TAEHYUNG'S POV:

"I suggest you lie low until things are cleared up" my dad said massaging his temples with a grumpy face.

Us sitting across from eachother in his cabin.

"Why should I lie low when I haven't done anything wrong?!" I opposed sharply getting up as I hit my clenched fists over the table.

He glared questioning why I was so worked up? I have always been the one to stay calm, however not this time, when the hate is going towards my wife.

Why should I be the one hiding and keep quiet? I did nothing wrong. I had a reason for whatever happened that night. I need to clear out things before they get worse and reach Y/n.

"So what do you want to do?" dad asked, annoyed as he removed his glasses and flipped it on the table ahead. "Call a press conference and tell the media that you are the man in that clip? Tell them why you shouted at the lady? Huh?"

Yes.

"You already know yourself, Taehyung. These people don't want the truth, they want drama. Nobody wants to know the reason why you shouted at her, they just want to confirm if the man in that clip is you" he was correct, the media has never been on the side of truth, they just love to spice things up.

People just want to gossip and they need drama for that, not the truth. Now that my anger calmed down I was finally able to see the bitter reality.

It was ridiculous until they were mentioning me, I go through this every other day. This is my life.

But it made my blood boil when they mentioned Y/n too. What does she have to do with all this mess?

And what, hating her on the basis of a baseless rumor? None of them, literally none of them know what was going on in that party. It was private, no reporters were invited either, but people are hating like they were present in the room with us.

People are funny, so funny that it makes me want to sue them in the court.

"We want her to apologize!" For what?

For being too good of a person to forgive someone who broke her heart?

Hell, I could never.

She is way too good for all these selfish people.

"Taehyung, why do you think this clip came out now, months after that party, when it could've been anytime?" he made sense.

It was because of our new project.

They all wanted it to go down so bad, that they recorded me and saved this clip for the right time, which is now.

They want to drag me down.

"Not for your sake, do it for Y/n" he said humbly. "Take her away from Seoul until my team takes care of this matter. This is the only way you can protect her from all this foolish hate and yourself too, from losing your dream project"

I clenched my jaw hard, my teeth gritting out of rage as I intake a deep, sharp breath. As much as I hated to admit it, I cannot run away from the truth. Lying low is the only way I can help Y/n and everyone around me, including myself.

Dad is right. If I went to handle this myself, the tables might turn in the wrong direction. My one foolish step may hurt my own people and I cannot take that risk.

If lying low is the only way I can protect her, then be it. I can't let her find out about this.

If she gets to find out, she'd feel guilty about that night and would think that she caused this to me, which is definitely not true. I couldn't let her get upset over something she didn't do, I can't stand that.

I couldn't let her feel sorry towards me or anyone, I made it clear, it's not her fault. My biggest fear is not losing my dream project or being dragged down by the media, it's seeing her heart break once again; I fear that.

I just cannot let her get to see this news and articles.

She's way far away from my world, let her be. I would never want her to become a part of this.

I need to take action, right now.

***

Y/N'S POV:

It was our lunch break. Me and my friends were heading out of the library to grab some delicious food in the nearest restaurant.

"Rosy, you can't even lock the door!" Ji-so whined rolling her eyes as she scrolled through her phone.

"It's not that I can't lock the door, it's just that I can't find the right key!" she gritted her teeth.

I shook my head ignoring them as I treated Tan and myself with our favourite chocolate. Yes, our favourite chocolate. The most delicious and smooth chocolate in the world, and only Taehyung knows where they are made. So we can also call it secretly good. He brought this chocolate when he came to know that I was on my periods and since then, these chocolates never seemed to go out of stock. Perhaps Taehyung heard that I love this chocolate or something, but he always tends to refill every month, without letting me know.

Truly, that's so sweet of him.

"Y/n" Ji-so called me, I hummed. "Is that your husband coming to us?" she asked making me look at her and then in the direction she was looking in.

What made her jaw drop like that?

Taehyung —the main character.

My husband? No. A hot business man with a flower bouquet in his hand? Yes.

Ji-so wasn't the only one who had that reaction, technically every lady passing by him had the exact same look on their faces.

"Oh man!" Rosy dropped the keys on the floor joining the other ladies.

I did not get the time to look at him as my eyes were shooting burning glares at everyone who checked him out from every angle, from head to toe; even my own friends. I know he is good looking, tall, handsome, hot but that doesn't mean any woman gets to check him out and think "I wish he was mine"

Only I get to do that, to check him out.

Only I get to think that, he was already mine to start with.

I hate this, I hate this so much that it burns my heart.

But apart from everything, why is he walking so slowly? He always walks like that, but why right now of all times?

Is he a king from Jeonson dynasty? Why can't he make his pace faster?

