Stranger Things
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One Nice Bug Per Day
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
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Cosimo Galluzzi
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
roma★
tannertan36
cherry valley forever
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
Origami Around
izzy's playlists!
★
NASA
YOU ARE THE REASON
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@kimingyuslover
@kimingyuslover masterlist!
hi-hello! you can call me iel or el, i go by she/her as my pronouns and my ult groups are SEVENTEEN, RIIZE and ZEROBASEONE! i also stan ENHYPEN (not as active as the group above). i'm not a native english speaker, so my english is not that good.
GUIDELINES
TAGLIST FORM
☆ you were (are) beautiful — a ricky shen smau [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] their relationship getting harder to the point that they decided to break up for their own sakes, but fate have another plan, they met again after they debuted as idols.
☆ fic recs masterlist
☆ wedding vows (mingyu x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] mingyu is in awe when he sees you walking down the aisle with the dress you've been dreaming about for years, your favorite flowers bouquet, and white veil as the cherry on top.
☆ the call (seokmin x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] you never thought that one call could leave you in a tearful night.
☆ rewrite the stars (joshua x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You met Joshua's at a party. after hiding your relationship for 3 years long, your parents want to meet him. What would they say about your boyfriend?
☆ love you with all my heart (soonyoung x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] Loveless marriage can be so easy yet so difficult. Which one is yours?
☆ missed connections (seungcheol x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You swear you can tolerate anything because this is an unwanted marriage to him, but why's this one hurt so much?
☆ coup de foudre (wonwoo x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] same old case, he never believes in love at first sight, until he met you
☆ breath in your love (jeonghan x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] What if Jeonghan wishes of turn back time come true?
☆ screen time (soonyoung x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] Soonyoung can only see you on his screen now.
☆ shattered promises (jeonghan x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] In a relationship marked by constant arguments and unfulfilled promises, you seek clarity from Jeonghan about your future together.
☆ sweet revenge (seungcheol x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You get into a fatal car incident, but later you wake up and find yourself back in the past. You vows to take revenge on your adopted family.
★ sweet revenge teaser
☆ love me not (mingyu x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] Love isn't too late for anyone, right?
☆ you make me wanna make you fall in love (seungcheol x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You once mentioned his group name, and now he's down bad for you. The worst part? his teammates seem to always tease him about it, but the best part? you answer his message.
─────────────────────── ─── .✦
divider by @v6que
Yes? Yes (for the green card)
or in which when an immigration officer comes to your office to talk about your stay in the U.S because your visa has expired, you drag Dick Grayson– your assistant, to be your fake fiancé and he agrees because you threaten him.
★ Dick Grayson x Fem!Reader
☆ assistant dick!au (he's not nightwing), angst, romance, comedy, Bruce being a non-supportive dad, batfamily makes appearances (jason, tim, damian, steph & cass), one single moment with alfred bc i adore him. multiple mentions of L/N & Y/N (yeah, sorry guys). heavily inspired by the proposal bc i love that movie. also i am not a native speaker so please bear with me for grammatical error.
● 5.9k word count
divider by @cafekitsune
Working as one of the superior editors at the biggest magazine company is definitely not easy, but did you regret it? you will absolutely answer with a no.
You sacrifice everything you had in your country so you can be who you are now. Name on the magazine, meetings with celebrities, great salary, and a mansion in New York City.
People know you as a monster, sometimes they call you a witch, and you don't care what names they throw at you, because honestly? They can talk shit and you will still be the one they need to approve their work.
You are a perfectionist and pessimistic person as you like to call yourself. Not trying hard enough to contact important people? fired. The bird chirping too loud when you go to work? The whole office would have to deal with your bad mood.
With your neatly organized life, you had a slightly messy assistant editor. He's great, but sometimes not, like today.
Dick's eyes widened as he tumbled when he read the clock beside his bed, it's 07.15 and he had just woken up. So he gets up and takes a quick shower, putting on his dress suit and neatly tying his tie, he can't have you up in his ass for the whole day just because his tie is slightly crooked.
He rushes out of his apartment to Starbucks and quickly places his order consisting of your favorite coffee and his with the same order.
After getting the coffees, he’s sprinting towards the building. Unfortunately for him, a coworker's body collided with his. The good news is that he still had his coffee that he ordered with the same order. Well, the bad news is that he needs a new dress shirt, fast, before you can see his drenched one.
Dick goes up to Juan’s desk, asking him to switch shirts, “What? no!” The latter then responded with a twitch on his eyebrows.
“I will buy you a new one, I will get it dry cleaned, I just need your shirt, now” Daniel raised an eyebrow at this.
“Why?”
Then Dick answered in a hushed tone, “Because mine has coffee on it, and the witch is going to be mad at all of us for a full day! just give me the shirt”
With that, Dick secured his position as an editor's assistant successfully by changing his shirt.
But he did get a word from you when you saw a girl's number on the coffee cup. Nonetheless, you didn't throw any complaints towards him. Instead, you told him to contact Splaunder's office.
A worker quickly typed on one of the computers, alerting everyone of your bad mood just as you walked into your office and talking with a potential partner over the phone, “The witch is on her broom!” tapping the sent button to other workers.
As you get out of your office, everyone is scrambling to pretend to work, hiding their coffee, and someone even pushed her coworker that she's having a conversation with.
You walk into Henry Spaulding room, he rushed to greet you only to be met by your cold glare.
“How's with Frank? Did you get him in?” Henry's eyes avoided yours as he gives an explanation that it's been long since Frank had to sign something from a publishing company.
You sigh deeply, closing your eyes as Dick's eyes go back and forth, panicking between you and Henry. “I just called them, and guess what? They agreed. I swear to god, if we lose Gertrude Stein to Harper Collins just because you don't contact them again, I will throw you into Central Park's Lake!”
“Now, Henry. you must pack your things, i'll give you a month so you better search for another job before you go homeless” you said to him as you walked out with Dick beside you.
Henry followed you furiously, “You bitch!” that makes you stop on your track, your body slowly turns towards him with you giving him your piercing glare.
“Satan Spawn! You're the devil! You all saw it! I’m the latest victim of our Satan of an Editor: Terminator in heels!” you keep yourself silent, Henry makes a scene and now everybody is looking in your direction.
You can hear someone whisper “oh god” into the silent air.
“I’ve worked weekends, holidays—SLEPT IN THIS OFFICE—and she fires me over one author?! One missed call?!” Henry continues his rant, more angry now that you kept your guard up.
Your hands fall to your side, and Dick’s eyes widening because it was never a good sign. Your body language is kept cold, “Listen here, Henry. One, I told you to stop calling me that in public. Two, yes, it is over now, you are over. Three, nobody forces you to work on weekends and holidays, you do it because you want to have a time with your mistress.”
You pause for a second, everyone in the room is holding their breaths, some waiting for what is going to unfold this morning, “Now tell me, Henry, you have a loving wife back at home, why are you still choosing to cheat on her? It's even more low for you that you have to do it here, in our office”
Two security guards drag Henry's away when he was still shocked, but he still rebelled when they dragged him off, cursing at you.
“I want Henry's new wardrobe in my office by the weekend” You said unbothered to your assistant beside you, his eyes looking at you in disbelief but he quickly masked it and told you that he would get that move as soon as possible.
All the workers get back to their desk after the drama ends.
You didn't expect that you'd return to your office to find an immigration agent– Mr. James Hill, in your office just after you got back from the bathroom.
He told you that your visa has expired and you need to leave before you get deported, and even if you want to stay, you have to go back to your country for a year, then you can stay here again.
When you saw Dick walking outside your glass wall office room, bringing in your lunches, an idea suddenly popped into your mind.
You greet him sweetly just as he got in, “Oh, honey! thank you for buying lunch, you should've let me come with you!” a smile latched on your face, which he can tell it's for the gentleman in front of him.
Your assistant plastered a confused look on his face before deciding to play along with you, bringing you to his embrace and staying for a while before letting you go.
“So, Mr. Hill, the thing is my fiancé and I are getting married soon,” you said through your smile, you had pinched his back just before Dick turned his head, questioning your words.
James Hill just nods his head, telling you to come to the immigration office when you're done with your job for the day.
You answer him with a smile on your face and nudged Dick's side when he doesn't.
As soon as the agent walked out of your office, Dick Grayson turned his body towards you, silently asking for an explanation.
“I need to get my green card because my visa has expired and you have to help me” you didn't ask, you give him an order that makes him scrunch his face.
He refuses, “No” comes straight out of his mouth, followed by a question on why he should agree to be your fake fiancé.
“Look, if I get deported back to my country, all those staying up late on weekends, eating out at 2am and being back at the office would mean nothing. When I get deported, Henry Spaulding will come back here and take my position, no doubt he will fire you right away” You explain to him, eyes now focusing on your assistant.
He didn't answer you, just blink at your words, you sigh before opening your mouth again, “uh, please?”
The news spread like a plague, the people in the office now know that both of you (fakely) engaged, mostly because one of them eavesdropped when there's a immigration agent inside your office.
One sends a text questioning Dick's mentality, “Dick's marrying the witch? Didn't he despise her greatly?” The others tend to look at him when he gets out of your office.
When you both arrive at the immigration office, you walk through the line making Dick shocks a little while you talk to an officer like you had known him for so long.
Dick and you are now waiting at James’ office, and when he does get inside, he tells you that you both have to take on a couple interviews.
“And if both of you lied about this marriage, Mr. Grayson here will be fined 250,000 dollars and face up to five years in federal prison. While Ms. L/N here will be deported back to her country” Both of you shared a look, there's a glimpse of something Dick catches in your eyes, you're scared.
Soon enough, you and Dick agreed to the terms and James said he will contact both of you for the interview.
You rushed out of the building to go back to your home, phone on your hand, texting to someone.
Suddenly, Dick stopped walking in front of you making you bump into him and stumbled back in your Louboutin heels.
He turned around, front facing you.
“Richard, do you realize you just told him we're going to get married? this weekend?” You ask him with a raised eyebrow and hand crossed on your chest, waiting for him to answer.
“First of all, why are you so formal using my government name? Second, I know, we are” He replied, one hand in his pocket while the others stayed still beside him.
You gave him expression full of confusion, “But we're not”
“Unless you want to be deported to your country–” that's enough for you to cut him off, “So, what's your plan Grayson? Spit it out” the stern look you gave him never waver.
“We're going to do it my way and you can't complain about that, fiancée. oh, and one more thing” his words successfully get a reaction from you, “what?”
“We have to figure out how you are going to answer those questions because I already know everything about you after working for two years in the company, and I want you to propose to me properly.” Dick had a cocky look on his face.
Your eyes narrowed to him, “You're enjoying this too much, Grayson” He just gives you a smirk.
“Propose or no more deal for you, L/N” You roll your eyes before giving one of your hands to him.
Dick is still holding his smirk when you get on your knees, “Will you, Richard John Grayson, Marry me?” He's holding back a teasing grin and deciding that it's not enough and wants you to propose to him with willingness.
You sigh before starting all over again, “Richard John Grayson, Will you marry me? I promise I’ll make it worth your while. You get the promotion, I get to stay in the country, and nobody ends up in jail. Win-win-win”
The latter seems to be enjoying the sight in front of him, of you getting on your knees, in the middle of the street where there's so many people, “Yes, I will marry you for you to get your green card” then he jogs off, leaving you stunned and glaring at his back.
“Richard, i swear to god” you stumbled by getting up, heels too high so you can't really control your balance but it's working well.
☆☆☆☆☆
“So, this is your house?” Getting to Gotham was one of the most troublesome journeys you've had in your entire life.
Dick answered with a nod, “Yep, and you have to survive my family, they can be.. difficult to deal with”
“What do you mean?” Just before he can answer you, the door swings open to reveal a butler behind it.
He greets Dick and you, telling both of you that you should come inside because it's starting to get cool outside.
Inside, you met with Dick’s brother and sister. adoptive, he said when both of you sat on the plane.
You receive a hug from a blonde girl that introduces herself with the name Stephanie and a black haired girl gives you a nod and tells you that you can call her Cass– short for Cassandra.
His brothers also welcome you, the second oldest– Jason, gives you a side hug which you reciprocated hesitantly, Tim gives you a handshake and The youngest, Damian, just gives you a slight nod, not smiling once.
A few seconds pass before all of you hear the front door open, there it is, the mighty Bruce Wayne, Dick's father, standing tall.
You can see the look of dissatisfaction on his face before he masks it with a small smile.
You curse low under your breath.
The dinner was not as awkward as you predict, Stephanie munching on her dinner while asking you millions of questions, Damian throwing a remark when Jason said something, Tim telling his work on the Wayne Enterprise and Bruce who's looking at you skeptically.
“I never thought you would be here with your girlfriend who’s your boss that always overwork you and telling you not to go home for holidays” Your body stiffen under Bruce's words, the table goes silent.
Dick saw how you shifted uncomfortably on your seat, he glared at his father, “No, dad. I didn't go home because it's my choice, not her. I'd rather get myself overworked than to face you. Anyway, We are getting married soon”
The silence hung in the air for another minute, everyone was stunned by Dick's declaration. Steph broke it by questioning how both of you got engaged.
You tell her that you're basically the one who's proposing but Dick refuses to let that honor go to you and says to himself that he gets on his knees on a busy street.
“Oh, wait! You guys should kiss!” Jason suggests, partly because he wants to tease his older brother.
You do, but not in the way everyone was hoping, Dick just gave you a peck on your cheek.
Tim can't hide his dissatisfaction, Damian still crossing his arms, waiting for anyone to make any move.
“No! You have to go in for like, a real kiss, on the lips!” Stephanie's words make your inside go churney, but you still turn your head towards your assistant, he nods to seal the silent, unspoken agreement.
Slowly, Dick's bring his face close to yours and in a matter of seconds, your lips collide with his into a kiss, and he deepens it.
You don't know what's gotten into you when that moment happens, but the kiss he gives you? Definitely makes your gut uneasy, even as far as making you feel like you have butterflies in your stomach.
Everyone cheered except for Bruce, he kept his stoic expression and somehow, he made you uneasy.
☆☆☆☆☆
“You never told me your family is rich” you said to the dark after Dick turned off the lights by clapping his hands and switching it to a bed lamp.
The air still for awhile, he doesn’t make any voice and so does you, then he sigh, “You never ask, and not like it's important anyway”
“If i have a rich family back in my country i'll rub it in people's faces” You pulled down your sleeping mask, getting to a comfortable position.
Dick furrowed his eyebrows, “Didn't you have a rich family?” because as long as he saw you, all of you screamed glamor, money, power. So he thought you're already rich.
“I mean, I don't know. I never met my mom and dad, or any of my family. They abandoned me in a foster home, and then I ran away when I was 15 and I was poor as hell. Sometimes I slept inside the store I work in” Dick’s speechless, and hearing you got no answer you decide to just sleep in.
All he thought in the last two years was you were a rich spoiled brat that daddy's got tired taking care of so you just got the job.
“I'm sorry” he says, practically to no one because you are already asleep, when he met with silence he just turned on his side and closed his eyes.
☆☆☆☆☆
“You're weird, why are you treating me good this time, what do you want?” you ask him skeptically as he brought pancakes made by Alfred to the bed.
Dick just shrugs and tell you to eat before it gets cold, “oh and also, Steph and Cass want you to go with them to the mall”
You just answer with a nod as you munch your breakfast.
When you're finished, you usher him to get out of the room which he complies while narrowing his eyes.
You go downstairs. You wear your Vivienne Westwood blazer with a dark mini skirt, knee high boots adorning your legs with a prada bag on one of your hands and the other holding your phone.
Suddenly, pairs of eyes are on you.
Steph with her mouth hanging open, Cass giving you her most surprised expression.
“What?” You said as your call went off.
Stephanie let out a squeal as she walked towards you, “Oh my god! I never know how to style my outfit like this. Can you teach me, I always mismatched my fits” Cassandra gave you a nod, confirming her sister's statement.
“Uh, yeah. Sure, I can do that” you give them a nod hesitantly, “You gonna wear that?”
You met with her request to dress them because they have the outfit but not the style, so you just follow them to their bedroom.
Half an hour later, Steph comes down the stairs with a Chanel ivory sleeveless silk top, a black skirt and thin strap adorned her waist, and leather boots.
Cass opted to use long pants with a black off-shoulder top, she wears flat shoes to top it all.
Dick already waiting in front of the manor with a sleek silver Aston Martin because he's the one driving all of you to the mall.
His breath catches when he sees you walking out of the door but he masks it quickly but not fast enough making Steph and Cass notice it.
“So, you’re now hired as our chauffeur" you said while looking absentmindedly, eyes glued to the phone, texting with a client.
Dick rolls his eyes and before he goes to the driver seat, you look up from your phone, “you're not gonna be a gentleman?” while pointing at the passenger door with your eyes.
Steph holds her laughter while Cass lets out a quiet giggle.
He groans before coming back to your side to open the door. You gave him a ‘thank you’ and slid into the passenger beside the driver seat. Meanwhile, the girls sat on the back.
You're on the call, staring through the road while Dick steals a glance, or two, or more– he doesn't count, to your face and taking in your outfit that somehow makes him want to go back home and lock you in the bedroom.
He thinks no one sees him slipping, but her sisters do, they snicker when Steph motions towards the rear view mirror where she sees Dick glancing at you while you're not looking.
As soon as you arrive at the mall, you tell Dick to wait anywhere, whether it's inside the mall or the car.
Three of you walk in, and Steph practically drags both of you to Victoria Secret, saying that there's a night gown she wants to buy.
When you get out of the stores, you're back with two bags for each person. You laugh at something Steph said, and Cassandra grumbles when she almost hits a wall in the dressing room.
You've been strolling around for a few hours now and your stomachs are begging for food. So you text Dick to eat with all of you at a restaurant inside.
There he met with a sight of you smiling while Steph excitedly potray a scene from her story, Cass laughing on the side while remembering the moment too.
You seem different, less awkward than yesterday, less tight from when you're in the office and warmth he never expects coming from you.
Steph noticed him and waved her hand for Dick to know their table.
☆☆☆☆☆
When all of you arrive at the manor you took the stairs to go to the bedroom, meanwhile Dick stays downstairs, telling you he'd have a word with Alfred for tonight's dinner.
The plan went on good, until Bruce decided to talk with Dick outside the kitchen where things got messy. The latter only takes a deep sigh.
“Tell me the truth, Dick” he furrowed his eyebrow, because what truth? he's not aware of this truth he's talking about, “why are you throwing yourself away for her? Your boss that kept you away from holiday and overwork you”
So this is what he's talking about, another complain of their engagement thing, “I'm not throwing myself away from her, and watch your mouth, she's my fiancée”
But Bruce, ever the detective, jabs another question for him, “She wants to get a green card from you?” Dick freezes for a second but quickly masks it.
“Look Bruce, you don't wanna know anything about my life ever since i said i don't want to work in Wayne Enterprises, so I suggest you should keep it that way. I love her, we're engaged and gonna get married, that's the important things” He storms out of the room, walking to his bedroom and closing it, thinking that you're still with the girls because he didn't see you getting inside, and so he walked to the balcony.
At the same time, you forgot to bring a towel with you, and you're already in the bathroom while the towels are inside a closet outside.
You're peeking your head, looking all around to make sure Dick's not inside. Finally, you don't see anyone, you walk out naked to the closet, as quietly as possible, opening the closet and holding the towel.
Fate has other plans because before you can cover the towel around you, your body collides with someone else who's naked, too.
You shriek when you see Dick, naked, below your body and you bolt towards the bed to cover yourself, and him to a closet that can cover his “What are you doing here!?"
“Why are you coming out naked!?”
“Why are you already naked when you're not in the bathroom yet!?”
“Don't say anything, I just forgot about the towel!”
“I don't think you'll be here!”
You clear your throat, “I'll go to the bathroom, please make a sound if you're coming in” then get up, going to the bathroom while avoiding his eyes.
Next thing you both knew, the dinner's done and both of you sleep on your territory once again.
“Your sisters are nice,” you said out of nowhere, dick shift from his position.
“I don't know, I feel like I have a family with them, which is quite ironic considering i never have one” Dick gave you a sympathetic look while you only kept a tight smile on your face.
Now, both of you are already in your place to sleep.
“I saw your lotus tattoo on your hip” his words make you groan, “i told you not to look Richard” that he answers with a light chuckle.
“But seriously though, what does it mean?” it makes you think, memories of the night where you decided to get that ink clouding your mind, “It's rebirth. I feel like I'm getting reborn from my bad past to now being in a high position for a magazine company. Never thought I could get this far”
Silence feel the air for a few seconds before he opens his mouth again, “You deserve it, you're talented, like you're born to do it,” he pauses, “Even if you have to torture me with you through that process” Dick's saying erupts a laugh from you.
That night, both of you spend an hour talking about your lives, giggles and laughter turn the intense air in the manor into something warm that makes you crave for more.
☆☆☆☆☆
The next morning, you overheard Dick talking to Bruce about the engagement. Bruce protested and kept calling you out for being Dick's horrible boss and judging him that now he wants to marry her.
Dick did not stay silent, though. He defended you, making sure you have your dignity in his father's eyes.
As you leave the scene, your mind begins to wander, of how long you have fallen for your assistant, of craving his warmth, of wanting to hug him right away when you heard him defend you from his father.
And then your mind goes silent, He's not worth the pain you causing him, the struggle you put him through, so you call Mr. Hill.
Dick is surprised when he doesn't see you in the bedroom, when he asks Damian he gets a short reply that you're out with Alfred, of all people.
Meanwhile at the mall, You go to a luxury watch store, searching for one of his favorite watches that he mentioned once when both of you work late at night at the office.
“Can I ask something, Ms. L/N?” Alfred's voice came from behind you. “Are we looking for… Master's Dick gift? I’m aware his birthday has already passed months ago” Alfred said in his professional tone.
You smile at Alfred before answering him, “It's for his last gift, Alfred. My last gift to him”
Alfred, stunned by your words, wanting to ask more but you beat him to it, “You probably have found out, or maybe overheard Bruce talking. We're not really engaged, he– i force him to help me to get a green card, so i don't lose my job and he doesn't lose his, i threaten him”
Alfred nodded solemnly at your words, “But have you ever thought of the possibilities of this becomes real, Ms. L/N?”
“Everyday since the beginning, he's good, sweet, and gives warmth to me even when no one wants to. But I know it's not fair for him to struggle this much for me, so i decided to give him one last gift and he will still be in his position on the company”
You continue to browse, back at noon, and have dinner before going to bed together with Dick.
He doesn’t sense any difference, that night filled with both of you talking like you're an old friend again.
He doesn’t hear the way you packed your things late at night after he sleeps.
☆☆☆☆☆
When he wakes up from his sleep, he is confused when he doesn't see you in your bed, instead the bed looks neatly done.
He searches for you in every corner of the house, the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, even the storage room.
Until he found Alfred with a box in his hand, giving it to him with “From Ms. L/N, Master Dick” and solemn tone in his voice.
Inside he meets with a watch he wants for god knows how long, and a letter with your handwriting.
He picks up the card.
Dear Richard,
Thank you for being with me through this fake engagement. With this letter, I end what should never have begun.
I told myself not to get attached, but when I saw the warmth in you, how you cared for your siblings, how tirelessly you worked, I fell for you even more.
I overheard your talk with Bruce, and I realized how much I’ve put you through. You never deserved the weight of my selfishness. Still, I made sure your dedication won’t go to waste. HR knows the truth, and Mr. Hill agreed not to punish you. You’ll be free from this mess I dragged you into.
