Mina is stunned for a moment, her gaze fixated solely on Chaeyoung, who is now tenderly smiling at her.
"I once promised you that I would always wait for you here, Chaeyoung. For five years, I've been waiting for you to come back to me, and it breaks me that when you finally returned, you had already forgotten everything about me, our love, and the promises you made to me. I may have loving someone else, but I can't love them the way I've loved you. You hurt me deeply, and yes, you've caused me terrible pain. I hate myself for always forgiving you. I don't understand why I keep forgiving you and yearning for you, but now, I have the answer, right in your eyes.
I forgive you because you love me purely. You've always had this effect on me that prevents me from hating you. You don't just love me but you make me feel like I meant the world for you. You always acknowledge and mend your mistakes, no matter how small or silly they may seem but you never took it easy. You constantly reassure me of how big is your love for me, a love that no one else can ever match.
I know I lied to you, but I also lied to myself when I thought I could be okay without you. I know you caused me pain, but I hurt myself too the moment I lost you again. It's strange how your love can both cause me pain and heal my wounds at the same time, huh? But one thing is certain, your presence always brings me love and sense of longing more than any pain I've ever felt. I'd rather die now than lose you again. Both I and Hoonie still need you...I still need you in my life, Son Chaeyoung."
Chaeyoung finally feels like he's breathing again after Mina's confession. He regains his composure, gently taking both of Mina's hands and tenderly kissing them.
"I love you, Mina-yaa. I've always loved you. No words can describe how my love for you weakens me over and over again. I won't ever leave you again. Once was enough for me, I don't want either of us to fall apart anymore. I'll hold you tight in my arms forever," his voice tinged with genuine sincerity.
Mina smiles at Chaeyoung's confession. "After everything, I'm still the only one who can make you look like an idiot. How can I stop loving you, Chaeyoung-aa when...."
"No, please don't stop loving me. Please, Mina-yaa. Hate me if you want, no, I mean punish me if you want, but don't hate me," Chaeyoung cuts Mina off, his eyes glassy with tears again.
Mina chuckles. "This is what I mean when I say you're such an idiot for me. I won't stop loving you, Chaeyoung-aa. But yes, I'll punish you. Your punishment is that you can never leave me and Hoonie again, otherwise, you'll never be able to come back to us and see us on this earth anymore," Mina manages to suppress her laughter at her own remarks.
Chaeyoung shakes his head, panicked. "Trust me, at this point, only death can separate us, Mina-yaa. I'm not sweet-talking right now, but I really don't want to be away from you two. I love you so much. I love both you and Hoonie."
Mina nods, tears streaming down her cheeks, but these tears are happy ones for both of them. "I love you more than you can imagine, Chaeng. I love both you and our son."
"I love you too, Daddy and Mommy," Hoonie's small voice suddenly echoes in the air.
Mina and Chaeyoung abruptly turn their eyes to Hoonie, who is now standing at the living room entrance with Sana, Tzuyu, and Haewon. They notice all eyes and lips are gleaming, smiling at them.
"Come here, Hoonie-yaa," Chaeyoung opens his arms wide, prompting Hoonie to start running towards him.
In a swift motion, Hoonie and Mina both envelop themselves in Chaeyoung's embrace. Chaeyoung kisses Mina's crown before turning to kiss his son's cheeks. Their happy sobs and chuckles emanate, surrounding them.
Sana's eyes are drawn to see Chaeyoung finally getting Mina back into his arms. Her eyes start to glisten with happy tears.
'Love. It's your love for each other that brings both of you together. I'm happy for both of you. How could I have been that stupid person ever alive on this earth to have broken you two apart back then? But now, I promise I'll protect your relationship from anything that might break you apart again. It's the only way I can make up for my mistakes, and God, just kill me if I fail to protect them..just kill me'
-TIME SKIPPED-
It's been almost a month now since Chaeyoung and Mina finally rekindled their relationship. Not a single day passes without them slowly making progress to fix their relationship. Some things may feel a bit awkward for them after five years apart, prompting both of them to decide to take things slow and steady.
