She remarked, his hair was kind of long.

With a sigh, the woman leaned her cheek onto her palm and tiredly gazed outside the window, the other hand absentmindedly stroking her swollen belly. A frown made its way on her face when Baekhyun took a different route than usual. Soon-ok didn't even make it in time to question his action when he had already parked outside a bright building, the LED lights cheerfully spelled Gelato, tinting the night in its inviting colors.

Questioningly, she eyed her rival, eyes slightly wide but Baekhyun just rolled his eyes, snapping at her.

"What?" He gritted, "I want ice cream." Baekhyun justified himself defensively and stepped out of the car, leaving the girl in slight shock, flabbergasted at what she had just witnessed. Soon-ok didn't know how to read his actions, nor how to make sense of the fact that he brought her instead of going alone after dropping her off. Nonetheless, the tingling on her tongue made her give in easily, she had wanted ice cream for a while now.

"You should treat me," Soon-ok teased while nudging his side with her elbow as they scanned through the different flavors. Baekhyun didn't budge, however, surprised her with the soft agreeing hum he let out.

"What flavors do you want?" Baekhyun murmured, finally placing his gaze upon her figure. Their eyes met almost right away and Soon-ok was thrown off guard by the gentleness swarming like melted gold in his brown orbs. "Vanilla?" He breathed out, eyes traveling across her face for confirmation, causing her heart to skip a beat. How had he known? Why were his eyes looking at her in such a way tonight? Why did his gaze ooze with such warmth? Questions and even more questions had begun swimming endlessly inside of her mind and she almost lost her tongue when confirming Baekhyun's right guess.

"Yeah." She had marveled breathlessly, and the male had simply nodded before turning his body towards the counter, ordering their ice creams.

Neither Baekhyun nor Soon-ok could believe that they were currently sitting next to each other on a bench outside the ice cream parlor, savoring desserts in the calm company. The vanilla flavor soothed her senses, sending a pleasurable wave of freshness down her body, fighting the summer heat that wouldn't budge even during the late night. The moon stood tall and proud in the darkness of the sky, surrounded by tiny stars, each shining in their own sheer color, each unique.

Baekhyun had bought himself strawberry flavored ice cream which Soon-ok had found somehow odd. In her head, Baekhyun and strawberries just didn't match. Strawberries were cute, sweet, and sour, while Baekhyun was more like a lime. Always bitter and angry. Although recently, the male seemed to have been changing, Soon-ok couldn't pretend that she hadn't noticed how the majority of his attitude towards her had faded away. Though, she couldn't exactly deduce whether she liked it or not.

"How's the baby?" Baekhyun's hesitant voice cut through her train of thoughts and Soon-ok's head whipped in his direction, startled by the sudden noise.

"Huh?" She had gasped with surprise, raising her brows, her mouth hanging slightly apart. Baekhyun's lips twisted into a frown as he averted his gaze on everything but her. He was annoyed that he had to repeat himself, but the gentle pink hue matching his ice cream could have explained the woman otherwise, if only she had noticed it. The grip around the plastic spoon was unnecessarily tight as he scooped up a big bite and shoved it in his mouth, regretting it when the ice crashed against his sensitive teeth. His eyes squeezed in pain while Soon-ok had done her best not to chuckle at the ridiculous scene, but to his dismay, the woman hadn't been able to help herself and threw her head back while letting out what his ears recognized as the most beautiful laughter ever heard. For some reason, when he eyed the carefree smile contorting her features, he felt at ease.

"I said," He blew air through his nose, gritting his teeth. "How is.The.Baby?" Why are you doing this, Baekhyun? He reprimanded himself, wanting to disappear into thin air for making a fool out of himself in front of his rival. Soon-ok took a few minutes to calm herself down from the laughing session, which prompted the male to cross his arms annoyedly on his chest, glaring at nothing in particular as she dried her tears. It couldn't possibly have been that funny, he grumbled to himself.