When I was having my moment, Rosy said, "What's more hot is that he isn't even looking at the other ladies, his all attention is on Y/n"

Well, she was right. That gave me utter satisfaction.

"Don't be jealous, Y/n" Ji-so patted my back like I'm a kid who lost a game and she as my mother is cheering me up.

"Don't be ridiculous, jealous haha!" I scoffed. I wasn't actually jealous... I was just, well, I just did not like the way everyone was eyeing him.

It's inappropriate and rude and ill-mannered and only I do that!

He finally reached us after 1 minute of having his main character moment. I blinked bewildered when he stood right infront of me; towering over someone who's a shorty, standing between her two short friends.

"I'm here to take you" he said with a small smile.

"Where? I'm not over with my work yet" I said, unsure.

"We need to go somewhere" he said nodding to his own words.

"Well, she's free! You can take her" Rosy said and both of them pushed me ahead low-key. I jammed my steps so I don't bump into his broad chest because of my nasty friends.

"Alright" he smiled raising his eyebrows awkwardly. "This is for you" he said raising the rose bouquet in his hands.

Roses. I've never received roses. I thought I'd only receive them at my funeral.

"What is this?" I asked dumbfounded, overwhelmed, blushing, trying to control my joy.

"I heard bookworms love receiving flowers?..." he answered not sure if he is right, shy eyes.

Now who's gonna tell him?

Bookworms love getting flowers! I wish there was a better word than love which could define what flowers make us feel like. But, is it only bookworms? I mean, who wouldn't like getting flowers? Getting flowers is an emotion, it's a sign of friendship, of love, of trust, of promise. It's so much more than just love.

Nevertheless, did he just call me a bookworm, as well?!

"Yes, yes you've heard right!!" Rosy said taking the bouquet from him and handing it to me immediately. "Y/n love roses!" she said chuckling.

"Well, now if I may take my wife with me..?" he asked cutely for their permission.

"Oh yeah! Yes! Take your WIFE!"

"Yes, WIFE please go!"

They teased both of us pushing me into his chest while I tried my best to hide my smile from Taehyung and everyone.

He don't know how much I love this tag —my wife. It makes my heart go fast.

To be called his wife and to call him my husband. My, mine, mine to myself.

And since the last few weeks I have started to love it even more.

Taehyung rubbed the back of his neck as he checked here and there to avoid my embarrassing friends.

I turned opposite to him, showing these two naughty girls my big threatening eyes so that they can shut their mouths and stop making it awkward for us.

We're just trying to get to know each other.

We travelled a long way from the library so we're most definitely not going home, then where are we even going? On a date?

I didn't ask him, I just keep quiet and look forward.

***

You know that feeling you get inside your stomach when the car takes a familiar turn indicating that you've reached home, it wakes you up from the deepest slumbers?

That's what woke me up. I did a few neck exercises while trying to process the surrounding. The sky was in the darkest shade of purple, the air was cool, trees and small houses and farms everywhere, Yeontan sleeping in the back, Taehyung still driving without a break.

Are we in a small town?

Wait, this town looks familiar to me, way too much familiar. I cleared up my head to check more precisely.

"You had a good nap?" Taehyung asked with a smile passing me a water bottle, his eyes still on the road.

"Yes. Where are we?" I asked, taking a sip, maybe because I'm still sleepy I can't predict the place clearly.

"See it yourself" he said taking another familiar turn and stopped the car infront of the first house.

My face lit up, no, actually my soul lit up. It was my grandma's place, we're in Gongjin!

I opened the door immediately and ran inside. It's been such a long time since I came here, I missed this place, this smell, this town, the sea, everything.

He came out after me, taking Tan from the back. I turned, giving him a 'are we really here?' look, with glowing eyes and he just gave me this beautiful smile with a lovely look in his eyes assuring me that this is not a dream, he really brought me here, to my grandma.

"Grandma!" I shouted watching her walk to me. I spread my hands open to take her into a warm, cosy hug but she just straightly ignored me and passed by...

"Are you good, boi?!" she gave a half hug to Taehyung patting his back and I was just standing here dumbfounded.

So, it's me who missed her for so long and she gave a hug to Taehyung first?

"Now what are you doing there? Don't you want a hug too?" she snapped at me standing next to Taehyung.

"No, I don't" I stomped my foot on the ground and made my way inside sulking at both of them, I did not turn I just heard them laugh at me from behind.

I was sulking at first but didn't anymore when Taehyung said that we can stay at grandma's house for a few days before going back home. He said he was on his vacation. That did catch me off guard for a second because I've never heard that business men get vacations too and that also in the end of the year, it's literally december. But what made this more suspicious was staying here.

I mean, it's his own vacation and then he isn't the 'going outside' kind of person but even if he wanted to go somewhere, he should've gone to Paris or Maldives, why would he ever come here? To my grandmother?

