"Can you do me a favor? Can you help me complete this wedding?"
"I..."
"I know you don't want to, but I have no other choice, I don't want to shock my mother," Sulli practically pleaded as she held onto Jonghyun's arm. "I can promise you that we will only hold a wedding, we won't actually sign any papers. After the ceremony is done, you are free to marry whomever you want. We will no longer be involved with each other."
"But..."
"Jonghyun, help me."
No matter how Jonghyun thought about it, he felt like he had been pulled into a trap, but he still let Sulli drag him into the wedding car.
Sulli's bridesmaids were made up of her colleagues. When they saw her bravely swap out her groom, they admired her courage.
Since he was already sitting in the car, Jonghyun decided to play along and do this favor for Sulli. After all, he was supposed to attend a lecture that day and he was already dressed appropriately.
...
Sulli's wedding was small, but there were still a few guests from the army as well as Sulli's friends and family. All up, there were only 20-30 people. However, when Jonghyun glanced at the front row and saw Mother Choi, he noticed that she did indeed look unwell; she looked exactly like a seriously ill patient.
Of course, Choi Hui and Father Choi were also present at the wedding, as well as Xu Chunhao. As soon as they spotted Jonghyun walk in, their eyes grew wide in shock.
What happened to the groom?
Why did he suddenly change?
How was this a wedding? This was a complete train wreck!
Seeing the scene before her, Mother Choi stood up and asked, "Are you joking? Where's your groom?"
"Here," Sulli replied as she hooked her arm with Jonghyun's.
"I know who he is, but he's not the groom. Sulli, today is the most important day of your life, don't joke around."
"I'm not joking. I'm marrying this man today." After speaking to her mother, Sulli turned to the wedding celebrant and said, "Let's get started. His name is Kim Jonghyun."
The wedding celebrant was a little surprised, but he quickly nodded his head and replied, "Let's get started then..."
Everyone thought the scene was quite ridiculous, but they still let Sulli and Jonghyun go ahead.
It was completely absurd! Afterwards, Mother Choi learned that the real groom had run away and her daughter had randomly grabbed another man to fill in his spot. But, she was being much too brave, especially since the man she grabbed was her ex-boyfriend. Wasn't the situation enough of a mess as it was?
Jonghyun could tell that everyone was calling Sulli ridiculous.
After all, no one would randomly swap out their groom just because the original one ran away. But, wasn't that how his parents got married?
With this thought, Jonghyun temporarily paused the wedding and turned around to bow to everyone. He then explained, "I'm sorry everyone, Sulli did indeed grab me to replace her runaway groom."
"Although the wedding is a mess, it's great that Sulli's parents are present. I would like to take this opportunity to tell the two of you that I believe I am the one that can bring Sulli happiness. So, I hope that Auntie and Uncle can hand your daughter to me."
"To be honest, Sulli was never prepared to get married yet. She simply planned this wedding to give Auntie a peace of mind."
"Hence, when the groom ran away, she had no choice but to grab me – her neighbor."
"Since I'm here, I would like to say a few things. This wedding may not be valid, but I believe I am the person that Sulli can entrust the rest of her life to. What do you think, Auntie? Do you think this joke should come to an end?"
After hearing from Jonghyun, Mother Choi turned and looked at her daughter, "If not for Jonghyun, how embarrassed would you be today?"
Sulli looked at Jonghyun and smiled, "Mom..."
"...I don't care if my groom ran away today. All I know is, today's ceremony is already half completed, so let's finish it. Today, the Choi Family will only acknowledge this man."
Sulli glanced at Jonghyun with a stressed expression.
The entire scene seemed both real and fake; even Jonghyun couldn't distinguish the truth. Luckily, at this time, Sulli leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, after this is all over, we will return to being friends like before."
Jonghyun nodded and turned back around to face the celebrant.
