#both him and v being back with rika have me going grey early

[yoosung-ah]

why not simply crossdress?

damn. Cheritz always one step ahead

[mrsjihyunkim]

20 Seconds of Bravery Ch 19

Man. Sorry updates are so slow. Life has been hectic. Thank you all for your patience   ♥    Oh and I should also mention that there are spoilers from my other story Dear Mom if you haven’t read that one yet.

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      It took me while to notice that not only was it morning but also that Jumin was awake and staring at me. He cleared his throat and I nearly fell off the couch. Jumin walked across the floor and handed me my stylus that had fallen.  "My apologies MC. I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't expect to see you up this early. Have you been up long?"

"Depends. Can you wake up if you never went to sleep."

"I see. You should really get some sleep. It's not healthy to stay up so much." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm used to it. Before meeting V I always had restless sleep patterns." He sat on the couch next to me and peered at my screen. "Is this digital art?" I nodded at him as he studied my work. "It's quite amazing. I knew you had talent but this is beyond my expectations. It might even be better than V's art." I blushed and shook my head.

"An artist is only as good as their inpirations and intentions. That's what my mom always told me." Jumin seemed confused so I explained. "V is my inpiration and freedom and love are my intentions. If none of those were good then the art would be lacking and be very negative."

"I see. So it's like how having good business partners will make your business better." I nodded and smiled at him. "Fascinating. I normally don't understand art very well but having you explain it makes it seem very simple. You're an excellent teacher." I laughed a little and sighed sadly.

"That used to be the goal. I originally went to school to become an art teacher but then my anxiety got bad so I switched to graphic design. Jake didn't really help with that either." Jumin listened intently with a serious look on his face.

"I see. Well I hope that one day you are able to achieve your dream." I smiled at him and saved my drawing on the computer. "V said that the night of your accident you two were coming up from your studio. Does that mean you do more than digital art?"

"Yeah. I'm a pretty decent painter and I love to work with charcoal. I've also dabbled with clay and metal work." Jumin almost had a sparkle in his eye.

"Fascinating. I have a business deal for you MC." I raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled. "C&R is about to expand into the creative arts, so after V's operation, I would like you to teach me about art. I will of course compensate you for all the materials that you need." I began to chuckle at how serious he was and it made me feel better.

"Jumin you don't need to pay me, and I'm sorry for laughing. You're just always dressed so neatly and picturing you in a messy studio is amusing. Of course you can come to my studio and learn." He smiled at me and held out his hand. I shook it and he stood up from the couch.

"Alright. I need to leave for the office now but we can work out more details later. Will you tell V I said goodbye?" I nodded and he headed out the door. After talking to Jumin I felt more relaxed and not as restless. I closed my laptop and walked over to a nearby bookshelf. There were mostly business books but I saw a copy of my favorite book, Dorian Grey. "Looks like I just keep having things in common with Jumin." I said to myself. At first I tried reading on the couch but it wasn't all that comfy now that I was feeling drowsy. I quietly crept back into the bedroom and saw that V was still sleeping. He looked so peaceful and calm that I just stood there forgetting about the book in my hands. It didn't seem to matter how many times I saw him but every time I did my heart strings got all tangled up and I fell hard. We had been together about a month if you counted my coma time and yet without fail he continued to stay with me. I used to think that he would of gotten bored of me an left with in the first week, but he didn't. It was beginning to come clear that he truly loved me despite how broken and flawed I was. I always believed that I wasn't worthy of love or family and that I would die alone, but V was changing all of that. I could feel this feeling stirring inside of me and it was getting stronger. I wanted to change and be a better person and I actually believed that it was possible. My mom always told me that real love was powerful enough to move mountains and change the world. I moved over to the bed and laid down next to V. He stirred a little bit but didn't wake up. I opened up my book and V's arm snaked over my waist and I smiled. With him next to me I suddenly felt even more drowsy and I barely read the first few pages before I fell back asleep.

When I woke up I didn't see V but the clock on the wall said that it was well past noon. I sat up in a groggy state and saw all three cats on the bed. The bedroom door was half open and I could hear some faint noise. I carefully stood up as not to disturb the cats and headed out the door. When I got out there I saw Jane sitting on the couch looking at her phone. She noticed my presence without even looking up from her phone. "Morning MC. If you're looking for V, Saeyoung took him to a doctor appointment." It was weird to have her read me so easily and I started to feel awkward. Jane was one of the only people in the RFA who I had yet to spend any time with so I didn't know her very well. I didn't know what to say to her or anything.

"So you got stuck babysitting me then?" Now she looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow at me.

"I wouldn't really call it babysitting. More of keeping you company because your ex keeps traumatizing you. Plus I felt like you could use some girl time." I felt bad for sounding so grumpy just a minute ago.

"Sorry. I can be a little grumpy when I first wake up. It's good to see you again Jane." She smiled and patted the seat next to her. I walked over and sat down next to her. She handed me the phone she had been look at and I became confused.

"V said that you broke yours last night, so Saeyoung brought you a new one over. I went ahead and set it up for you while you were sleeping." I stared in shock as I looked over the phone. It was a brand new model much better than my old one.

"Thank you. He didn't have to do that though, this must of been expensive." She waved her hand and smiled.

"Please, don't worry about it. My husband has boxes of various electronics around the house. We can stand to part with it." I laughed with her and she smiled. "It also has the RFA app on it so you can talk with everyone on there. It's going to be a little confusing at first but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"So does that make me part of the RFA then?" She nodded at me and smiled.

"Welcome to the family, Sis." I felt my eyes start to water and she smiled sweetly at me. "I know, it feels great to be part of a family doesn't it?" I was both happy and confused by her words.

"It really does. I gave up my dream of belonging to a family a long time ago." She pulled me into a hug and it felt so good. I used to have foster sisters but they never hugged me or got close.

"I was the same way before I met everyone. I grew up with no one and was very distant when I met the RFA. Then I fell in love with the biggest idiot on the planet. They all had absolutely no reason to trust me or anything but they did."

"Can I ask why you were an orphan?" Her eyes turned a bit sad but she nodded.

"My mom died when I was a kid and my dad wanted nothing to do with me so I was on my own. It's actually quite a long story for another time. I'm just glad you're happy about joining us." We smiled at each other and then I remembered Jumin telling me how Jane and Saeyoung saved V.

"That reminds me, thank you for saving V. I don't really know what happened but Jumin said that you and Saeyoung saved V from Mint Eye, so thank you." She blushed a little bit and smiled.