I just know that they both planned this way before us coming here. Both of them have gotten closer since he met her at my house. Honestly, I'm kinda jealous. I was enjoying being the only granddaughter to her however now it seems like my ranks have shifted from no. 1 to no. 2

"Freshen up and then help me cook food" grandma said heading to the kitchen.

What did I expect from my forced gen-x, born gen-z grandmother, that she'll serve us our dinner by cooking everything herself? Only normal grandmothers do that, mine hates non-functional people.

"Oh wait, we didn't bring our stuff" I said to myself as it clicked me and slowly turned my head to Taehyung, he was petting Tan.

I hope he already has it all planned because he's the one who brought me here without any hints, so now don't tell me that you forgot, Taehyung.

He raised his head, "It's already there, in the room"

Clap. Clap. Clap.

I clapped seeing the dishes on the small table as grandma and Taehyung served. They took a seat on the floor mat before we could start.

"This is bone soup" grandma spoke as she poured it into the bowls.

I exhaled nervously as she passed the bowl to Taehyung and then had one to herself before passing one to me. I made the soup, yes I cooked it; for the first time in my life!

"Y/n made it" she said to Taehyung, he looked at me for a second in surprise making me smile nervously.

I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now. Happiness and fear, both are willing to burst out of my chest; I feel so heavy.

They proceed to taste it. I grasped my pajamas tightly.

"Taehyung, how is it?" she asked him, pulling her head up as she smiled, weirdly or sarcastically? I don't know, I couldn't understand. Why is she asking him? She herself tasted it too, just now.

Taehyung licked his lips as he gulped, showing her "huh?" eyes.

Is it good or bad? The atmosphere was tensed up.

"It's- hm.. it's good!" he softly answered in a soar, scared voice. And then, he got a heavy, sharp smack on his back which made him choke on air.

My eyes wide in shock after grandma's unexpected move. I covered my mouth trying to process why she did that..

"If you keep complimenting her bad food, you will be in the hospital all the time!" she snapped, Taehyung rubbed his back accepting his mistake.

So it is bad...

"It's a bit salty" he said meeting my eyes.

"A bit?!"

"It's salty, very..."

I feel so bad for him.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to improve" I sighed taking the bowl off the table.

***

We headed to bed after having Taehyung's special cheese cake for our dessert. Grandma was so damn proud of his cooking skills, and why not? She literally owns so many restaurants herself. Her speciality is food.

I wish I inherited some skills from her.

Anyway, I was busy drowning in my thoughts when I noticed that Taehyung was having issues sleeping on the floor. He was sleeping on the other corner as we only had single floor beds and also because it would be weird to sleep together at your elder's place...

Well, I don't know exactly why we're sleeping far away but we're just sleeping far away. I really don't know.

"Having problem sleeping?" I asked from the other corner.

"It's been a while since I slept on the floor" he replied gwaking at the ceiling.

I think the floor isn't the only problem, there wasn't a AC as well. So he must be regretting his decisions right now, probably.

"Btw, why does your grandma live here?" he asked, turning to my side. He is obviously, very definitely regretting it. "I mean, she owns 50 restaurants, 20 resorts and 2 cruises to her name then why..?"

I turned to face him. Some story time!

I scoffed thinking of my old lady's biography which I heard from my mom and herself as a child.

"My late nanu gifted her this house as a representation of his love" I started. "They had a love marriage, actually they ran away from home as both the families were against their love. Grandma and nanu didn't have a lot back then when they were young, while nanu worked different jobs, grandma fully supported him, and they had their own moments!"

I giggled to myself. At this point, I wasn't even telling this story to Taehyung anymore, I was just telling it to whoever listened.

"And then nanu became successful, he owned a few small restaurants and motels to his name, grandma worked at one of those restaurants too, then they had my mom and when it was their 25th anniversary... nanu built this house himself, for her. To thank her for staying by his side even when he had nothing. Ever since then they started to live here, and then...." I got sad when the heart breaking end came to my mind.

"And then?" he repeated.

"And then, after a few years nanu died in his sleep" I said with a sad grin. "That's why she lives here, she says that she feels his love in every corner and cherishes the memories they had together" I huffed. "Isn't her attitude way too opposite for this lovey-dovey behaviour? I mean, no one would believe that this tough business woman is so emotional and romantic on the inside" I joked.

"No, I think she's cool!" He said facing the ceiling again. "I want to be like her too"

I sneered facing the ceiling, too. "At what? Loving or business?" I asked looking at him from the corner of my eyes.

"At both" he answered looking my way. I pressed my smile when he answered so smoothly to my question.

He is so unexpected.

< To be continued >

|| VOTE || COMMENT ||