It didn't take long before the ceremony was completed. Afterwards, Mother Choi turned to the guests and apologized, "Today was a complete embarrassment, I'm sorry for making you witness such a joke. My daughter may be a mere lieutenant in the military, but she is very mature. Please except my apology."
"How about this, why don't we pretend that we all attended an engagement today. When these two are truly ready for marriage, the Choi Family will arrange a grand wedding for our daughter."
Mother Choi's words relieved the awkwardness of the event and everyone understood her intentions, so they clapped and congratulated Sulli.
Afterwards, Mother Choi invited the guests into the hotel to get some rest. This was when she truly turned to teach Sulli a lesson, "It's been 5 years. You've left home for 5 years and you returned with a gift like this?"
Jonghyun stood behind Sulli and watched as she got scolded.
"You previously declared that you were leaving the Choi Family and you were never coming back. I let you have your way, so what's this?"
"Were you putting on an act to make me happy?"
"I almost died from anger. Luckily, Jonghyun came to the rescue."
Jonghyun analyzed Mother Choi and discovered that she had changed a lot.
Perhaps, due to the investigation on the Choi Family, Mother Choi experienced the extremes of human nature, so she learned to become more tactful.
5 years ago, Jonghyun never met Mother Choi and the two of them never faced each other head on, but Jonghyun couldn't resist looking into the Choi Family. That's how he knew how Mother Choi was like 5 years ago.
"But, now that things have progressed to this point, I must ask, Jonghyun, were you serious about what you just said or did you simply say it to brush off the guests."
"Of course, I'm aware that you helped us, so I won't blame you for speaking the truth."
"Auntie, that's just a small matter, you shouldn't take it to heart," Jonghyun replied, implying a deeper meaning.
"I understand," Mother Choi nodded. "In that case, today didn't count."
Sulli looked at Jonghyun with a trace of disappointment, but this quickly disappeared.
"No, what I meant was, I'm willing to be with Sulli again."
Jonghyun looked into Sulli's eyes and added, "Since fate wasn't on our side 5 years ago, let's try again. If nothing results from this, then I won't persist."
Sulli looked at Jonghyun in shock...
"Are you being serious?"
"Yes, but Sulli, let me be honest with you, 5 years ago, when you broke up with me, it took me a long time to recover, so I might still feel hatred for you. If you want to be with me, you need to be prepared to accept that I may not be very intimate at the beginning."
After hearing this, Sulli nodded her head with a bitter smile, "I understand..."
"If you acknowledge the engagement today, then let's count it as the real thing."
The ceremony was officially completed, but just like Jonghyun said, 5 years had already passed, if Sulli wanted to successfully re-enter Jonghyun's heart, it appeared to be quite a challenge.
Jonghyun couldn't say that he had absolutely no feelings for Sulli, but his emotions were relatively complex.
Sometimes, when he thought about the past, he would be filled with blame.
After the ceremony was over, Jonghyun and Sulli returned to their apartments. But, when they each reached their own doorway, the two of them once again fell speechless.
"I'm going to go home first, I still have a lecture tomorrow."
Sulli nodded, "I need to report back to the troops tomorrow."
The couple were officially engaged, but for some reason, the distance between them grew even further.
This time, Jonghyun did not want to be the initiator in the relationship. So, after returning home, he went to prepare for his next lecture as usual. But, later that night, after Jonghyun finished his shower and crawled into bed, he suddenly heard his doorbell.
Jonghyun walked over to the door, dressed in his pajamas and found Sulli standing in his doorway holding her luggage.
"I've thought about it. Since we're engaged...can I move over?"
Jonghyun looked at Sulli and the way she was taking the lead like she used to and felt an indescribable pain in his heart. But, he still opened his door and let Sulli in.
"The guest room is empty, you can help yourself to whatever you need. Don't disturb me at night. Good night." After speaking, Jonghyun did not take another glance at Sulli and headed straight into the master bedroom.
Sulli did not push her luck, instead, she put down her luggage and walked around to familiarize herself with the apartment.