"So you haven't heard the whole story yet?" I shook my head and she laughed a little bit. "Wow you must really love V to just ignore his past like that."

"I don't ignore it. I just don't push him to talk about it because I know it's sensitive. He's told me most of it, just not every detail. I haven't told him everything about my past either."

"That's a fair point. Do you want me to tell you the short version?" I nodded and she sat back on the couch. "Well basically Saeyoung and I used to work for the same intelligence agency, so when we learned that my father had teamed up with Rika we used our combined skills to take them down. When it was over though Rika became super psycho and tried to shoot V but I managed to knock him out of the way." My face was in shock and she just nodded. "I know it sounds like some cliche action movie but I swear that all happened."

"I don't doubt you I just never thought Rika would go that far." I paused trying to find the right words. "What a bitch." I covered my mouth after I said it. I didn't know if Jane was close to Rika like everyone else. She began to laugh and I realized that my words didn't bother her.

"That's a lot nicer than what I expected you to say, but you're right. She really was a crazy one and the way she manipulated people was scary. Poor Saeran was so under her thumb that he had split personalities for a while there. He had a very rough recovery because of her and if you ask me she deserved much worse that what she got."

"V told me she was far away getting help but he didn't really go beyond that." Jane rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. See do to the extent of her charges and being partners with my father, Jumin couldn't protect her anymore, but before he could turn her over to the police Yoosung and Zen sent her to to Alaska. They said she could heal in peace there." She rolled her eyes and took a drink of the tea in front of her. "I personally think she should rot in prison with my father but I know she didn't mean as much to me as everyone else."

"I know what you mean. Everyone keeps asking me questions about what she was like when we were young and it's hard not to be honest. She was awful and even though I don't harbor any hate towards her, the truth about her makes it sound like I do. I also don't want to confuse any one any more than they already are."

"That's understandable, but enough talking about her. You should hurry up and go get dressed." I gave her a look and she smiled. "I told you we're having a girls day. You need to get out of this boring penthouse and get some good greasy food." I fitgedted some what on the couch but smiled at her offer.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" She rolled her eyes again and pulled me off the couch.

"Of course I'm sure. I promise you're 100% safe with me. Plus you definitely need some girl time, a new outfit, and I need some spicy talk on V." I blushed and her eyes went wide. "So you guys did do it!" My face turned completely red and I hurried to the bedroom. I could hear Jane laughing as I pulled on some clothes. When I came back out in the living room she had a smug look on her face as she tossed me my jacket. I glared at her and she laughed a bit. "What? My mom always said that if you can't talk about sex then you shouldn't be having it." Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"I can talk about it, you just caught me off guard. Let's just go get some food." I put my jacket on and headed towards the door. She didn't say thing until we were halfway down the elevator.

"So is the sex good?" I started thinking back to that night and couldn't help but smile. "I'll take that as a yes. Damn you guys move faster than Saeyoung and I did. Saeyoung asked if we could wait until we were married  before we did it and that was hard."

"I honestly didn't expect it so fast. I haven't had sex since I was with Jake and none of that was fun. In fact is was never even wanted. Then I found out that Jake was out of jail and something changed in me. That night the future became so unsure and in that moment I wanted to give V everything I had." The elevator dinged and I realized everything I said and blushed. We got off the elevator and Jane hooked our arms together.

"That's really romantic. You guys really are perfect for each other." I continued to blush and we walked out of the building into the huge plaza. This had been the first time I'd been outside since that day I had to go get V. The sun was warm but the breeze made it comfortably cool. "Saeyoung tries to be romantic but he usually ends up turning it into some kind of joke which I think is better. Before I met him I never really laughed so I found his childish humor charming. The first time we had sex he was a blushing mess and refused to let me take over." She laughed a little and her eyes had a fondness in them.

"I'm glad that you two make each other happy. I hope everyone can find that kind of happiness." She smiled at me and seemed to agree. "So where should we eat?" My stomach growled at the mention of food and I realized that I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning.

"I know an awesome food truck near buy. They have the best dumplings." I smiled at her as she lead the way. Once we were at the truck it didn't take long for us to get our food. We made pleasant small talk in between bites. I couldn't believe that I had been so nervous to talk to her just an hour ago. Now it seemed like we'd known each other for years. After eating our food Jane dragged me to several stores to find what she called the perfect date outfit. I rejected all of them because they seemed like something you'd wear to a night club.

"Jane none of these outfits are my style. They're way to sexy for me to pull off."

"Don't talk like that. You look amazing in anything." She said as she thrusted a a short, strapless, black dress. I held it up and looked at it in horror.

"No way Jane. I have t-shirts longer than this. Plus I'm too curvy and the fabric will just ride up." She looked at the dress thinking about what I said and took it away.

"Valid point. I'll try it on instead." I rolled my eyes as she pulled a few more things off the racks. "Alright let's hit the dressing room." We headed back over to the dressing rooms and I looked through all the clothes. Most of them were either too short or super low cut and I didn't bother trying them on. Then I noticed a burgundy dress with a halter top neck. I took the dress and held it up against my body and it looked decent. I pulled it on after removing my jeans and shirt. I tied the neck and looked in the mirror. It hit in the middle of my knees and had a plunging v neck line, but it still looked classy. I tried spinning in it and the way the dress unfurled looked like a movie dress. The dress was so distracting that I didn't even hear Jane yelling on the other side of the door. "MC come on out and let me see something." I took a deep breathe opened the door. She whistled at me and I blushed.

"It dosen't look stupid does it?" She shook her head and I tucked some hair behind my ear.

"Are you sure? I feel like it's too much skin. Are you sure I don't look like a hooker?" She laughed and dragged me over to the mirrors. I could now see myself in every angle.

"No way. I think you need to get this dress for your date tonight. Not only is is V's favorite color but you look super hot in it." I smiled at her words as I looked in the mirror. I really did like this dress and it was simple enough for any occasion, so I could wear it often.

"I think I will get it. I really like it." I gave the dress one last spin and we both laughed. Jane was right I really did need a girls day. "Hey Jane. This has been a really fun afternoon, thank you." She smiled at me and pulled me into a hug.