"The baby is great," She finally revealed, attracting the rival's gaze upon her once again. With hooded lids, he observed her relaxed expression with a foreign feeling blooming within his chest. Then, slowly, Baekhyun found himself gazing curiously at her hand holding her growing stomach, and for a moment wondered how it would feel to have his own stroke it-

"I haven't been on another check-up ever since last time," Soon-ok chimed casually and then locked her gaze with Baekhyun's, smirking knowingly, as if to remind him of how he had been there with her. The said male gulped nervously and detached his eyes from hers, nodding silently to dodge her teasing. Because truly, there had been nothing funny with him having to pull up with her nurse's bullshit. The images that her words had caused had haunted him for days, despairing him to the point where had considered banging his head against the wall to make it go away.

"That's good," Baekhyun murmured, "I'm glad," He said despite himself, despite the endless turmoil going on within him every time he found himself with Soon-ok. For some reason, her presence had started having a weird effect on him, making him do the exact opposite of what his head would be telling him.

Surprisingly, the rivals managed to have a civilized conversation that evening, no insults were thrown, no hostile words, just casual conversations about anything, anything really. Soon-ok had never imagined that Baekhyun could be someone she could ever have held such a long conversation with, but there she was, feeling a warm sensation of satisfaction pooling in her chest as she stepped into the car. Baekhyun had wordlessly opened the door for her, his hand lingering on her back, carefully guiding her.

Baekhyun had barely sat down for a few seconds when the ringtone of his phone had started playing hysterically, bouncing against every wall of the fancy vehicle. Upon seeing the usual name on the display, Baekhyun sighed exasperatedly. Somehow, just seeing her name made the ringtone sound ten times more infernal. Irritatedly, he grabbed his phone and slammed the car door shut once he was outside, leaving Soon-ok to swim in her own confusion.

Leaning slightly forward, she peeked through the driver's window, her eyes spotted Baekhyun almost right away. His body language screamed anger and frustration, the hands gesticulated aggressively although the person on the line wouldn't be able to see, and he would walk back and forth as if it would help him contain his emotions. Every step oozed with the same exasperation that he had shown in the car. Soon-ok felt slightly bad for feeling so intrigued, contemplating rolling down the window to hear what all those expressions darkening his features were all about...But she decided against it and leaned back against her seat, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

It had nothing to do with her, nor did she really care. At least, that was what she had told herself, in fact, her body had a mind of its own, perhaps a much more honest mind and it showed when the man entered the car again. Slamming the door shut, he was breathing loudly as his hand twisted the car key and the motor roared loudly. A permanent frown covered his face, the darkness, the anger in his hard gaze looked like it could've swallowed Soon-ok whole. And yet, she couldn't take her eyes off him, her tongue twitched eagerly to ask what had happened, but she pressed her lips into a thin line. Soon-ok had, without even noticing, started scrutinizing her rival, seeing how the milky skin of his hands had gone from a sheer beige to paper white around the steering wheel, his hold so tight, and in all honesty, he might as well have ripped the device off with that iron grip. Baekhyun's jaw clenched in ire, he was like an inextinguishable flame and Soon-ok could feel its waves radiating, sinking into her skin while next to him.

Not even the gentle silver linings of the moon could soften the murderous expression contorting his features.

And just like that, the previous light-hearted mood that had settled itself around them had burnt away into nothingness. The car ride was cold, numb. The silence was so extremely loud and every single thought that popped into her head seemed to echo against the four walls. Soon-ok hesitated to even move. But that soon subsided when Baekhyun pulled up to her apartment complex, parking the car just outside and turning off the engine before letting himself relax against the seat.

Soon-ok couldn't recognize herself the moment her tongue had darted out to wet her lips before parting them to speak. She didn't care, right?

She. Didn't. Care.

"Is everything okay?" Soon-ok queried gently, her eyes shakingly taking in his figure next to hers, afraid that her question might upset the male more. Baekhyun's arms never left the steering wheel, though she could tell that his hold had softened a whole lot.

It's not like she had been feeling a lot like herself lately anyways.

As soon as the words rolled down her tongue, the dark haze within Baekhyun's orbs faded away instantly as he blinked. The expression on his face made it seem like someone had suddenly sucked him out from the darkest pit of the earth.

A sigh tumbled down Baekhyun's now red and swollen lips, the result of his teeth assaulting them constantly in his state of anger and nervousness.