Jonghyun lived on his own for many years, but he always kept his home neat and tidy. There was a place for everything and everything was in its place. This was an obvious sign of OCD.
Afterwards, Sulli settled down in the guest room. Although she knew it was hard for Jonghyun to get used to her suddenly moving in with him, at least he didn't kick her out.
But, for Sulli, apart from acting so shameless, there was nothing else she could do.
The next morning, Sulli headed off to the army base as she had mentioned, so by the time Jonghyun woke up, Sulli was already gone.
The apartment now had her slippers and toiletries. On top of that, the cold and empty guest room was now filled with her clothes and work equipment.
Was this necessary? Jonghyun wondered. Afterwards, he closed the guest room door, grabbed his lecture notes and headed to the university.
After that, a week passed without any signs of Sulli. It was almost as if the events at the church was just a dream.
Jonghyun returned to his normal life, completely unaffected by Sulli. He continued to do whatever he wanted, and sometimes, he would even spend an entire day in the library.
However, after his last lecture on Friday, Jonghyun stepped out of the lecture theater with some textbooks in his hands and noticed some students standing outside the mathematics building pointing to a female army officer standing beside a military vehicle.
When Jonghyun realized that it was Sulli, he immediately walked over to her, "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to go home, but I don't have the keys," Sulli replied.
"Mr. Kim, who's this?" one of Jonghyun's student admirers asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. It seemed, she was hoping not to hear anything heartbreaking. However, Jonghyun was an honest and straightforward person. Since he agreed to their engagement, he wasn't about to deny it.
"This is my fiancee!"
"Is your fiancee in the military?"
"How cool!" the surrounding students praised.
Jonghyun did not respond as he boarded the car with Sulli.
"From now on, don't show up at school for no reason. I'll give you a copy of my keys."
"Did I embarrass you?" Sulli asked as she drove.
"I like keeping a low profile," Jonghyun replied coldly.
"Jonghyun..."
"Let's go home. I'm tired," Jonghyun cut in before he returned his focus to the papers in his hands.
There was nothing that Sulli could do. So, she took a deep breath and drove Jonghyun back to their apartment. The couple then entered the home, one after the other.
"I will be cooking some congee tonight, if you want some then let me know and I'll prepare some for you too. But, if you don't like it, then cook something yourself or order some takeaway." As soon as Jonghyun arrived home, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed into the kitchen. When he finished cooking, he returned to the study room.
Sulli felt like an outsider because Jonghyun practically treated her like she didn't exist.
Because of this, Sulli knocked on the study room door and leaned against the doorway, "Is this how you've lived the last 5 years?"
"I didn't deliberately save myself for you, but I never found anyone suitable either," Jonghyun replied calmly.
"In that case, were you lying when you said what you did at the church?"
"Didn't you ask me to help you that day? By the way, you still owe me a thank you."
"You were never this unapproachable in the past."
"It's been 5 years. Everything that was meant to change, has changed, including me," Jonghyun said as he lifted his head and looked at Sulli. "You should have an early night."
"Are we going to continue in this ambiguous way?"
"At least, I haven't lost my temper at you yet," Jonghyun said before he lowered his head again.
Sulli's heart ached, but she accepted the situation.
After all, she had no idea what pains Jonghyun went through after she broke up with him 5 years ago. Back then, she thought that decisively ending things was the best option for both of them.
But, if she had persevered a little longer until the Choi Family experienced the changes they went through, the two of them may not have missed out on 5 years.
Back then, Jonghyun understood her helplessness, but now, he no longer did.
It seemed, the older he got, the harder it was for him to understand why a person would give up on love so easily.
However, simply looking on the surface, it was hard to tell that Jonghyun had so much blame towards her.
But, Sulli understood that she couldn't expect Jonghyun to immediately forgive her by simply apologizing and explaining that she gave up on their relationship due to the pressures from her family. Especially when she didn't even put in any effort.