"Funny I was about to say the same thing to you." I gave her a curious look and she smiled. "You brought peace to V and everyone else. Since the whole mint eye thing everyone has been really confused, emotionally speaking. You've helped everyone sort out the emotions and for that I thank you." I was blushing again and then she grabbed my hands. "Enough of this sappy talk. Go change so we can pay for that dress and go do your hair and stuff." She was pushing me back towards the dressing room and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright I'm going, I'm going." As soon as I got back into the dressing room I heard a phone go off. I thought it was mine until I heard Jane talking. I tried my best to to eavesdrop but it was hard because she was right next to me. The way she answered the phone made it obvious she was talking to Saeyoung. I was putting on my street clothes back on while she sat outside talking. Her voice sounded cheerful but in a fake customer service way. When I stepped out of the dressing room I saw that her face was actually very annoyed. When she saw me she rolled her eyes and pointed to the phone. She then ended the phone call and laughed a little.

"Sorry about that. I forgot to tell V and Saeyoung that we were leaving the penthouse and ditching the body guards. It freaked them out a little bit." It felt like all the color drained from my face as I realized that we left so suddenly.

"I should probably call V shouldn't I?" Jane shook her head.

"Nope we're too busy to make phone calls. They know you're in safe hands." She grabbed my hand and began dragging me to the register. After leaving the store with my dress she insisted that I needed matching shoes and my nails done. She wanted to get our hair done too but I managed to talk her out of that one. I liked my hair the way it was and didn't need any help with it. By the time we were done with all of that the sun was starting to set and I was feeling tired.

"Jane not that I haven't been having fun, but I should probably get back to the penthouse soon. It's already past six and I still have to get ready." She looked at her watch and her eyes widened.

"Damn, you're right. Good think the building is only two blocks away. Let's get a move on girl!" I smiled at her and we headed back. We walked silently for a couple minutes before Jane said something. "Oh MC, I was wondering something. Do you always carry a gun when you travel outside?" I almost stopped walking because her question caught me so off guard. I thought it was perfectly concealed and I blushed.

"Yes. It's the only way I feel safe going anywhere. I stopped doing it once Jake was in jail and Alex left me alone, but recently it's the only way I feel safe when I go places. I don't like carrying it but it's better than being defenseless."

"I understand that. Before I met Saeyoung I worked with gun and he didn't like it one bit. I'll tell you this though, don't ever pull the trigger. Killing someone will change you and not for the better." Her face was serious and I could read the pain in her eyes.

"I'm aware of that. Carrying it really has me torn. I don't want to die but I also don't want to kill anyone, even if it's Jake. It's like a double edge sword and I'm scared of both outcomes. Does that even make any sense?"

"It does. It makes you a good person who still has an innocence inside of them. Starting tomorrow I'm going to train you so that you don't need the gun. I promise that you won't have to be afraid anymore." I smiled at her as we walked back into the C&R building. She pressed the elevator button and we waited. "Just be ready cause it's going to be hard at first but you seem capable enough to get the hang of my training." The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside. Just as they were about to close a voice called out.

"Hold the doors please!" Jane instantly stuck her arm between the doors and they opened back up. We then saw Jaehee hurrying towards us. "Jane thank you so much." She then noticed my presence "Oh MC it's good to see you too. I've actually been wanting to talk to you since you woke up."

"I know. V told me that you had something to tell me. I was going to see if we could meet at lunch but I overslept and then Jane made me go shopping." I noticed she was carrying a lot of papers and struggling with them. "Here let me help you." I said, taking some folders before she could protest. Jane also took some and Jaehee thanked us profusely.

"So let me guess. All of these are papers that Jumin forgot to sign before he left his office?" Jane said after eyeing each stack. Jaehee nodded and suddenly seemed very tired.

"You'd be correct. He said something about being inspired and needed to go gather art supplies. I have no idea what that was about." I suddenly felt bad and blushed. The elevator opened on the penthouse floor and the three of us walked in.

"That's my fault Jaehee. Jumin saw me drawing this morning and asked me if I could teach him about art. I didn't know he'd neglect his work because of it. I'm sorry." She sighed but smiled at me as we set the papers down on the coffee table.

"I see. Well it's hardly your fault MC. Mr. Han is easily distracted when he has a project on his mind. I'm just grateful it's not any cat related business." Jane and Jaehee laughed and I just smiled. I noticed that it was now seven and I really had to start getting ready.

"Well I'll be sure to make sure his art ventures don't give you more work. Now I'm going to go get ready. I'll be right back."

"I should also leave since Mr. Han isn't here."

"No Jaehee stay. You can help get MC ready and tell her your news." I had once again forgotten that Jaehee needed to talk to me.

"That's a good idea. I mean I don't know what Jane means by help but now is a great time for us to talk." I smiled at her and Jane seemed beyond excited. Seeing her like this made it hard to picture her working for an agency but that was probably made her so good.

"Alright if you're ok with that MC." I nodded at her and she smiled. Then the three of us headed towards the bedroom. I hung my dress up on the wall and went to the bathroom to start on my hair. I pulled it out of the bun and noticed that it already had some lose curls in it. I started up my curling iron and went to check on Jaehee and Jane. They were both sitting on my bed looking at their phones.

"So what's this big news that you need to tell me Jaehee?" She looked between Jane and I almost like she was nervous.

"Well you see when you were in the hospital I learned your last name and it sounded familiar. Well I did some digging and found out that our late parents were siblings." I began to realize what she was saying and my heart started to pound.

"So then that would make us,"

"Cousins." She finished with a smile. The smile on my face matched and I began to cry.

"Jaehee that's amazing!" I said wiping my eyes. "I was told that I didn't have any living family. How did they miss you?"

"I'm honestly not sure. It could because of the fact that I took my moms last name after she died. Or maybe our parents had a falling out and your mom never told anyone about them."

"That could be. I had always assumed my mom was an only child because she never talked about any siblings. I wonder what caused such a wall between them." I walked to the bathroom and picked up the curling iron. I stood in the doorway of the bathroom so that I could still talk to the girls.

"I have no idea. My father mentioned having a sister once but told me she lived abroad. I never asked about it after that." She seemed to ponder for a minute. "MC, if I may ask, when did your mom die?" I did my best not to look sad but I did a pretty poor job. "I'm sorry if the question upset you." I finished another curl and let it cool.

"It's alright. I was eleven when she died and I'm about to turn twenty six, so it was about fifteen years ago. Do you think that has something to do with it?"

"Possibly. She died before mine so maybe that's why my father never talked about her. My parents didn't die until I was almost in college. Knowing that though still doesn't answer the question as to why the authorities didn't send you to us." I shrugged and put the curling iron back in the bathroom. I brought my makeup bag out and sat on the floor across from the bed.

"Oh please let me do your make up MC! I've always wanted to do it to someone else." I was surprised by her request but held the brush out to her and she jumped off the bed.