"I'm just so fucking done," Baekhyun said heavily, one of his beautiful hands raising slowly and smothering across his face, rubbing his eyes and massaging his temple. Only at that moment did the woman realize how exhausted her rival looked, suddenly the gray streaks of tiredness painted underneath his deep oceans were so obvious. To say that she was surprised was an understatement, for the last thing she had expected was for Baekhyun to open up even the slightest. Intently, she observed him, silently egging him to go on.

"They keep insisting with me, wanting me to inherit the company, but-" Soon-ok didn't really know who he was referring to, but it didn't matter, the emotions Baekhyun was letting dance on his sleeves tonight were too intense to be paying attention to anything else. "I don't want to." He gritted out, then murmured weakly, "I don't fucking want to."

Soon-ok understood, truly, the feeling of complete repulsion towards something you're being forced into- when something doesn't feel right and your whole body constricts with pain. However, she still found herself asking another question.

"How so?" Her words were slow and ever so careful as if a butterfly landing on a flower. She didn't want him to think she was judging his feelings, it felt odd to say, but the Baekhyun before her wasn't the arrogant rival she had learned to loathe. All she saw was a lost boy, whom's feelings had been hurt, his feelings that were soft and fragile like the touch of a feather, despite the strong person he let himself be around her, and everyone else.

It was as if the roles had switched finally, it was now his turn to be vulnerable.

"You might be wondering why am I doing this job instead of jumping into this opportunity." Baekhyun chuckled breathlessly but there was no humor in his voice. Soon-ok flinched slightly as he had read her exact thoughts.

"I'm just a tool to assure their future," his brows met into a frown on his forehead, eyes once again becoming darker than the night sky itself.

"I don't want to be used like that by them- plus, I'm really not that hungry for money,"

"There's something I want so much more than that." The loneliness, the broken longing in his voice pained Soon-ok greatly, sending shivers down her spine. His hands now curled into fists, the blue moonlight enlightened the glossy layer resting over his eyes. Was it just her who felt the air thicken? Was it only her breath that disappeared from her lungs when Baekhyun finally decided to answer her gaze? Locking his eyes with hers, she couldn't let them stray away anymore. Baekhyun's brown irises were like the alluring song of a siren, a beautiful sight she couldn't help but want to devour. But she was so scared, scared, knowing she'd get lost if she swam too deep within them.

Would Baekhyun be the reason she would become like those sailors meeting with a terrible fate?

Soon-ok didn't know whether she wanted an answer to that. All she really could ponder about was the man before her and the blazing emotions wrapping around him as if licking flames. She had no idea what she was doing when suddenly, her hand raised up in the air as she brought it closer to his face. Warmth seeped from his skin and transferred into her fingertips when she placed a gentle finger in between his brows, caressing gently to smoothen the crease that had appeared there.

When had their bodies started facing each other like that? In the cramped space of the car, Soon-ok hadn't thought that a single motion would bring her so much closer to the male, and yet, before she had known it, Baekhyun's cologne had already begun clouding her senses.

"What," Baekhyun grumbled, his fierce eyes softened just a little, meanwhile his slender fingers had reached to curl around her wrist, stopping her from moving but never withdrawing her hand away. "Are you doing?" His words came out as a tired whisper, and for some reason, it made Soon-ok's heart stutter- not once, not twice. Constantly. Tiny petals fluttered her chest or perhaps was it a whole dance school taking place in her tummy at the touch of his skin directly on hers? At the deepness of his gaze asking her silently to...

To come closer.

What am I doing? She could only ask herself as well.

"I..." Soon-ok's voice faltered hoarsely when she caught on how Baekhyun's gaze had slowly dipped to her moving lips for the shortest second, but it had been enough to make her own eyes waver, her head spun furiously. She found herself inhaling sharply, only to be hit by the intensified scent of the pinewood perfume emanating from his skin, completely dazed by it. Soon-ok wished for nothing else than to find its source and bury her nose into it. Never in her whole life had she thought that she would be sitting this close to the man she was supposed to hate, slowly and helplessly, becoming addicted to the warmth of his fingertips against her wrist, to his fragrance that she wanted to wrap around herself as if the most precious blanket.