So, she had to work hard to reignite Jonghyun's affection for her.
To do this, Sulli began to take note of Jonghyun's daily lifestyle and remembered all his habits.
Those with OCD, couldn't stand it when others put their life out of balance, so Jonghyun followed the same routine every day.
It didn't take long before Sulli got a grasp of Jonghyun's habits and knew exactly what time to keep her distance and what time she'd get the chance to see him.
She even learned how to cook a few of Jonghyun's favorite dishes.
Jonghyun wasn't oblivious to Sulli's efforts, but he still didn't know how to accept her.
He had some wounds in his heart that still needed healing. So, the more attentive Sulli was, the more fearful he was that he'd be abandoned him again one day.
However, Sulli was becoming more and more presumptuous at home. In fact...
...she even walked around the living room in just a shirt, revealing her long, slender legs...
"If possible...please try your best to wear some pants from now on," Jonghyun reminded after he woke up the next morning and saw Sulli wandering around casually as usual.
Sulli looked down. Even though she didn't think that there was anything wrong with the way she dressed, she still listened to Jonghyun and returned to her room to put on a knee-length skirt.
It was the weekend, so Sulli dressed rather casually, but Jonghyun reminded, "Dress more appropriately, we have guests later."
"OK," Sulli nodded.
This was the first time since they started living together that Jonghyun spoke to Sulli properly and it was all because they had guests.
Since Jonghyun didn't tell her to leave, it appeared as though he acknowledged her.
Soon, the guests arrived. Apart from a beautiful figure standing in the doorway, there was also a child.
Jonghyun immediately hugged the elegant woman and welcomed her into the apartment. This woman was none other than Jonghyun's childhood friend, Hana, A.K.A. Little Eggshell.
Three years ago, she had gotten married. But, the groom was not Jonghyun, nor Taehyun. Her husband was an actor in the entertainment industry, and according to rumors, he was a real family man.
"Is there someone else here?" Hana asked after she heard some movement coming from one of the rooms.
Jonghyun gave a slight smile as Sulli walked out.
After Hana saw Sulli, she realized what was going on, "Even after 5 years, your tastes haven't changed."
"This is my fiancee, Sulli."
"This is Hana," Jonghyun introduced.
Sulli gently nodded at Hana, "Hello."
"We've met before. 5 years ago, you were still a mere teacher. What are you doing these days?" Hana asked.
"I'm in the military..."
"You're an army officer?" Hana asked what she already knew. "I should have known the reason why Jonghyun hadn't considered any relationships for the last 5 years. It's because he left a place in his heart for you. I guess it's fate that you guys made up."
"Let's go, I'm taking Seulgi out to play today," Jonghyun quickly changed the subject.
"Fine. You're not taking Sulli with you?"
"She's reporting to the troops today, she has no time," Jonghyun said as he returned to his room to put on a jacket. After Hana stepped out, Jonghyun quickly turned to Sulli and said, "Hana and I are visiting the set of a film. Take care when returning to the base."
"OK," Sulli nodded.
"Let's go."
Logically speaking, Sulli should have been happy that Jonghyun acknowledged her in front of other people, but Sulli still felt that the word 'fiancee' meant nothing to Jonghyun.
Moreover, she had never mentioned that she was reporting back to the troops that day.
...
After leaving the apartment, Jonghyun was abnormally quiet even though he was carrying a child in his arms. This made Hana a little confused, "She's already returned to your side, why do you still look so depressed?"
"I'm not sure either. The person I've been missing for 5 years, suddenly reappeared in front of me, but I can't help treating her with hostility and ignoring her. I'm not sure what's wrong with me either? I want to forgive her, but it doesn't seem that easy," Jonghyun said in self-ridicule.
"I want to let her get close to me, but I'm also afraid. Perhaps, I can't forget how it felt to be abandoned 5 years ago."
Hana smiled and received her child from Jonghyun's arms, "Jonghyun, you're holding back too much."