"Anyway, Jaehee, I have a lot of records that my attorney gave me once I turned eighteen. I even have her will, maybe there will be something in there." I closed my eyes as Jane rubbed the brush across them.

"Possibly. I'm not sure when I'll be free to go over there but I'll put in the request to Mr. Han." I couldn't see her but her voice sounded defeated already.

"Well if he denies it then I'll talk to him. It won't kill him to give you a day off to learn about our family." I was finally able to open up my eyes and she was smiling.

"Thank you MC. I really am going to get going though. It's almost eight and I can hear a Zen DVD calling my name." Jane stood up and and pulled me off the floor.

"Yeah my work here is done so I should head out. Have fun MC but not too much. You've got training tomorrow." She winked and me and then they both left. I took the dress off of the hanger and put it on. My heart began to beat and I had to talk myself down. This was my first real date with V and I was really nervous. I tried telling myself that dinner at my house counted but this was different. I was dressed nice and V had been planning this for two days. There was excitement and nervousness swimming inside of me as I slipped on my shoes. They were black with straps that twisted up to my ankles, and a little higher than what I was used to but I managed. Now I just needed to find a light sweater or something, but failed to find one in the suitcase. Then I heard a knock at the door and practically jumped.

"MC, are you in there?" It was V's voice and my heart began to flutter. I went over to the door and slowly opened it. When it was open I stood in front of V and saw that he was wear a long sleeved black dress shirt, and a grey jacket, with tan pants, and he had the first few buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. "Wow MC." My cheeks blushed and I fidgeted with my hands.

"Do I look ok?" I asked trying not to sound nervous. He simply bent down and kissed my hand.

"You look stunning. I don't know how I ended up with such a beautiful date." I blushed as he placed my hand on his arm. "Shall we?" He asked and I nodded. We then set off for our date.

[zennyshoneybunch]

Mystically Destined - The Musical (Chapter 11 - A Little Too Not Over You)

He had barely slept all night.

The conversation with Rika still weighing on him.

The mug of strong coffee was doing nothing to clear his head from all the thoughts running through his mind.

He wanted to do the right thing. Keep his promise to Rika and save her from herself and those depressive thoughts she had sometimes. But Vanderwood’s words were playing on repeat in his heart. Along with Lizzy’s face.

And he was afraid.

He was afraid of not being able to keep his word. Afraid of being too weak and selfish to the point of ruining everyone’s lives. All over an old flame. Oh, who was he trying to deceive? Lizzy was not just an old girlfriend, she was the one. He was still as much in love with her as he used to be when they were young. His heart was hers and it would still be hers long after it stopped beating.

With a sigh he ruffled his mint hair. It didn’t matter how much he wanted Lizzy back, he didn’t deserve her. He left. He allowed himself to be persuaded by his father. He got himself engaged to someone else. He was the cause of her broken heart and also her injured knee. He was the one to blame for the destruction of her life. He was the one at fault. He was a faulty person. He didn’t deserve her.

A noise by the kitchen door distracted him from his thoughts. Jumin walked in, pushing his hair back. V recognized the look in his friend’s eyes. It was the same he saw reflected in the mirror a few minutes earlier. The look of a man who spent most of the night starring at the ceiling.

- Good morning V. I see you’re up early too. Rough night?

- I could ask you the same thing, my friend.

With a tired sigh Jumin poured himself some coffee, gulping down a big part of it before pulling a chair and setting in front of V.

- I’ve been having… complicated thoughts.

- About Amanda?

Jumin spat the sip of coffee he was taking back into the mug. V tried his best to keep an angelic smile on his face when his friend glared at him seemingly unamused.

 - About the charity, yes.

V chuckled as Jumin whipped traces of the dark liquid from his chin.

- I am sure everything will be fine, Jumin.

- I’m glad you’re so confident. What about you? What kept you up?

Jumin asked, noticing his shirt had coffee stains on it. Thinking about how he should answer that, V grabbed his mug only to realize it was already empty and pondered if he should have more or not.

- Are you not going to tell me what happened yesterday?

Jumin’s question stopped him from getting up from his seat. His friend’s arrival provided a distraction from the restless thoughts going through his mind, but now he could feel them all rushing back.

He ran a hand through his face, feeling even more tired than he was a moment before.

- I have to marry her, Jumin.

Taking another sip, the raven haired man glanced at him from above the rim.

- From the look on your face I gather you mean Rika.

- She basically threatened to end her own life if I left her.

- I see. And you think she would go through with it?

V played with his mug distractedly.

- I don’t know.

A heavy silence fell between them.

Jumin seemed to be deep in thought, probably weighing on V’s words. There was nothing to think over though. There was only one thing to do. And that was to marry Rika.

Jumin was the first to break the silence.

- The truth is I don’t think you should be the one responsible for Rika’s safety. If there is a risk of her harming herself, then she should seek professional help. I don’t think sacrificing yourself and your happiness to become some kind of hero to her is the answer and it may work as the exact opposite and ruin both your lives.

The mug almost fell from his hands so he set it quietly on the table.

That… actually made sense. Could his friend be right?

Maybe… maybe he didn’t have to take the responsibility of being her sun anymore. Maybe he should step aside and allow her to find the sun in herself and fight the dark thoughts, like… like Lizzy. Strong, beautiful, amazing Lizzy.

But… even if he could end his engagement she wouldn’t take him back, surely. She fought her depression, yes, and she was in speaking terms with him again, but… he still didn’t deserve her. He still couldn’t forgive himself for all the things he did, he couldn’t…

- ...Ask for her love back.

He didn’t notice he had spoken out loud until he felt Jumin’s hand on his forearm. His grey eyes looking straight at him.

- You will never know if you stay here sulking instead of fighting for it.

Trying to lighten up the mood and mask his own embarrassment, he smiled, even though the smile he had on his lips was a sad one. 

- Since when have you become an expert on matters of the heart, Jumin?

- I’ve been reading a book entitled “Destiny and Soulmates”. And since we are mentioning it, it seems that finding the love of your life ten years later in a completely strange city can be considered as a stroke of fate. According to it.

V blinked a few times not sure about how to react to the sudden change of subject. But Jumin’s serious face while saying such an out of character thing was enough to lightened the mood and make him crack an actual smile.

- Why are you reading that?

- I read about many subjects. Is that all you retained from what I’ve told you?

- No…

V avoided his eyes, feeling embarrassed again.

- Well, perhaps you should think about that, because, as strange as it may be, there seems to be a strong connection between the two of you. You spent 10 years apart. Common sense tells me any feelings you had shared so long ago and for such a short period of time should have dissipated, and yet here you are: hiding from your fiancé in my house, barely able to sleep and struggling. I wish I could understand.