The rivals could barely recognize themselves, trapped within the haze of their breaths suddenly melting into each other as one of them had inched closer. Neither of them could really make out who it had been, but Soon-ok soon realized it had been none other than Baekhyun, and she had let him, almost eagerly. Looking up made her find his vivid gaze, and Soon-ok found herself being sucked into those brown oceans of his within no time, mesmerized by the streaks of gold swirling within them like the rarest kind of magic. Her teeth dug into her lips upon the intensifying butterflies pooling into her lower stomach, and as if magnetic, the actions of her lips had attracted the male's gaze once again. Disappointment washed over her when his hold had gone missing from her wrist, letting a gush of cold cover her overly heated body.

A gasp left her mouth when Baekhyun's hand, which currently adorned her wrist, had made its way by her cheek. His knuckle stroke the apple of her cheek, and Baekhyun felt his lips tremble with desire to taste the surface of her warm skin, of her swollen lips that he soon reached with his tender fingertips. His heart clenched once he had the soft, delicate texture of her lips underneath the pad of his thumb as well as a finger hooked around her milky chin. Slowly, he let his finger trace the length of her trembling pillows, gently setting them free from the cage of her teeth. Soon-ok was a whirl of emotions, her eyes felt heavy, eyelids lazily hanging over her orbs as she took in the completely new expression on Baekhyun's features. Warmth pooled south as she watched her rival tilt his head to the side, parting his lips above of hers, making them brush ever so lightly in the process and letting his tongue peek out from underneath his teeth. As if he wanted nothing more but to devour her.

But his eyebrows were bent into a painful expression as if a part of him had been fighting the urge to crush his mouth on top of hers. The part of him that reminded him that they were rivals. Therefore what he was about to do was unreasonable.

Only when their noses collided sweetly did the haze in Baekhyun's eyes shatter like glass, he didn't spare a second to hastily lean away, eyes wide with confusion and shock, looking like someone had woken him up in the middle of the night. The look in his orbs was crazed and discombobulated.

"You-" He breathed out, barely finding his voice. " You should go."

***

'

Twenty-two weeks pregnant.

Teeth dug into the lower lip as she stood sideways in front of the full body-length mirror, a hand smoothly running along the round surface of her belly. Soon-ok had no words to describe the swelling in her chest, it seemed like just a week ago when her stomach had been completely normal. The bump had definitely grown and a little to her dismay, it was now starting to become more noticeable even under her baggier shirts and dresses. She simply wasn't the same size anymore, and it would have been a lie if she said that the fact didn't affect her in the slightest. For the truth was that Soon-ok did feel slightly anxious, scared, even. What if she could no longer exceed her job the same way she used to, would her boss see her pregnancy as a hinder, as a bother to the rest of the company? Would everyone around her give her those sticky side glances if they were to know how her child would have no father? Would her reputation crumble like pieces of dried bread- would she be the cause of negative rumors going around the working industry? Soon-ok's imagination could continue to create the worst-case scenarios for hours, although it wasn't like pregnant women did not have rights. Nonetheless, she felt like she would be risking too much if she was to become open about it.

This was all she had.

On the other hand, her bump could easily pass by as weight she would have gained, which for the moment made her feel more at ease, although she knew it wouldn't be for long.

The weight her growing belly put on her body would be the constant reminder of her due date slowly but surely getting closer and closer, and Soon-ok had no idea how she was going to handle everything by the time it would happen. All she could do was cling onto the little hope she found in her faith.

"I'm so sorry," She murmured brokenly, eyes slowly zooming onto her naked abdomen, "I haven't been paying enough attention to you, mommy is so sorry." Soon-ok apologized earnestly, knowing that her baby could hear- feel the soft rumbles of her voice in there. A gentle hand went to caress it once again, the motion feather-light, moving in broken-hearted sentiments. Work had been more than hectic, and it shouldn't have been an excuse, but Soon-ok had recently realized how much time it had stripped away from her. How much time she had lost, to focus on her growing baby, on herself, and the changes constantly going on within her body. The different stages of pregnancy, one by one, leave their mark on her physical strength. Even her breasts had grown larger, they had become extremely sensitive and Soon-ok would often find herself wincing at the slightest movements.