"Where are we going, Chaeng? You should have told me earlier if you wanted to bring me out so I could prepare a more proper outfit today. Look at me now, I look so ugly in these shabby jeans and this penguin shirt, while you seem like you're going to dinner with the royal family in your charming outfit..." Mina whines, her eyes fixed on the mirror while fixing her hair at the passenger seat as Chaeyoung drives her somewhere.
Chaeyoung steals a glance at Mina in his peripheral view. "I wish I could change my outfit to match yours before picking you up, but I didn't have time to get changed because I couldn't wait to bring you there," Chaeyoung mumbles, softly smiling while steering the car.
"That makes you even more suspicious now. Why did you ask me out this weekend right after you finished your meeting with the client just now? It's the weekend, why can't we just stay in, and where's your promise of not working on the weekend? Just tell me already, won't you?" Mina sounds a bit frantic and impatient as she adjusts her posture to face Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung grins. "I know but I told you the meeting couldn't be avoided, I'm sorry for that. And could you have a little patience, Mina-yaa? You nag so much, that's why Hoonie always runs away from you and comes to me," Chaeyoung nervously gulps after he unintentionally complaints about Mina.
"Seriously? Yaa, this is the reason why I'm nagging at both of you. You two share the same brain cells that always annoy me that much. If only I could hit Hoonie's head, I'd do it already, but he's my poor precious little baby. Oh god, I miss my son already," Mina pouts, her eyes blinking.
"Yaa, what about me? You just said you can't hit Hoonie, so does that mean you can hit me?" Chaeyoung shakes his head while chuckling in disbelief.
"Have I ever hit you, Chaeng? You know I have a soft spot for you that I can't bring myself to hurt you, right?" Mina mumbles in a low voice, feeling a bit embarrassed by her own confession to Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung's heart flutters like crazy as he hears what Mina says. He gently holds Mina's hand. "I know, and that's what makes me love you even more..,babe," he brings Mina's hand near his lips and plants a warm kiss on it. "Now can you please stop nagging and be a good passenger princess?" He adds while chuckles.
Mina couldn't help but feel her heart throb faster as she heard Chaeyoung call her 'babe' again. She feels like she's floating on the cloud nine.
"Hey, are you listening to me, Mina-yaa?" Chaeyoung wonders, glancing slightly at Mina.
Mina's smile suddenly fades. "Hmmmm... why did you call me 'Mina' when you already called me... you know, with that nickname just now?" Mina's cheeks flush pink at her own demanding question, causing her to stare out the window.
Chaeyoung's brows furrow. "What nickname?" He asks cluelessly.
Mina rolls her eyes. "Nothing... just focus on your driving. I'll stay silent for now," her voice tinged with coldness and sulking.
Chaeyoung chuckles as he successfully teasing Mina again. "You know what? I actually miss seeing you sulk with me like this, but I can't bear it when you give me the cold shoulder. So, Babe.......can you please stop sulking with me?" Chaeyoung emphasizes the word of 'babe' clearly, clear enough to make Mina's heart flutter.
Mina's lips twitch, trying to suppress her smiles. "You always know how to please me, baby," she softly utters, but the word 'baby' becomes an audible whisper to Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung blinks repeatedly. "Baby?" He utters little loud, unable to help but chuckle like an idiot. "Baby huh??....." he blurt out again while Mina listening to him. He clears his throat when he looks at Mina and slowly intertwines his hand with hers again. He brushes his thumbs onto her soft skin while maintaining a poker face, his gaze fixed straight ahead at the road.
Mina glances at their intertwining hands, feeling every brush from him sending shivers down her spine. She scoffs in amusement. "Idiot," she unknowingly mirrors Chaeyoung's reaction, smiling in embarrassment together with him thought their heart already thundering hard with love.
Chaeyoung steers his car through a large gate, which reveals a grand mansion as the fate automatically opens. "Here we are, babe," he utters, bringing the car to a stop at the entrance of the mansion, where a majestic fountain stands in front of it.