Well then for me, I take my leave today. I didn’t wake you because if I saw your face one more time, I wouldn’t have the strength.
I’m sorry. I love you.
Love,
From, Your annoying boss you call witch (yes, I heard)
The room fell silent as Dick eyes stung with tears, one of them dropped on the card. Steph and Cass grab a tissue and aggressively wipe their tears. Jason, Tim and Damian lose words while Alfred sighs from his position.
Bruce's eyes staring hard at the table in the middle of the room, because whatever the situation is, he knows he's one of the roots that made the separation happen.
Without any warning, Dick stood up from the sofa, walking towards his father.
His throws his pointer in accusations to Bruce who's sitting there, his father not willing to meet his eyes, “This,” he points to the letter, “is because of you”
Dick holds his breath before continuing his words, “If you hadn't said anything this engagement would work! I've loved her, and we just need to make things real, why do you always have to ruin everything! She lives hard enough, why do you have to make it harder” His palm covers his face in frustration.
“I'm leaving, I'm going to chase her and if you start talking to me like you wanted to control me like you used to then don't ever come to me again” Dick grabs his jacket from the coat hanger and his motorcycle key from the table then storms outside.
Jason broke the silence first after Dick's leaving, “Wow, didn't expect you to be such an asshole to her Bruce. She's sweet and nice to everyone, but maybe you're too blind to see that” He walks to his room, grabs his keys and mutters something about wanting to help Dick get you back.
Damian looks at the man he called his father with disappointment, Tim refuses to make eye contact with him. They both go to their room.
Stephanie gives him a glare before telling Cassandra to go with her to follow with Dick.
Alfred sat on the sofa right next to him, “You're failed, Master Bruce” his words sharp but fact.
“You failed being his father when he leaves because you ignore him when he doesn't want to take position in Wayne Enterprise and you failed– once again, when you talk bad about his supposed girlfriend, even when it's fake, that boy seems to be in love with her”
Bruce sigh heavily, “I don't know what to do Alfred, everytime I open my mouth with him is like fighting in a losing battle”
Alfred let him finish his sentences before giving him another words, “Then support him, on whatever he choose, even when you're against it, you have to be in his perspective”
Bruce stood up from the chair, grabbing his coat “Let's go Alfred,” he pauses, “Let's follow Dick to get her back, told Tim and Damian to some with us”
The butler smiles at his master, before going upstairs to call for the kids.
☆☆☆☆☆
“Oh, I'm gonna miss this place so much” you mutter to yourself as you put the files from your desk to your box.
Your flight was delayed for another 6 hours so you decided to pack without any rush. People murmur outside your room, about your sudden resignation, some still confused and the others seem happy.
And when you put down one of your boxes outside your room, that's when you hear someone calling your name, and his voice is very familiar, the man you love.
He arrives in front of you, out of breath, hands holding your shoulders while you look at him like a deer caught in the red light.
“Uhh, Dick? What are you doing here?”
He doesn't say any words, he just leans his face towards yours, angling his head.
Those blue eyes looking at yours as if asking for permission, that if you said stop he would retreat from this position, but you don't say anything.
The thing happens fast, his lips touching yours, the kiss tastes like freedom after containing your feelings for a long time.
more people barge in, there's Jason who's throwing a flower bouquet right after Dick finishes kissing you.
Dick catches the bouquet easily, you are still lost at words by all of his actions today.
Before he could get on his knees someone called his name, it's Bruce. And he's throwing a velvet black ring box that he picked at the last minute.
“Do it, kid” Bruce said through his breath, it's clear that he also rushes to this with Damian, Tim and Alfred following suit.
Dick gets on his knees, “Y/n, you're my anchor, my life, the reason my heart beats is only you. Maybe all of this starts with some fake agreement but my feelings for you are never fake. I love you from the deepest part of my heart. So now I'm the one who's going to ask you, will you spend the rest of my life with me?”
The ring looks magnificent, and the sight in front of you makes you go weak and suddenly you're on your knees too.
“Yes, a thousand times yes! I will marry you, Dick” Your face practically glowing with happiness, tears falling from your eyes, you grin as he slides the ring onto your finger.
People around you clap, including Bruce who has a proud smile plastered on his face. Stephanie claps the loudest, Cassandra gives Dick a thumbs up, Jason grins like he just won a bet, Damian smirks and Tim already thinks about your wedding venue.
Above that all, you saw the genuine big smile on Alfred's face. He's proud of Dick, of you and of Bruce.
“So, when's the wedding?” One of the coworkers asks you, both of you just give him a smile, “Next month, we'll be discussing it where right after i cancel my flight”
☆☆☆☆☆
“So, you're engaged? For real now?” Asks James Hill, eyeing both of you with his blue eyes.
You look at each other before Dick grabs your left hand and showed the officer your ring, “Yes”
He sigh before continuing, “Okay, both of you now can't get the question wrong”
“Yup”
Extra Scene
James Hill: “So, Miss L/N what's Mister Grayson's favorite colour?” James asks the same to Dick
Y/n, unsure: “He, uhh, he likes, white? right?”
Dick Grayson, proudly announce: “I like blue and maybe some black too”
Y/n, scoffing: “He says blue? Bad taste, doesn't compliment his undertone”
James Hill, deadpanned: “Miss, three questions wrong now”
Y/n, smiling awkwardly: “Right, sorry”
James Hill: “What is Miss L/N's favorite thing to watch?”
Y/n, excited with sparkling eyes : “Ohh, I love those mukbang asmr videos, especially the buldak and wingstop, raising canes too!”
Dick, smug as hell: “Uh, I think it's called mukbang asmr? She usually watches the ramen plus chicken one. She doesn't know I know though”
James Hill, sighing to every y/n's answer: “Mister Grayson streaking this interview, he never once answer a question wrong”
Y/n, also smug as hell with a smirk: “Ha, that's my man”
James Hill: “How did they both first fall in love?"
Damian, sharp, eyes narrowing: "Workplace"
Stephanie, grinning widely while crossing her arms: “The first time they meet and they fall in love? definitely when we go to the mall”
Cassandra, unbothered but answer it with a sly smirk: “What Stephanie said”
Jason, thinking hard but answering short: “Eh, the mall probably”
Bruce, stone cold eyes: “I don't know, but maybe the Manor”
Alfred, calm & composed also with a proud smile on his face: “The first time they stay at the manor”
a.n: this is such a long wait, finally have the motivation to finish the story. yeah, i fall in love with dick grayson all over again, sigh.
my first dcu fic, on a different account... go read it 🙂↕️🙂↕️
nothing but terrible feelings about this...
people also had been livestreaming the protests through tiktok and now tiktok live is banned.
the protests aren't just happening in jakarta btw. places captured below are just some, there are more.
I’ve been trying to keep irl and online separate as best I could and have discussed and shared news about this in other personal platforms, but as of now I’m afraid things have gone down horribly wrong here in Indonesia where I live. I’m also scared of the possible media censorships in this country in an effort by the govt to sweep things under the rug. hoping this will reach more friends out there because like many others I refuse to let the gov't keep this in the dark.
I won’t spam too much but just to give an indication of what’s going on in the doomed country I live in:
a motor taxi driver was ran over and killed by the police in a demonstration last night. his name is Affan Kurniawan, and he was only 21. he was not a participant but a mere innocent bystander who was brutally driven over. cctvs in the streets are shut down as per today, leaving many in the dark of the situations in the streets, aside from social media postings -- of which there are concerns of gov't censorship as well. I’m so worried for those who are joining the protests today onwards as well as the implications this will bring in the future.
details from another indo blogger
read more here
details of what the initial demonstration is about
(TL;DR -- the government stated that members of the parliament will receive a large sum of roughly around $6000/month from the country. this demonstration was a display of resistance to that. yet this is how the gov't and the police chose to respond -- with violence, whilst members of the parliament are enjoying their sanctioned 'work from home' day)
democracy in this country is not alright
Dengan kecepatan kencang, mobil rantis Brimob menerobos kerumunan massa, hingga menabrak seorang pengemudi ojol hingga terlindas.
i'm collecting tweets in english about recent and current protest in indonesia
and prabs as a president only saying sorry on social media without any accountability, shame on you 58 voters. if he wants to, he can release a presidential decree.
Hello everyone, today will do another update on Indonesia, but it wont be like my other uodates bcause I am tired, angry, and scared with all the news around us that just keeps worsening.
[29/8/2025]
A while ago, the government dropped a news that the people of the parliament will receive a large sum of money support from the country, around 100 million rupiahs or roughly around 6000$, PER MONTH. While the people here are struggling to eat, teachers and lecturers, especially those teaching in rural parts of Indonesia ARE NOT PAID. Even if they are, they're barely reaching the minimum wage. All while the people of the parliament get paid a large sum of money for doing nothing and corrupting the country. These people are dancing and singing in the parliament house while people literally outside their places live crammed, barely making 180$ a month. And for Jakarta? That barely covers necessities.
A few days yesterday, angry citizens started moving. At first they swarmed and broke into the parliament house. Then a massive protest was held in front of the parliament house (mostly by college students). The people are mad. The police started spraying tear gas and high pressure water towards the crowd (classic move). Eventually, ojol drivers started joining the protest (think: uber, uber eats drivers that use cars and motorcycles). One person got killed by getting ran over by the police. ONE PERSON GOT KILLED BY GETTING RAN OVER BY THE POLICE, A 21 YEAR OLD OJOL DRIVER, PROBABLY A BREADWINNER IN HIS FAMILY. And a lot more victims of brutality and violence and missing people. It doesnt stop there as well, Karet station are getting shot with tear gas, where non protesters are trying to get on with life.
Please spread this, read this, our news canal are silent, there are no news canal in our country broadcasting this. I've seen an Australian news canal broadcasting these news but not ours. I'm scared for the lives of the people, I'm scared for my own, and I genuinely don't know what to do to help the people in ways that won't put my parents' life in possible danger. And as I always say, please educate yourself more about this matter. There are a lot of overwhelming news around, I can't gather them all alone in one post. Thankyou.
Another angle from the woman, Ibu Pertiwi 🇮🇩
the trauma code 📢
word count : 2,011
genre : medical drama, hint of angst, slight comedy, romance, smau at the end.
⚠️ mentions of blood, organ, operation, doctor!reader, the bridge incident, the situation is heavily inspired by the eps. 3 & 4
☆ i had this in mind for a few days now, oh, and it's not related to the smau i posted before!
“What a lucky day for Doctor Ji—she’s not even answering my calls.” Jang-mi sighed, setting her phone down. You have finally gotten your first day off since becoming a specialist doctor.
Beside her, Jae-won shrugged. “She deserves it. She’s been working nonstop since she started with Doctor Kwon.”
Gyeong-won nodded in agreement. They barely had time to relax before the intercom buzzed with an urgent announcement.
“Code black! Code black! All doctors report to the ER immediately.”
Their half-eaten lunches were forgotten as they sprinted toward the emergency room. The first thing they saw upon arrival was Doctor Baek, already assessing the situation.
“Anus is going to go with me to the scene” Jae-won looked at him puzzled, “Why do i have to go?”
A heavy silence filled the ER. He could already picture Kang-hyuk sighing, then getting annoyed, and he really didn’t want to deal with that, so he quickly added, “Okay then, i’ll bring the emergency supplies”
When the helicopter finally landed, Kang-hyuk pulled Jae-won's hand to get inside after they removed the patient from the helicopter for treatment in the emergency room.
“How's the situation there?” Kang-hyuk asked over the radio.
There was a brief pause before Officer An Jung-heon’s voice crackled through. “Worse than expected. We still haven’t been able to evacuate the people trapped beneath the bridge.”
Kang-hyuk wasted no time dividing their responsibilities. “I’ll triage the critical patients. Jae-won, take the ones I sort out.”
The pilot asks Kang-hyuk whether he wants to land on the bridge or under the bridge. He, of course, answered that the chopper must land under the bridge.
As soon as they touched down, they hurried into action. Officer An Jung-heon was already on-site, guiding ambulances through the narrow access road.
A child’s cry caught Kang-hyuk’s attention. He rushed toward a little girl, kneeling beside her with the emergency kit in hand.
Her wounds were minor, but the fear in her wide eyes told him everything. “You’re going to be okay,” he reassured her gently. “We’ll take you to the hospital soon.”
She clutched his sleeve, her voice trembling. “Please save my brother. He was hugging me when the bus fell.” She's crying, and her words hit him hard in the gut. She was just a child.
Kang-hyuk told her that he and the other doctors and the SAR team would do their best to find her brother.
After getting her to a safer area, he turned back to the wreckage, quickly sorting through the injured. When he found the little girl’s brother, his condition was serious—a stab wound, likely from debris.
He told Jae-won to go into the ambulance with a stab wound– the little girl's brother.
Meanwhile, Kang-hyuk moved toward the bridge, scanning the wreckage. Then, his breath caught.
A car. One that looked exactly like yours.
His pulse pounded as he approached. The other patients had already been treated, but no one had checked inside the vehicle. He yanked the door open.
“Doctor Ji,” His breath hitched, “There's another person here!” The rescue team quickly ran to him, bringing the scoop stretcher.
Kang-hyuk tells them to bring you to the chopper, trying to keep his voice steady.
“What?”
“Bring her to the chopper!” They bring your unconscious body to the chopper, while An Jung-heon also helps by opening the door and standing by inside so they can get you in faster.
They worked quickly, with An Jung-heon helping to secure you inside. Kang-hyuk’s heart slammed against his ribs. Your condition was worsening.
By the time the helicopter reached the hospital, he was praying— praying that he’d be able to save you in time.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
The helicopter finally landed, and all of them rushed to get you inside the OR. The nurse looked surprised when they first saw you laying weakly on the scoop stretcher.
When they finally made it to the OR, Kang-hyuk told them to call for Jae-won, Jang-mi, and Gyeong-won– luckily, they had already finished their operation.
Kang-hyuk goes outside the room to wash his hands, and Jae-won gets inside with Jang-mi and Gyeong-won to go to their position.
In the OR, chaos reigned.
“Heart rate dropping— it’s too low!” Gyeong-won shouted.
Kang-hyuk rushed to get inside, murmuring your name while wearing his gown hurriedly, hoping that you would hold on for a little longer.
Jae-won’s heart pounded. “She’s in cardiac arrest! Starting CPR!” He climbed onto the bed, pumping your chest. “Stay with us, Doctor Ji.”
“V-fib, get down” Kang-hyuk goes to your side, holding both of the paddles on his hands, putting it on your chest.
“Charge to 200 joules”
“Clear!”
“Shot!” Your body jerked from the defibrillator shock. No response.
“Charge again! 200 joules”
And finally, your heart condition came back to normal, “Give me the heart USG” Jang-mi help Kang-hyuk by bringing the machine close to him, “Patient having a heart rupture, we need to operate her quickly”
“We'll start the operation now. Mess.” Kang-hyuk's hand skillfully cut through your skin using the mess, “suction”
After a while, your heart starts to squirt blood to the outside of the heart, making Kang-hyuk hold your heart in his hand– literally.
“Anus, hold her heart tightly” Jae-won looked surprised, and he stuttered “With hand?”
“Hurry!” Kang-hyuk then asks Jang-mi to give him a surgical glove, who quickly complies with his order.
After he cuts it to match with the rupture, he puts it on the rupture and starts to stich the piece he takes from the glove.
“With this, the patient will hold for 10 minutes at best, so now we're doing reinforcement. Everybody, focus” Everyone in the OR stays still for a while.
“Sutures”
Kang-hyuk carefully resected a piece of the pericardium, placing it over the rupture and stitching it into place while ordering Jae-won to do the same.
“Gangster, take an endoscope” Jang-mi raised her eyebrows, “it's on the old building” she sighs.
“I'll give you 5 minutes, run!” She then ran out of the OR to get the endoscope.
4 hours has passed, they finally done with the last operation for today, and the operation finally came to success. Your bed was transferred to the VIP room.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
“All four trauma patients from the Seongsu Bridge accident have successfully undergone surgery.” Kang-hyuk declared to the reporter with Jae-won beside him.
The reporters murmured something, “Isn't it just three patients? Who is the fourth?” One of them asked.
Both of them sigh before answering the question, “One of our own trauma doctor is having a time off, and unfortunately she's on the accident, she's having a heart rupture and the operation just finished a few minutes ago”
A frenzy of questions erupted.
Kang-hyuk mentions some people that had help him, like Jang-mi, Gyeong-won, and Doctor Han.
"There are many others working tirelessly behind the scenes who deserve recognition for their efforts in helping patients affected by this accident. We hope the trauma center becomes a vital lifeline for those in need and that it receives additional support for medical advancements and technical resources."
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
Why would Baek Kang-hyuk care deeply about you? That's also a question Kang-hyuk tried to avoid sometimes. When he asks that to himself, he can even seem to figure out the answer.
One thing for sure, you've done your way cracking through his heart ever since he first laid eyes on you.
You're practically the sunshine in the gloomy trauma unit room. Your presence can make everyone instantly happy.
Your kind gestures and pretty face make you the definition of beauty inside out.
The first time he sees you, you're doing CPR to one of the trauma patients when the other doesn't seem to move because they are already giving up with the patient's condition.
When he asks you the reason for you to do it, "“I don’t want anyone to suffer the way my mother did. The doctors gave up on her when she still had a chance. When I studied to become a doctor, I realized she could have been saved if they hadn't given up on her."
Your tear prickled in the corner of your eyes, and so he handed you a tissue.
Kang-hyuk swears it's the way you move, the way you talk, the way he can clearly feel the butterflies on his stomach when you are just standing a little too close to him.
The way your eyebrow furrows when you're focusing on something, the way you hold his hand when he didn't get to save a patient while calming words also comes out of your mouth.
All of them make him start to give his piece of his heart little by little to you.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
You can feel the warmth of a person beside you, holding your hands while his head is dropped to the bed.
“Kang-hyuk,” Your voice is weak, small, but at least he can hear your voice again.
His face etched with worries written all over him, He handed you a glass of water which you drink rather fastly “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Even in the state you're in, you can still laugh at him, Kang-hyuk doesn't understand.
“You look cute when you worry about me like that, and no, I'm not hurt anywhere. Thank you” He shook his head, refusing your thanks.
When he really looks at you, you can see the way his eyes are bloodshot, a sign that he's been crying.
“Don't make me worry about you again” His hand goes straight to brush your hair out of your face, and your cheeks flush at his gesture. The tension between both of you is there but not too thick.
Gyeong-won, Jae-won and Jang-mi– who've been wanting to visit you because they heard you have already woken up, suddenly stop their movement.
They can see the tension, curious about what's going to happen next. They didn't know you've been dating him?
“We'll talk about this later, now you need to rest and eat, what do you want to eat?” He gets his phone from his pocket, opening an online food delivery application on his phone.
He then lets you freely choose the restaurant from his phone, occasionally scolding you when you ask for something out of the box.
There was also a lot of laughter filling up the room when both of you found something funny.
That sweet moment, soon being interrupted by the loud thud from the door of your room, all three members of your team look startled by the scene in front of them.
How could you? Their mother, not by blood; the radiant light of everyone– dating the new moody, cocky, grumpy doctor? And sharing a sweet moment in a hospital bed and in front of their own eyes, no less?
When both of you take a look behind Kang-hyuk, the atmosphere becomes awkward, so you just invite them to sit on the sofa with a small voice, embarrassed by the action you just had with the new head of the trauma center.
“…Would you like to sit down?” you offered weakly.
Luckily though, they didn't bring the topic back to the table and just said that they wanted to have lunch there.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
“So, you and Doctor Baek, huh?” Jang-mi has been teasing you for almost a week now.
Your relationship with Baek Kang-hyuk is not a secret anymore, not only Jang-mi teasing you up until now, but Gyeong-won and Jae-won also giving you nods of disappointment when they saw you and Kang-hyuk together.
“Nurse Jang-mi, you better stop now or I'm going to cut your supplies of instant ramyeon for the rest of your life” A smile plastered on your face, not your usual sweet smile, but one that can be described as a threat even when you're not saying anything.
Jang-mi quickly shut her mouth and pretended to look at the computer on her desk.
Kang-hyuk handles the situation differently. He would just glare at them before flashing that infuriatingly smug smirk of his.
⚕ smau bellow ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ ↓
@kimingyuslover masterlist!
hi-hello! you can call me iel or el, i go by she/her as my pronouns and my ult groups are SEVENTEEN, RIIZE and ZEROBASEONE! i also stan ENHYPEN (not as active as the group above). i'm not a native english speaker, so my english is not that good.
GUIDELINES
TAGLIST FORM
☆ you were (are) beautiful — a ricky shen smau [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] their relationship getting harder to the point that they decided to break up for their own sakes, but fate have another plan, they met again after they debuted as idols.
☆ fic recs masterlist
☆ wedding vows (mingyu x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] mingyu is in awe when he sees you walking down the aisle with the dress you've been dreaming about for years, your favorite flowers bouquet, and white veil as the cherry on top.
☆ the call (seokmin x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] you never thought that one call could leave you in a tearful night.
☆ rewrite the stars (joshua x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You met Joshua's at a party. after hiding your relationship for 3 years long, your parents want to meet him. What would they say about your boyfriend?
☆ love you with all my heart (soonyoung x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] Loveless marriage can be so easy yet so difficult. Which one is yours?
☆ missed connections (seungcheol x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You swear you can tolerate anything because this is an unwanted marriage to him, but why's this one hurt so much?
☆ coup de foudre (wonwoo x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] same old case, he never believes in love at first sight, until he met you
☆ breath in your love (jeonghan x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] What if Jeonghan wishes of turn back time come true?
☆ screen time (soonyoung x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] Soonyoung can only see you on his screen now.
☆ sweet revenge (seungcheol x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You get into a fatal car incident, but later you wake up and find yourself back in the past. You vows to take revenge on your adopted family.
☆ shattered promises (jeonghan x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] In a relationship marked by constant arguments and unfulfilled promises, you seek clarity from Jeonghan about your future together.
★ sweet revenge teaser
☆ you make me wanna make you fall in love (seungcheol x reader) [ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ] You once mentioned his group name, and now he's down bad for you. The worst part? his teammates seem to always tease him about it, but the best part? you answer his message.
YOU MAKE ME WANNA MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ MULTIPART SMAU MASTERLIST
You once mentioned his group name, and now he's down bad for you. The worst part? his teammates seem to always tease him about it, but the best part? you answer his message.
★ Choi Seungcheol x Fem!reader
Genre : idol!au, idol!reader, romance, comedy, smau, strangers to lovers trope! hope y'all enjoy it <33
01. Seungkwan's photos & numbers ☎️. Seungcheol is threatening Seungkwan for some numbers.
02. Warning, LOML is here‼️. Seungcheol suddenly has the love of his life
03. Law & order ⚖️. Article comes out, should Seungcheol sue them?
04. Love is in the air 🔔. (final) Seungcheol's love is in the air & everyone definitely can see it.
©️ kimingyuslover 2025
You once mentioned his group name, and now he's down bad for you. The worst part? his teammates seem to always tease him about it, but the best part? you answer his message.
★ omg, last chapter, i want to thank y'all who's been following this multichapter smau, might be doing it again (later). This chapter makes me feel very, very, asdfjklb, and also, it was supposed to be posted on Valentine's, but my ass having a writer-block 😀
previous | finished | main masterlist
YOU MAKE ME WANNA MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
Sunday, 15th December 2023
All eyes on him, in every corridor he passes by, he can feel them, from the way all the staff began to stop their activity to the whisper he heard in each step he takes.