"You're not in your early twenties like you were 5 years ago. If she tries to give up again, then grab onto her and bring her back to your side. Why do you care so much about your pride?"
"Aren't you a mature man?"
"When you're holding on too tightly, then let go a little...Perhaps, you won't suffer so much."
After hearing this, Jonghyun did not respond.
"You should call Auntie Fany and ask her about this matter. I'm sure she has a lot to teach you."
Jonghyun's meeting with Hana that day was not only to drive the mother and daughter to the set, but also to see his parents.
After so many years, his parents were still obsessed with sci-fi films.
"I don't plan on telling my mother about this yet. The more hope I give her, the more disappointment she'll feel if things don't work out."
"In that case, take control of the situation well."
Jonghyun absorbed everything that Hana said and felt a lot better. But, he wasn't completely free from fear. Just like Hana said, if Sulli was to give up again, he could always hold onto her and not let her go, but if that was all he had to do, then why did he feel so troubled?
After arriving on set, Jonghyun spotted his supportive parents. Seulgi had now taken charge of Crown Empire, so Taeyeon had extra time to accompany his wife. As a result, they were even more inseparable than before.
Jonghyun watched his parents from a distance and observed the way they loved each other wholeheartedly. As he looked at them, he suddenly felt a little emotional.
At that moment, Tiffany turned around and noticed her son, so she immediately put down the brief in her hands and walked over to Jonghyun, "Why are you here?"
"Mom, I miss you."
"You don't miss your father?"
"He only needs you to miss him," Jonghyun said as he wrapped his arms around Tiffany. "Mom, neither I nor Taehyun are married yet. Are you getting impatient?"
"Even if I'm getting impatient, that's my own matter, I will never pressure you. You have the freedom to decide when you want to get married."
"Mom...I want to get married now."
"If you want to get married, then go ahead. I only have one thing to say to you: once you've made your decision, you need to continue bravely ahead. Even if you've made the wrong choice, you won't regret it as long as you're willing to take responsibility and haven't done something against your conscience. You need to make the same approach with people. Stop thinking that you're at a loss and suffering. When two people are together, the most important thing is giving your all for each other!"
After hearing Tiffany's advice, Jonghyun couldn't help but smile as he remembered what Hana said to him.
As soon as Tiffany opened her mouth, she indeed had the ability to enlighten a person.
"Thank you, Mom."
"Bring her home to show us one day."
Since it was someone that Jonghyun wanted to marry, Tiffany naturally supported his decision.
"You are the best mother in the world."
Jonghyun couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After accompanying his parents on set for an entire day, he finally returned to the apartment as night hit.
Jonghyun expected Sulli to be already asleep in her room, but when he turned on the lights, he saw her napping on the sofa with her legs exposed.
Jonghyun did not say a word as he removed his jacket and sat down beside her.
Sulli did not wake up, so Jonghyun took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist. As the two lay on the sofa, Jonghyun suddenly felt entranced by the unique fragrance coming from Sulli's body.
But, by the time that Sulli opened her eyes and realized she was laying alone on the sofa, Jonghyun had already returned to his room.
Although Sulli felt a little disappointed, she did not force Jonghyun to do something that he didn't want to. She simply got up and returned to her room to get some sleep. After all, she still had to report to the troops tomorrow.
But, to her surprise, Jonghyun started knocking on her door a moment later. After she opened her door, he said to her, "Come over."
Sulli stood in shock for a few seconds before she realized what was happening, "Are you trying to say...You and me..."
"You don't want to?"
Sulli quickly shook her head.
After receiving Sulli's response, Jonghyun returned to his room and made space on half his bed.
Sulli froze as she lay down beside Jonghyun. But, the couple had their backs turned to each other and did not say a word. It wasn't until Sulli almost fell asleep that Jonghyun finally said,
"Seeing you again after 5 years, I'm not sure how to face you."