Mina's eyes scan the surroundings from the car, amazed by the vast yards adorned with vibrant flowers and majestic trees, exuding nature's serene beauty. The mansion proudly stands before them. "Whose place is this, Chaeng? It's so big and pretty. Don't tell me you're really bringing me to meet some royal family, Chaeyoung," she begins to wonder as she opens the door and steps out of the car.
Chaeyoung smirks. "If this really belongs to royalty, then you are the queen. But let's get inside first, and then you'll figure out who owns this place. Let's go," he says, waiting for Mina.
The door opens ajar for them by two strange men that waiting outside the main entrance. "Thank you," Chaeyoung flashes a warm smile at them.
Mina follows suit, showing manners to the men. As soon as her eyes dart inside the mansion, her jaw slightly drops. "Oh god, it's too beautiful, Chaeng. I love how this interior to be this modern and classy" Mina's eyes trail over the interior design of the mansion.
Chaeyoung tucks his hand into his pocket while following Mina behind. "Umm... I like it too. It's simple yet classy, just like what you always prefer, right?" He says while observing Mina's reactions.
"Uhh umm... It's pleasant to my eyes," Mina utters as she stops walking around and stands beside Chaeyoung. "But... whose place is this? I feel like it's inappropriate to stroll around someone else's place without permission," she sounds hesitant while peeking around for any figures.
"Don't worry, the owner told me that you can make yourself feel at home here," Chaeyoung chuckles suggestively.
Mina stares at him with a suspicious look, studying Chaeyoung's mischievous expression.
"What's with the stare, babe? You don't believe me?" Chaeyoung scoffs in disbelief. "Yaa, trust me, the owner also said if you like this place, he's willing to give it to you," Chaeyoung naughtily smiles, making Mina slap his hand hard.
"You are so playful... but let's be serious, whose place is this?" Mina returns to her serious, clueless tone.
"I'll tell you, but you need to answer me first... Do you like this place? And what if we lived here, would you like it?" Chaeyoung furrows his brows while smiling mischievously at Mina.
"Who would be unhappy living in a place like this, Chaeng? It's too dreamy that I feel like we need to stop daydreaming now," Mina softly utters while pinching Chaeyoung's nose.
Chaeyoung then out of nowhere pulls Mina's waist close to him. "You know, I can make your dreams come true, babe," his breath lingering on Mina's skin, making her feel a bit hotter in Chaeyoung's arms. She stands there, unsure of what to do.
"Uhh, what is this ?" Chaeyoung playfully asks, then slowly brings his fist to Mina's face pretending to catch something. But Mina's eyes suddenly widen in alarm as Chaeyoung opens his fist, revealing a gold key card in front of her
Mina is bewildered. "W-what is this?" Her eyes linger between Chaeyoung and the key card.
"This place is yours, Mina," Chaeyoung gently utters while placing the card into Mina's palm.
Mina's hands are shaking. "Yaa, what.. how?? Don't play around with me, Chaengi.. It's not funny at all," her face tinged with a mix of confusion, excitement, and annoyance.
"Why would I play around, babe? This is truly yours," Chaeyoung pauses, waiting for Mina to respond, but she seems to be under the curse of silence now. Chaeyoung chuckles, "Actually, babe, I bought this place for you 5 years ago. Right after I knew you were pregnant, I immediately dreamed of living in this place with you, where we could build our family here." Chaeyoung's smile slowly fades, he swallows hard. "But it's a shame that before I could bring you here to live with me, we had already fallen apart. I'm sorry..." his voice suddenly stuck.
"Chaeng..." Mina's voice whispers under her breath. "Let's just leave all the past behind, okay? We promised, right? We'll stay with each other through thick and thin in the future. So please stop blaming yourself. I already forgive you, so you should stop feeling any guilt now." Mina brushes Chaeyoung's cheeks while offering a smile that heavily weighs in warmth for him.
Chaeyoung holds Mina's palm and keeps them around his cheeks, relishing every single touch from her, exchanging warmth from their skin. Chaeyoung finally manages to lighten up his mood again as he scrunches his nose.
"This is only one of the surprises that I've planned for you years ago. I have another one that I've been wanting to do for a long time," Chaeyoung says.
Mina's lips and eyes smile all at once to him. "You are always full of surprises, babe. Drop the suspense and just tell me what's the next one," she insists.