But her baby had been through all of it with her, and the fact made her feel giddy, it was as if she would never be lonely, with her own little flower keeping her the warmest company.

She smiled to herself and dared herself to imagine how it would feel when the child would start kicking around in there. She knew it wasn't going to always be fascinating if the baby turned out to be feisty, but she longed, oh how she longed to hold it in her arms, hold its tiny fingers and feel them clutch hers.

"You and I have been through a lot, hmm?" She whispered solemnly to her child, a gentle smile adorned her lips.

The woman eventually moved on from her deep thoughts and wore a baggy yet elegant sweater to match her dress pants and left her apartment to join Sehun in his car. It had been a while since the two had met in person. Ever since that phone call in her office, the male had been extremely worried for her health, and Soon-ok couldn't blame him after having cried like a baby in his ear like that. And now there was no way to convince him that she was fine. Work hadn't been any less harsh on Sehun and that explained the much-delayed meeting. He had offered to drive her to work, and the few minutes of the ride were all they had managed to get to bask in each other's precious company.

"Soon," He had called, his expression serious although the affection did not lack in the dark timbre rumbling from his chest. The woman hummed in response and Sehun stole her a quick glance before bringing his gaze back onto the road.

"Please never drift away from me," He placed a sincere hand upon hers, fingers giving hers a gentle squeeze. Soon-ok's eyes widened, the heart in her chest sped up its rate as she closed her fingers around Sehun's.

"I would never-" Soon-ok faltered, "did I make you feel like that?" Regret and sorrow flashed in her orbs, her eyebrows bent in pain as she whipped her head around to stare at the male with disbelief, in herself. The best friend was quick to shake his head in reassurance.

"That's not how I meant," Explained Sehun, letting his thumb draw gentle caresses on her trembling hand in hopes of comforting her worried heart.

"I know that you're not going through an easy time right now, and as a man, I could never even begin to put myself in your shoes," He murmured. "But please never stop reaching out to me, I want to be by your side." The car halted right outside of her company, and finally, Sehun allowed himself to lock gazes with the pregnant woman beside him. In his dark orbs swirled sweet sincerity, will, and passion. Soon-ok's lips parted in astonishment, her hands without warning, reaching out for his shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. The male didn't flinch away from her touch, hence inviting the warmth of his most precious friend, affectionately caressing her soft hair.

"I'm not sure what I have done to deserve the friend that you are, Sehun." Soon-ok choked on the bile forming in her throat, her eyes shut tightly when she snuggled deeper into her friend's broad chest. The chest that had over and over again, caught her tears and brought her comfort all at the same time.

"But I never would want to drift away from you, I won't ever stop coming to you," She promised wholeheartedly, aware of how Sehun felt like they hadn't been telling each other important things. Soon-ok knew exactly, she was pretty sure the things she was dying to tell him had an aura all of their own.

The gentle hug lasted a few minutes before the two had to part ways, promising each other to be more frequent despite work.

***

Concentration was like a thick, warm flow taking over both Baekhyun's and Soon-ok's bodies, their minds consumed by the project they were eager to complete as soon as possible. With the due date coming soon, the two had realized that a simple day of work would never have sufficed if they wanted to finish it in time. The rivals had come to a mutual agreement to work overtime, every day as well. Therefore, whenever the two would sit in their rented room, not a word would be exchanged, and no, it wasn't an act of hostility to each other. This time, Baekhyun and Soon-ok had long ago learned to put their childish banter behind them whenever the project laid before them.

Their silence was simply the fruit of their synergy together, their chief had indeed, known very well what he was doing when he put the two to work together.

However, it went without saying that this new arrangement of theirs had taken its toll on them, and Soon-ok was surprised that she even was able to walk around the office with the amount of energy she had. Meanwhile, her colleague had surprisingly collapsed underneath the pressure much earlier than her. Baekhyun had never been vocal about his physical tiredness, in fact, Soon-ok had found out by accident one lunch break when she had rushed in to get something she had forgotten. Only to find a familiar figure slumped on the cramped couch in the corner of the room, snoring softly with his lips slightly apart- as if it had been the first proper moment of sleep in a long time.