"But, I don't want to let go and watch you leave. When I see you, I hate you, but when I don't see you..."
"I miss you..."
"I don't know what I want. Sulli, I want to start afresh, but I can't get myself to trust you, do you understand?"
After saying this, Jonghyun fell silent. He had revealed his innermost thoughts to Sulli.
Meanwhile, tears began to fall from Sulli's eyes after she heard what he said, "In your heart, I must be a woman that comes and goes as she pleases."
"I know I was the one that broke up with you 5 years ago, but during these 5 years, I haven't lived a single day without feeling regret!"
"I know you must hate me and blame me for what happened, but...during my time in the military, only the thought of you helped me push forward and continue living."
"Jonghyun, it's OK if you want to blame me, I can wait for you. I'm right by your side now. You can hate me and scold me all you want, I won't leave you ever again."
After saying this, Sulli wrapped her arms around Jonghyun, "I will always be by your side."
Inside the dark room, Jonghyun opened his eyes slightly, but after sighing, he closed them again and dived back into the endless darkness...
His soul, which had been floating around for a long time, felt like it had finally planted its feet firmly on the ground and he felt stable at last.
...
Early the next morning, Sulli woke up to find that Jonghyun was already out of bed, but the sun wasn't even up yet and his side of the bed was cold as though he had been up for a long time already.
5 years ago, things were very similar; she remembered how Jonghyun often returned home at dawn. With this thought, Sulli put on her military uniform and headed off to the army base on her own.
The words that Jonghyun said the previous night may have been painful to hear, but he at least spoke his heart.
Sulli never knew that Jonghyun had such little faith in their relationship.
After arriving at the base, she decided to temporarily forget everything that Jonghyun said to her. So, her performance during training was more brutal and powerful than usual.
"Is Instructor Choi experiencing menopause? She's training us like we're not human," the newly enlisted soldiers complained to each other.
They had nowhere to vent their suffering.
"Who would want a woman that's so ruthless?"
"I heard she's almost 27 and she still doesn't have a partner."
"Look at that fierce look on her face, who would be brave enough to accept her?"
"What are you guys chattering about? If you have so much energy, then do another 200 pull-ups," Sulli growled.
"Sorry, Instructor Choi, we were wrong!"
"No negotiations. Stand up," Sulli ordered. "Since you've joined the military, don't expect this to be a comfortable experience. Comfort is left for the dead!"
Perhaps, no one expected that the slender looking Sulli was filled with immense power.
As an army officer, it wasn't just her body that had been toughened over time, even her most vulnerable willpower had been strengthened.
Especially when she thought about Jonghyun, she was able to get through anything!
By the time Sulli saw Jonghyun again, another week had passed.
Sulli dragged her exhausted body home to find Jonghyun sitting on the sofa reading a book.
Perhaps, this was what people meant by living a peaceful life.
"You're back," Jonghyun said without lifting his head.
"Uh huh."
Sulli's voice was dull and tired.
"Have you eaten? I've cooked some food," Jonghyun said.
In reality, Sulli had already eaten at the base, but when she thought about eating with Jonghyun, she quickly replied, "Not yet."
"Go get changed and come back out," Jonghyun said as he put down his book and finally got up from the sofa.
However, Sulli noticed that there was something odd about the way that Jonghyun walked.
"What's wrong with your leg?" Sulli immediately asked.
"I accidentally knocked it against something," Jonghyun replied casually.
Sulli looked carefully at his ankle and scanned her eyes up to the bruise on his thigh. How was this simply knocking against something? He was obviously hit by someone.
"Are you going out again tonight?" Sulli asked. "5 years ago, you often returned home in the middle of the night. So, I know you went out in the middle of the night last week as well..."
Jonghyun did not respond.
After speaking, Sulli walked into the bedroom and fetched the first aid kit. She then kneeled down in front of him, "I'm really good at treating injuries like this. Sit down."
Jonghyun looked down and noticed the worried look on Sulli's face.