Chaeyoung's eyes search for Mina's, making sure they don't lose their eye contact. Slowly, he steps back, his heart already having a jumping party in his ribcage.
"What are you doing? I told you to drop the suspense... don't give me a heart attack, Son Chaeyoung," Mina suppresses her nervousness as she bites her lower lip, her heart also beating strangely as she looks at Chaeyoung.
"Shhh... don't say anything," Chaeyoung gestures for Mina to keep silent, which she obeys, trying to appear nonchalant again.
But it doesn't last long as Mina's body trembling a bit when Chaeyoung getting on one kneel before her. She brings her palm to cover the turmoil that almost escapes her mouth.
Chaeyoung chuckles in the midst of nervousness and retrieves something from his blazer pocket. "I wish to take you as my wife and live with you for the rest of my life. So, Myoui Mina, will you marry me?" He opens the small velvet box with a heart shape in front of Mina, revealing a silver ring with a diamond glistening on it.
"Oh my god, are you really proposing to me, Son Chaeyoung?" she seems unable to comprehend what's happening right now.
Chaeyoung clicks his tongue. "Tsk, what do you see I'm doing right now, Myoui Mina?" Chaeyoung slips back into his nervous demeanor. "So... do you accept me as your husband or not? Tell me faster, my legs are getting numb now," he grins groggily.
Mina unconsciously nods multiple times to him, "Of course, idiot... I'll marry you," she says while suppressing the happiness she's feeling right now. Her happiness radiates from her like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, casting a warm and brilliant glow around her. Her eyes sparkle with joy, mirroring the shine of the diamond on the ring Chaeyoung holds.
Chaeyoung smiles like an idiot as he stands before her, taking Mina's hand and sliding the ring onto her finger. "Thank you, Mina-yaa... Hold my promise, I'll be a good husband to you and a good daddy to our son," his voice filled with sincerity and love before he sighs heavily in relief, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He then places a long, warm, and gentle kiss on her hands.
"I'll hold your promise, Chaeng..And I promise you, I'll be a good wife to you and a good mommy to Hoonie" she utters, prompting Chaeyoung to affectionately staring onto her. The surge of happiness shoots straight into Mina's mind and takes control of her body. She brings her palms to cover her reddened cheeks, unable to endure Chaeyoung's luring stare on her.
"Oh, come on, let me see that beautiful face... Are you that shy with me now?" Chaeyoung teases, pulling Mina's hand from her face. But suddenly, his eyes blink repeatedly, and his gesture towards Mina softens as Mina's sobs reach his ears.
"Babe... hey, why are you crying?" He gently pulls her hands away from her face. "No, no... did I make you sad again? I'm sorry, please stop crying now... shhh." He pulls Mina into his embrace, patting her back to calm her down. In that moment, Chaeyoung's heart aches at the sight of Mina's tears, his only desire to soothe her pain and bring back her smile.
"No... you didn't make me sad. I cried because you're making me so incredibly happy right now, baby" Mina mumbles between her sobs in Chaeyoung's embrace.
Chaeyoung giggles at how cute his soon-to-be wife looks right now. "I'm happy too, babe... You're the reason why I'm so happy right now, Mina-yaa," he says, lifting Mina's head to face her. "You've always been the reason for every single happiness in my life... You truly mean everything to me since the first day I met you... I love you, Myoui Mina," he cups her cheeks, gently brushing away her tears.
Mina's swollen eyes lock onto his, a smile spreading across her face at his heartfelt confession. "I love you too, Son Chaeyoung." She slowly leans closer to Chaeyoung, craving the sensation of their lips brushing against each other's.
Chaeyoung responds by pulling her face closer to him, their lips meeting in a soft and tender kiss. The longing walls between them seem to crumble brick by brick as they kissing each other. Every movement and touch dissipates the sensation of missing, replaced only by the warmth of each other's presence.