Soon-ok's heart softened at the surprising view of her rival sleeping like a baby. She couldn't help herself when she crouched down right by his side, feeling like just one glance at this priceless look of her usually grumpy rival wouldn't be enough. The girl had barely realized how a little smile had taken over her lipstick-coated lips, as she unconsciously traced the streaks of exhaustion on his milky skin with her soft gaze. The long lashes ornating his eyes cast a sweet shadow down the apples of his cheeks and the woman found herself brushing a few hairs that had fallen onto his forehead, away. The texture of his brown strands between her fingers was ever so soft, she remarked to herself.

She wasn't the only one who was tired, and she felt bad for seeing Baekhyun so shattered. It had been him to take over most parts of their work, and even if he hadn't claimed so himself, Soon-ok was aware that he had done it for the best cause of her pregnancy.

Without further ado, a determined frown made its way on her features as she raised herself up again, headed to their shared project that was currently laid open on the large conference table.

It didn't take long before Soon-Ok was completely sucked into their project. Baekhyun's notes had been ever so detailed and simple to understand, her eyes kept drinking in his slightly sloppy handwriting all over the papers. Soon-Ok found some details to be pleasant, a little odd, it was as if Baekhyun had written them so that the next person could've easily picked up where he had left, and she was grateful for that. Once again, astonished by how seriously he took his job, and it wasn't like she took Baekhyun for a slack- it had just always seemed like he did everything so effortlessly in her eyes, but that had been a wrong judgment on her side.

A little more than an hour had gone by in what felt like just a hot minute, and Soon-ok was still glued to the project as if her life depended on it. It was as if she was swiveling at the inside of a bubble, completely isolated from anyone outside of it. The woman didn't notice when Baekhyun stirred awake on the couch, barely keeping himself from groaning at the stiffness clenching the muscles in his back and neck.

"Fuck," he muttered underneath his breath once he was sitting up, his eyelids felt extremely heavy, it was clear that his body begged for just a little more sleep. His hair had gotten a life of its own, sticking up in every other direction and looking like he had visited the wild in his sleep while he attempted to soothe the pain in his muscles, rolling his head a few times.

Looking up, his gaze cascaded on the woman working furiously by the desk, and immediately a frown creased his smooth forehead. Baekhyun's body acted on its own when he stood up abruptly and accusingly asked, "What are you doing?" His words echoed in the vacant room, prompting Soon-ok to jump in her chair, Baekhyun flinched slightly at his own voice, it had come out a little louder than he had intended.

"What the fuck!" She breathed out with a hand on her beating heart, "Don't scare me like that!" She hissed, looking behind her shoulder to give the male a disapproving look, but returned quickly to her work once she made sure that it had actually been him. Baekhyun's frown increased, he didn't know what got into him when he urged the woman relentlessly.

"No, Soon-ok, stop that."

"What are you talking about Baekhyun? I'm literally working!" Soon-ok's voice held the hint of a question as well as amusement at his weird behavior. But she told herself it was probably because he had just woken up. Naps could have the worst effect on you.

"How long was I asleep for?" The male cleared his throat and straightened his dress shirt that by now was filled with streaks, trying his best to suppress the frustrated groan surging in his throat. His head was slightly aching because of the intense sleep, thus forming long sentences felt like a task too complicated, harder than it should have been.

Soon-ok let out a pensive hum at that, and Baekhyun couldn't tell whether she was considering his question or the work before her.

"One hour and a half, maybe?" She guessed out loud, letting him know that she had not kept track of the time. "Maybe a little less, but it's okay," Reassurance coated her soft voice as she finally spun her chair around and gave him a little smile.

"You can go back to sleep if you need it, or go home! I'll continue here so you don't have to worr-'' Her sentence was cut off by Baekhyun suddenly spinning her chair around and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Enough work for you, young lady." He needled, squeezing her shoulders gently, and motioned her to stand up. The girl tried to protest but the rival left no space for interjections. Soon-ok really hadn't wanted to, but despite herself, her mind would unconsciously remark how warm and gentle his palms were on her body as he led her to the couch where he had been laying just a few minutes ago. The scent of his cologne kept tormenting her senses, hitting her like the warmest shower on a freezing cold day. Even as he sat her down, his hands remained on her back.