"Sit."
Jonghyun was a little surprised as he retreated two steps and sat back down on the sofa.
"How many days haven't you left the house?" Sulli asked; she noticed the rubbish bins hadn't been emptied for a few days. "Have you not left the house after you got injured?"
Jonghyun nodded.
"If you want to put on an act, then why let me discover this?" Sulli lifted Jonghyun's leg and noticed all the various injuries he had.
Sulli was speechless as she placed her cheek against his leg and began to cry.
"You've had some of these injuries for 10 years, haven't you?"
Jonghyun did not give an explanation. He simply felt something tug at his heart as it filled with emotions.
"Why do you have so many injuries? Why?"
Finally, Jonghyun reached out his hand and wiped away the tears on Sulli's cheeks, "Weren't you treating my injuries? Why are you crying instead?"
Sulli sobbed as she took a deep breath to calm down, "I didn't know that you had so many injuries on your body."
"I'm used to it," Jonghyun continued to keep his identity a secret.
He had signed a confidentiality agreement and couldn't tell anyone, not even the people closest to him.
"Fine, I won't ask anything. But, from now on, whenever you get hurt, make sure you tell me, OK?" Sulli pulled out a bottle of Iodophor to help sterilize Jonghyun's wounds.
"Are you worried about me?"
"Uh huh," Sulli nodded firmly. "Don't you know that I worry about you? This makes my heart ache! I can't breathe looking at these injuries! I feel like I'm suffocating!"
As he looked at the teary-eyed Sulli, Jonghyun couldn't resist gently leaning over and placing a kiss on her lips.
At first, Sulli was a little surprised. But, slowly, she began to close her eyes...
Jonghyun didn't know why he was being impulsive; he simply didn't want to see Sulli cry. 5 years ago, when she cried, his heart softened for her. Now, 5 years later, the same thing happened.
"Stop crying!"
Sulli stopped crying, but she couldn't hold back her sobs.
Jonghyun watched as Sulli helped him apply medicine to his wounds, but he did not say another word. Wounds like this were normal for him, but for Sulli, it was a huge shock.
"What department are you in? The special forces? Or is it a secret organization?"
"Don't ask me anything, it's of no benefit to you," Jonghyun said before he stood up from the sofa. "Besides, these injuries are nothing. After all, the biggest injury is the one you gave me."
"I'm sorry," Sulli replied. "I'm honestly sorry, but the mistake has already been made and I've already been punished for 5 years because of it, Jonghyun..."
"While you punished yourself, you also punished me." After speaking, Jonghyun entered the kitchen; he promised that he'd make dinner.
That night, the couple sat quietly at the dining table. Sulli looked at Jonghyun while he had his head down and said, "I will try my best to be a good wife."
Jonghyun did not reply immediately. Only after he finished eating, did he say to Sulli, "If you want to become a good wife, then you should wash the dishes."
Sulli was a little surprised as she nodded her head, "OK."
Sulli was ecstatic, even though Jonghyun only gave her a slight response.
As bedtime hit, the couple entered the bedroom one after the other. When Sulli noticed Jonghyun was already lying in bed, her cheeks flushed red because he had no shirt on.
But, when she approached and saw the scars on his body, her eyes almost turned red again.
Afterwards, the couple lay together in bed. Sulli gently touched a scar on Jonghyun's back and imagined how much pain he was in when he received the injury.
"If you keep touching, something bad is going to happen. Go to sleep," Jonghyun's voice traveled into her ears. But, she did not feel threatened by these words. Instead, she moved her lips towards his back and gently kissed the scar.
Jonghyun froze. A moment later, he turned around and looked at Sulli. Their gaze met as a countless amount of emotions flooded their eyes...
"I already warned you!" Jonghyun suddenly trapped Sulli between his arms and pressed her beneath his body.
"You're...injured!" Sulli reminded.