The tudding sound he makes from his urbinoblack calf leather shoes from Christian Louboutin that he paired with white crisp button-up and black slack echoes among the silent walls beside him, his aventus creed perfume can be smelled miles away.
His heart is thumping loudly against his ribcage. He's definitely doesn't know how it could end like this, and how the photos of him and you from last night got leaked.
Maybe he needs to file a lawsuit on them, how does the life he lives in have so little of privacy?
Seungcheol hesitates for a moment before opening the meeting room, and when he does all the eyes of the people inside the room gone to him.
He takes a seat, sitting in between his managers, when he looks up, the director irises already on him.
He arch his his left eyebrow as if waiting for him to explain all the rumors that have been surrounding him about the dinner with a female star.
"Yes, i went on a dinner with her, i don't know where's our relationship is going to, but i'm certain that i like her" The director of management team nodded his head slowly.
He opened his mouth, "Okay, so now we don't have to publish a statement because you guys are not official yet, just do a damage control on your SNS"
The meeting unexpectedly ends so smoothly. It's like they're on a meeting for SEVENTEEN's next comeback if he didn't know any better.
Seungcheols walks towards the practice room and finds his members there practicing their rehearsal for GDA 2024.
"How's the meetings going?" Jeonghan said when he saw him through the mirror, and the members start gathering Seungcheol.
He cracked a smile to his members, asking what did he do in the last life, and now he's given a very caring coworkers who he treats as a family and they treated him like one too.
"It's okay, they said that i don't have to make a statement," He pauses for a moment, "but i have to do damage control on my SNS"
He calls out for Mingyu, and before he can respond, the leader tells him to have lunch and take pictures of him so he can post it.
Mingyu's not the one who can deny what his hyung asks, so he nods his head with a smile because the oldest member also told him that he will buy his favorite perfume for him.
You don't know how many times you sigh today. Every dress you pick seems too casual or too formal, and you don't even know why you would even overthink that. It's not like you have a crush on Seungcheol, right? At least that is what you say to yourself.
Well, unfortunately for you, the paparazzi is still here in front of your agency building, waiting for confirmation from you because they don't have one from Seungcheol's side.
And maybe fortunately enough, the building has a back door, so you can go to your little brunch date (is it a date?) without the photographers knowing.
"Hi, sorry traffic has gone crazy this day," Seungcheol said as soon as he met with your eyes in the cafe both of you had agreed before.
You sahek your head while smiling softly, "No, no, it's okay. i actually just got here, too." After he sat down, you handed him the menu so he could order with you.
Not long after, the waitress comes to your table, ready to pick up the order, so you tell her your pick of food and drink while Seungcheol do the same.
When the waitress left, you continued the coversation, but before you could open your mouth, Seungcheol had already cut you off.
"I saw it you know, the haters on your comments section, i apologize for that." He then takes both your hands on his, looking straight in your eyes to show the sincerity of his words.
You laugh it off, "It's fine, we know fans these day, it's definitely understandable. I mean, have you seen you? i's be dead if i knew my bias. Who looks like you are hanging out with a woman and the dispatch wrap it on a 'Dating scandal'" As you make the quote in the air gestures to Seungcheol, the drink have arrived and both of you take a sip.
"We are on a date, don't you think?" He bits his lower lip while looking at you with hesitation. Before you can even answer him, he opens his mouth again, "I'm sorry, but i've been liking you since ever the first time you mentioned seventeen on Youngji's show, and i take you to that dinner and this brunch because i want us to meet in person, and i also want it to be a date"
He does that in one breath, oh wow.
"You think so? Don't get me wrong, i'm definitely taken interest in you since our first interaction when you texted me that night." Now it's you who's getting nervous, you can feel the chill air between you.
"So, a date it is." He finalizes his words, "Should we schedule another date this week, princess?" The nickname he gives you made your blood creep on your cheek, and it's embarrassing.
You don't think you can answer him without stuttering, so you nodded your head slowly.
Saturday, 5th October 2024
The end, xoxo
Time Is Brewed | L. Sm
Genre: angst, time travel, fantasy, exes au!
Summary: After discovering that the old brewing machine he had just purchased allowed him to travel back in time, he tried to fix his relationship with you.
Seokmin had already visited the past three times this week. If he told his best friends, Mingyu and Myungho, they wouldn’t believe him. As always, they would tell him to stop being delusional. But hey, being delusional had led him to run a successful café in a prime location in Hongdae!
This time, Seokmin found himself back on the same day—the day he decided to quit his managerial job. That familiar knot of anxiety settled in his stomach as he stepped into the office. But something was different. Something stronger. He wasn’t the same nervous wreck he had been years ago. No. He was ready for this.
He handed in his resignation letter the same way he had back then—hand outstretched, a nervous smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. His boss took it, eyes scanning the paper. And then the magic moment arrived.
Seokmin cleared his throat. "You gave me plenty of chances to grow, and I’m grateful for that," he said, voice smooth, not a quiver in sight. Who was this confident guy? Oh right, it was him. "But you're wrong. You are wrong to say I won’t succeed without this company."
Those words—he had swallowed them down so many times, had watched them burn in his throat, unsaid. But now? Now they slid out like butter. The tension he didn’t even know he was carrying was gone, evaporating into thin air, leaving only the crisp taste of freedom.
His boss blinked, clearly startled. Good.
The silence between them stretched on, but Seokmin didn’t even flinch. He was done. He had finally spoken up.
And then, just like that, the weight he didn’t know he’d been carrying started to lift. He walked out of the building with his box, each step feeling lighter than the last. The door closed behind him with a soft whoosh, as though it were sealing away everything he no longer needed.
Outside, the air tasted different—fresher, like the world was offering him a second chance. He walked toward his car, a grin tugging at his lips. He wasn’t leaving something behind; he was heading somewhere, toward something.
He sat in the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel. The world seemed to pause around him. The weight of his past—all of it—felt distant now. Almost like someone else’s.
For the first time in forever, Seokmin wasn’t weighed down by the fear of what was to come. He wasn’t haunted by the what-ifs. No, now all he could feel was that little spark of satisfaction deep in his chest. He had finally done it. He had stepped away from a life that had never felt quite right.
His chest felt lighter. His head felt clearer. And hey, wasn’t that the definition of freedom?
Seokmin let out a long breath, not realizing how much he had been holding in. "Finally," he murmured, glancing at his reflection in the rearview mirror.
For the first time in ages, he wasn’t looking back. He wasn’t looking at anything. He was just moving forward.
And that felt, well... pretty darn good.
"Now, I should go back to the present," he murmured to himself.
But—
Oh?
"Why am I still here?" he muttered in confusion.
Usually, he could return to the present whenever he wanted. But now? Something was stopping him. His fingers tightened around the wheel. Was it because he was in the car?
He quickly stepped out and stood under the warm afternoon sun.
Still here.
A wave of panic surged through him. What if he couldn’t return this time? He had worked so hard to build and manage his café for the past seven years. He couldn’t just be stuck in the past.
"Seokmin?"
The familiar voice made his heart skip a beat. He turned quickly, and there you were—walking with a group of colleagues before they left you to approach him.
"Are you leaving for somewhere?" you asked, tilting your head slightly.
Seokmin’s heart pounded in his chest at the sight of you. It had been so long since he last saw you with short hair. He had almost forgotten that you worked in the same building as him. He never expected to run into you while revisiting this moment in time.
"Y/n.. Hi…" he greeted, but his voice came out awkward.
You let out a soft chuckle. "Why are you acting so weird?"
Seokmin bit his lower lip. He just couldn’t tell you that in the future, you would date him, love him, and then break his heart after five years.
Shaking his head, he let out a small, nervous laugh. "It's just…" He hesitated, holding his breath. Could he say it? After a moment of deep thought, he exhaled and finally admitted, "I kinda miss you, I guess."
Your eyes widened slightly. "Sorry? You miss me?" you echoed, confused. "We literally saw each other this morning in the elevator."
You laughed, thinking he was joking. But Seokmin wasn’t. He might joke about a lot of things, but when it came to you? Never. You just didn’t know.
"Hey…" You stepped closer, your brows knitting together in concern. "Are you okay? You look a little red, Seokmin."
His breath hitched at your sudden closeness. Before he could react—
Darkness.
And then—
The familiar scent of coffee beans and the soft hum of a jazz tune playing in the background.
Seokmin found himself back in his dimly lit café, sitting at his usual spot. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to process what had just happened.
He was back.
But for the first time since discovering his ability to travel through time, a strange, lingering feeling settled in his heart.
Seokmin took a deep breath before sighing heavily. Seeing you again—even if it was in the past—was harder than he had expected. He didn’t think his heart would race so much from reliving an old conversation.
He remembered that day vividly. The day he resigned. The day he first told you he was leaving the company. And, unknowingly, the day that sparked everything between you two. It had started as a simple chat, just two coworkers talking. But that conversation had brought you closer.
A series of rapid knocks pulled him back to reality. He blinked, turning toward the glass door, where Mingyu stood with a deep frown on his face.
"I was knocking like crazy while you just sat there daydreaming. Long day, man?" Mingyu asked, stepping inside as Seokmin unlocked the door for him.
Mingyu walked over to the table where Seokmin was sitting and set down a couple of plastic bags, the weight of them making a soft thud against the wood.
"Myungho's on his way with food," Mingyu added, already pulling out his phone and scrolling through it like the conversation was over.
Seokmin reached for the drinks Mingyu had brought. They were heavy, and judging by the labels, definitely on the expensive side. He raised an eyebrow.
"Are you planning to get wasted in my café tonight? In case you forgot, I have to open at seven in the morning," Seokmin said, eyeing his friend with mild exasperation.
Mingyu sighed dramatically, leaning back in his chair. "Relax, man. We'll take it slow. We won’t get wasted—you know me." He threw Seokmin a playful wink before turning his attention back to his phone.
As the three of them gathered, Mingyu immediately took charge, arranging the food and drinks with an excitement that had no real reason behind it. He always got overly invested in things like this. Meanwhile, Myungho—the calmest of the three—watched in silence as his two friends bickered over something as trivial as street food plating.
"Put the tteokbokki in a bowl, obviously," Seokmin argued, gesturing toward the steaming dish.
Mingyu scoffed. "No way, a plate makes it easier to pick up!"
"And the tangsuyuk sauce?" Myungho finally chimed in, sipping his drink. "Poured or dipped?"
Seokmin and Mingyu both turned to him at the same time.
"Dipped."
"Poured."
They glared at each other, neither willing to back down.
Classic.
But just as Seokmin prepared to defend his stance, Myungho’s voice cut through the playful atmosphere.
"Did you get the invitation?" he asked suddenly.
Seokmin turned to him, momentarily distracted. "What invitation?"
Mingyu let out a sigh, shaking his head as he watched Seokmin successfully pour all the sauce over the tangsuyuk. Defeated, he dropped his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair.
The three of them sat in a small circle, their laughter fading as the conversation shifted.
"So you really didn’t get it," Mingyu mumbled, nodding to himself.
Myungho pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward Seokmin, showing him a digital invitation.
You're getting married.
The words glowed against the screen, and as Seokmin scrolled through the details, the color drained from his face.
Mingyu and Myungho exchanged a quick glance, guilt settling over them. This gathering hadn’t just been a casual hangout. It had been arranged for one reason—to soften the blow, to distract Seokmin from the inevitable heartbreak.
Seokmin’s hands tightened around the phone before he slowly slid it back across the table. He looked at his friends, a chuckle escaping his lips, but there was no humor in it. Only disbelief.
"Woah…" His voice was quiet, but the betrayal in his eyes was evident. He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Is it him? That guy?"
They knew exactly who he was talking about—the so-called "best friend" who had played a part in your breakup.
Mingyu shook his head. "Not that one."
Seokmin let out a bitter laugh, his grip on his drink tightening. "So it's another guy, huh? She's quick, though." His words were muttered, almost as if he was speaking more to himself than them.
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Myungho sighed before raising his glass. "Let’s not talk about other men," he said, his tone firm as he held his drink out for a toast.
Mingyu followed, clinking his glass against Myungho’s. They both waited for Seokmin.
For a long moment, Seokmin didn’t move. His heart pounded against his ribs, beating twice as fast, as if it was ready to burst.
Then, finally, he exhaled, forcing a small smirk onto his lips as he lifted his glass.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Screw that."
And with that, their drinks clinked together—a silent agreement that, for tonight, they would drink away the pain.
"I’M SERIOUS!!!"
"That machine has taken me back to the past four times already!" Seokmin slurred, his words tumbling over each other as he waved his hand toward the vintage brewing machine sitting proudly on the counter.
Mingyu let out a loud laugh, his own face slightly flushed from the alcohol. He might have been drunk, but not that drunk—not to the point where he’d start believing Seokmin’s wild claims. "Where the hell did you even get that?" he asked, barely able to stifle his laughter.
"From an old man across the road," Seokmin explained, his words slightly incoherent. "I was just trying to help him, but he insisted I buy it—for very cheap, I swear."
Myungho chuckled, clearly amused by the drunken storytelling. "Alright," he humored him, leaning back in his chair. "So where exactly did you travel to?"
Seokmin perked up, turning to Myungho with an appreciative look. At least one of his friends was paying attention.
"First," he began, raising a finger. "Remember our road trip to Busan after we graduated?"
Myungho nodded, recalling the memory.
"That was one. Then I visited the day I broke my mother’s vase when I was six." He sighed dramatically. "Got scolded all over again, by the way."
Mingyu scoffed, swirling the drink in his glass. "Wow, what a life-changing experience."
Seokmin ignored him. "And then, I went back to the time my sisters ganged up on me to tease me mercilessly." He shuddered at the memory, throwing a side glance at Mingyu, who was looking at him with pure judgment.
"And the last one," Seokmin continued, his voice growing softer, "was the day I resigned. Seven years ago."
Mingyu chuckled once Seokmin finished his tale. "I told you to stop daydreaming. You drank too much, now your brain’s broken." With that, he took another shot, shaking his head.
Seokmin was ready to throw a punch at Mingyu, but Myungho, ever the peacekeeper, reached out and held him back.
"Did you change anything?" Myungho asked instead.
Seokmin froze at the question, caught off guard. "I don’t know... I didn’t visit to change anything. So…"
"But is there something you want to change?" Myungho pressed, his voice quieter, more thoughtful. "I mean, isn't that the natural instinct? If you could go back, wouldn't you want to fix something?"
Seokmin fell silent.
Mingyu, ever the skeptic, mouthed to Myungho, You actually believe him?
Myungho simply giggled and shook his head. Mingyu covered his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter as Seokmin sat there, lost in deep thought.
Was there something he wanted to change? A regret so strong that he’d risk altering the past?
Then, after a long pause, Seokmin exhaled.
"There’s one thing," he admitted, his voice quieter now.
Both Mingyu and Myungho looked at him, their amusement fading slightly.
"There’s something I want to fix," Seokmin said, looking up at his friends with newfound determination.
And for the first time that night, neither of them laughed.
*
Seokmin was pacing around, his footsteps echoing in the quiet of his cafe. Today was one week before your wedding day. He could still see the date written on the elegant invitation in his mind. He sighed, a weight in his chest that he thought had long since lifted. But deep down, he knew he hadn’t moved on—not really. His heart still ached for you, even though you had broken it more times than he could count.
The cafe had just closed, a long day finally over. He had worked the after-lunch shift too, his staff shorthanded. After bidding them goodbye as they went home, Seokmin lingered by the counter, cleaning up the remnants of the day. His eyes, however, were drawn to the brewing machine sitting in the corner.
It had been a week since he last used it. The discovery that it could send him to the past had shaken him. After that morning, he’d told his staff to leave the machine alone, insisting it was just a decoration—something for the aesthetic. He couldn’t risk anyone else getting sucked into its mystery, let alone the confusion of being sent back to the past.
But tonight, it called to him.
With a resigned sigh, Seokmin walked over to the machine and began making his coffee. He didn’t know why—he wasn’t in the mood for it, not really. But it felt... right. He prepared the coffee the same way he always had, the routine grounding him. Once he was finished, he sat at a table, wrapping his hands around the warm mug.
Taking a deep breath, he let his mind wander, the way it often did when he needed an escape. Seokmin was always a dreamer, his thoughts effortlessly drifting toward places and moments he longed to revisit. His eyes fluttered closed as he imagined the soft, familiar surroundings of his old apartment. He could feel the weight lifting off his body as he let the image grow sharper, clearer.
Slowly, almost absentmindedly, he raised the mug to his lips and took a sip of the warm coffee. But when he opened his eyes, the world had shifted. The cafe was gone, and in its place was the worn wooden dining table of his old apartment. The warm glow of the lamplight bathed the room in a cozy, nostalgic hue. In his hands, the red mug had changed too, filled not with coffee but with hot chocolate—the one he always made for himself after a particularly long week at the cafe.
He remembered this moment, so clearly. It had been a quiet evening after an exhausting week, his body sore from hours spent on his feet. He had come home that night, craving comfort, craving something familiar. And here it was, as if the past had pulled him back in.
For a moment, Seokmin let himself just be there, soaking in the memory. But deep down, the question gnawed at him. Could he change anything if he stayed? Could he find a way to stop this—to stop you from marrying someone else?
"You're home."
He could hear your voice, and though he expected it, the familiar ache in his chest didn’t lessen. He had been here before, so he knew what was coming next.
A fight.
Arguments.
Yells.
Tears.
He remembered it all too well—the tension that always seemed to hang between them.
"You remember home today?" Your voice was laced with sarcasm as you leaned against the fridge, eyes locking with his.
In the past, he would’ve said, "Don't start it."
But now, when he thought about it, he realized it was always him who started it. All of your frustration, your anger—it had been triggered by his absence. He hadn’t been home for three days, choosing to stay at the cafe to pour himself into work for the five-year anniversary. His team was counting on him, but he had let that responsibility push you to the side.
"I'm sorry," Seokmin mumbled, his voice low, but sincere.
Your frown softened a little, though there was still a flicker of something in your eyes—a question, a need for something more than just the apology he had offered. You didn’t seem to fully believe it yet.
"Why are you home, then?" you asked, arms still crossed tightly over your chest, a guarded expression remaining on your face.
Seokmin paused, his old reflex kicking in. The Seokmin from before would have answered defensively, “Can’t I? It’s my house too. I pay the rent.”
But now, a more mature version of him stared back at you, a version that had grown, that had learned, that understood the weight of words and actions.
He gulped, swallowing the bitterness that tried to crawl up his throat, before answering, "Because... because I miss you." The words slipped out, almost painfully, and he could feel the lump in his throat. He fought the tears threatening to fall, but he could feel them—hot, sharp—and you seemed to notice.
Seokmin set the mug down on the table, his hands trembling slightly. He wiped his face quickly, trying to regain his composure, but it was no use. He had already cracked.
And before he knew it, you were there, pulling him into an embrace.
The warmth of your touch, your familiar scent—it hit him like a wave. He hadn’t expected to break down so quickly, but here he was, clinging to you as if he could somehow undo all the hurt he had caused, all the time lost between the two of you. He hadn’t come here for this, but it was happening anyway—this rush of emotions, this sudden rush of longing.
You pulled back just enough to brush a hand through his hair, your fingers gentle and soothing, sending a ripple of calm through him.
"You must have had a hard time preparing for the event," you murmured, your voice soft, understanding. Your touch was comforting, like a balm to the rawness he was feeling.
Seokmin pulled back slightly, his eyes locking onto yours with a desperate intensity. "I'm so sorry... Forgive me, please."
You looked at him with concern, cupping his cheeks with a tenderness that made his heart ache. "Hey, you don’t need to apologize this much. You know I'll forgive you..."
And then, you kissed him. Just a soft, fleeting kiss on his lips. The butterflies that erupted in his stomach were almost overwhelming. After a year without your touch, your kiss felt like a sweet, familiar melody, bringing him back to life in an instant.
"You know I’ll always forgive you," you whispered, and in that moment, Seokmin’s heart clenched painfully. He had forgotten what it felt like to hear those words from you. Had you always been this forgiving? He couldn’t remember, but right now, it felt like everything.
“Don’t cry, baby... I’m sorry too…”
Your words hit him like a wave. You were apologizing? He almost couldn’t believe it. You had always been the tough one, the one who hid your emotions beneath a hard exterior. You never apologized for the fights, not unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, it was rare. But now, here you were, admitting you were sorry too. It was a side of you he hadn’t seen in so long.
"I'm sorry that I acted like that earlier," you added, your voice thick with emotion. "I was just... worried."
And just like that, the warmth of the moment began to slip away. Seokmin felt the coldness creep back into his bones, like a shadow settling over him. The sound of the jazz music he always played in the cafe swirled around him, pulling him back to reality.
He was back in the present.
This wasn’t the past.
And yet, somehow, this feeling—this hope—remained, flickering in his chest.
*
Seokmin was surprised when he saw your best friend walk into his cafe. He watched as your best friend placed his order while Seokmin was busy fulfilling other customers’ requests at the dessert counter. After a brief moment, your best friend found a table, sitting down with his phone in hand, seemingly lost in thought. Seokmin could feel a slight tension in the air, but he brushed it off as he prepared the order: an Americano and a slice of carrot cake.
He walked over to deliver the order, trying to maintain his usual calm demeanor. "Seungkwan, right?"
Seungkwan looked up in surprise, his gaze shifting around as he realized where he was. His eyes widened slightly at the realization that he was in Seokmin’s cafe—the cafe owned by his best friend’s ex.
"Oh, Seokmin. How are you?" Seungkwan asked, the air between them suddenly feeling awkward. Seokmin made an effort to ease the tension.
"I'm good. How about you? Still working in fashion editorial?" Seokmin asked, trying to be warmer to someone who, in the past, had felt like a potential threat to his relationship with you.
Seungkwan blinked, clearly taken aback by the question. "Actually, I haven’t worked in fashion for almost three years now. I’m in TV show production now," he said with a slight shrug.
Seokmin, embarrassed by not knowing, quickly took the business card Seungkwan offered. It had been a while since they had spoken, and Seokmin only remembered Seungkwan’s involvement with the fashion industry. He felt a little sheepish, but Seungkwan waved it off.
"It’s okay, no reason for you to know that. Anyway, your cafe is doing great," Seungkwan added, his eyes scanning the bustling space, clearly impressed.
The two of them sat at a table together, a rare moment where Seokmin found himself truly getting to know Seungkwan. He had always been your best friend since college, but the few interactions they had shared had never gone beyond awkward pleasantries. Seokmin now realized that he barely knew the person who had been by your side for so long.
In fact, he remembered the last time Seungkwan had been in his life. The memory stung, but he pushed it down as they continued their conversation, both men navigating the strange space between them.
“You ungrateful bastard.” Seungkwan’s words were sharp the last time they had ever saw each other.
Seokmin's eyes widened as he stepped into his apartment after a week of staying in the cafe. He had barely any clothes left there and needed to change. His mind was still trying to forget the argument that had taken place the last time he was home. It was like any other argument—filled with tension, unspoken words, and frustration.
There had been countless times Seungkwan was mentioned during arguments. Seokmin didn’t know him well—just that he was a friend of yours from university. Despite meeting him a few times, there had always been a lingering, uncomfortable atmosphere between Seokmin and Seungkwan, one that others could feel but no one would openly acknowledge.