The woman had no idea what to do or say when all of a sudden she felt dazed, but this time she was afraid that it wasn't because of her pregnancy. A trembling sigh left her lips when the man seated behind her let his thumbs wander towards the center of her back, pressing down onto the big knot that had formed there during her working hours. Soon-ok hissed in pain and pleasure, to which Baekhyun hummed knowingly.

"This is what happens when you overwork yourself," He scolded sternly while massaging her shoulders, finally using his beautiful hands to their full potential. "You can't be so stubborn because you don't only have yourself to take care of! You can't forget about that." His nagging continued, but there was never even a crumb of hostility and the motions of his hands never became harsh. "Most importantly, you should have woken me up for God's sake, you can't do all the work by yourself-"

"Baekhyun-" Soon-ok fretted, prompting the male to still in his movements and speech.

"W-what is it?" He wondered what the hell was wrong with him, since when did he stutter? And why was his throat so dry all of a sudden? Baekhyun gulped down a huge amount of saliva and waited for his rival to continue.

Peeking over her shoulder, he saw how her hands were latched onto her stomach, eyes wide and cheeks reddening. For some reason, he felt alarmed and sprung on his feet immediately to sit in front of her.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Baekhyun stumbled on his words, tongue-tied and hands in the air, indecisive whether to reach for her and touch her or keep his distance. Soon-ok's state of mild shock went away quickly as she let her gaze rest on the distressed male in front of her. A little smile teased the corner of her lips, confusing him even more.

"Baekhyun," She laughed, "Oh my god, the baby kicked!" Her eyes crinkled into what Baekhyun would have described as the prettiest crescents moons he had ever witnessed, the smile on her lips made him dizzy, and the way his name had sounded whilst embedded in her laugh-

He felt as if he was suspended in the air, the oxygen stuck in his lungs, but his heart kept drumming furiously against his ribs, and he could only hope it wasn't hearable for her. His pupils dilated in ecstasy, wanting to take in more and even more of that joyful expression on her beautiful face, of the sweet honey coating her eyes and lips.

Her eyes lit up once again and she squealed excitedly, waving Baekhyun to come closer urgently. The male could only scramble to where she had wanted him, clumsily seating himself next to her.

"Oh my God, it's doing it again!" Soon-ok exclaimed and without thinking grabbed Baekhyun's hand to place it on her stomach, letting him feel her baby's kick against his palm. Teeth drilled into her lips when the expression that covered his features was one of pure, raw adoration and astonishment.

Baekhyun chuckled breathlessly, "Woah-" meeting her gaze, only to feel his lips widening in the very first smile he'd ever directed at the woman before him. He was happy, so happy for her. Soon-ok was touching the stars, excitement, and happiness were rushing through her veins, making her feel as if she had grown a second heart when her chest swelled with emotions indescribable. Warmth. So much warmth.

"You're growing so well," She cooed to her baby once having released Baekhyun's hand, not noticing the way his cheeks were on fire and he was furiously trying to avoid looking at her as she caressed her stomach, hoping that her baby would hear her praise.

***

Another long day ahead awaited him.

Baekhyun was completely shattered- his muscles and bones begging him to melt into his very much longed bed back at home, but to no avail. Somehow he had managed to drag his body to work, day by day and neither did he have an idea of how he was doing it. But he wasn't going to question that ability further as if doing so would lead him to the downfall he was slowly expecting. Baekhyun stifled a yawn behind his lips while heading to the lounge room where he silently hoped to find some coffee left. One of his hands was mindlessly popping the first three buttons of his shirt open, despite not having been in the office for more than half an hour. The exhaustion radiating into his whole aura had been enough for him to feel suffocated whilst trapped in the tightness of the dress shirt.

Once in the lounge room, Baekhyun's whole being lit up at the sight of his colleague pouring some coffee into the filter, without wasting any time he reached her.

"Hey," He called in a mellow voice to gain Jinah's attention but without startling her, eventually leaning onto the wall behind him for support. Baekhyun had not interacted with her a lot but he had noticed the friendship she had built with Soon-ok and considered her a great person.