Their hearts beat in sync of desire, eliciting a deeper kiss as Chaeyoung sucks on Mina's lower lip, prompting her to slightly part her lips, granting Chaeyoung permission to explore her mouth with his tongue. Their kiss becomes more intense and sloppy, making Mina uncontrollably traces Chaeyoung's jawline and pulling his nape while Chaeyoung's hand trailing Mina's curve, not wanting to move on from the shared sensation until they both feel breathless. Finally, they pulling apart, panting for air with smiles and laughter shared between them. Each smile and laugh conveys their affection, love, and intimacy towards each other, strengthening the bond between them even further.
-TIME SKIPPED-
It's the weekend again, and Mina is left at home with Hoonie while Chaeyoung busies himself with work at his office. He knows he's breaking the rule again, but he promises Mina that he'll come home early before the sun goes down.
Beside, Chaeyoung asks for Mina's understanding to settle all his work before they can completely focus on their wedding preparations. Though Mina hates Chaeyoung breaking the rule again, she also doesn't want to stress him out, so she reluctantly agrees.
"Babe... give me a specific time, when will you be coming home?" Mina sends Chaeyoung a message as it's already 4 in the evening, and Chaeyoung hasn't updated Mina on anything since he left this morning.
She anxiously waits for Chaeyoung to reply, but it feels like it's taking forever until Hoonie snaps her out of her thoughts. "Mommy... can I eat some chocolate?" Hoonie comes and pouts in front of her with his puppy eyes.
"Baby... didn't you already eat a lot of chocolates today? You know daddy will nag at mommy if mommy lets you eat too much chocolate, right? What about mommy making you your favorite strawberry cheese tart? Do you want it?" Mina says while fixing Hoonie's hair.
"Yes, yes, yes!!... Strawberry cheese tart. I want it, mommy!!" Hoonie yells in happiness while nodding to Mina.
"Oh boy, you really can't resist strawberries, just like your daddy," Mina flashes a motherly smile to her son before getting up to prepare the strawberry cheese tart for him.
It's already around 6 in the evening when Mina finishes making some strawberry cheese tarts for her son. Her eyes sparkle seeing how Hoonie eats with gusto. "Is it good, baby?" Mina asks, gaining cute nods from her son while his mouth is full with the tarts. Mina chuckles at how he resembles Chaeyoung's behavior a lot, always being appreciative toward her. Even for the little things she does, Chaeyoung and Hoonie will show his bigger gratitude for Mina.
"Ohh yaa!! I should save some for Chaeyoung too," Mina's mind drifts to Chaeyoung again as she remembers that he also likes the strawberry cheese tart she makes. "Hoonie-yaa, can you give mommy some? Mommy wants to save some for daddy... please," Mina pouts cutely towards her son, knowing he can be a bit greedy, especially when it comes to strawberries. He won't let others have his.
Hoonie nods, "It's for daddy... mommy can't eat, okay?" Hoonie passes some of the tarts to Mina, which makes her startled and surprised with his actions that not being greedy.
"Oh my god, you really are Son Chaeyoung's son, Son Sunghoon," she says, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
"But where is your dad? It's almost sunset now, and he didn't reply to mommy, Hoonie-yaa. Do you know where your dad went?" She asks the little boy in her frustrated voice, as if having a conversation with her friends.
"Daddy is working, mommy. Don't be sad, okay?" Hoonie flashes a sweet smile at Mina, which makes her heart flutter at her little boy.
"Okay, baby," Mina pretends to wipe away her unvisible tears, amused by her son's reassurance. "You really talk just like your dad now. What about me, Hoonie-yaa? Don't you have any traits from me? I'm your mom," she pouts while staring at her son, who doesn't bother to entertain her anymore.
Mina then glares at her chatroom with Chaeyoung, frustration bubbling up inside her. Eventually, she growls in annoyance, "Urgh, you better hurry up, Son Chaeyoung," she grimaces and throws her phone to her side, feeling hopeless as she waits for his reply.
Chaeyoung gnaws at his nerves as he realizes he's already late to come home, the clock showing 9 at night. The thought of Mina being mad and angry at him passes through his mind, causing him to catch his breath. He knows Mina might be waiting for him inside with her gaze blazing and her breath fierce.