But when he stepped into the bedroom, everything seemed to freeze. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then stared again, certain that what he saw couldn’t be real. There, in his bed, was Seungkwan, your best friend, lying on his side of the bed.
It didn’t take long for the familiar anger to rise in Seokmin’s chest. His thoughts raced back to every argument, every moment Seungkwan had been mentioned, and the air of discomfort between him and Seungkwan.
He tried to shake it off, but the image of Seungkwan in his bed was burning into his brain, and the frustration, the years of pent-up tension, exploded.
“What is this?” His voice was thick with disbelief, his hands gripping the doorframe.
Your gaze flicked nervously from Seokmin to Seungkwan, and before Seokmin could react, you were moving towards him, pulling him out of the bedroom. “It’s not what it looks like,” you said quickly, but your voice trembled with uncertainty.
Seokmin’s eyes were wide, his heart pounding. “What do you mean ‘it’s not what it looks like’? Why is he in my bed?” His words were clipped, his frustration quickly building. He couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening.
You kept your voice low, trying to stay calm. “Seokmin, listen to me. It's a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” Seokmin’s voice rose, unable to contain the anger. “What part of my bed being taken by him is a misunderstanding?”
You sighed deeply, stepping back slightly to avoid his fiery gaze. “He’s my best friend, Seokmin. He needed somewhere to sleep. We weren’t—” You cut yourself off, realizing how it sounded.
Seokmin’s face darkened. He laughed bitterly, the sound bitter on his tongue. “You think I’m stupid? You want me to believe you’re ‘just sleeping’?” He stepped closer to you, his voice shaking with emotion. “Are you cheating on me with him? Is that it? This whole time, while I’ve been working my ass off, you’ve been with him?”
You took a step back, stunned by his words. “No! I’m not cheating on you!” you pleaded, the frustration in your own voice rising. “Seungkwan’s my friend, my best friend. Why does it always have to be this way?”
Seokmin was pacing now, rubbing his hand over his face, trying to hold it together. His emotions were getting the best of him. “Because I saw it with my own eyes, Y/n. I saw him in my bed, sleeping next to you—” He swallowed hard, trying to get the words out. “What if I had walked in and seen something else? What if I had found you in the middle of... whatever it is you’ve been doing?”
Your eyes widened, and you shook your head frantically. “Seokmin, that’s not what’s happening!” You reached for him, trying to calm him, but he stepped back, avoiding your touch.
Seokmin let out a strained laugh, one filled with pain and betrayal. “Just sleeping? That’s your excuse? What do you expect me to believe? You’ve been so cold lately. So distant. And now this? I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“I’ve been distant?” you shot back, the words sharp. “You’ve been gone for days, Seokmin. Days! And now you come back here accusing me of—of what? Cheating?”
Seokmin’s fists clenched at his sides. He was shaking, his breath coming faster now. “Don’t act like this is my fault. You can’t even look at me the same anymore. Every time I try to come home, it feels like I’m stepping into a house full of secrets and lies. I don’t know who you are anymore.”
“I’m not the one who’s changed, Seokmin!” Your voice cracked, the weight of your words taking their toll. “You’ve pulled away. You’ve been gone, busy with the cafe. You didn’t even have time for me, for us. And now, you show up and this is what you do—accuse me of things that aren’t true!”
The argument grew louder, more intense. Words flew like daggers, each of you trying to hurt the other before the pain could sink too deep. Seokmin was on the verge of breaking down, but his anger was keeping him from seeing clearly. You were both caught in a whirlpool of hurt, accusations, and unsaid words.
Then, as if on cue, Seungkwan appeared in the doorway. His eyes were bleary from sleep, his head clearly pounding from the night before. He stepped out into the living room, rubbing his face and looking between the two of you.
“What’s going on?” Seungkwan’s voice was groggy, his confusion evident. He hadn’t expected to find a warzone when he came out of the room.
Seokmin whirled on him, his anger still burning hot. He grabbed Seungkwan’s shirt with both hands, his voice low and threatening. “What the hell are you doing in my bed with my girlfriend?”
Seungkwan blinked, still half asleep. “Relax, man... We were just sleeping.”
The words barely registered before Seokmin’s fist flew through the air, landing a punch on Seungkwan’s jaw. Seungkwan stumbled back, the shock of the hit taking him by surprise.
“Seokmin, stop!” You screamed, rushing forward, but in his anger, Seokmin pushed you aside, not realizing what he was doing.
You gasped as you hit the floor, but before Seokmin could even react, Seungkwan lunged, his fist connecting with Seokmin’s face. The force sent Seokmin stumbling backwards, his lip splitting from the impact.
“Get the hell out of here, you bastard!” Seungkwan shouted, his chest heaving with adrenaline as he shoved Seokmin toward the door.
Seokmin, dazed and bleeding, stood frozen for a moment. His heart pounded in his ears, the adrenaline still surging through his body. But as Seungkwan pushed him out, his own words haunted him.
“You ungrateful bastard.” Seungkwan’s words were sharp, final, as he slammed the door in Seokmin’s face, leaving him outside in the cold, heartbroken, and alone.
*
Seokmin took a sip of his coffee, the warmth spreading through his body, but as he opened his eyes, something felt... off. The familiar scent of freshly brewed espresso and sugar filled his senses, yet the details around him seemed different.
He wasn’t in his apartment, where he had specifically visualized it. Instead, he was in his café—a year ago.
The table in front of him was the same, scuffed in places where he had absentmindedly tapped his fingers while brainstorming new recipes. The dessert counter was still small, a far cry from what it had become over time. The soft hum of the café's old refrigerator buzzed in the background, a sound he had long since tuned out.
Seokmin’s brows furrowed. Why am I here?
Just then, his phone vibrated. A message.
Y/n: Can you come home? I have a really bad stomachache.
Seokmin stared at the screen, a strange sensation creeping up his spine. He knew this message. He had received it before—exactly one year ago.
Now he remembered.
That night, you had asked him to come home, but he hadn’t. He had stayed at the café, drowning himself in dessert recipes, convincing himself that work was more important. He had ignored your message, promising himself he’d check on you in the morning.
But the morning had come, and by then, something had already started to break between you.
Seokmin clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around his phone.
This was the moment. The turning point.
If he went home tonight, would it change anything between you?
He exhaled, forcing himself to think. Why had he chosen to stay at the café back then? What had been so important that he ignored you?
He had spent months after your breakup searching for answers—wondering why you had grown distant after five years together, why your warmth had slowly faded, why you had let someone else—Seungkwan—fill the space he had left empty.
Was that why you pulled away? Because you had already found someone else?
Seokmin shook his head. He had spent so much time blaming you, convincing himself that you had betrayed him. But deep down, he knew the truth—he had left you alone long before you ever looked elsewhere for comfort.
He stood abruptly, pushing his chair back.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
He wasn’t going to give another man the chance to take his place.
Wasn’t that why he had returned to the past in the first place? Because he didn’t want to lose you? Because he couldn’t bear to see you with someone else?
Without hesitation, Seokmin grabbed his keys and sprinted out of the café, the cold night air biting against his skin as he rushed toward your apartment.
"Y/n..." he called softly as he stepped inside, his heart hammering in his chest.
His breath caught when he saw you curled up on the couch, clutching your stomach. Your face was pale, and beads of cold sweat clung to your temple.
Seokmin crossed the room in long strides, kneeling in front of you.
“What’s wrong?” His voice was tight with worry as he reached out, scanning your expression. His fingers brushed against your forehead—it was damp, too cold.
You barely lifted your gaze to meet his. “I don’t know… It hurts so much…” Your voice was weak, barely a whisper.
Panic surged through him. He had no idea the pain had been this bad. Had you been suffering like this all night, alone?
Without another thought, Seokmin scooped you into his arms, holding you close.
“I’m taking you to the hospital,” he said firmly, his mind made up.
This time, he wouldn’t leave you waiting.
Seokmin sat in the cold, sterile hospital hallway, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together so tightly his knuckles turned white. The scent of antiseptic burned his nose, the bright fluorescent lights overhead only worsening the pounding in his skull.
The image of you, unconscious on the hospital bed, your skin sickly pale, was burned into his mind. He hadn't realized it was this serious. Hadn't known you had been suffering like this while he was too caught up in his own world, his own ambitions.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Please, just let her be okay.
The sound of footsteps made him lift his head, and he shot up when he saw the doctor approaching.
"How is she?" Seokmin asked immediately, his voice rough, desperate.
The doctor sighed, pulling down his mask before speaking. "She's stable now, but..."
Seokmin's heart pounded harder. The pause stretched too long. "But what?"
The doctor gave him a solemn look. "She was pregnant."
Seokmin felt the words hit him like a truck, his breath catching in his throat. Pregnant?
His vision blurred for a second, his mind racing back through time—had you known? Had you tried to tell him?
"But due to excessive stress and prolonged neglect of her symptoms," the doctor continued, "she suffered a miscarriage."
The word rang in his ears, shattering something deep inside him.
A miscarriage.
His legs felt weak, his hands trembled. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
There had been a baby. His baby. A life that had barely begun but was already gone.
Seokmin stumbled back onto the chair, his body cold, his mind reeling. He gripped his hair, exhaling shakily.
He had been so blind. So selfish.
All those times you had asked him to come home. All those moments when you had reached out, needing him. And he had ignored you, stayed at the café, convinced himself that his time, his dreams, his work mattered more.
And now, there was no going back.
His baby was gone.
And you—how were you supposed to handle this? How much pain had you endured alone while he had been too distracted, too distant to see it?
"Hey, do you know I'm never into women? I always have a boyfriend." Seungkwan’s words echoed in his mind, each syllable hitting him like a hammer to the chest.
Seokmin sat there, unmoving, the weight of those words settling deep in his bones. His breath hitched as the realization sank in—how wrong he had been.
All the accusations. The doubts. The fights.
All the times he had glared at Seungkwan, convinced that he was the reason for your distance, the reason you weren’t looking at him the way you used to. He had let his insecurities twist everything, had let jealousy consume him until all he saw was betrayal where there was none.
And while he had been drowning in his own delusions, you had been suffering in silence.
He pressed a hand over his face, his fingers trembling.
"I'm not cheating on you."
Your voice from that night played in his head, softer now, weaker. He could still see the way your face had crumpled at his accusations, the way you had begged him to believe you.
But he hadn’t.
He had let his pride win. He had let his anger control him.
And now, here he was—watching you lie in a hospital bed, pale and weak, after losing the baby he never even knew existed.
Guilt clawed at his throat, suffocating him.
"I should have been there."
But he wasn’t.
And now, it was too late.
*
Mingyu watched as Myungho sprinted down the hospital corridor, his breathing ragged, his face a mix of panic and frustration. Neither of them had expected to receive a message from one of Seokmin's staff, informing them that their friend had been found passed out in his café that morning—with ten empty espresso cups scattered around him.
Myungho raked a trembling hand through his hair, his voice sharp with disbelief. "Is it because of her wedding? Is that why he did something this stupid?" He turned to Mingyu, eyes desperate for an answer, but Mingyu looked just as lost, just as shaken.
Seokmin, their bright, ever-smiling friend, had nearly died of a heart attack.
Mingyu let out a heavy breath, rubbing his hands over his face as he sank onto one of the waiting chairs. His fingers fidgeted, betraying the unease thrumming through his body. "The wedding is tomorrow," he muttered, voice hollow.
Myungho stiffened at the words. He knew it. They both did. But hearing it out loud made it feel more real, made Seokmin’s pain more tangible.
Mingyu swallowed hard, his throat tight. "Doctor said if they hadn’t found him sooner, it could've been fatal."
Myungho clenched his fists. "That idiot," he cursed under his breath, his voice cracking. His eyes burned with unshed tears, the weight of almost losing Seokmin settling heavily on his chest.
Seokmin's eyelids fluttered open, the sterile white ceiling of the hospital room coming into focus. His body felt heavy, his head pounding as if a jackhammer was drilling into his skull. His mouth was dry, tasting faintly of bitter coffee and regret.
Before he could fully register his surroundings, a sharp gasp filled the room.
"Seokmin!"
Mingyu and Myungho rushed to his side, their expressions a mix of relief and frustration. Mingyu gripped his arm tightly, as if making sure he was real, while Myungho hovered nearby, his jaw clenched.
Seokmin blinked sluggishly, his throat constricting as he croaked out, "Where am I?"
Mingyu scoffed, shaking his head. "Where do you think? You're in the hospital, you dumbass." His voice wavered, trying to mask his emotions with irritation, but his grip on Seokmin’s arm gave him away. "You nearly died."
Seokmin groaned, attempting to sit up, but Myungho immediately pressed him back down with a firm hand on his chest. "Don’t even try. You drank ten cups of espresso in one go, Seokmin. Ten! Do you have a death wish?!"
Seokmin closed his eyes briefly, letting their words sink in. Then, in a hoarse whisper, he asked the only question that mattered to him.
"Did she get married?"
The room fell silent.
Mingyu and Myungho exchanged glances, their expressions darkening.
Seokmin's hands clenched the sheets, his breath growing unsteady. "Tell me," he pleaded, his voice cracking.
Myungho sighed, rubbing his temples. "Seokmin—"
"Did she or did she not get married?!" Seokmin's voice rose, desperate, raw.
Mingyu exhaled heavily, then finally muttered, "Not yet."
Seokmin's heart lurched. He wasn't too late. Not yet.
Ignoring the dizziness washing over him, he tried to push himself up again. "I need to see her."
"Are you insane?!" Myungho nearly shouted, pushing him back. "You almost died, and the first thing you want to do is chase after her?!"
Seokmin grabbed onto Myungho’s wrist, eyes wild with determination. "I have to stop it." His voice was barely above a whisper, but the conviction in it made both of his friends freeze.
Mingyu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You don’t even know if she wants you to stop it, Seokmin."
Seokmin swallowed hard, his chest aching. He knew that. He knew he had no right to do this. But he also knew one thing for certain—
"I need to see her."
Mingyu let out a long breath, gripping his knees as he tried to process Seokmin’s words. Myungho, on the other hand, looked like he was on the verge of throwing something.
"Are you even listening to yourself?" Myungho snapped, glaring at Seokmin. "You just woke up from almost dying, and your first thought is running after her wedding? What the hell do you think is going to happen?"
Mingyu leaned forward, rubbing his temples. "Even if you do see her, then what? Do you expect her to come back to you just because you showed up? Do you think this is some kind of drama where the moment you say ‘don’t marry him,’ she’ll run into your arms?"
Seokmin’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His mind was clouded, tangled between desperation and the overwhelming guilt crushing his chest.
"This isn’t about what you want anymore, Seokmin," Myungho continued, his voice quieter but firm. "She’s about to start a new life. Whether or not she’s happy with it, that’s not something you get to decide."
Seokmin’s breathing became uneven, his heart pounding against his ribs. "But what if she’s making a mistake?" he murmured.
"And what if she isn’t?" Mingyu shot back. "What if she’s already moved on and you’re the only one stuck in the past?"
Seokmin’s fingers curled into the hospital blanket. That thought—her moving on, being happy without him—made his stomach twist painfully.
"I need to know," he whispered, voice barely holding together.
Mingyu ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "You’re being selfish, man. You don’t need to know. You want to know. And there’s a big difference."
Myungho sighed, looking away for a moment before turning back to Seokmin. "You think this is love, but it’s guilt eating you alive. You regret everything, and you think if you see her, if you stop her, maybe it’ll fix something in you. But it won’t."
Seokmin clenched his jaw. "I just—"
"You just can’t accept that you lost her."
The words cut deeper than Seokmin expected. His vision blurred slightly, his throat tightening.
Seokmin’s breath hitched, his shoulders trembling as he gripped the blanket beneath him. His head hung low, strands of hair falling over his eyes, but it did nothing to hide the way his body shook. A choked sound escaped his lips, something between a breathless laugh and a sob, as if he himself wasn’t sure whether to scream or cry.
Mingyu and Myungho exchanged a glance, their own expressions heavy with helplessness. Neither of them had an answer—because if moving on was easy, Seokmin wouldn’t be here, collapsing under the weight of what-ifs and regrets.
"I ruined everything," Seokmin whispered, his fingers pressing into his temples. "I should’ve come home that night. I should’ve listened. I should’ve believed her." His voice cracked at the last part, and his body folded in on itself.
He sucked in a sharp breath, but it did nothing to steady him. The dam he had been holding back for so long finally burst. A sob tore from his throat, raw and painful, his hands clutching at his chest as if trying to hold himself together.
"I thought I was doing the right thing." Another sob. "I thought I was protecting us." His words were barely coherent between gasps. "But I— I pushed her away. Over and over. And then when I finally—when I finally wanted to fix things, it was too late."
He pressed his fists against his eyes, trying to stop the flood of tears, but they kept coming. "She waited for me," he rasped. "And I never came."
Myungho, usually the colder one, exhaled and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He placed a hand on Seokmin’s back, firm but gentle. "You can’t change the past, Seokmin," he murmured. "No matter how much you regret it. You can't change anything."
Seokmin let out a bitter, broken laugh through his tears. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?"
Mingyu kneeled beside the bed, gripping Seokmin’s wrist, grounding him. "You grieve, man," he said softly. "And then, one day, you start again."
Seokmin squeezed his eyes shut, his body wrecked with sobs. He had spent so long running—running from his emotions, from his mistakes, from the truth. And now, there was nowhere left to run.
All that was left was the ache in his chest and the cruel reality that no matter how much he cried, no matter how much he wished, he could never turn back time.
*
"No one can change things but themselves."
Seokmin let out a quiet chuckle as he read the faded tagline on the back of the vintage brewing machine. He ran a hand over its worn surface, the once-polished metal now dulled with age.
He pulled it from the counter, his fingers tightening around the handle as he lifted it. There was a strange sense of finality in the action, as if he were physically removing a part of himself from the past. He exhaled slowly. It was time to say goodbye.
It had taken him a month to come to terms with the truth. No matter how much he wished otherwise, he couldn’t change the past. Even after experiencing what felt like a second chance, he realized that some things were simply meant to happen. His mistakes, your choices—they were both pieces of a larger story that he had no control over.
He couldn’t be selfish anymore. You had your own life, your own decisions. And he had to respect that.
After being discharged from the hospital, Myungho had insisted he move in with him, at least for a while. “You need someone to keep an eye on your dumbass,” Myungho had said, dragging him into his apartment without giving him a chance to protest. Mingyu had taken over managing the café in his absence, making sure everything ran smoothly while Seokmin recovered.
Their support had been the reason he didn’t completely fall apart.
And now, standing in his café once again, he felt something he hadn’t in a long time—strength. Not just physical strength, but the kind that came from acceptance.
He was back.
And this time, he was ready to move forward.
Seokmin froze for a moment as he spotted the old man standing across the road, watching him with a knowing look. The same old man who had sold him the vintage brewing machine all those months ago—the one who seemed to have known more than he let on. Seokmin blinked, still trying to process the bizarre turn of events.
The old man raised his hand and waved, an almost mischievous grin on his weathered face. Seokmin's heart skipped a beat.
He made his way over, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. “You finished using it?” The old man asked, his voice gravelly, as if he'd been waiting for this moment. “Can I get it back?”
Seokmin hesitated for a second, the weight of everything that had happened still lingering in his chest. He glanced down at the machine in his hands, the one that had been his link to the past. "You know it too?" Seokmin asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "This machine... it can send anyone back in time?"
The old man’s smile widened, and he nodded knowingly. "I always knew," he said with quiet certainty. There was something in his eyes—a kind of ancient wisdom—that made Seokmin feel like he was standing before someone who had seen far more than he let on.
Without waiting for any further conversation, the old man reached out and took the machine from Seokmin’s arms. Despite his age, the man was surprisingly strong, and Seokmin couldn’t help but watch in awe as the old man effortlessly carried the machine.
For a moment, Seokmin stood there, frozen, as he watched the old man walk away, the heavy sound of his steps receding in the distance. It felt surreal—like the end of a chapter, yet Seokmin couldn't shake the feeling that it was only the beginning of something far more complex.
As Seokmin stood there, watching the old man walk away, he couldn’t shake the nagging question in his mind—the tagline he had read on the back of the brewing machine. It had been on his mind ever since he first set eyes on it, and now, with the machine being taken away, it felt like there was a final piece to the puzzle that was still missing.
"Hey," Seokmin called out, his voice catching the old man’s attention before he disappeared completely. The old man turned around, a knowing smile playing on his lips as if he had been expecting this.
“What’s the tagline about?” Seokmin asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. "The one that says, 'No one can change things but themselves.' What does that really mean?"
The old man chuckled softly, the sound a raspy yet warm laugh that seemed to carry the weight of countless untold stories. He looked at Seokmin with a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
"It takes two for everything," the old man replied, his voice low and deliberate. "You couldn’t be the only one who wants it."
Seokmin stood in silence, the brewing machine now a distant memory in his hands, and the words of the old man echoed in his head. “It takes two for everything.” Was he truly ready to let go? To stop trying to control the outcome?
As the seconds ticked by, he realized that maybe, just maybe, the key wasn’t about turning back time, but about moving forward.
Seokmin’s phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Myungho.
Myungho: You're home already?
Seokmin frowned at the screen, his frustration rising. He quickly typed back:
Seokmin: Stop texting me like a creepy boyfriend!
Not even a minute later, his phone rang. It was Myungho calling this time. Seokmin groaned, rolling his eyes before answering.
“Why do you keep bothering me? What do you want, Myungho?” Seokmin grumbled as he headed back to the cafe, trying to shake off the exhaustion that clung to him.
“Mingyu texted me, saying he saw your cafe lights still on!” Myungho said with a teasing tone, clearly amused.
Seokmin, now annoyed, rubbed his temples. “I’m just done recycling, okay? What the heck, how does Mingyu know my lights are still on?”
There was a brief pause on the other end, and then Myungho’s voice came through, dripping with sarcasm. “CCTV?”
Seokmin froze mid-step, eyes widening in disbelief. “Ya! How dare you guys monitor me with my own CCTV?! We should’ve had a talk about this! You’re creepy, you know that?”
Myungho let out a laugh, clearly unfazed by Seokmin’s outburst. “Just get home already. I’ll text you in an hour!”
Seokmin scoffed, shaking his head in amusement as he made his way toward the cafe. “You guys are ridiculous.”
Before Seokmin could respond further, Myungho ended the call with a cheeky, “Don’t make me come over there and check on you myself!”
Seokmin chuckled in disbelief, muttering to himself. “As if I needed another reason to feel like I’m being watched…”
Seokmin woke up slowly, feeling the weight of Myungho's arm draped over his chest. His mind was still foggy as he tried to process the situation. Had Myungho come over last night? He had no memory of it, but the warm pressure on his chest was undeniable.
“Go away, Myungho,” he mumbled, trying to shift the arm off him and pull the blanket back over himself, desperate for more sleep.
But just as he was about to drift off again, a sharp slap landed on his cheek. His eyes snapped open in shock, his heart racing. He turned to see you standing by the bed, a frown plastered on your face, looking down at him with a mix of confusion and frustration.
“Myungho? You dream about your friend?” you asked, your tone biting.
Seokmin’s heart skipped a beat, his breath catching in his throat. His mind couldn’t keep up with what was happening. Y/n? His eyes blinked rapidly, still disoriented from sleep.
He quickly turned his head toward Myungho, expecting to see his friend there, only to find the bed next to him empty. His eyes darted back to you, wide with surprise.