V wished his friend never needed to understand all the pain, guilt and regret he felt and was still feeling. He wished his friend would never have to suffer the way he did and that the only love he ever experienced was the true and happy kind with someone he could be with without reservations.

Jumin leaned forward on the table, calling for his attention again.

- Can you tell me? What have you felt… what does it feel like to be away from the person you love?

He stopped for a moment, unsure if he had heard him correctly. The seriousness of his face and voice told him Jumin was truly curious, even though he was not sure about the reason for such curiosity.

He pretended he was thinking about it, but the truth was he knew the answer all too well since, as his friend pointed out, he had been feeling it for the last ten years.

Distractedly, he started to play with the mug again.

- I think… it is like there is no air. You cannot breathe properly and you are gasping, unsure of how you will survive, or even if you will survive, until she walks in the room and you see her face again. And the mere sight of her brings you life.

He watched as Jumin silently pondered about his words with a serious face. Then he straighten himself up and looked at him with a little smirk.

- No air, you say… just as I thought, love sounds like a horrible thing.

V chuckled and Jumin stood up, pulling his stained shirt from his pants, so he could go change it.

He was about to walk through the kitchen door, when V called him, making him stop and look back.

- Do you really think I should be selfish and fight for my own happiness?

Jumin thought for a moment before he cryptically answered.

- I think doing the right thing is not always the right thing to do.

Without another word he walked out of the kitchen, leaving V alone again with his thoughts. Only… this time he had a smile on his face. And for some reason that he was sure had nothing to do with the coffee, he was feeling less tired and more cheerful than he was before. 

She had barely slept all night.

The bags under her eyes could be well covered with Lucy’s nice and expensive makeup, but they were there as proof of her restless night.

Lying awake, tossing and turning, haunted by thoughts and images of Jihyun and Rika. Or waking up with cold sweats after dreaming of Jihyun in pain and bleeding while Rika’s low chuckles rang in her ears, whenever she managed to fall asleep.

Yes, it was not a well-rested night and the strong hot tea she drank did nothing to calm down or warm up her tired body. No one who saw her striding along the street would say she was tired though, judging by her fast steps, leading her to the pub. But those weren’t an indicator of energy, they were an indicator of nervousness due to the events of the night before.

Yes, she was scared. Scared of falling back into depression and her rage fits. But most of all she was scared of facing Jihyun again and realizing Rika was right all along. The last thing she wanted was to trouble or hurt him in any way.

She was scared of facing him, but there was a part of her that also wanted to see him, to make sure her nightmare was only, indeed, a nightmare. To make sure he was okay.

She looked at her wristwatch. It was early – way too early – to start her shift, but maybe Saeran would be there already and she would have some distraction or some calming piano music to guide her mind and body back to normal. Listening to Saeran playing the piano was always so soothing, like being enveloped in a warm blanket surrounded by flowers and candle lights. And she enjoyed watching his long fingers dash through the ivory keys. His beautiful mint green eyes so concentrated in what he was doing, as if the entire world faded when he played. She used to think like that too when she danced. Although, unlike Saeran, she always had a smile on her lips. Unlike Saeran she had no ghosts haunting her then.

When she arrived at the pub she found it quiet and locked. She had a key now so she used it to get inside.

- Vanderwood?

She called, but no answer came to find her. No one was there yet. Maybe it was for the best. There would be no soothing music, but at least she had some time to breathe and calm herself before seeing anyone. Saeran was sharp, he would definitely notice something wasn’t right if he saw her right now.

Taking a deep breath she walked to the back of the pub to set her things in the back room. Everything was crystal clean and tidy back there. Did Amanda clean it? Or was it Vanderwood? He seemed to have a little bit of an OCD when it came to have everything neat and organized. More than once she saw him rearrange the position of the tables after she had cleaned them. It was probably why he was so against all the flowers hanging on the ceiling. It probably looked like a big mess to him.

Lizzy smiled to herself. He gave this air of being a badass, could-kill-you-only-with-my-pinky kind of guy, but he was actually this… housewife-cleaning-fairy. That was kind of cute.

Walking out of the back room, Lizzy headed for the bar to look for an apron. Since she was there early she could do some deep cleaning around the place. Maybe later she would take down all the decorations and give the place a more neat appear-

- Oh, hey!

The male voice sounding right behind her made her jump in surprise, turning briskly around to meet two smiling ruby eyes.

- Z-Zen!!!! Oh my God! You scared me half to death.

- Oh, I’m sorry Lizzy. I didn’t mean to surprise you like that. I thought no one was here yet. Are you okay?

She smiled nervously.

- Yeah. I’m okay. Why are you here so early?

- We have this important Charity Event coming this weekend so we’ll start rehearsing earlier until then. Besides I forgot my wallet yesterday so I came to get it and grab some late breakfast. But… isn’t it too early for you to start your shift?

- Yes, I… was actually nearby and I thought maybe Saeran was already here practicing on the piano, so I just walked over.

The smile disappeared from Zen’s face giving way to a cute pout.

- You mean, you came to look for Saeran and not me, the handsomest member of the band?!? I’m hurt!

Lizzy tried to laugh at the joke, but it didn’t sound cheerful at all. Zen took a few steps closer to her, placing a friendly warm hand on her shoulder with a worried expression on his gorgeous features.

- You look tired, Lizzy.

- Oh? I thought I had applied my makeup the correct way…

- It’s not that, I just have a way of reading people. Are you sure you’re feeling alright? Did I scare you that much?

- No! Not at all, I just couldn’t sleep very well last night.

- Was there… something on your mind?

She pondered on the possibility of telling Zen everything. He was always so nice and sweet. She could tell him about Rika’s visit and ask for his opinion as a friend. Ask what he thought of her, what he thought about her relationship with Jihyun, what he thought about Jihyun’s feelings… no. She obviously couldn’t ask him any of it, it would sound way too strange and creepy for sure, like she was thinking about trying something to break them apart or something like that. But… she was so worried, her nightmare invading her thoughts again, and before she knew what she was doing, her tongue did the job her brain was telling her not to.

- What do you think about Rika?

- V’s Rika? Oh, I mean… hum…

He looked embarrassed. Maybe she really shouldn’t have asked.

- Yes, V’s Rika. Is she… a good person, you think?

- Well…

He thought about it for a moment before he met her eyes again.

- I don’t really know her that well, but she always seemed nice to me. I never heard her say a cross word to anyone, so… I suppose she is a good person?