Jinah whipped her head in his direction, her big eyes wide with surprise that soon morphed into a certain kind of shyness as she averted her gaze on anything but him.

"Y-yeah?" Jinah stuttered and Baekhyun didn't miss the way she squeezed her eyes with embarrassment, probably mentally cursing herself out. Maybe it was because he had a high position in the company that she felt a little intimidated? Knowing how it felt, he put on a gentle smile on his lips as he softly asked, "Mind making some for me too?" The younger girl nodded vigorously, biting down on her lips to hide the enthusiastic smile from blossoming on her lips.

A few minutes later, Jinah was pouring the coffee into two cups, in her head, she was repeating to herself like a mantra not to spill anything and make a fool out of herself.

"Milk?" Jinah dared herself to ask after fussing about it for too long in her head, only to earn a simple, curt no from the man, making her high spirits dissipate in the span of just a few seconds. Throwing a glance behind her shoulder, she noted how Baekhyun was breathing slowly while leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Lips pressed into a thin line, she turned around again. He wasn't paying her any attention. If Soon-ok had been in this room...Would he have been more active, awake? She couldn't help but give in to the surging emotion in her chest, the root of those kinds of questions.

"How is the project going?" Jinah attempted once again, a determined frown on her forehead as she carefully walked with the warm cups in her hands. The comforting, bittersweet aroma of coffee soon took over the lounge room, prompting a much longed to inhale of the scent from both to resound in the otherwise quiet room. Baekhyun opened an eye at her question, eyebrow cocked upwards as a silent question reflected in his orb, but soon he realized that she must've known thanks to his rival. Baekhyun closed his eyes and leaned his head back onto the wall after giving the girl an assuring nod.

"Great, I think." He admitted shortly albeit wholeheartedly- eventually straightening up once he felt her presence standing in front of him. After slowly opening his eyes, he took one of the cups from her hand. "Thank you," Baekhyun murmured the words of appreciation, but that had been it. Not even a particular glance was cast on her. Jinah felt her chest squeeze painfully and she hated herself for it. How was her heart so greedy already?

"Are you and Soon-ok unnie on better terms now?" Jinah latched onto the hope of keeping the dying conversation alive, a part of her just deeply craved to have his attention on her and solely. But so far it felt like she was just making a fool of herself, helplessly and desperately holding onto his legs to keep him from leaving.

Baekhyun's expression darkened the slightest upon the harmless question, and Jinah hadn't missed the internal turmoil reflecting in his orbs- perhaps, the most dangerous storm the girl had ever encountered, but oh how she wished to dive into it, at all costs.

"You could say that." Baekhyun huffed, avoiding her gaze. Swallowing, his adam's apple sharply cutting against the skin of his throat didn't fail to attract Jinah's eyes to itself.

Silently, he brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of the bitter yet energizing drink, scrunching his nose slightly was a natural reaction to the taste.

"I have to go now, she must be waiting for me," Baekhyun mumbled while scanning the time on the wristwatch he was wearing. Jinah wasn't sure whether she had been supposed to hear the announcement, but the damage had already been done long ago. Finally, he set his eyes on the expectant girl, letting her see the little smile teasing his lips as he held up the coffee cup gratefully.

"Thanks again, and good luck at work." He wished her shortly, and Jinah had barely been able to return the smile before he was gone, leaving a soft gush of wind behind him, teasing her with his musky cologne lingering in the air.

The smile on her lips quickly dropped as soon as she was sure that she was alone. Jinah's head dropped low, eyes catching her dark reflection in the black coffee in her cup. Pain, and more pain.

She finally remembered, with a new determination, why she was there in the first place.

♡♡♡

Hello! A new week a new update <3 

 I hope you are all doing well and are healthy! It's starting to get really cold here, and if it is for you too, promise me to dress warmly, okay! Okay!

This chapter was so long i was surprised myself when i had to proofread and i casually checked the word count only to go O____O hahah.

Anyways I want to thank everyone who has been commenting so nicely and keeping up with this story, it means a lot to me!

So please let me know what you think of this chapter! I truly am curious to know your thoughts, Ik i say it all the time but tehre's no need to be shy, let's all talk about it together in the comments <3

See you next week! Much love, P.