“Y/n?” Seokmin whispered, his voice cracking with disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
You raised an eyebrow, still standing in the doorway. The shock on his face must’ve been evident because your expression softened slightly, your concern starting to show. “I should be asking you that,” you retorted, your arms crossed over your chest. “Why the heck were you thinking i'm Myungho? Were you two—”
“No!” Seokmin interrupted quickly, his face flushing red. He sat up straight, heart pounding. “No, it’s not like that. I… I thought it was Myungho… but it was you…” He trailed off, still struggling to make sense of the situation. “What are you doing here, Y/n?”
You stared at him for a moment, your gaze shifting from confusion to something softer, but still tinged with frustration. A small sigh escaped your lips before you spoke again.
“Why am I here?” you asked incredulously, a bemused look crossing your face. “What are you talking about? I'm your wife, Seokmin. This is my house!”
Seokmin’s breath hitched in his chest. His mind was reeling, unable to catch up with the rush of confusion, panic, and overwhelming guilt. He ran a hand through his hair, still stunned by the situation. His thoughts felt like they were slipping away from him, like he was in a dream, but everything was too real.
“Y/n…” Seokmin’s voice trailed off, still searching your face for some kind of explanation. “How did we— why did I—” He couldn’t find the right words. The mixture of emotions was overwhelming. Was this real? Had everything really led to this?
You shook your head slightly, your expression softening as you walked closer, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. "Seokmin, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?"
Seokmin stared at you, the words stuck in his throat. He could feel the weight of everything crashing down on him—everything he had been running from, everything he had tried to avoid. But in that moment, with you sitting so close to him, so real, it all felt too much. Too real to escape.
Seokmin blinked, his mind racing as he looked down at his own finger. He felt the weight of a wedding band there, the same one he saw on yours. His eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest.
"We're married?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if the words couldn't quite sink in. "How?"
You rolled your eyes, clearly frustrated by his confusion. "A month ago, Seokmin! Stop being ridiculous or you’re going to be late."
Seokmin could hardly process what you said. "Late for what?" His mind was still trying to catch up, the fog from his sleep mixing with a heavy sense of disbelief.
You stood up from the bed and walked toward the door, tossing over your shoulder, "Your branch cafe opening, of course. We’ve been planning it for weeks now."
His eyes followed you as you left the room, still reeling from the whirlwind of information that felt too surreal. A month ago? He ran a hand through his hair again, trying to piece together the puzzle. He couldn’t remember any of it—the wedding, the plans, none of it. Everything felt like it was slipping through his fingers, like he had missed an entire chapter of his own life.
Seokmin hurriedly followed you, still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. "But I didn’t… I didn’t drink any coffee, and I’m sure I didn’t return to the past," he muttered to himself, almost as if convincing himself.
You stopped in your tracks and glanced back at him, a small smile tugging at your lips. "Seokmin, you’ve been acting strange all morning. Maybe you should just focus on today, alright? You’ve got a cafe to open."
"But I—" He was cut off by the sound of his own phone buzzing in his pocket. The reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. His mind had been clouded with confusion, but now it was clear—there was no going back.
"I know you're a newlywed, but please don't be late for today!" Mingyu's voice came through the phone, laced with frustration.
Seokmin froze, staring at his phone in disbelief. What was happening?
His thoughts were still spinning, trying to make sense of everything. Newlywed? A month ago? The cafe opening? The weight of it all was sinking in slowly, but it felt like his mind couldn’t keep up. His fingers tightened around the phone, and he felt a rush of panic creeping in.
"Mingyu… what’s going on?" Seokmin asked, his voice shaky as he stood in the hallway, still unsure of the reality he was facing.
On the other end, Mingyu sighed heavily. "Are you serious right now, Seokmin? You’re supposed to be here in an hour. Get it together."
Seokmin’s heart pounded in his chest as his mind raced. What did he mean, 'get it together'? Everything felt like a blur—like he had woken up in someone else’s life. The wedding ring, the cafe opening, your presence beside him—it was all too much to process.
Seokmin glanced over at you, still standing in the doorway, your arms crossed with a gentle but knowing expression on your face. You had your life figured out, but he… he was stuck in a whirlwind of confusion.
"Seokmin," Mingyu’s voice cut through his thoughts. "You need to snap out of it. You're really scaring me now."
Seokmin closed his eyes, trying to focus, but the weight of everything pressing on him was overwhelming. How could he have missed all of this? How could he have forgotten?
"Okay," Seokmin finally said, taking a deep breath and trying to steady his racing thoughts. "I’ll be there."
He hung up the phone and looked at you, the one person who seemed to know what was going on. "I—I don’t know what’s happening," he admitted, his voice softer now. "But I need to figure this out, Y/n."
You smiled slightly, the corner of your mouth lifting as you walked toward him. "One step at a time, Seokmin. Let’s get through today, and then we’ll talk."
Seokmin nodded, still in a daze, but he felt a strange sense of reassurance in your words. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as lost as he thought.
*
Seungkwan stepped into your place, drinks in hand, and immediately noticed something on the kitchen counter. "That's cool," he remarked, eyeing the vintage brewing machine with curiosity.
"I didn’t know you were into vintage stuff," he added, raising an eyebrow as he set the drinks down.
You rolled your eyes playfully, brushing him off as you arranged the coffee table in front of the couch, placing the food you had ordered earlier. "It's just for display," you said, trying to downplay it.
Seungkwan chuckled and sat down on the floor, pulling bottles out of the bag with a grin. "Is it really okay to drink here? Your boyfriend won’t be home, will he?"
You sighed, glancing at him as you adjusted the arrangement on the table. "I told you, he hasn’t been home for days. I don’t know what to do anymore," you admitted, the frustration in your voice barely concealed.
Seungkwan looked at you, concern flickering in his eyes. He set the bottle down and leaned forward, his tone softening. "Let’s forget about him for now, okay? Tonight’s about you. Let’s drink, relax, and leave all the stress behind."
His words, filled with sincerity, brought a small but genuine smile to your face. "Yeah," you said, finally letting yourself breathe a little easier. "Tonight, we forget about everything else."
"So, I went back to the past, where he came home, and I didn’t act like a crazy bitch asking where he was or what he was doing. I saw how hard he was working for our future," you said, your words slurring slightly, but there was an undeniable sincerity in your voice.
Seungkwan watched you closely, his gaze thoughtful. "Do you always know why he worked so hard on the cafe?" he asked, his tone soft but probing.
You nodded, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Yeah, it’s his romantic dream. I knew that all along, but I still acted like an asshole." Your voice faltered slightly, regret creeping in as you admitted your mistakes. "I let my insecurities get the best of me."
Seungkwan fell silent for a moment, processing your words. Then, almost as if he was speaking to himself, he muttered, "Maybe I’m just jealous... that I couldn’t make my dreams come true the way he did. He has something to fight for, something to believe in."
There was a quiet vulnerability in his voice, one that made you pause. You glanced at him, recognizing that his words weren’t just about your boyfriend. He, too, was struggling with his own battles, hidden beneath layers of laughter and bravado.
The day you found out you were pregnant, only to lose it in a heartbreaking miscarriage, felt like a cruel twist of fate. It was the morning where the two of you finally sat together, yet Seokmin was still letting you go, giving you space to breathe but also unintentionally distancing himself further. Maybe that’s how it was meant to be. Even after you returned to the past, even after you tried to fix things, it felt as if nothing would change. The bond you once had was slipping away, like sand through your fingers.
As you stood by the trash, about to dispose of the old brewing machine—the same one that had brought you back to the past—your thoughts were tangled with regret and confusion. That’s when you heard the soft shuffle of footsteps, and you looked up to find the old man, the one who had given you the machine, standing there near your place.
"Oh, you're here..." you murmured, surprised yet not entirely shocked.
The old man smiled faintly, as if he’d been expecting this moment. "Can I get it back?" he asked gently, his voice carrying a quiet understanding.
You nodded, the weight of his words from before still lingering in your mind as you handed the machine back to him. It felt as if he had been a silent witness to everything that had transpired.
Before he walked away, he turned to face you one last time, his gaze penetrating yet wise. "Do you know," he began, his voice a low murmur, "you can’t change someone unless they themselves want to change?"
His words hit you like a heavy realization. He was right. It shouldn’t just be you who wanted change; it had to be him too. It had to come from both sides. The problem had never been about fixing things alone—it was about the both of you, working through it together.
With that, the old man walked away, leaving you standing there, holding onto the truth he'd just given you. A truth you didn’t know you needed to hear.
The end:)
it's 7 in the morning here and i already read this
this is literally me
Hello Gabbie 🤍
Thank you so much for all the interaction and reblogs! I really love all your comments you don't know how it made my day!
Wish you have an amazing day always dear🧚♀️
you should watch my reaction when this got into my inbox, i triple checks THIS OMGOMG
anyway, i love your work. idk, they somehow make me cry a river, and each characters personality are also very, very well written.
hoping the same for you too! ily <3
You once mentioned his group name, and now he's down bad for you. The worst part? his teammates seem to always tease him about it, but the best part? you answer his message.
★ okay, so finally, the third part (i only have ideas at night, but i sometimes can't be a night owl)
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YOU MAKE ME WANNA MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
Saturday, 14th December 2023
Seungcheol can't lie, the dinner was first awkward and he didn't even know why you're saying yes to his invitation, but he should be grateful because if you say no the members will most likely bullies the shit out of him.
Some time passes and the atmosphere between you becoming more comfortable, no more stiff position, just a chill coversation while waiting for your food to came.
"Do you have any plans if you're not being a singer right now?" Seungcheol asked curiously after swallowing his food.
You chew yours for a second before answering him, "I actually have a business degree on Yonsei, so if i'm not a singer, i'd be most likely to follow my father career, he have his own company business"
"Oh! I heard you already finished your master degree at Anyang. That's so cool, I want to continue to have my master's degree, but my schedule is too packed, so i don't find any time to study"
Well, the conversation flows smoothly like a river. There's both of your occasional laugh when each of you says something hilarious.
After you finished, he insisted on paying the bill since he's the one who brought you here.
And while you appreciate the nice thing he does, you still feel bad, and so you bought a desert for him to take home.
Seungcheol is first politely declined the nice gesture, but being a stubborn you are, you tell him to take the desert for awhile because you have something on you.
When he does just that, you open your mouth, "The desert is yours! You already hold it. I don't want to take it back" which he chuckled at, and then he said that he really appreciated it and will eat it with his members.
At first, he thought you had gone here by a cab, but you told him that you brought your own car and you parked it in the basement.
So he walks down with you to the underground because he also bring his car here.
You both then send each other a goodbye and you drive to your own house with your own car.
What you don't know is that there's a paparazzi there, ready to take your photos and making it the cover of the news hours later.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
"How's your date?" Seungcheol jumped when he heard that, his older brother is sitting infront of the TV with kkuma, his dog.
Seungcheol frowns, "You're scaring me, and no, that's not a date" His brother finally detached his eyes from the television, looking at Seungcheol with a teasing glance.
"Your members have been so fussy about this, and they say it was a date. Also, they say that you only met her this once despite there's no interaction between both of you before this"
Of course, his members are the nosy people ever, so he just rolled his eyes at his brother before going to his room to change his clothes and also, change your profile pictures because he got that perfect shot earlier.
He smiled when he looked at the photos, and you both even took pictures together, a very couple coded photos in fact.
He will secretly put it on his wallet after he prints it so he can see a beautiful scenery when it was his turn to pay the bills for an outing
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
Meanwhile, you still flustered by Seungcheol's gestures earlier, covering the bills, taking pictures together, and even holding your hand while you're going down on stairs.
You always remember yourself that it's just a friendly act between junior & senior, because the fellow actors that in the drama you starred also does that to you.
But this time, you feel your heart thumping loudly against your ribcage, and you think you drunkenly inlove with him.
Like, it's understandable, right? who doesn't love an enigma male named Seungcheol, who's 178cm with that big ass bicep, and let's not start with the way he looks at you because you might die.
There's a several misscall from your friends, Jiwoong, Kevin, even Juyeon. So you decided to open your sns, and what you looking at right now makes you want to poke your eyeballs.
How can they have your photos taken and in the basement, too? you remember Seungcheol said that the restaurant offers a very private dining experience, but how can this paparazzi take pictures of you?
So open your imess, text Seungcheol about the rumors, you don't want to ruin his career, so you got to act quick.
While doing that, you ask your management team through the group chat, and they were all pretty laid back about the news since you're not in the K-Pop industry, nevertheless they still told you to contact Seungcheol regarding this rumors.
Love me not
Love isn't too late for anyone, right? Word count : 2,324 words Pairing : kim mingyu x reader Genre : angst, love triangle, bestf to (?) Warnings : uhh, as always, tears (duh), mingyu is straight-up asshole, reader is a girlboss and also a resident doctor, wonwoo's a cardiothoracic surgeon, mingyu's job is not specified, mentions of drink, kind of minimal dialogue but at the same time it's not & like 1 (one) curse word, lmk if i miss any! ★ i'm in my active era, with nothing to do in my life so I just decided to write this in like, what, total 8 hours? it’s just a random thought that caught up in my mind for dayssss. need to repost this (cry)
☆ check out my other works > main masterlist
Mingyu's smile flattered when he read the invitation envelope he received this morning. There, he found a picture of you with another man— the man he saw at the coffee shop.
He could feel the way his heart clenched, and he sensed a twinge of jealousy in his heart.
Perhaps it's his fault, not caring about you enough that makes you think that you can't handle him anymore.
Or the way he would cancel your meetings abruptly because he just got a call from Jira where he rushes to everywhere she goes without asking any questions. Leaving you hanging alone in the restaurant that you both had decided to have dinner together.
The way he always mentions her names in every conversation, bringing her like she's the goddess god sent from the sky himself.
God, he can even imagine the way your smile slightly dropped and the disappointment evident on your face when he brought up her name that he had once not noticed, not caring about what you had said earlier.
Despite that, you stay by his side, offering your shoulder everytime he feels sad because of her, assuring him that he’s enough.
Mingyu remembers the day when everything started to shift.
You're not as welcome to him as before. Always avoid meeting him in person, and you are always busy.
He thinks it's normal at first, you're a resident after all, of course you're going to get busy someday that you can't even spare a glance or reply to his texts.
Meanwhile you, on the other hand, think that it's the best for you. Well, it is.
You're willing to step-out from the “more than friends but not in a relationship” situation with him, your heart also aches really great while you have to stay calm for him when he's telling his story, with her in it.
So after a while, you decided that you had enough of his & Jira's story, and you need to move on. So you do what you have to do earlier this time, you avoid him, busying yourself with patience, and always looking for surgery that needs an assistant, minimising your interaction with him. It's not that hard, actually. You're literally a cardiac resident. You will always get busy.
There you met who you called now– the love of your life, Jeon Wonwoo. He’s the main doctor for organ transplant operation, and you're the assistant.
After the operation was successful, he treated you to a coffee shop down the road and both of you had fun, talking about patience cases that you have, and even some stories on the ER where you are located right now.
“So, any interest in a relationship, or you're just single?” He asks while sipping his cup of ice americano– he claims that's what keeps him awake in every before or after a big operation.
You think for a few seconds, this is the first time when you feel like yourself again and have people asking about you, not any other person.
Feeling like you zoned out, he calls your name again, in which you respond with a shy smile on your face, and you apologise for spacing out.
You open your mouth to speak again, “No, I don't have any interest in a relationship for now, I want to focus on being a doctor first, like you!” you said with a light-hearted laugh. He did the same.
Then someone opens the coffee shop door, making the bell rings, your eyes trained to the glass door, you freeze when you see Mingyu, in all his glory.
He seems to notice you too, but when he looks in your direction, you already turn your eyes towards the doctor in front of you. Yes, he searched for you in the ER, but the receptionist said that you're currently in a cafe with a doctor.
After placing his order, he sat next to the counter, waiting for his name to be called by the barista.
He noticed the way you laugh so freely, like the burden on your shoulder just lift up when you are with that man.
He frowns, you never be as free as you are right now when you're with him, you always keep your distance, and he's your best friend! That doctor is just someone you met along the way.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
“What do you want, Mingyu?” That's it, no more ‘gyu’ and the tone of your voice is cold, stabbing him in the heart.
He took a long breath, “What's wrong with us? You never seem to notice me anymore. Hundreds of my messages go unread, and you never gave me a check”
His words really make you wanna laugh. What's wrong with you both? You don't know, but one thing for sure, he needs you to tell the story about him and his beloved to you, crying his heart out and then leaving like nothing's going on between you.
You bite your bottom lip. Before allowing yourself to let out a chuckle, Mingyu cuts you off.
“Why are you laughing? It’s not a time for that” You seriously want to punch the guy in front of you, “You not here anymore when i needed you the most, Jira and i–”
That's where you draw the line, you put your “I don't care, Mingyu. Actually, fuck you kim mingyu” His breath hitched when you said that, hands growing cold.
“You are always nagging this and that about you and Jira, I don't care about her, I only care about you, all my whole life I only cared about you” Your finger pointed at him accusingly.
You stop yourself for a second, trying to catch your breath, you see Mingyu opening his mouth, wanting to speak but you cut him off.
“No, you don't get to say anything about this. All i ever do is just a backburner, the person who you came when you have any problems and dump all your problems with me, and then when you feel better you always go to her even you knew that she would make the same mistake over and over again and you will come running to me with your tears stricken face”
“You promise to listen to me too, I've had enough of your drama, I've talked to you before you even brought her up, and somehow you still did even if it's not relevant. I'm sacrificing my own happiness for you, Jira had everything i've ever wanted and that is you”
You snatched your bag from the seat beside you, pulled out a 50 dollar bill, put it on the table and you stormed off.
Mingyu was just sitting there, and that's when he felt it come back. The ache in his heart, he feels his heart clenched in the worst way possible.
Only you can make him feel like this, not even Jira can do this to him. Hearing the words fall off from your mouth is hurting him, and he doesn't know why.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months. It's been approximately 7 months since the last time Mingyu saw you and heard from you.
You moved out from your old apartment the next day, making him ponder since when you start to pack your things, have you been planning this all the months back?
In the first month, he felt so lonely without your presence, no one sent him a ‘good morning’ ‘evening’ and ‘night’ text, his apartment also felt cold without you.
You used to come here often on saturday and sunday night, warming up the apartment with movies ready on your disk.
Now, his weekend nights feel empty, no one would play and watch his favorite movie with him.
And in the third month he realised when he saw you again, this time with Wonwoo beside you, talking and laughing together. He felt a throbbing pain in his heart when he saw that scenery.
oh.
oh.
All the times he felt in your presence, is the sign that he likes you or worse yet— loves you.
He realised he never felt anything towards Jira, that it's just a passing crush to keep his true deep feeling. He has liked you since the day you turned 14, the way your eyes light up when your family and him decide to surprise you in your sleep.
The memory just made his wound that he considered still fresh getting sprinkled by a handful pinch of salt.
It burns him alive and he loses all the respect he has for himself.
He thinks he has moved on, the old trick under the sleeves, getting over someone by getting under someone.And finally, it's now been a year and a half since he last heard from you.
Mingyu walks to his apartment with groceries on both of his hands, and then when he gets inside, he puts the things on his kitchen counter and goes to the bedroom to change his outerwear.
He's not in the mood to do anything today, so he took his laptop to watch some movies, but then an email caught his attention, it's from you.
So he opens it, and finds an envelope there.
Mingyu read the body of the email, because a word cought on his eyes.
hi, sorry. I know we have been in no contact for a year and a half, but I want to invite you, we once have something, don't we? :) Love is in the air.docx
He lets out a shaky breath, scared if he opens the document then his heart would shatter to the ground beneath his feet.Oh well, he opens it with hesitation on his face and heart. He takes a deep breath before finally opening the invitation.
The document has three pictures of you with him, the doctor he hates so much with all of his heart despite there's no interaction between them.
It’s a wedding card.
There's the date and time of your wedding ceremony and the reception.
He feels his tears on the edge of his eyes, threatening to fall right now and then, he already has his heart shattered the day you leave and now he feels another throbbing pain with the fact that you will never be his.
[⋆✴︎˚｡⋆]
“Don't marry him” You feel like the time has just stopped right now.
Seeing Mingyu all dressed up in your wedding was definitely on your bingo list— well, last year. but seeing him now? It's just like the burden you had on your shoulder a year ago came back to you.
You used to imagine yourself going through a wedding ceremony with you as the bride and him as the groom.
You're very much confused by his behavior, so you open your mouth, though you didn't say anything because you’re speechless.
Mingyu repeats the words he just said the second time to you, looking at you with hope in his eyes.
“Why?” you asked, you want to add something after that but you halt your actions, waiting for him to answer you.
Mingyu started at the ground for a moment, before looking at you, yet again, “Why? You know why”
You snap, saying no to him only for it to be denied by him, making you say no to him again.
“What?” Then he asked, after pinning him for years, hearing him say that makes your blood boil.
You want to slap Mingyu, but you compose yourself, not wanting to make your special day be ruined by a man that doesn't know and seems like he's not willing to know about your feelings even when you gave him a clear sign.
“No, no Mingyu– You're being mean. stop it.” he can hear the finality of your words, but he didn't want to stop there, “How am i being mean?” there's a stern expression on his face.
“I have been second to Jira my whole life, in everything and that including you. I'm not going to be the person you settle for just because you cannot have her”
“I won't do it, because i've been wasting my entire life loving you but all you see is just Jira, never once i crossed your mind, and you don't have the right to stop me from marrying the man i love” You don't even want to cry anymore, tears for him is already dry long time ago.
Mingyu tries to hold your hand, wanting to confess his feelings, but instead he lets out a question and the second he finishes his sentence he regrets it, “Isn't I the man you love?” his voice is silent, not quite above a whisper.
“Don’t make me laugh Kim Mingyu, you get rid off me as soon as you and Jira reconcile, even both of you were not in a relationship, you run into me when Jira is busy and then the next day you gone for a week and the cycle keep going leaving me stressing over my own feeling”
Before he could say anything, you told him to get out of the room, but you know he's a rock headed person, so you already told the groomsman to wait outside the door after he gets in.
Mingyu heard the door open and he knew it's time for him to get the fuck out and wait for your ceremony, he said something before he leaves, “i love you, i'm sorry” and so he get his last words to you.
For the rest of his life, Mingyu can only hear your voice from a distance, the way Wonwoo kisses you is heart wrenching to the guts of his body.
Now he can only see you again when suddenly bumps into you, or when he goes to your favorite places and on his screen.
And even then, you're not alone, you will be with your new husband that you're marrying today, there's no chance for him to be in your picture.
Something Between Us | H.Js
Genre: angst, arranged marriage, exes au!
Summary: An old couple meet again, with the same feeling inside their chest. What's something between them still left?
Author note: i dedicate this story for all of my plot twist lover. Here's for you guys. With love and— of course, so much care🤍
Joshua held his cup of coffee, feeling its warmth seep into his hands as he waited for you to arrive. Nervous? Of course, he was. It had been three long years since the two of you had seen each other. In all that time, there had been no reason or opportunity for your paths to cross. But today, after meticulous planning and endless back-and-forth between your secretaries, the two of you were about to meet again—this time as business partners.
Joshua had always been skeptical about arranged marriages. His parents' marriage had crumbled when he was just ten years old, and his father had remarried only two years later. His mother eventually found the love of her life in her fifties, but not before enduring two failed marriages. Joshua himself had experienced a failed arranged marriage—with you, three years ago. So, when his friends claimed they were happy in their arranged marriages, he couldn’t help but doubt them.