The girl that visited her the night before didn’t look so nice though. But Lizzy couldn’t tell him that now, could she? She couldn’t poison him against Rika. That was Jihyun’s soon-to-be wife.

- That’s good then.

- Are you worried about V?

- Yes, well, as a friend I want him to be happy you know?

She answered fidgeting with the apron’s strings, making sure not to meet his eyes.

- Of course. Is that why you couldn’t sleep last night?

Well he was sharp too wasn’t he?

- No, of course not. That was just insomnia kicking in.

He didn’t seem very convinced about it, worry still written all over his face.

- You know, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but… I’m here for you if you do. No matter what or whom it is about.

Lizzy gave him a small smile and a nod. She could never tell him, but he didn’t have to know that. And he looked happy with her answer, smirking with glee.

- Now… you already know what you need when you’re feeling down, right?

- You mean…

- I sure do!

Zen ~ “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on.”

A giggle formed in Lizzy’s throat and she couldn’t avoid letting it out.

Zen ~ “You got the healing that I want.”

He moved away from her pushing two tables together and extended his hand to her.

Zen ~ “Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on”.

She took his hand and he pulled her to him, pointing at the tables and winking at her.

Zen ~ “We got this king size to ourselves. Don't have to share with no one else.”

He lifted her up by the waist and placed her sitting on the table, leaning in dangerously close in a seductive manner.

Zen ~ “Don't keep your secrets to yourself, it's karma sutra show and tell”.

With a laugh she pushed him away and he started slowly circling the tables like a panther circling his prey, looking her in the eyes.

Zen ~ “Woah, there's loving in your eyes that pulls me closer”.

She watched him as he moved, spinning her body on the table to keep looking him in the eyes and sliding her legs all the way to the other side when he approached her again.

Zen ~ “It's so subtle, I'm in trouble, but I'd love to be in trouble with you”.

He held one of her hands, sweetly moving a strand of hair away from her face with his free one.

Zen & Lizzy ~ “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on”.

Vanderwood was going in but turned immediately around and went right out again, shaking his head and mumbling something about weird people singing and dancing all the damn time.

Zen ~ “You got the healing that I want. Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn.”

Zen & Lizzy ~ “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on.”

He helped her down from the table.

Zen & Lizzy ~ “You got to give it up to me. I'm screaming mercy, mercy please.”

She turned her back to him and slowly walked around the joined tables.

Zen & Lizzy ~ “Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on.”

She turned to look at him with flirty eyes, still moving away slowly.

Lizzy ~ “And when you leave me all alone. I'm like a stray without a home. I'm like a dog without a bone, I just want you for my own.“

She called him with a movement of her finger and winked at him.

Lizzy ~ “I got to have you babe.”

Zen pretended to faint and fall to the ground, immediately getting himself on his knees and slowly crawling to her with feline movements.

Lizzy & Zen ~ “Woah, there's loving in your eyes that pulls me closer.”

He slowly and sensually straightened himself up in front of her, caressing every inch of her with his eyes.

Lizzy & Zen ~ “It's so subtle, I'm in trouble, but I'd rather be in trouble with you.”

He pulled her to him with one arm. Connected only by their eyes and a hand on each other’s waist they slowly moved as if away from each other, dancing in a small circle, their other arms falling straight at their sides.

Zen ~ “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on. Ooh baby, I got that healing that you want, yeah.”

Lizzy ~ “Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on.”

With a smile he grabbed her waist again with both hands and lifted her to stand on the tables, immediately jumping on it himself with the help of a chair.

Lizzy & Zen ~ “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on. You got the healing that I want.”

He grasped her hand again and they started to dance using some sort of dangerous side-to-the-side slower Jive steps, laughing and making silly faces all the while.

Lizzy & Zen ~ “Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on, babe. You got to give it up to me. I'm screaming mercy, mercy please. Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on.”

He let go of her and jumped down to the floor so he could help her down gently into his arms. And then he dipped her, both laughing happily.

Lizzy & Zen ~ “Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on. Ooh.”

They were both panting and smiling. Zen pointed at her lips.

- And this is The Marvin Gaye Effect.

Light-hearted laughter was all that could be heard inside the pub, and Lizzy couldn’t be more thankful for it.

Jihyun was by the window feeling like a creep for watching Lizzy and Zen dancing and having fun together, but unable to look away from the couple.

He was right all along. Lizzy did not love him anymore. She was falling for Hyun. And why shouldn't she? He was attractive and a good guy... surely more worthy of her feelings. He would treat her right and make her happy. Like Jihyun never did.

He knew all that and he knew he had no right to feel jealous, but he could not help it. It felt like someone was ripping through his chest, crushing his heart. His mind was telling him that was for the best, while his heart was bleeding deeply.

He closed his eyes, tearing them away from their happy faces, and stumbled off to the street.

~ “Oh… It never crossed my mind at all, it's what I tell myself. What we had has come and gone, you're better off with someone else.”

He turned away from the pub, trying to avoid the couple, only to find the street filled with couples, all well dressed in smokings and long flowy chiffon dresses.

~ “It's for the best, I know it is, but I see you sometimes I try to hide what I feel inside.”

He tried to step away from them, but they were all around him.

~ “And I turn around, you're with him now, I just can't figure it out.”

All the boys lifted their dates in the air. Then setting them down, they whirled around together before lifting them again and resume whirling around. Jihyun found himself surrounded by pretty colored dresses, flowing up and down all around him.

~ “Tell me why you're so hard to forget, don't remind me, I'm not over it. Tell me why I can't seem to face the truth. I'm just a little too not over you.”

Glancing at the pub, he could almost make out Lizzy’s shape through the windows.

~ “Not over you. Ooooh.”

A girl with strawberry blond hair in a simple summer green chiffon dress walked right in front of him, getting his attention. He followed her, hoping against hope that she could be Lizzy.

~ “Memories, supposed to fade. What's wrong with my heart? Shake it off, let it go. Didn't think it'd be this hard.”

He snatched her arm and she turn around, surprised. But she was a complete stranger. He backed away, his hands up in an apologetic sign, and turned around.

~ “Should be strong, moving on, but I see you sometimes I try to hide what I feel inside. And I turn around, you're with him now, I just can't figure it out.”

He approached the pub’s window again, placing his hand against it, trying hard not to watch how Lizzy was smiling at Zen.

~ “Tell me why you're so hard to forget, don't remind me, I'm not over it.”

Turning around from them, he leaned his head against the window with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed with the pain.

~ “Tell me why I can't seem to face the truth. I'm just a little too not over you.”