His hand trembles slightly as he inserts the door pass, and he swallows hard before taking the first steps into the house. Every footstep feels heavy with anticipation, unsure of what awaits him inside.
"Where have you been, Son Chaeyoung?" A stern and cold voice pierces through the silence in the living room.
"Damn it" Chaeyoung curse under his breath. He's breathing becomes heavier. "Babe... I, uh..." He's stuck for words as Mina approaches with her arms crossed.
"Are you drunk? Why do I smell alcohol on you?" Mina questions, sniffing Chaeyoung again. "Did you go drinking? With whom?" She interrogates Chaeyoung with a furious gaze.
"No... I'm not drinking, I just—uhh," he trails off again when Mina suddenly steps back from him, her expression a mix of anger and surprise.
"Whose perfume lingers on you, Chaeyoung?" Her lips tremble as she looks at Chaeyoung, who is now trying to avoid her gaze.
Chaeyoung heaves a sigh. "Let's sit down first, I'll explain," he tries to hold Mina's hand, but she recoils from him, avoiding his touch.
"No, just tell me now... Where have you actually been? And with whom have you been drinking, Chaeyoung?" Her voice rises, suppressing the sadness and frustration that suddenly cloud her.
Chaeyoung swallows hard. "I was with Somi..." His voice is tinged with guilt as he pauses for a moment.
The air seems to thicken with tension between Mina and Chaeyoung after he mentions being with Somi. Chaeyoung's voice hangs in the air for a moment without any response from Mina. Reading Mina's reaction, Chaeyoung knows that he needs to do something.
"Babe... Actually, I wanted to come home earlier, but Somi called me, and... She sounded in trouble, and said she needed someone to accompany her to drink. I couldn't bear to reject her request," Chaeyoung slowly explains.
Mina's face shows dissatisfaction with his explanation. "So you went out drinking with her and broke your promises to me because of her?" Her voice is stern.
Chaeyoung heaves a sigh. "I didn't drink... I just accompanied her and..." He is cut off.
"What else did you guys do? How did her perfume end up on you? Tell me, Chaeng... Did you guys kiss again?" Mina chews her lower lip.
Chaeyoung's eyes widen in shock. "W-what? What are you talking about? She's my friend, Mina-yaa, how could we kiss?"
Mina scoffs. "Stop beating around the bush... I know, Chaeng, you kissed her the first time you met her at the bar, right? I'm not wrong, am I?" Her heart clenches with her own thoughts.
"I've never kissed her, babe... Trust me. About the perfume, it was because I helped her walk properly while taking her back to her place," Chaeyoung sounds defensive as he explains.
Mina's expression is one of disbelief. "Oh wow... Are you telling me that you went to her place? What else ?? Did you two..."
"No, babe... It's nothing like what you're assuming... We did nothing. I just drove her home and left, then nothing," Chaeyoung steps closer to Mina, trying to reach out for her hand, but Mina recoils.
Mina swallows hard. "You never learn from your mistakes, do you, Chaeng?" Her eyes blaze with frustration.
"What do you mean, babe? Please trust me, will you?" Chaeyoung pleads, trying to convince Mina.
Mina's eyes linger on him, reservation engulfing her for a moment. Eventually, she curls a sinister smile. "Maybe your memories didn't entirely come back to you... but let me remind you, Son Chaeyoung...about your friendship with Sana. You chose to protect your friendship with her and treated her like your girlfriend rather than just a friend behind my back...and that was the reason why we fell apart years ago... Now you recall it?" Mina sounds irritated as she expresses her outrage.
Chaeyoung stuns for a moment, his eyes blinking upon Mina's remark, knowing that the ground of what he has done years ago was true, just as Mina said. He absolutely remembers everything, and that's why he's lost for words to respond.
Mina feels haunted by a painful past that never stops crossing her mind. She's exhausted with everything and feels numb, unable to burst out in tears even though her wounds seem to be bleeding again.
She sounds heartless as she utters something to Chaeyoung before she walks away "If you came back just to repeat your mistakes all over again, you should just leave my life, Chaeyoung... I don't need you, and I don't want to get hurt for the same reason anymore."
To be continued.....