He had once said the same thing during the first year of your marriage.
As you walked toward him, Joshua couldn’t help but notice how much your hair had grown since the last time he saw you. You had always preferred muted tones, but today you wore a baby blue work attire that caught him off guard. Rising from his seat, Joshua offered you a professional handshake before motioning for you to sit across from him. Your secretaries took their seats beside you both, their awkward silence adding to the already tense atmosphere in the room.
Today's meeting was supposed to be strictly business. After your father passed away a few months ago, you had surprised Joshua by sending a proposal to rekindle the business relationship that had been severed when the two of you went your separate ways three years ago. He was genuinely shocked. He never imagined that the Ji family would reach out to him first, especially given that your families had also "divorced" in a sense when you did.
"I’ve gone through the proposal you sent. It’s clear there’s still potential between our companies, but a lot has changed in the past three years.”
You nodded, your expression unreadable. “Yes, quite a lot has changed,” you agreed. “The industry has evolved, and so have our respective companies. That’s precisely why I believe it’s important for us to explore a new collaboration.”
Joshua studied you carefully, his mind racing. Your brother Seungcheol was the rightful successor, the one running the family business now. There was no logical reason for you to involve yourself—especially after being away from the business world since your divorce. Why would you suddenly want to rekindle this partnership? Was this truly about the companies, or was there something more you weren’t saying?
“Your brother,” Joshua began cautiously, “is more than capable of handling the business. I’m curious why you felt the need to personally reach out to me, given that Seungcheol is the one at the helm now.”
You met his gaze, your eyes steady. “Seungcheol is indeed in charge, and he’s doing an excellent job. But there are some things only I can handle, and this partnership is one of them. I know the history, the nuances between our companies. There’s unfinished business here, Joshua. You and I both know that.”
Joshua couldn’t deny the truth in your words, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more beneath the surface. “And you think you can just step back in and pick up where we left off?” he asked, skepticism lacing his tone. “You’ve been out of the industry for three years. A lot has changed—not just in business, but in the way we operate, the strategies we use. Do you really think you can bring the same value you once did?”
A faint smile played on your lips. “I may have been away, but I’ve kept my eyes open. I’m well aware of the changes and the new dynamics at play. But this isn’t just about proving my worth, Joshua. It’s about leveraging the strengths of both our companies for mutual benefit. We have something unique—a history, a shared vision, even if it was derailed for a while.”
Joshua leaned back, crossing his arms as he regarded you thoughtfully. “And what exactly are you offering? What do you bring to the table that your brother or anyone else in your company can’t?”
You took a deep breath before answering, your voice firm. “What I bring is a perspective that no one else has. I understand the intricacies of both our businesses, and I know what was lost when we parted ways. I also know how to regain that edge. This isn’t just about merging resources or expanding markets. It’s about restoring what was once a strong alliance—something that could be stronger than ever if we approach it the right way.”
Joshua could sense the conviction in your voice, but he also sensed something else—a personal stake that went beyond business. You weren’t just here to broker a deal; there was something deeper driving you, something you weren’t ready to reveal just yet. But for now, he played along, curious to see where this would lead.
*
Seungkwan, Joshua's dedicated secretary, arrived at ten o'clock at night with a box of Joshua's old files from his parents' house, driven by an urgent matter. The contents were from a pivotal time in Joshua's life—the period when his business had merged with his ex-partner's company.
Joshua had been immersed in the business world since his college days, with a particular passion for coffee beans. His grandfather, recognizing his potential, gifted young Joshua a piece of land to cultivate and manage. After years of gaining valuable experience, Joshua made the bold decision to take over his family’s business—a company specializing in the distribution of fresh food sources. His natural talent for business didn’t go unnoticed; your father, who was well-acquainted with Joshua's grandfather, saw a promising match between you and Joshua.
Your family’s legacy in the industry stretches back further than Joshua’s, with a focus on real estate—hotels, buildings, and shopping malls. In fact, Joshua’s grandfather had once worked for your family before establishing his own empire. Over the years, Joshua's family business became a key supplier of fresh food for your family's hotels, creating a longstanding partnership between the two enterprises.
What began as a mere introduction between you and Joshua quickly evolved into a strategic arrangement orchestrated by your father and Joshua's grandfather. They agreed to a marriage between the two of you, believing it would further solidify the bond between the companies.
Fortunately, neither of you had any objections. Joshua found himself deeply attracted to your integrity and kindness, qualities that only strengthened his affection over time. What started as a business arrangement blossomed into a genuine partnership, both in life and in the boardroom.
"Let's get divorced after a few years," you suggested, your voice carefully measured as you spoke after a family meeting just before the wedding.
Joshua raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Let's not talk about divorce when we haven’t even said ‘I do’ yet."
You sighed, trying to find the right words. "That's not what I meant. I just want us to have the freedom to express our thoughts about this... arrangement. I don't want you to regret anything."
Joshua glanced at you briefly before focusing back on the road as he drove you home. A gentle smile played on his lips. "You're too kind, Y/N. Too kind for me."
After the wedding day, Joshua’s life was turned upside down—in the best way possible. His heart raced every time he saw you, and he found it increasingly difficult to keep his hands to himself whenever you were near. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was falling deeply in love with you.
As Joshua started to believe that you might feel the same way, he nearly forgot about the contract you both had signed before the wedding—a marriage contract stipulating that you would divorce after five years.
"Two years," you said one evening, your tone serious as you brought up the contract.
Joshua shook his head, a determined look in his eyes. "Five, at least. That’s the right amount of time to have everything settled between our companies before we divorce."
Living with you had been effortless for those years, a seamless partnership that made life feel easy and natural. But one night, after returning from a business trip to Taiwan, Joshua was blindsided when you handed him divorce papers to sign. His heart sank as he stared at you in shock, unable to believe you were bringing up the contract he had thought had long been forgotten.
"We've been fighting a lot," you began, your voice steady but laced with sadness. "And it's always about the same things. We see the world differently, and I don’t think I should live with someone who doesn’t share my vision."
Joshua felt something inside him shatter. He had believed you would understand him, that you were different. But now, he realized you were just like everyone else in his life. Just like his parents who had left him behind.
In that moment, the walls he had built to protect himself from pain crumbled, leaving him feeling more vulnerable than ever. He had fallen in love with you, but now he was faced with the harsh reality that love alone might not be enough to keep you by his side.
"Sorry for taking up your time, Seungkwan, but I really need these papers," Joshua said as he began rifling through the box Seungkwan had brought over.
It had been two weeks since the tense meeting between you and Joshua. Since then, any further communication had been handled strictly by your secretaries, Seungkwan and Chan. The deadline for Joshua to make a decision on your offer was only two days away.
Seungkwan sat down, opening his tablet to check his list of tasks. As he glanced at the screen, a thought crossed his mind. "By the way, do you know who Jina is?" he asked Joshua casually.
Joshua frowned, shaking his head. "Jina who?"
Seungkwan shrugged. "I’m not sure. Chan, Ms. Choi's secretary, mentioned that she had to take care of her child, Jina. I was wondering if she might have remarried already?"
Joshua’s hands froze mid-movement as his heart skipped a beat. Child. The word echoed in his mind, bringing with it a flood of questions. Are you married already? Did you finally have the family you always dreamed of? Are you happy now with the child he couldn’t give you?
He forced himself to respond, keeping his voice as neutral as possible. "Really? I didn't know."
Seungkwan nodded, seemingly unfazed. "Maybe it was a secret marriage. After all, it’s only been three years since her divorce from you," he speculated.
Three years. That was all it took for you to move on, to find someone new. To build the life that he had always wanted with you. Meanwhile, Joshua couldn't even fathom replacing you. The mere thought of it felt impossible, as if no one could ever fill the void you left behind.
*
Joshua met with you once to sign the MoU between your two companies. A month passed, and he began to realize that rekindling the business relationship between your families had been a good idea after all.
One afternoon, Joshua was out for lunch with a client. After their meal, he headed to the restroom and was surprised to find a little girl crying in front of the men’s room. Seeing that no one else was around, he gently picked her up and wiped the tears from her chubby cheeks.
“Mom…” the little girl whimpered, her voice breaking Joshua’s heart. Deciding to help, he started looking for her parents.
As he walked down the hallway, he heard familiar voices arguing. Turning the corner, he saw you scolding a younger woman dressed in what looked like a nanny's uniform.
"How could you lose her?" you snapped, clearly distressed.
Before Joshua could speak, you spotted him, your eyes widening as you quickly approached. "Jina, where have you been?" you called out as you reached for the little girl.
Joshua’s breath caught as your eyes met his. For a brief moment, your steps faltered, but then you took the girl from his arms, your expression softening as you spoke to her.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here,” you soothed, cradling the little girl you had called Jina.
“Thank you so much,” you said to Joshua, your voice filled with relief. “She just learned to run, and she slipped away from her nanny.”
You handed Jina back to the nanny you had been scolding moments before, and Joshua couldn’t help but stare at the little girl. She had your beautiful eyes, and Joshua couldn’t deny that she was the cutest toddler he had ever seen.
As he watched you comfort Jina, Joshua felt a pang in his chest, a mix of emotions swirling inside him. Seeing you with a child—a child who looked so much like you—brought back memories of the dreams he once had, dreams of a life you could have had together.
Joshua stood there, watching as you cradled Jina in your arms, and memories of your time together flooded back. During your marriage, you had often expressed your deep desire to start a family. You had dreamed of having children, of creating a warm and loving home where you could nurture and protect them. You had spoken to Joshua about it openly, passionately, yearning for a child who would be a symbol of the love you once shared.
But Joshua had been paralyzed by fear. The idea of becoming a father terrified him, more than he could ever admit to you. He had grown up in a house filled with anger and pain, a witness to his father’s cruelty. His father had been abusive, both physically and emotionally, to Joshua and his mother. Joshua had seen firsthand the damage a father could do to his family, how easily love could turn to hate, how trust could be shattered by betrayal. He had watched his father cheat on his mother, breaking her spirit before finally leaving her for someone else.
These memories haunted Joshua. The thought of becoming a father brought back all those fears—the fear of repeating his father’s mistakes, the fear of not being good enough, the fear of hurting those he loved the most. He didn’t want to bring a child into the world only to fail them, to fail you. And so, every time you spoke of starting a family, Joshua found himself pulling away, unable to share your dream. He was too afraid of the past repeating itself, of becoming the very thing he had always despised.
He remembered the arguments that would arise whenever the topic came up, the frustration in your eyes when he hesitated, the sadness in your voice when he couldn’t give you a clear answer. He had loved you, but his fear had been stronger than his love. He had convinced himself that he was protecting you, protecting any potential child from the possibility of being raised by someone who wasn’t capable of being the father they deserved.
But now, as he looked at Jina—this little girl who had your eyes, your gentleness—he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been. Seeing you as a mother, so natural, so caring, made him realize just how much he had deprived both of you by letting his fears control him. The life you had wanted, the family you had dreamed of—it was something he could never have given you because he had been too afraid to try.
Joshua felt a deep, aching regret settle in his chest. He had let you go, thinking it was for the best, thinking it was the only way to protect you from the darkness inside him. But now, he could see how much he had lost in the process. You had moved on, found the family you always wanted, while he remained trapped by the ghosts of his past.
As you walked away with Jina, Joshua realized that he had not only lost you but also the chance to be part of something truly beautiful. And for the first time, he wondered if he could ever forgive himself for letting fear steal away the life he could have had with you.
*
Joshua was interrupted by a notification that there was a call from Seungcheol, your older brother and the soon-to-be president of Choi Corps. He immediately put down his work and picked up the call, his focus sharpening. Seungcheol’s breathy, urgent voice greeted him on the other end, asking if Joshua was in town at the moment.
"Yes, I'm in my office right now," Joshua replied, his concern mounting.
Joshua and Seungcheol had known each other since college, having attended the same business school. They knew each other better than mere acquaintances, but their relationship was complicated by an underlying competitiveness. Both were driven, ambitious, and determined to succeed—traits that had prevented them from becoming close friends. There could only be one star, and Seungcheol had often seemed to take the throne, aided by his privilege and relentless work ethic.
"I need you to get to Seoul University Hospital. Now!" Seungcheol’s voice was sharp, tinged with urgency.
Joshua’s heart skipped a beat, panic setting in. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Y/n?" he asked immediately, his pulse quickening.
"No, it’s not Y/n," Seungcheol answered, his tone tense. "Someone else needs you."
"Who?" Joshua pressed, confusion and worry battling within him.
"Just get here, Joshua. I’m begging you. My sister... she’s not in the right state of mind right now," Seungcheol pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation.
Joshua’s mind raced, trying to piece together what could have happened. The urgency in Seungcheol’s voice told him it was serious, and despite their complicated history, he knew he couldn’t ignore the call. Without wasting another second, Joshua grabbed his keys and headed out the door, a sense of dread settling in his chest as he rushed to the hospital.
Joshua arrived at Seoul University Hospital, his heart pounding in his chest. The cold, sterile smell of the hospital hit him as he hurried through the halls, searching for the ICU. His mind raced, trying to make sense of Seungcheol's cryptic call. The worry in Seungcheol's voice had been unmistakable, but Joshua still didn’t fully understand what was happening.
When he finally found the ICU, his eyes immediately landed on Seungcheol, who was standing rigidly with a tense expression. Seungcheol’s eyes locked onto Joshua as soon as he approached, and he stood up straighter, signaling Joshua over.
You were sitting on a bench beside Seungcheol, your head buried in your knees, your body trembling slightly. Chan, your secretary, stood beside you, a hand resting on your shoulder, trying to offer some semblance of comfort.
Joshua felt his stomach twist at the sight of you like this—so vulnerable, so unlike the strong, composed person he knew. His gaze flickered between you and Seungcheol, searching for answers in their expressions.
"Seungcheol, what’s going on?" Joshua asked, his voice laced with concern and confusion.
Seungcheol took a deep breath, his face strained as he struggled to keep his composure. "It’s Jina," he began, his voice heavy with emotion. "She collapsed earlier today, and they had to rush her here. The doctors said she needs an immediate white cell transfusion."
Joshua blinked, trying to process the information. "A white cell transfusion? But... why? What happened to her?"
Seungcheol ran a hand through his hair, clearly distressed. "Jina has a rare blood disorder. Her white cell count dropped dangerously low, and she’s in critical condition. The doctors are doing everything they can, but they said she needs a specific type of transfusion—one that’s not easy to come by."
Joshua's mind reeled as he tried to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "But why... why did you call me? What does this have to do with me?"
Seungcheol hesitated, glancing at you before answering. "Jina is your daughter, Joshua," he finally said, the words heavy with the weight of the truth. "That’s why we need you. You’re her father."
*
"Get that bastard here!" your father roared, his voice echoing through the house. You winced, hearing the fury in his tone as your mother quietly explained what had happened to you over the past few months since the divorce.
Seungcheol sat across from you, his eyes fixed on you with a mixture of disappointment and concern, as if you had committed some unforgivable sin. In a way, you had—you had made a decision that not only affected your life but also threatened to tear apart the relationship between two powerful companies.
He sighed heavily, breaking the tense silence. "He didn’t want the child. Is that why you two got divorced?" His voice was quiet but edged with disbelief.
You nodded slowly, unable to meet his gaze. The truth was hard to swallow, even now.
"Then why did you run away?" Seungcheol asked, his voice softening with confusion and concern.
After six months of hiding in Jeju, Seungcheol had finally found you and dragged you back home. The shock on his face was unmistakable when he discovered you were pregnant. At first, he had assumed that someone had taken advantage of you while you were away after the divorce. But when you tearfully confessed that the baby was Joshua’s, his shock turned to something deeper—betrayal, perhaps, or simply the weight of a truth he hadn’t been prepared to hear.
"Is there anything else you're hiding?" Seungcheol asked, his eyes searching yours.
You shook your head, unable to speak. The shame and guilt were too much to bear.
He leaned back, his expression unreadable. "I won’t tell anyone about this," he finally said, his voice firm but kind. "But one day, he needs to know. You can’t let a child grow up without a father, Y/n."
"He doesn’t want them," you whispered, your voice trembling. "Why can’t you understand that?"
Seungcheol bit his lip, clearly struggling with his emotions. He wanted to protect you, but he also knew the importance of a father’s presence in a child’s life.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and your father stormed in, his face contorted with rage. He marched straight to you, his anger palpable. "Has he ever touched you inappropriately? Has he ever been abusive to you?" he demanded, his voice harsh and filled with protective fury.
"No, Father," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. "He never did."
Your father’s face darkened further as he turned to Seungcheol. "Cut ties with him, Seungcheol. How dare he divorce you while you were pregnant with his child," he ordered, his voice seething with anger.
Seungcheol nodded slowly, his eyes flickering between you and your father. The decision had been made. The relationship between the two companies would be severed, and Joshua would be held accountable for abandoning you. But in the back of your mind, you couldn’t help but feel the weight of the secret you still carried—the knowledge that despite everything, a part of you still loved Joshua, and you couldn’t bring yourself to hate him entirely.
Joshua’s mother had always been frail, suffering from a rare condition that left her frequently unwell. It was this reason that led Joshua to make the decision to live with his mother after just a few months of marriage. Despite both of you juggling demanding careers, Joshua insisted on taking care of her personally, sending the nurse away each night so he could attend to her himself.
Since Joshua had taken over the highest responsibilities at his company, business trips became a frequent part of his life, often leaving you alone with his mother. In the beginning, it wasn’t so bad. His mother was kind and nurturing, and you appreciated her presence. But as the months went on, things began to change.
Her once gentle suggestions started to feel more like subtle commands. "Don’t you think you should prepare a bath for him?" she mentioned one evening, shortly before Joshua was expected home from the office. You simply smiled in response, too tired to engage after a long day at work. But the comment lingered, an unspoken expectation hanging in the air.
"Y/n, you should stay at home," she said another time, her tone laced with concern. "You’ll be too exhausted to properly take care of your husband if you keep working."
Her words, once easy to brush off, began to grate on your nerves, especially on days when work had already worn you thin. Yet, you remained composed, understanding that she was his mother and that her meddling came from a place of care—even if it didn’t always feel that way.
There were nights when you would approach Joshua, hoping to discuss the possibility of the two of you living separately, away from the constant strain of these expectations. "Can’t we find a place of our own?" you’d ask gently. "It’s just… it’s getting hard, Joshua."
But Joshua would always respond with the same quiet firmness, his love for his mother evident in every word. "She’s too ill, love. I don’t think I can leave her to live alone."
And so, you tried to understand. You tried to be patient, even as the weight of the situation began to press down on your marriage.
One evening, as you were tidying up the living room, Joshua’s mother approached you with a soft but probing tone. "Have you checked yourself at the hospital, darling?" she asked, her eyes studying your reaction. "It’s been a few years now, and you still haven’t gotten pregnant. Is everything all right?"
Her question, though couched in concern, felt like a punch to the gut. You paused, the magazine you were holding slipping from your fingers as her words echoed in your mind. You had been bracing yourself for this conversation, knowing it was only a matter of time before she brought it up.
You took a deep breath and forced a smile, trying to keep your emotions in check. "The doctors say everything is fine, Mother," you replied, keeping your voice as steady as possible. "It just hasn’t happened yet."
Joshua’s mother frowned slightly, her concern deepening. "But it’s been so long, Y/n. You should consider seeing a specialist, maybe even explore other options."
The suggestion stung, though you knew she meant well. It wasn’t just the pressure to conceive—it was the weight of expectation that you carried every day. You had wanted a child just as much as she did, if not more. But Joshua… Joshua had been hesitant from the start.
You remembered the conversations you had had with him, the nights you had spent lying awake, thinking about the future, imagining the family you could build together. But Joshua always seemed reluctant, his fear of fatherhood holding him back. He had grown up in a broken home, witnessed his father’s abuse, and the scars those memories left on him ran deep. He had confessed to you once, in a rare moment of vulnerability, that he was terrified of becoming like his father, of hurting you or any future children the way his father had hurt him and his mother.
"We’ll have a child when the time is right," Joshua would say, his voice heavy with the weight of his own fears. "But not now. I’m not ready, Y/n."
And so, you had waited, pushing down your own longing, hoping that one day, he would feel ready. But as the years passed, the strain began to show—not just on you, but on your marriage as well. Now, with his mother’s pointed question hanging in the air, the unspoken tension between you and Joshua felt more palpable than ever.
"I understand," you finally said, your voice barely above a whisper. "But it’s not just about seeing a specialist. There are other things… other reasons why it hasn’t happened yet."
Joshua’s mother looked at you with a mixture of pity and concern, clearly wanting to say more but holding back. "I just want what’s best for you, dear," she said softly. "For both of you."
You nodded, appreciating her concern even though it added to the weight you were already carrying. "I know. And we want that too."
But as you turned away, the words she didn’t say lingered in your mind, amplifying the doubts that had already taken root. You wanted to believe that everything would work out, that Joshua would eventually overcome his fears. But as time went on, it became harder to ignore the growing distance between the life you had imagined and the reality you were living.
"You know, she’s a lovely girl," one of Joshua's mother friends said when they came for visiting, her voice laced with that particular tone people use when they’re about to say something less than flattering. "But it’s strange, isn’t it? They’ve been married for years now, and still no children."
Another woman chimed in, "Yes, I’ve noticed. It’s unusual, especially for a young couple like them. Have they mentioned anything to you about it?"
There was a pause, and then you heard Joshua’s mother sigh. "No, she hasn’t said much. But I’m beginning to worry… What if she’s infertile?"
The words hit you like a slap. You froze, your breath catching in your throat as the conversation continued.
"Oh, that would be such a shame," one of the women responded sympathetically. "Your son deserves to have children, to continue the family line."
"I know," Joshua’s mother replied, her voice heavy with a mix of concern and resignation. "I feel so bad for him. He’s always wanted a family, and I’m sure this must be hard on him. But… what can we do?"
They moved on to other topics, but you couldn’t focus on anything else. The words echoed in your mind, over and over, each repetition cutting deeper than the last.
Infertile.
A shame.
I feel so bad for him.
You knew Joshua’s mother meant well, in her own way. But hearing her talk about you like that, like you were some kind of defective person, made you feel like you didn’t belong in this family—like you were failing Joshua, failing yourself. The weight of it all was too much to bear.
The tension between you and Joshua had been building for months, and after overhearing his mother’s conversation, it finally reached a breaking point. The desire for a child had always been there, but now, it felt like a constant, pressing need—one that you couldn’t ignore any longer.
“Joshua,” you began carefully as the two of you sat down for dinner, “we need to talk.”
He looked up from his plate, his expression wary. He knew what was coming. You had had this conversation before, and it never ended well.
“Can’t we just eat in peace?” he asked, his voice tired.
You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. “Your mother… she’s been putting a lot of pressure on me about having a child. She’s been saying things that… that hurt.”
Joshua frowned, confusion clouding his expression. “What do you mean?”
“She’s been asking me why I haven’t gotten pregnant yet. She even suggested I should see a doctor, as if there’s something wrong with me,” you confessed, your voice breaking slightly. “And I overheard her telling her friends that she thinks I might be infertile. She felt bad for you, saying that you deserve a child, and she doubted if I could give you one.”
Joshua’s face darkened, his eyes narrowing. “She said that?”