He walked away from the window. All the well-dressed couples were still dancing, lifting and twirling and exchanging dance partners and he walked to them, distractedly dancing, lifting and twirling, any girl in pretty colored dress that came in his way.

~ “Tell me why you're so hard to forget, don't remind me, I'm not over it. Tell me why I can't seem to face the truth. I'm just a little too not… Tell me why you're so hard to forget, don't remind me, I'm not over it. Tell me why I can't seem to face the truth.”

Placing the last girl back on the ground, he shoved his hands down his pockets and moved away from the couples, towards the pub’s door.

~ “And I really don't know what to do. I'm just a little too not over you.”

He slowly reached for the doorknob. His chest hurt but it was time to face the truth.

~ “Not over you, oohhh.”

He grabbed the doorknob pausing for a breath before turning it. He shouldn’t give Zen dirty looks. He shouldn’t try to pursue Lizzy. He should be happy for them. He would be happy for them. He should… be happy for them.

With a swift movement of his wrist he opened the door and stepped inside.

 *** Chapter Songs ***

Marvin Gaye by Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor

A Little Too Not Over You by David Archuleta

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Mystic Messenger Fanfiction | JuminxMC Good Ending Continued | Denial

***I think I'm finally back! We have finally closed on my house in Texas after months of issues, and my grandmother has been laid to rest peacefully next to my grandfather as it should be. Grieving comes and goes, but I finally feel like I'm getting back into the groove of life, so I'm hoping I haven't lost all of you in the meantime T_T. The final chapter of JuminxMC should be next week! I'll then take a week off to prepare for SevenxMC!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list for access to R-Rated Scenes and my monthly newsletter. You can support my writing on patreon and get access to my VIP Discord Server or other goodies like early chapter releases and hidden scenes. JuminxMC Good Ending Continued Chapter Directory ~Let’s Connect! FFC***

There was something so strange about watching this woman from behind a piece of glass. She’d been trying to trick my husband into taking down the entirety of the RFA as well as our guests, and when she hadn’t gotten what she wanted, she’d put my life and the life of our second child at risk. Rika. I bit at my thumb nail as I looked through the glass as her. V and all the other ‘Disciples’ had been taken care of and sent to treatment along with Seven’s twin brother. Not long after, Seven had taken his brother from treatment at the hospital and run off with him. Yoosung was distraught, and he was here almost every day with Rika. It wasn’t until I’d gotten a call from a concerned Seven that I considered going to this hospital, but he was right, Yoosung needed someone, and he couldn’t be there for the blond right now.

I wasn’t sure why the task had fallen to me, and I was technically supposed to be on bedrest, but my heart went out to the younger man. He was a member of the RFA and Jumin always said it was important to take care of your friends and fellow members were even more important. My husband was always so practical about this kind of thing. He’d insisted I stay home and simply have Yoosung come to me, but as soon as he’d left for work, I had one of the bodyguards take me to the mental hospital, assuring him that I wouldn’t tell my husband which of the guards it had been who took me there.

Zen and Jaehee weren’t much help really either since Jaehee was trying to deal with the media hailstorm and Zen was helping her with whatever he could. That was somewhat strange to me. Zen was a helpful man as it was, and he did hate how much work Jaehee tended to get piled on herself, but he was really going out of his way for her. Maybe there was something more there than met the eye, just like Seven and Yoosung. Other than Jumin and I, it seemed all of the RFA was off having secret relationships when it came to the public eye.

Rika was walking around aimlessly at the moment and then suddenly she slammed her fists against the glass. “I know you’re out there~ Please, please let me out! I have to save everyone from her! She’s a liar!” The doctors had mentioned that Rika kept attempting to entice them to set her free, had even tried to grab a nurse’s syringe and stab her with it to escape, but she tended to play word games, and she was blaming me for everything. This was part of why I felt like I had rocks in my stomach, even though I knew I only had our second daughter and a perfectly cooked lunch, as always. Yoosung seemed to be shutting himself off to only contact with Rika and Seven, and that could only spell bad news, because he was even starting to pay less attention to the redhead too.

I heard the door open behind me and turned to see the blond walking into the hallway, violet eyes falling on me almost immediately and then turning cold. “MC.” He didn’t seem at all like his cheery self, not even for a moment, and the way he was looking at me actually felt like it made my heart stop in fear for a solid few seconds. I put on the bravest smile I could manage. “Yoosung! It’s good to see you again. I heard you were visiting Rika and wanted to come see you.”

He actually narrowed his eyes at me. It was very likely that he believed whatever stories Rika was telling him, and if so, then there had to be some way for me to get Rika to tell him the truth? I’d managed it when I walked in on her talking to Jumin and foiled her plans. Of course, that would be some shock therapy, because her attitude was completely different when she wasn’t pretending, but maybe it would break Yoosung out of whatever she was telling him now? “Maybe we should both head in to talk to Rika?”

Yoosung’s eyebrows furrowed, but he just nodded numbly before walking to the door where a nurse was waiting to let him in already, I just followed along. “Just don’t say anything mean to her. She’s trying to get better.” For the first time that day, Yoosung had talked to me, and I counted that as a win even despite the fact that he was being supportive of a person the doctors were saying they were pretty certain had actually been fully aware of what she was doing when she kidnapped and drugged all of those people. I just nodded to what the blond had said.

The way Rika’s eyes lit up upon seeing Yoosung and then dulled as I walked in made me shiver to my core, and the baby jumped in my belly in response before I patted it and Rika’s eyes flashed between my belly and my face. “I see she’s still breeding. Her hooks are so deep into Jumin, Yoosung, why would you bring her here?” Her voice was so sickly sweet, and Yoosung actually sounded nervous and apologetic as he responded. “I’m sorry, Rika! Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s just a huge misunderstanding. You’re just sick, and you’re going to get better. MC will help too! She’s not like V.”

Right, I was painted as the bad guy from Rika’s point of view, V included, but at least Yoosung had the sense to believe that I wasn’t the problem and that was a start. How long did I sit there listening to Rika’s little pleasantries and fake kindness before she would start to slip in snide and rude remarks? Each time she did so, it was like Yoosung would emotionally recoil as though slapped. It hurt him to see her not getting better, because she wasn’t just sick, she knew what she was doing. That much was obvious, but Yoosung was so far in denial, clinging to the hope that she would get better and be the woman he’d once admired. Was there really anything anyone could do to break him out of that?