"Don't underestimate me." Underneath the blankets, Jonghyun's hands quickly removed the pajamas on Sulli's body. But, as he ran his hands across her body, he did not feel any desire to kiss her.
The trauma in his heart was still there.
In the end, he helped her put her pajamas back on and rolled back to his side of the bed, "My wound hurts."
Sulli's gaze turned dull.
Soon, Jonghyun's steady breaths echoed through Sulli's ears. At this time, Sulli stood up, wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room and looked out into the distance.
She was about to leave for a mission and she didn't know how long it would take before she'd come back. It wasn't easy for Jonghyun to finally relax a little around her, if she had to wait another 10-14 days, when would she fully win his heart.
The army was holding a competition amongst the new recruits. As an instructor, she naturally had to attend...
So, she had to leave at 5am.
After thinking carefully for a short while, Sulli returned to the bedroom and kneeled down beside the bed. As she watched the sleeping Jonghyun, she gently reached out her hand and patted him on the head, "I'm sorry, Jonghyun. I know that no matter how many times I apologize, there's an obstacle in your heart that we can never get past. I don't know what you want and I don't know how to comfort you. I want to beg for your forgiveness, but I don't know where to start. I really don't know what to do."
"As soon as 5am hits, I will need to leave again. This time, it may be another week. You don't know how much I want to get a response from you."
"Forget it, I asked for all this. I won't blame you."
"I simply hope that you won't torture yourself by holding back."
After speaking, Sulli stood up and headed to the study room. She knew that she wouldn't be able to lie sleepless next to Jonghyun for an entire night.
Amidst the darkness, Jonghyun opened his eyes and painfully rolled over.
Silly woman, she was disturbing someone's sleep...
...
Before 5am hit, Sulli woke up to find a sandwich and a glass of warm milk on the table.
Sulli was a little surprised, but she quickly realized who prepared it for her and her heart lit up with joy.
Did he hear what she said last night?
After finishing her breakfast, Sulli placed the medicine that Jonghyun needed to reapply on the dining table and left a note, reminding him to use it.
When Jonghyun woke up and saw her reminder, he rolled his eyes, "If an intelligence officer used such cheap medicine, how long would they have to suffer in pain?"
The medicine he used was special. It was something that wasn't sold to the public.
But, even though he said this, he still held the medicine in his hands. His actions did not match his words.
This time, Sulli left for 10 days. During these 10 days, she did not contact anyone.
Jonghyun understood how the military operated and knew that even if he tried to make a phone call, he would not be able to get through to her. So, he decided not to bother her.
Sulli hoped every day that Jonghyun would find her and contact her, but no matter how long she was away from home, it didn't seem like Jonghyun cared where she was and what she was doing. In fact, it didn't seem like he cared if she was dead or alive.
Sulli had a photo of Jonghyun with her. It was a photo that was given to her during her teaching days, when her friend first introduced her to him. Judging by the angle of the photo, it was taken without him knowing. Whenever Sulli had some free time, she would take out the photo and look at it. This made many of her colleagues laugh at her, "Are you still not with the man that you dream about all day?"
"We're together now," Sulli replied.
"Then why don't you contact each other?" her colleague asked nosily.
"Yes, why don't we contact each other?" Sulli couldn't help but ask herself.
"I bet it's a one-sided love. That man never agreed to be with you, right? Forget about it, focus on your mission. These new recruits are all troublemakers. There's absolutely no time for me to think about relationships!" her colleague patted her on the shoulder as a sign of comfort.
Sulli chuckled and put away the photo in her hands. Her colleague was right, it wasn't the time to be thinking about relationships.
But, early the next morning, before Sulli even woke up, someone ran in and reported, "Instructor, something's wrong, a few new recruits have wandered into the restricted zone. There are land mines in there!"
"Then why are you still standing around? Hurry and find them!" Sulli immediately got out of bed. These new recruits couldn't give her time to relax.
However, Sulli had no idea that this rebellious action would almost take her life!