You nodded, tears welling up in your eyes. “Yes. And it hurt, Joshua. It made me feel like I’m failing you, like I’m not good enough. I’ve tried to be understanding, I’ve tried to be patient, but… it’s tearing me apart.”
Instead of the sympathy you had hoped for, Joshua’s expression hardened. “My mother is ill, Y/n. She’s under a lot of stress, and she’s worried about us. That’s why she says those things. It’s not fair to hold that against her.”
“I’m not trying to hold it against her,” you said, your frustration rising. “But it’s affecting us, Joshua. It’s not just about what she said—it’s about how it’s making me feel. I’ve been trying to handle it on my own, but I can’t anymore. I need you to understand how much this is hurting me.”
Joshua shook his head, his voice growing colder. “So what? You want me to blame my mother? You think she’s the villain here? She’s just looking out for me, for us.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” you replied, feeling your own anger flare up. “But you can’t just dismiss how I feel. She’s making me feel like I’m not enough, like I’m failing as your wife, and you’re not doing anything to stop it.”
Joshua stood up from the table, pushing his chair back with more force than necessary. “She’s sick, Y/n! She’s the only family I have left, and you want me to start a fight with her because she’s worried about us having kids? You’re blowing this out of proportion.”
You stood up as well, the pain in your chest twisting into something sharper. “I’m not blowing it out of proportion! I’m telling you that your mother is hurting me, and instead of listening to me, you’re defending her!”
Joshua’s face was flushed with anger now, his hands balled into fists. “You don’t understand what it’s like, Y/n. You don’t know what she’s been through, what I’ve been through. She’s trying to protect me, and you’re turning her into some kind of monster!”
“I’m not!” you shouted, tears spilling down your cheeks. “But I can’t just keep pretending that everything’s fine when it’s not! I’m drowning here, Joshua, and you’re more concerned about protecting your mother’s feelings than mine!”
Joshua’s voice dropped, cold and sharp. “You’re the one who’s making this a fight, not me. Maybe you’re just looking for someone to blame because you’re not getting what you want.”
His words hit you like a slap in the face, and you recoiled, shocked by the bitterness in his tone. “Is that really what you think?” you whispered, your voice shaking.
Joshua’s gaze softened slightly, as if he realized he’d gone too far, but the tension in the air was too thick to dispel. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, but he didn’t apologize. He didn’t take it back.
Instead, he turned away, his back to you. “I can’t do this right now, Y/n. I just… I need some space.”
The room felt colder as he walked away, leaving you standing there alone, your heart aching with the weight of everything unsaid. You had come to him, hoping for understanding, for support, but instead, you felt more isolated than ever. The chasm between you and Joshua seemed to grow wider with every passing moment, and you were left wondering how, or if, you could ever bridge it again.
*
After the divorce was finalized, you wasted no time in disappearing to Jeju. It was a quiet, impulsive decision—one made in the heat of heartache and confusion. You didn’t tell anyone, not even your family, because you couldn’t bear the thought of facing their pity or questions. You needed to escape, to be alone with your thoughts, away from the memories and the pain.
The divorce had happened faster than you expected, almost too smoothly. There had been no drawn-out arguments, no legal battles. It was as if Joshua had been waiting for this, and that realization stung more than anything. You had thought there would be some resistance, some sign that he was still holding on to what you had built together. But there wasn’t. He signed the papers without hesitation, and with that, the final chapter of your marriage was closed.
The speed of it all made you wonder if Joshua had already given up on you long before the papers were drawn. Maybe he had been tired of you, tired of the constant tension and arguments, tired of your desire for a child that he couldn’t bring himself to accept. It was easier for him to let go than to fight, and that thought was devastating.
In Jeju, you found solace in the quiet. The island, with its endless ocean views and soft winds, offered the peace that you so desperately needed. You stayed in a small cottage near the shore, far removed from the life you once knew. The waves crashing against the rocks became your lullaby at night, and the sunrises over the water offered a sliver of hope each morning.
But no matter how hard you tried to run away from the past, it followed you. Every time you closed your eyes, you saw Joshua’s face. You heard his voice, the way he had told you he needed space, the way he had defended his mother over you.
You woke up to the harsh, sterile smell of alcohol and the blinding white light that filled the room. Your head throbbed as you slowly opened your eyes, and for a moment, you struggled to make sense of your surroundings. The last thing you remembered was sitting on the shore, watching the waves roll in. The peaceful rhythm of the sea had always calmed you, but now, everything felt off—foreign, wrong.
Panic surged through you as you tried to sit up, only to realize you were lying on a hospital bed. The walls were white, the sound of medical machines humming in the background. You weren’t on the beach anymore. This wasn’t your cottage.
A soft voice pulled you out of your daze. “Mam, can you hear me?”
You turned to see a man in a white coat standing beside you. His expression was calm but concerned. “I’m Dr. Kim. You’re in a clinic now. Can you tell me your name?”
You blinked, your mind still foggy. “Y/n,” you whispered, your voice dry and weak.
Dr. Kim nodded, offering a small smile. “Good. Do you remember what happened?”
You tried to think back, but your memories were jumbled. The sea, the breeze, the quiet… and then nothing. You shook your head slowly. “I was on the beach. That’s all I remember.”
He sighed softly, glancing at the chart in his hand. “You were found by a fisherman early this morning. You passed out, and he brought you here. We’ve run some tests to make sure you’re okay.”
You swallowed, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of your stomach. “Tests?”
“Yes,” Dr. Kim said gently, “and I want to assure you, you’re going to be fine. But there’s something else you need to know.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “You’re eight weeks pregnant.”
Your heart stopped. Pregnant? The word echoed in your mind, but it didn’t feel real. “No,” you muttered, shaking your head. “That can’t be right.”
Dr. Kim’s expression softened with understanding. “I know this might be unexpected news, but the tests confirmed it. You’re two months along.”
Two months. Eight weeks. The timeline fit perfectly with everything that had happened just before you left Joshua, before the divorce, before everything crumbled. You placed a trembling hand on your stomach, still flat but now holding a secret that was no longer just yours.
Suddenly, everything rushed back—the arguments, Joshua’s rejection, and his fear of fatherhood, And now, here you were, in a clinic, alone and pregnant.
Tears stung your eyes as the weight of it all came crashing down. You had hoped to avoid this moment, to escape it, but there was no running away from the truth now. You were going to have a child—Joshua’s child—and no matter how much you had tried to distance yourself from him, he would always be a part of this.
Dr. Kim’s voice broke through your thoughts. “Is there anyone you’d like us to contact? A family member, perhaps?”
You shook your head quickly, the tears now freely falling down your cheeks. “No. No one.”
He nodded, his expression kind but professional. “Take your time. We’ll make sure you’re stable and that everything with the pregnancy is progressing well. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
As he left the room, you were left alone with your thoughts and the knowledge that your life had just changed forever. The child you hadn’t dared to hope for was real, growing inside you, and now you had to decide what to do next.
But even as the fear gripped your heart, a small flicker of hope began to grow. For the first time in months, you weren’t running away. You were facing the future—one step at a time.
*
"Can we talk?"
You froze in place as Joshua's voice reached you. Turning slowly, you saw him standing there, dressed in a hospital gown, clearly preparing for his medical checkup before the donor. His eyes were tired, filled with confusion and something else you couldn’t quite place.
"I'm sorry," you muttered, your voice strained, "I have no energy for this right now."
"At least give me some enlightenment," Joshua said, his tone surprisingly calm despite the tension between you. "I came here two hours ago not knowing I had a daughter. And I've been patient enough to wait to ask this."
You felt the weight of his words pressing down on you. He had a right to know, and yet, telling him had always seemed impossible. You took a step toward him, meeting his gaze as you spoke quietly, “Yes, she's your daughter. I found out I was pregnant a week after our divorce.
A heavy silence hung between you as Joshua absorbed the news. His face remained unreadable, but you could see the storm of emotions brewing beneath the surface.
"You need a proof?" you asked, almost defensively, your heart racing.
Joshua shook his head slowly. "No... I don’t need proof."
You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, but before you could speak again, he continued.
"I wish she was mine," Joshua whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "From the first time I saw her, I wished she was mine."
His words caught you off guard, and for a moment, you couldn't respond. You had prepared for anger, for denial, for resentment, but not this. Not the raw longing in his voice, the quiet regret that had been buried deep inside him.
“I—” you started, but your voice faltered. You weren’t sure what to say.
Joshua took a deep breath, his hand running through his hair as he tried to keep his emotions in check. “Why didn’t you tell me, Y/n? Why did you run away without saying anything? I would’ve—”
“You would’ve what?” you cut him off, your frustration bubbling to the surface. “You would’ve told me how scared you were? How much you didn’t want this? You were terrified of becoming a father, Joshua. I couldn’t bear the thought of you rejecting me, rejecting her.”
He flinched at your words, his jaw tightening. “You should’ve given me a choice.”
“A choice?” You almost laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You couldn’t even handle the idea of having a child. You wanted time. And what was I supposed to do? Sit around and wait for you to be ready while I carried your child?”
Joshua’s eyes were filled with a mix of guilt and pain, but he remained silent, letting you speak.
“I did what I thought was best,” you continued, your voice trembling. “I couldn’t wait for you to come to terms with something that was already happening. I was terrified too, Joshua. But I didn’t have the luxury of walking away from it.”
Joshua looked down at the floor, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I get that I was scared. I admit it. But I never would’ve abandoned you... or her." His voice cracked slightly as he spoke.
The vulnerability in his words caused your anger to soften, but the hurt remained. “Then why didn’t you fight for us?” you asked quietly. “Why did the divorce happen so easily?”
Joshua's eyes met yours, and for a moment, you saw the truth—he had been just as lost as you were. “I thought you wanted out,” he said simply. “You brought up the divorce, and I thought you were done with me. I thought... I wasn’t enough.”
You shook your head, tears stinging your eyes. “I didn’t want out. I wanted you to see me, to see us. But you were too focused on your fears.”
The silence that followed was heavy, both of you caught in the weight of everything left unsaid for years.
Joshua watched you closely, piecing together the puzzle in his mind. The business offer that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the meetings, the subtle ways you kept a professional distance—it all started to make sense. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he couldn’t help but voice the suspicion gnawing at him.
"This whole sudden approach in business," he began slowly, his voice calm but laced with a quiet intensity, "was it just an excuse? Were you trying to find a way to retaliate our relationship in case Jina needed me?"
Your breath hitched, caught off guard by how quickly he’d reached the conclusion you feared he might.
“Joshua—”
“Just tell me the truth, Y/n,” he said, cutting you off gently but firmly. “Was the business deal just a cover? Were you keeping me close because you thought... she might need me?”
You hesitated, unable to meet his gaze, and that was answer enough for Joshua.
He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair, his expression a mixture of frustration and understanding. “I thought something felt off. The way you kept me at arm’s length, the professional tone... I kept thinking this wasn’t like you. But I didn’t want to push, didn’t want to make it harder.”
Silence fell between you, the tension thick as you struggled to find the right words. Finally, you sighed, your voice low. “I didn’t plan for this. I didn’t expect to reach out to you, not after everything. But when Jina got sick... I panicked. I realized she might need more than just me.”
Joshua’s jaw tightened as he processed your words. “So you were going to keep me out of her life unless she needed something from me?”
“No,” you said, shaking your head quickly. “It wasn’t like that. I wasn’t trying to use you, Joshua. I just... I didn’t know how to let you back in after everything that happened.”
Joshua stared at you, his expression softening as he saw the genuine conflict in your eyes. “You should’ve told me, Y/n. I had a right to know about her, about everything. You can’t just make those decisions on your own.”
“I know,” you whispered, guilt washing over you.
Finally, Joshua took a shaky breath. “I’m here now, Y/n. I don’t know how to make up for the past, but I’m not running away anymore. I want to be in her life. I want to be a father.”
His words hit you like a wave, and though part of you wanted to believe him, another part still held onto the hurt, the disappointment. "She's not something you can just decide to be a part of when it suits you, Joshua."
"I know that," he said softly, his eyes pleading with you. "I’m asking you to let me try."
You looked at him, the man who once couldn’t fathom being a father now standing before you, begging for a chance. It wasn’t forgiveness he sought, but a way forward.
And you didn’t know if you were ready to give it to him. But for your daughter’s sake—for Jina—you had to at least consider it.
"I need time too," you whispered, finally breaking the silence.
Joshua nodded, understanding in his eyes. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here.”
*
The next day, the results came back—the match was confirmed, and Joshua was prepped for the procedure. The white blood cell donor was done swiftly, and you waited anxiously for updates on both Joshua and Jina.
When you heard Joshua had regained consciousness, you made your way to his room. As you entered, he looked pale but alert, his eyes immediately searching for you.
“How’s her condition?” he asked, his voice still weak, but full of concern.
A smile broke across your face, relief flooding your system. “Her surgery just finished. The doctor said her condition is stable.”
Joshua let out a deep breath of gratitude, sinking back into his pillow. You stood there for a moment, watching him—this man who had once been terrified of fatherhood, now willing to give everything for his daughter.
“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice full of emotion. “Thanks for doing this.”
Joshua nodded, his gaze softening as he looked at you. “I’m her father. I’ll do everything for her.”
There was a weight to his words, an unspoken promise hanging in the air. You felt a knot loosen in your chest, the tension between you easing, if only slightly.
You sat down next to Joshua’s bed, the weight of everything finally sinking in. It had been a whirlwind, from the moment Jina fell sick to this very moment, sitting here with Joshua after the transfusion. Despite everything that had happened between you two, you couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of peace.
"How did you know?" Joshua asked, breaking the silence, his voice tentative.
You glanced up at him, unsure of how to answer. "That she was sick? Or that i have her?"
"Both," he replied, his eyes searching yours for answers.
You sighed, shifting in your seat. "I found out I was pregnant a week after the divorce. At first, I didn’t know what to do. I was scared, hurt, confused... and I didn’t want to reach out to you because I thought you'd reject her, reject us."
Joshua winced, his hand running through his hair. "I didn’t mean to push you away. I just didn’t know how to handle... everything."
"I know," you said softly. "And I ran too. I thought leaving was the best way to protect her. But when Jina got sick, I realized I couldn’t keep you away anymore. She needed you."
There was a pause, and then Joshua's expression turned serious. "You mentioned that Jina’s illness is the same as my mother’s. How did that come to light?"
You took a deep breath, nodding. "Yes, Jina’s condition is indeed the same rare illness your mother had. The doctors confirmed it. It’s hereditary, passed down through genetics, and that’s why the transfusion was so crucial. They said it was a match because of this genetic link."
Joshua's eyes widened with a mix of shock and realization. "I thought... I thought that illness was gone. I didn’t realize it could be passed on."
You reached out, gently touching his hand. "None of us knew until now."
Joshua's face fell as he absorbed the new revelation. "So, she has the same battle to fight as my mother did?"
You nodded sadly. "Yes. But she has a chance now, thanks to you. And that’s what matters."
Joshua’s gaze softened, a mixture of sorrow and resolve in his eyes. "I’ll do everything I can to help her through this. She deserves that chance."
You smiled faintly, feeling a sense of shared purpose. "Thank you, Joshua. That means more than you know."
For now, despite the challenges ahead, there was a shared commitment to face them together, for Jina's sake.
You gently introduced Jina to Joshua for the first time. Holding her small hand in yours, you led her into Joshua’s hospital room. She looked around, her eyes wide and curious, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Joshua, still in his hospital gown, sat up in bed, his expression a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
"Jina," you said softly, guiding her forward, "this is your father, Joshua."
Joshua’s eyes were warm as he looked at Jina. "Hi, Jina. It’s nice to finally meet you."
Jina was shy at first, hiding behind your legs and peeking out with wide, hesitant eyes. But as Joshua spoke gently to her, a flicker of recognition seemed to spark in her. She slowly moved closer, drawn by the undeniable bond of blood and the kindness in Joshua’s voice.
Over the next few days, Jina spent a lot of time in the hospital room with Joshua. The transition wasn’t easy at first, but Joshua made an effort to bond with her. He played games, read her stories, and held her hand during her treatments. The connection between them grew stronger with each passing day, and Joshua embraced his role as a father more than you could have hoped for.
As Jina’s condition improved and it was time for her to leave the hospital, she expressed a strong desire to stay with Joshua. She had grown attached to him, and the idea of living with her 'new' father excited her.
Joshua, seeing the bond they had formed and understanding the importance of this new family dynamic, made a heartfelt offer. "Why don’t you and Jina move in with me? It would be better for all of us, and I’d love to be there for both of you."
The offer took you by surprise. You had been adjusting to this new phase in your lives, but the thought of moving in with Joshua again was daunting. There were old wounds to heal and uncertainties to address.
You debated the decision with Joshua, weighing the benefits and challenges. Jina, however, was overjoyed at the prospect of living with her father full-time. Her excitement and the genuine bond she had formed with Joshua made it difficult for you to turn down his offer.
After much consideration, you agreed to move to Joshua’s place. It wasn’t just about convenience; it was about providing Jina with the stability and love she needed. You saw how deeply Joshua cared for her and how committed he was to being a father.
The move was bittersweet. There were remnants of old tensions, but there was also a hopeful sense of new beginnings. As you settled into the new routine, you focused on rebuilding your family and creating a supportive environment for Jina.
Joshua was more present and involved than ever, and the family dynamic slowly began to heal. With each passing day, the past seemed a little less burdensome, and the future, though uncertain, seemed filled with possibilities for all of you.
*
Joshua loosened his tie as he stepped into the house, feeling the familiar weight of exhaustion from the long day. The house was quiet, the kind of peaceful stillness that had become his sanctuary in recent weeks. Usually, by the time he got home, you were already in bed, the soft murmur of the television or the gentle rise and fall of your breathing the only sounds he’d hear. But tonight was different.
As he walked into the kitchen, he heard you come through the door just moments after him, the click of your heels and the tired sigh that followed. He turned, spotting you leaning against the wall, your shoes already off, looking like the day had been longer than usual.
"Just back home?" he asked, casually unbuttoning his shirt collar. The question felt natural, like a routine that had formed between the two of you without either of you realizing it.
"Yeah," you sighed, rubbing the back of your neck. "A very long day. Minha told me Jina fell asleep after playing with the trampoline you just bought her."
Joshua couldn’t help but smile at the mention of Jina. "I’m glad she likes it," he said, feeling that familiar warmth that had come with being a father. Every day with her was new, different, and he found himself looking forward to each moment, no matter how small.
As he grabbed a glass of water, he glanced over at you. Things between the two of you had become... easier. That surprised him more than anything. After everything that had happened—the divorce, the years of separation—he had never expected this sense of peace between you. It was strange, but it was also something he hadn’t realized he’d needed.
It wasn’t just about Jina, though she was the center of it all. It was the way you both slipped into this new life so seamlessly. The tension that once filled the air between you had dissolved into something almost unrecognizable. He wasn’t sure how or when it happened, but somehow, living together again didn’t feel forced or uncomfortable. It felt... right.
"I never thought it would be like this," Joshua found himself saying, almost without thinking. He turned to you, watching as your gaze met his, a look of curiosity in your eyes. "That we’d be here, living together again. Raising her."
You nodded, like you understood exactly what he meant. "Me neither," you replied quietly.
He exhaled slowly, realizing just how much had changed in such a short time. Every part of his life had once been filled with uncertainty, with fear, especially when it came to fatherhood. But now? Now he was coming home to something that felt solid, like the pieces of his life were finally falling into place.
"It feels..." Joshua hesitated, searching for the right words to explain the rush of emotions inside him. "It feels good. Better than I thought it would."
He wasn’t just talking about Jina. Of course, his daughter was a huge part of why he felt this way—being her father, playing with her, watching her grow—it was everything he hadn’t known he wanted. But there was more to it than that. There was something between him and you, a kind of unspoken connection that had started to rebuild itself, brick by brick, without either of you acknowledging it.
The conversation flowed easily from there, a mix of random topics—work, the trampoline, Jina's antics. It was a nice change of pace, a chance to just talk without the weight of the past pressing down on you.
Eventually, the topic shifted to Jina, as it always did. Joshua smiled, thinking about their nightly routine. "She loves her bedtime stories," he said, almost fondly. "It's the best part of the day."
You nodded in agreement, your expression softening. "Yeah, she does. But she asked me something the other night that caught me off guard."
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She asked me why we weren't like Sasha's parents." You said it casually, but there was a hint of something deeper in your voice. "You know, from her favorite book. The one about Sasha’s morning routine before school. Waking up, taking a bath, having breakfast."
Joshua thought about it for a second, then nodded. He remembered Jina's animated voice as she read along, her little hands gesturing wildly as she described Sasha's day. "Her parents kiss every morning, right?"
You sighed, a soft smile playing on your lips. "Yeah. And she asked, 'Why don't you and Daddy do that?'"
Joshua could almost hear Jina's voice in his head, the innocent curiosity behind her words. He could picture her big eyes looking up at you, her tiny hands mimicking Sasha's parents.
He glanced over at you, a mischievous glint in his eye. "So... do you want to kiss every morning?"
You rolled your eyes, but there was a slight laugh behind it. "That's not what I was getting at."
Joshua laughed too, the sound filling the room. "Then why bring it up?"
You took a sip of your beer and shrugged. "I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to share what she said. But we don’t have to force ourselves to do things just for her sake. She’ll understand eventually."
Joshua’s smile faded, and he turned serious for a moment. "But she’s still so young. I don’t want her to have to understand everything that’s happened between us. It’s not her burden to carry. That’s on us."
You glanced at him, sensing the weight behind his words. "Is that coming from experience?" you teased lightly.
He let out a soft chuckle, nodding. "Yeah. And trust me, she’ll thank us later if we handle it right."
You sighed, leaning back. "Alright, alright. I get it."
Joshua raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a playful smirk. "So... does that mean you want to kiss every morning?"
You looked at him, a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Joshua."
*
Joshua stepped into the dining room, his usual morning grogginess slowly lifting as the familiar scene came into view. You were already sitting with Jina, who was happily in her baby seat, excitedly munching on her breakfast. Her face lit up as soon as she saw him.
"Morning..." Joshua said softly, his voice warm as he walked over to Jina. He leaned down, ruffling her hair with a fond smile. "Hi, baby... Do you like your food?"
Jina giggled, showing him her messy hands, oatmeal smudged across her cheeks. Joshua chuckled, his heart swelling at the sight. Mornings like these—simple and domestic—were beginning to feel more natural, more like something he hadn’t realized he craved.
You stood up, walking over to the counter, grabbing his coffee and setting it down in front of him with a casual "Morning."
He was about to respond when your lips brushed his, a fleeting touch that froze him in place. It wasn’t long or deliberate, but the surprise of it sent a jolt through him. His mind went blank, his body stiffening in shock.
Before he could even process it, Jina's excited voice cut through the air. "Eomma, appa, kiss!" she squealed, clapping her hands in delight. In her excitement, she managed to fling bits of food everywhere.
You laughed softly, wiping her face and the surrounding area with a cloth, completely unfazed by her mess. "Alright, alright, let's clean you up."
Joshua, still dazed, blinked a few times, trying to shake off the feeling. Did you just kiss him? Did he imagine that? It felt real—too real to just be in his head. He looked down at the coffee you placed in front of him, but he couldn’t focus.
"Do you like your coffee?" Your voice was light, casual, as if nothing unusual had just happened.