Suddenly, Rika grabbed Yoosung’s hands, leaning over the table and making frightened glances my way. “Don’t you see, Yoosung? She’s being so sweet, but she’s hiding the truth! MC is going to take you all away from me. It was V’s plot from the beginning!” Yoosung was about to shake his head and deny it before Rika let go of his hands and turned on me, trying to get at me from her side of the table as I scooted back in my chair as quickly as I could with my heavy belly. There was a loud booming noise as the door slammed open. This was too much stress for me, and I felt like I was going to hyperventilate before I saw that it was my husband standing in the doorway.

Jumin’s dark grey eyes slid over all of us, surveying the situation and looking like a supervisor barging into the breakroom. “That’s enough, now, Rika.” His tones were so dark and cold like when he had to reprimand workers at his job that it felt like my comparison was accurate. Yoosung stood, his chair scraping against the floor as he faced Jumin. “You can’t just come in here! She doesn’t want to see you.” That was true, he’d been barred by Rika, but then again. “She didn’t want to see MC either, but you brought her. You’re just trying to find the truth, right Yoosung? Except you’re trying to find the truth that you want.”

My husband’s observation was spot on and Yoosung made soft little attempts at protests before he looked between all three of us. “I just…Wanted…MC isn’t a bad person…” Jumin sighed heavily and crossed his arms, his fingers tapping lightly against his sleeves. I was certain that he had realized I was gone after trying to text me and not receiving any answer since my phone was off in the hospital entrance. His eyes slid over me, and I could see his displeasure, but he looked back towards Rika who was starting to make a fuss again, her eyes wild. “We’re the only ones who know the truth, Yoosung! Don’t you see?!”

Yoosung immediately made a move as though to comfort her, but my husband reached out and pushed him away from the now shrieking and panicking woman. That was enough to make Yoosung angry as he pushed against Jumin’s arm to get over to Rika, but Jumin ended up moving to hold the younger and smaller man from behind. “Let me go!” was mirrored by Rika shrieking for Yoosung to be let go as well until Jumin called out over them. “I said enough.”

The world quieted, and I simply sat there watching, my mouth completely dry. What could I even do? I was just a spectator at the end of the day. Rika had seemed to completely shed her veneer as she huffed and her eyes glazed over to that lightless look, her voice smooth and soft like syrup. “I simply can’t stand up to you, Jumin.” Yoosung had stopped fighting Jumin, but now dropped his arms from Jumin’s completely, a look of confusion crossing his face. “Rika?”

Rika picked at her wrists for a moment before she turned her back to us, looking at us in the reflection on the window. “Yoosung won’t leave me no matter what you say to him, so no matter how hard you try, he’ll always be mine.” Jumin let go of Yoosung slowly as he started to blabber. “Of course I won’t leave you, Rika. You’re the best person I’ve ever known.” It almost seemed like Rika was in some sort of mental break as she started to babble too, grating laughs interrupting every once in a while. “All my Disciples weren’t even as loyal as Yoosung and Saeran…I should have brought Yoosung with me too! But V wouldn’t let me take the RFA, that’s why he pretended I was dead! He ruined everything.”

At this point, I wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying. Instead, I was watching Yoosung’s face as the denial was starting to shatter. It was almost impossible to keep denying the truth when she was spitting it out right in front of you. At first, he was shaking his head, mumbling that she was sick, but she’d replied that she wasn’t, that that was how she wanted it, her darkness that V had tried to get rid of or something of that manner, and Yoosung went silent. Tears built in his eyes, but he just stared in silent horror now. He took a step back, forgetting that Jumin was behind him and bumping into my husband who was watching with a stoic expression. Yoosung turned to look up at Jumin, looking over at me then, and taking off into the hallway through the still open door as the tears started to fall from those violet eyes.

All of his denial had been shattered, and I could hear him crying so hard as he banged on the hallway door to be let out. “We should go after him-“ Jumin sent me a glare that froze my blood. It wasn’t the norm for him to be so angry with me as well, but he clearly was. “I’ve already called Zen to take him to Seven’s bunker. He has to deal with his brother, but he can’t abandon Yoosung either.” Rika was still going off on her tangent in the background, only now realizing we weren’t paying her any attention, so now she lunged towards me in the chair only to be backhanded by Jumin, stepping back to hold her cheek. “Nurse!”

At his call, a nurse appeared almost immediately, but I didn’t get much chance to see what else was happening before Jumin took my hand and pulled me out into the corridor. He was gentle and careful as always, but his grip was tighter than usual, and he was silent until we got into the car waiting for us out front. “You lied to me and put yourself in danger, our child in danger.” His tone was so cold, and I put my hands over my belly. “You know that bedrest is just because we had such a hard labor with our first daughter, not because I actually need it.” Jumin just huffed at my explanation, fixing his cufflinks. His façade was up, but now it faded as he stopped messing with them. “Don’t you understand…I was afraid?”

I bit at the inside of my cheek, feeling a pain in my chest. Only I ever got to see him so vulnerable, and I knew that it would worry him when I wasn’t where I was supposed to be, but I had been so focused on helping Yoosung. “I’m sorry…Yoosung needed help…and I didn’t realize how much I would hurt you.” Jumin looked towards me, our eyes locking for a solid few minutes, saying things we never could verbally. This man loved me so deeply, needed me to help him know that the world wasn’t made up of only liars, that it was okay to truly care for other people and show them that too, and I loved him so deeply too.

With another deep sigh, Jumin scooted towards me in the seat, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against his chest as he put his face in my hair. “Don’t ever do that to me again, MC.” Being in his arms felt so safe and easily made any stress melt away, even if I still felt horribly guilty. “Promise me.” Could I really promise that I would never do something similar? “I can promise to never lie to you again…but I’ll always choose to help people.” I could almost feel the little chuckle that didn’t quite escape his lips. “I understand. That’s the type of woman I fell in love with. I just never expected it to become such a problem. I’m almost jealous when you choose to help others over listening to me, even in my own route.”

At heart, Jumin really was just a big softie. I nuzzled into his chest, feeling our child moving around and taking his hand to place it over the baby as well. He splayed his fingers over my belly automatically, a familiar feeling and something he did daily. “But I’ll always come back to you. You’re the man I chose.” Jumin kissed the top of my head. “I’ll take better care of you from now on.”

He pulled away from me to look down in to my eyes. “And I’ll do the same.” On some level, it was almost ominous when he talked about taking better care of me, because I knew that would mean him trying to set new rules and stipulations out of fear for me getting hurt or something happening to his now happy family of four, but that was a challenge I would always have to deal with, and I couldn’t help but smile and give him a soft kiss. There was no denying that I loved this man.

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