He blinked, snapping back to reality. "Uh, yeah. It’s... it’s great." He picked up the cup, taking a sip, the warmth grounding him as he stole a glance at you. You were back to wiping Jina's hands, acting like the kiss hadn’t just happened.
Joshua couldn’t help but replay the moment in his mind, over and over. It was so brief, but it lingered—just like the unspoken questions between you both. Was it for Jina’s sake? Was it just part of the routine now?
Each morning, it became a routine—Joshua would come down to the dining room, greeted by Jina's excited babbling and your calm, steady presence. And each morning, without fail, you would kiss him. It wasn’t long or deep, just a brief brush of your lips against his, but it was enough to make his heart skip. He never expected it, and yet, when it happened, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
At first, Joshua didn’t know what to make of it. Was it just for Jina? A way to give her the illusion of a normal, loving family? He didn’t ask, though. He couldn’t. The kiss, no matter how small, made him feel something—something he hadn’t felt in years. And if it made you feel anything close to what he did, he didn’t want to ruin it by questioning.
The routine didn’t stop at breakfast. One day, after the morning chaos settled and Jina was off to school, you casually suggested, “What if we take Jina out every weekend? A day just for her.”
Joshua nodded, happy to spend time with both of you. But as the weekends rolled by, your casual suggestion evolved into full-on plans. The park one weekend, then a picnic, followed by the aquarium. Soon you were planning beach trips, and even talks of weekend getaways or out-of-country vacations floated between you two. Joshua didn’t quite understand why you were so insistent on it—why it had to be every weekend, and why everything was planned so meticulously. But he didn’t complain. Instead, he followed along, content with how things were.
The spontaneity didn’t end there. You started coming home early from work, which caught Joshua off guard. He’d walk in from work, loosening his tie, only to find you in the kitchen, dinner already half-prepared, Jina babbling away at the dining table.
At first, Joshua didn’t know how to feel. It was strange seeing you so present. But after a while, he adjusted. He even started leaving work earlier, making sure he was home before dinner so he could sit with you and Jina. That hour before dinner became something he looked forward to—an hour of calm, where the three of you could just be together.
And then there was Jina’s bedtime. What had once been an alternating task—one night you would read her a story, the next it would be Joshua—turned into a shared routine. You both started reading together, one of you voicing the characters while the other filled in the details, Jina giggling between your voices. The joy in her eyes was infectious, and Joshua often caught himself getting lost in the moment.
He hadn’t realized it until recently, but this was the life he’d always dreamed of. He had a daughter, a family, a sense of stability that he never thought he’d have. And you—well, you were more than just a co-parent. Slowly, without either of you acknowledging it, you were slipping back into something more.
Joshua didn’t know where this was going or what you were thinking, but he was happier than he’d been in years. It still felt fragile, like everything could fall apart with one wrong move. But for now, he was content to let things unfold, to enjoy the routine, the warmth of your kiss each morning, the laughter over dinner, and the shared bedtime stories.
It was more than he ever thought he deserved, and he was too scared to ask for anything more.
Joshua came home, but something felt off immediately. The house was unusually quiet. There was no sign of Jina’s usual laughter or your familiar voice filling the space. His brows furrowed as he stepped deeper into the house, scanning the rooms until he finally reached the family room.
There you were, sitting on the couch with Jina nestled in your arms, and across from you sat his mother, her posture stiff, eyes sharp. The tension in the room was palpable.
"Joshua," his mother said, her voice icy. "Care to explain why your ex-wife is here?"
Joshua’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t prepared for this—hadn’t even told his mother about the new situation with you and Jina. His mother had no idea that Jina was her granddaughter. He hadn’t planned for her to find out like this, and now, with everything out in the open, his carefully constructed plan was unraveling.
Taking a deep breath, Joshua walked over and stood between you and his mother. He glanced at you, and the look in your eyes told him you were just as surprised and unsure of what to say.
"This is Jina," Joshua finally said, his voice steady but filled with the weight of the truth. "She’s my daughter."
His mother’s gasp echoed in the room. "Your daughter? What do you mean? What’s going on here?" she demanded, her voice rising with disbelief.
Joshua sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It’s a long story, Mom. A lot has happened, and I wasn’t ready to tell you yet. But I’ll come by tomorrow and explain everything. For now, I need you to trust me."
His mother looked between him and you, her confusion and frustration evident. Joshua gently took her arm, helping her to stand. "Please," he added softly, "just give me time to explain. We’ll talk tomorrow."
Reluctantly, she nodded, still looking at Jina as if trying to comprehend the new reality. Without another word, Joshua led his mother to the door, closing it softly behind her as she left.
The quiet returned, and when he walked back into the house, he found you already in the kitchen, washing dishes in silence. Jina sat on the floor, engrossed in her favorite TV series, oblivious to the tension that had just filled the house.
Joshua watched you for a moment, the silence between you louder than anything. You moved mechanically, your back to him, the distance between you more than just physical. He knew something was wrong—knew it by the way you didn’t meet his eyes when he walked in, by the way you had prepared his dinner without a word.
"Hey," he said softly, stepping into the kitchen, but you didn’t respond.
After a moment, you finally spoke, your voice low, emotion barely restrained. "I’m going to read Jina to sleep. You should eat your dinner."
Joshua nodded, watching as you wiped your hands on a towel and turned toward Jina. But the weight of the situation hung heavy on him, and he couldn’t let you walk away without saying something.
"Look," he began, his voice hesitant. "I know tonight was... unexpected. I wasn’t ready for her to find out like this. I’m sorry."
"That's fine."
With that, you walked over to Jina, scooping her up and heading toward her bedroom to read her a bedtime story. Joshua stood there, staring at the dinner you had prepared for him, but the food was the last thing on his mind. He knew things had to change, and quickly.
Joshua knocked on your door, knowing you were inside since Jina was already fast asleep in her own room. His heart pounded a little harder than usual, but he had to do this. He needed to clear the air.
"Can we talk?" he asked softly when you opened the door.
You stepped aside, silently giving him permission to enter, and Joshua walked in. The room was small but cozy, though it struck him how different it was from the shared life you once had. His eyes scanned the desk piled with papers, a computer still open—clearly, you had been working late. He realized how much you were juggling, and it only made him more determined to make things right.
"I'll explain everything to my mom tomorrow," he began, his voice steady, though there was a vulnerability in the way he stood. "And I’ll tell her that we’re back together."
You didn’t respond right away, just slowly nodding. But Joshua noticed the way your eyes flickered, the subtle tension in your posture. He couldn’t tell if you were on board with his plan or simply accepting it because it was easier than arguing. That uncertainty gnawed at him.
He knew that his mother had hurt you deeply in the past, her interference during your marriage a wound that hadn’t fully healed. And now, here he was, bringing his mother back into the equation. But this time, the situation was different. His mother had remarried and didn’t need to live with him anymore. There wouldn’t be anyone else in your home to create the chaos that had driven a wedge between you before.
"You won’t have to deal with her like before," Joshua added, his tone softening as he stepped closer. "She won’t be living with us, and I’ll make sure she knows her boundaries. I don’t want her—or anyone else—to hurt you again."
You looked up at him, and for a moment, your eyes locked. He could see the hesitation there, the doubt that lingered from old wounds. But there was something else too, something hopeful. Joshua wasn’t sure if it was enough to convince you, but he had to believe it could be.
"I just need you to trust me," he said quietly, his voice almost pleading now. "I know I’ve messed up before. But I’m trying, and I want to make things right—for you, for Jina, for all of us."
*
Joshua was relieved that the routine didn’t fall apart after that tense night with his mother. Despite the confrontation and the heavy conversation that followed, nothing drastically changed in the way you, Jina, and he interacted. In fact, the next morning, everything seemed normal. Jina was her usual excited self, giggling and bouncing around the house. You were busy as usual, managing the house and work effortlessly.
He had explained everything to his mother, sitting her down and finally telling the truth—about Jina, about you, and about the part she played in your separation. It had been difficult to admit, but he couldn’t hide from it anymore. His mother was one of the main reasons why your marriage had fallen apart, and for so long, he had shielded her from that truth. But now, things were different. He needed her to understand that his relationship with you was no longer just about the two of you—it was about Jina.
To his surprise, his mother had listened quietly, her face drawn and serious. She had taken the news with more grace than he’d expected, though he knew it wasn’t easy for her. When he asked for her understanding and support moving forward, she had nodded, albeit hesitantly. The wounds were still fresh, but at least they were out in the open now.
Jina, unaware of all the complexity around her, was the glue that kept things light. She had no idea what her parents were going through emotionally, and for that, Joshua was grateful. All she saw was that both her parents were around more and that they were starting to act like a family again. One night at dinner, she had blurted out, "I love it when we’re all together!" Her bright smile and simple joy hit Joshua right in the heart, making everything feel worth it.
It wasn’t long before you and Joshua found yourselves sharing a bed again—not out of any sudden romantic resurgence, but because Jina wanted it that way. She had insisted that the three of you sleep in the same room, piling up her blankets and toys in your bed. Joshua had been nervous at first, wondering if this step would complicate things between you two. But Jina, being the little whirlwind that she was, had no idea of her parents' internal struggles.
What made it easier—what turned the nerve-wracking into something sweet—was Jina’s newfound love for counting. Every night, before bed, she would proudly count to twenty, her voice a mix of concentration and excitement.
“One… two… three…” she would begin, and Joshua and you would both have to follow along, pretending to be as invested as she was. By the time she reached twenty, Jina would cheer, pleased with her accomplishment, and only then would she allow herself to settle down, curling up between you both.
As Joshua lay there, the warmth of Jina’s tiny body nestled against him, he couldn’t help but feel like life was starting to come together. It wasn’t perfect, and there were still a lot of unspoken things between you and him, but for now, this small routine, this quiet moment with Jina, was enough to keep him going. It was the family life he’d always wanted, and he was willing to take it one step at a time, hoping that eventually, everything else would fall into place too.
*
Joshua was in the middle of an important meeting when his other secretary stepped into the conference room, catching his main secretary’s attention with an urgent signal. Joshua noticed the subtle exchange but didn’t think much of it until his main secretary quietly approached him, phone in hand, his expression grave.
“Sir,” he whispered, “your daughter has been rushed to the hospital.”
Joshua’s heart stopped. Without a second thought, he abruptly ended the meeting and rushed out, his mind racing as he made his way to the hospital.
When he arrived, he spotted you standing motionless in front of the ICU, your eyes locked on Jina, who was lying weakly on the hospital bed, her small body surrounded by machines. The sight made his breath catch in his throat.
“What happened?” Joshua’s voice was thick with fear as he approached you, but you didn’t immediately respond. You looked distant, as if the weight of the situation had drained all the life from you.
Around you, the family had gathered—your secretary, your brother Seungcheol, and your mother, all wearing similar expressions of dread. It felt suffocating.
“Where’s Minji?” Joshua asked about Jina's nanny, his voice sharper than intended. His mind was racing, trying to grasp any detail that might help him understand the situation.
“She’s been dismissed for a week,” you mumbled, your voice barely audible. You turned and glanced at your mother, who silently pulled you into a tight embrace.
Joshua’s heart clenched with confusion and fear. “What’s happening?” he asked, turning to Seungcheol, desperate for answers.
Seungcheol hesitated, his eyes filled with sadness. “Her heartbeat dropped.”
Joshua felt like the ground had been ripped out from under him. His pulse roared in his ears. The words didn’t seem real. His little girl, who was so full of life just hours ago, was now fighting to survive.
The doctor appeared, asking for both parents to step forward. Joshua moved on autopilot, standing beside you as the doctor spoke.
“I’m afraid Jina’s condition is critical,” the doctor said gravely. “Her lungs have collapsed, and their function has been decreasing over time. We are doing everything we can, but...” He paused, his expression pained. “You need to prepare for the worst.”
The room seemed to close in on Joshua. He glanced at you, your face pale and expression blank, as though you hadn’t quite processed the enormity of the situation. He wanted to reach out, to hold you, to reassure you—maybe even reassure himself—but he felt paralyzed by fear.
The weight of the doctor's words hung in the air, crushing, unforgiving. And for the first time in his life, Joshua felt completely powerless.
*
"You knew about this." Joshua's voice cut through the heavy silence as you stepped into the house after the funeral.
Everything had happened so fast. In just eight hours, you lost Jina forever. The world seemed to blur around you, every moment a haze of grief and disbelief.
You collapsed onto the couch, still in your black dress. Joshua sat on the floor in front of you, his suit rumpled, his tie undone, holding your hand tightly as if you were his last lifeline. His eyes searched yours, filled with sorrow and something close to desperation. "Did you know this was going to happen?" he asked, his voice a whisper but laden with the weight of his pain.
You couldn’t meet his gaze at first, the tears spilling down your cheeks for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Even though you had expected this, even though you had imagined it in your worst nightmares every night for weeks, it still felt impossible. How could Jina be gone?
Slowly, you nodded, your breath hitching as you tried to speak. "Since the surgery," you choked out between sobs. You lowered your head, resting it on your knees, while Joshua’s head dropped into your hand, both of you clinging to the last vestiges of each other as the world fell apart.
"Why didn’t you tell me?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "Why didn’t you let me prepare?"
"I couldn’t," you replied, the words barely making it out through your tears. "I couldn’t bear to say it out loud... not to you."
Joshua’s grip on your hand tightened as his body shook with silent sobs. "So you’ve been counting down to this day?" His voice was raw, filled with disbelief and heartache.
You nodded again, unable to stop the flood of tears. "Everything I did... was for her. I didn’t want to burden you with the truth, not when there was a chance..." Your words trailed off into the weight of your grief.
For a long moment, you both sat there, entwined in each other's pain, crying for the daughter you loved more than anything, for the future that was now gone, for the emptiness that Jina's absence left behind.
Joshua's head rested against your hand, and for once, you let yourself cry together with him, no walls, no shields, just the raw and unrelenting agony of loss. There were no words that could fix this, no actions that could bring her back.
You still remembered the moment the doctor delivered the devastating news. Jina’s condition was worsening rapidly, her lungs failing. "She needs a donor immediately," the doctor had said, his expression grave. "But even with a donor, her body won’t recover more than 50%. It would only extend her life by a few months."
Those words had shattered you. But instead of collapsing under the weight of grief, you had shifted into survival mode, planning out every detail. You formulated a plan, almost like a business pitch in your head—asking Joshua to be the donor for Jina and ensuring that her last months were spent together as a family.
You approached Joshua on the day he found out about Jina, masked in calmness, hiding your desperation. You asked him to be the donor, and to your relief, he agreed without hesitation. Everything seemed to fall into place—Joshua moved back in, you created a life that felt, for once, complete. But all the while, you knew time was ticking.
Seungcheol had been the one to snap you out of your delusions, his blunt words slapping reality into you. "You need to accept that Jina wants to live a full life with both of her parents," he had said, his voice firm but understanding. "She deserves that. You both do."
That was when you accepted Joshua’s offer to move in together. You knew it wasn’t just for Jina—it was for you too. Jina’s happiness in her final days became your only priority. You spent your days like a family, and for everyone else, it looked like a dream come true. But every passing moment felt like walking through hell for you, knowing that Jina’s time was running out.
Every night, after you put Jina to bed and Joshua retreated to his room, you would sit in the darkness and cry, trying to hold on to every precious second. You could feel the inevitability of her leaving you, and yet you couldn’t bring yourself to tell Joshua the truth about how close the end really was.
Jina had been happy. She got the life she wanted, with her two parents by her side, filling her days with laughter and love. But for you, it was a torturous countdown. Every tick of the clock reminded you that this family, this life, would soon shatter.
You held it together for her. You played the role, smiled through the pain, and made sure Joshua never suspected how deep your sorrow ran. And now, sitting in the empty house, that silence pressed down on you. You had given Jina everything you could, but the ache of her absence was more than you could bear.
After Jina’s passing, the house was cloaked in an oppressive silence. The once lively and joy-filled rooms now seemed hollow, echoing with the absence of her laughter. You found Joshua in the kitchen, his face drawn and tired. He had been trying to hold everything together, for Jina and for you, but the weight of loss had become too heavy to bear alone.
You approached him quietly, a lump in your throat. "Joshua," you began softly, your voice trembling, "the role of being Jina's parent... it’s over now. We both did everything we could for her, and she’s no longer with us."
Joshua’s eyes filled with pain, but he nodded slowly. "I know. It’s just hard to let go."
"I understand," you said, feeling the sting of tears behind your eyes. "But now it’s time for us to return to who we were before all of this began. We have to face reality."
Joshua’s gaze was distant, as if he was still trying to process everything. "And what about us? What do we do now?"
The heaviness in the room was almost suffocating as you stood there, Joshua’s hand still in yours. His grip tightened, as though he could feel something slipping away.
“There’s no ‘us’ in the present, Joshua,” you said softly, pulling your hand away. Your voice was steady, but the words felt like sharp edges, cutting through the fragile connection that had formed between you both in the past few months. "No ‘us’ without Jina."
Joshua blinked, his face crumpling slightly as the truth of your words hit him. “But we’ve been—”
“There’s no point in pretending,” you interrupted, your voice wavering but firm. “Everything we did, everything we built these last few months... it was for Jina. Now that she’s gone, there’s nothing holding us together anymore.”
Joshua stood still, his breath catching as he looked at you, a storm of emotions brewing behind his eyes. “I love you, Y/n,” he confessed, his voice thick with desperation. “I’ve never stopped loving you. I can't stop loving you.”
You froze, his words like an old wound being torn open. You looked down at the floor, the weight of his love too heavy, too late. The silence between you was deafening, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped.
Finally, you looked up, meeting his eyes with a sadness you couldn’t mask. “I lost my sense to love you the same again when you told me to leave years ago, Joshua,” you said quietly, each word carrying the weight of the past. “When you pushed me away, that’s when it all broke. And I don’t think I can find that part of myself again.”
Joshua’s face crumpled with guilt and regret, his shoulders sagging as he absorbed the truth. “I didn’t mean to... I was scared, I was confused—”
“I know,” you cut him off, your voice gentle but firm. “But it doesn’t change what happened. We can’t undo the pain we caused each other. We’ve both lost so much. I don’t have the strength to go back and try to fix us.”
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn’t move, didn’t try to argue. He just nodded slowly, as though he had finally accepted the truth that had been looming over both of you.
"I wish things could be different," Joshua whispered.
“So do I,” you whispered back, the finality of your words settling in the air between you.
Joshua watched the video in silence, his hands trembling slightly as he held the phone. The screen flickered with a memory that wasn’t his own, but one that pierced through his heart like a knife. The video showed you recording Jina on the beach during a sunny weekend. Her small hands sifted through the golden sand, her laughter ringing out like a melody against the backdrop of crashing waves.
Your voice came through the speakers, bright and warm, filled with an unmistakable love. “Are you happy, Jina?” you asked, the camera focusing on her tiny face lit up with joy.
Jina giggled, a sound so innocent and pure that it felt like a balm and a wound all at once. “I’ve never been this happy, Mom!” she exclaimed, tossing sand into the air in celebration.
Joshua couldn’t help but smile faintly at her enthusiasm, but his chest tightened as the moment unfolded.
Then came her next words—words that felt like a punch to the gut. “I could’ve died!” Jina declared, her small arms flailing dramatically.
Your voice faltered in the video, turning hoarse as you gently scolded her. “Don’t say that, Jina. It’s not a nice word.”
The weight in your tone was evident, even through the recording, and Joshua felt it too—a mixture of fear, protectiveness, and sorrow.
On the screen, Jina’s expression softened, and she stared directly at the camera, her small lips forming a pout. “Sorry,” she mumbled, her voice small and sincere.
Joshua felt his tears begin to fall, hot and unchecked, as he watched her. The sight of her—the way she wrinkled her nose in apology, her innocent smile shining like the sun—was too much to bear.
“I’m just so happy with you and Daddy here that I think I could’ve died,” Jina added, her voice brighter now, as if she wanted to reassure you. Then she raised her tiny hand as if making a solemn vow. “But I promise I won’t actually die, Mom!”
Joshua’s vision blurred as the tears came harder, streaking his face and dripping onto his hands. He pressed a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle the sob that threatened to escape, but it was no use.
On the screen, Jina beamed at the camera, her small frame outlined by the golden rays of the sun. She was radiant, alive, and so full of promise.
“Jina,” Joshua whispered, his voice breaking. His little angel. His light. The realization hit him like a tidal wave—she had found her home, her happiness, her peace. And yet, he was still strayed, lost in a storm of his own making.
The video ended, but the sound of her laughter lingered in his mind, echoing like a prayer.
*
"I can raise her alone," you insisted, your voice steady but filled with underlying desperation. You were sitting across from Seungcheol in the quiet of your dimly lit living room. It was late, but the weight of the conversation felt heavier than the silence of the night.
Seungcheol, ever pragmatic, leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Yes, you can,” he said, his tone measured but firm. “But are you really going to ignore what the doctor said? Jina needs a donor as soon as possible, Y/n. There’s no one else—only her father.”
Your heart sank at his words, the weight of the truth pressing down on you like a boulder. “He hurt me,” you whispered, your voice cracking. The memories of Joshua’s rejection and the pain he left you with resurfaced, raw and unhealed.
Seungcheol’s expression softened, and without hesitation, he stood and walked over to you. Gently, he pulled you into his arms, his embrace warm and steady. “I know,” he murmured, his chin resting lightly on top of your head. “I know he hurt you. But he’s still her father, Y/n. And right now, Jina needs him. That’s the only way to save her.”
Tears welled up in your eyes as the magnitude of the situation hit you. For a long moment, you let yourself lean into Seungcheol’s support, the sound of his heartbeat steadying your own chaotic thoughts. His words lingered, piercing through your pain: This is the only way.
After what felt like hours but was likely only a few minutes, you pulled back and nodded. “Okay,” you said quietly, your voice trembling but resolute. “Let’s do it. Prepare whatever I need to get this started.”
Seungcheol’s face brightened with determination. “Good,” he said firmly, already moving into action. He reached into his bag and pulled out a folder, handing it to you. “Here’s everything you need. I’ll coordinate the rest. I’ve already asked Chan to assist you during this time. I’ll brief him myself.”
Your gaze fell on the cover of the folder, and the bold letters stared back at you like a challenge: The Hong Joshua Project.
It felt clinical, impersonal even, but you knew this was no ordinary task—it was the fight for Jina’s life. You flipped through the pages, scanning the meticulous plans Seungcheol had outlined, and you felt a surge of gratitude for him. He had always been there, a constant source of strength and clarity in your life.
Seungcheol placed his hands firmly on your shoulders, grounding you. “Listen to me, Y/n,” he said, his eyes locked on yours. “This is going to be hard. A very hard journey. You’ll need to push aside your emotions, your pride, and everything else you’re feeling—for Jina’s sake. But I promise you, I’ll be right here. I’ve got your back, just like I always have.”
You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. Memories of all the times Seungcheol had stepped in to support you flooded your mind. He wasn’t just a brother— he was a bestfriend, family, a lifeline, and you knew you could trust him with anything.
“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice filled with sincerity. “For everything.”
Seungcheol smiled faintly, his grip on your shoulders tightening briefly in reassurance. “Now,” he said, stepping back and gesturing to the folder in your hands, “this project starts today. Let’s save her.”
And with those words, the weight of the task ahead settled over you. It wasn’t going to be easy—nothing about this would be. But for Jina, for the little girl who was your entire world, you would endure anything. Even if it meant facing the man who had broken your heart.
brb, currently crying like a damsel in distress
