It was another beautiful morning, soft sunlight spilling into the penthouse gym, and the faint hum of the treadmill filling the room. Suho was walking at a steady pace, hair slightly messy, lips parted as he breathed through the slow run.
Hauen walked in, half-asleep, yawning as she tied her hair into a lazy bun.
"Morning, Teddy…"
Suho glanced sideways, a smile tugging at his lips. "Morning, nurse."
She stopped mid-step and stared at him.
"Do I still look like your nurse?" she said, stepping closer with a dangerous calm.
He grinned, cheeky and mischievous. "In every single angle. Comes with a full wife-service package."
She stood beside the treadmill, giving him a long, unimpressed stare. "Call me a nurse one more time, and I'm signing the divorce papers. And don't think I'll show mercy this time, even if you run after me, blocking the highway."
His eyes widened like she had stabbed him, then he broke into helpless laughter.
"No worries," he said, still laughing, "I'll kidnap you from the highway. This time, no crying, no begging."
She slapped his arm lightly, unable to fight her smile. He grinned, happy he could still make her react.
"You're early today?" she asked, raising a brow. "Such a dedication."
"I have to," he said, adjusting his pace on the treadmill. "It's been too long stuck inside this penthouse. I need to take care of Mirae seriously now."
She nodded proudly. "Good. Continue," she said with another sleepy yawn, turning to walk away.
"Can you make me a protein shake?" he asked, breathless but hopeful.
"No more free services," she called back, already walking away.
He chuckled. "Then what do you want?"
"You!!" she shouted playfully.
Bora laughed from the kitchen, and Suho immediately turned shy, his cheeks warming.
"I'm completely free," he said, mustering a little confidence, "only for Kim Hauen."
Hauen's lips curled into a small, satisfied smile before she disappeared toward the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she returned with the shake. "Here is your protein shake, husband," she said, offering it to him.
He reached for it, and she pulled back.
"Yaa, Hauenaa… don't," he laughed breathlessly.
She stepped between him and the treadmill console, sliding into the small space with playful confidence.
He slowed down, eyes locked on her as she leaned in, close enough to feel his heartbeat jump.
"Protein shake, husband," she whispered teasingly.
He caught her wrist, pulling her gently toward him. "Don't tease me early in the morning, Mrs. Kim," he whispered back, his voice low and shy, yet trying to sound stern.
She only smiled. "I am teasing you, Mr. Kim."
He giggled, actually giggled, and looked down at his feet, shy.
Her heart warmed at the familiar sight. She cupped his face gently, making him look at her. His breaths went soft; his chest rose faster. His heart pounded loudly, fast, and impossible to hide, making him feel embarrassed.
"It feels good to see your heart racing for me," she whispered, brushing her thumb along his cheek.
He gasped softly, turning red instantly.
"And it feels even better that you're mine," she added, smiling slowly.
His ears flamed. He bit his lip, unable to handle her closeness.
She laughed softly and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Stop getting shy… it makes me go crazy over you."
"Yaa… Hauena… hajima…" he whined, burying his face against her shoulder
She chuckled, hands instinctively moving to his hair. "Shy bear," she murmured.
He didn't deny it. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, treadmill forgotten, and nuzzled into her as if he could disappear into her warmth.
She laughed again, cradling him in a soft embrace. "Right now, you're being too adorable to handle, Teddy."
He smiled into her shoulder, still refusing to lift his head..
"How long will you stay hiding, hm?" she teased.
"Until you stop teasing me," he mumbled, voice muffled against her neck.
"Protein shake?" She asked.
"Forget it," he mumbled again.
She giggled softly and kissed his hair. He held her a little tighter, and for a few quiet minutes, they simply stayed wrapped around each other, warm, cozy, and hopelessly in love.
The morning drifted by like that… full of soft touches, shy smiles, and little moments that felt like home.
Later that night, Suho looked worn out. Hours of nonstop meetings had drained him. He had barely stepped out of his study since the evening.
And Hauen… she didn't disturb him. She only peeked into the room from time to time, leaving him a glass of water, whispering a soft "take a five-minute break," then quietly walking away.
When he finally stepped out of the study, stretching like a tired cat, she was sitting on the living room couch, sipping soju. It was almost 10 p.m., but she still wasn't sleepy.
He walked toward her, drawn to her like gravity. She looked up and smiled. "Done with your work?"
"Yeah…" he murmured, and without thinking twice, settled beside her, then gently lay his head on her lap.
Her smile grew. She combed her fingers through his hair, slow and delicate.
"Aren't you sleepy?" he asked quietly.
"Nope… that's why just chilling here with soju," she said, taking another sip.
He let out a tired chuckle. Then he tilted his head slightly to look at her.
"You know… soju is the reason we became best friends," he said, voice warm and nostalgic.
She lifted a brow, amused.
He continued, voice low, "We have created some of the best memories with soju… from the very beginning. Like when you helped me first to cooperate—"
He stopped abruptly. Froze mid-sentence. He realized what he was about to bring up. His words died instantly, and he looked away, suddenly shy, suddenly nervous.
Hauen burst into a small smile and lightly slapped his arm. "What happened, Teddy?" she teased.
"Nothing," he muttered, pretending to ignore it, even though the tips of his ears had already turned red.
She couldn't resist and squeezed his cheeks.
"Stopp…" he whined again.
She laughed again, "Yaa Suho… Why are you shy? I remember everything we had," she said bluntly.
"But I don't." He muttered, cheeks warmed, yet he still wasn't courageous enough to look at her.
She giggled and leaned back. "Even if you forget everything, I remember that cute drunk Suho… and the nights—"
"No… don't," he stopped her quickly. His voice came out low, desperate. She laughed, brushing his hair again.
Silence settled. A soft, warm one.
He stayed there, still shy, still red, lying on her lap like she was his safest place. But her hands soothed him, calming him down.
After a moment, he whispered, "You… really remember everything?"
She looked down at him and smiled. "Hmm…"
He slowly took her hand, hugging her palm to his cheek like it grounded him. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
She blinked. "For what?"
"For everything I did with you," he said slowly.
Her heart squeezed. But she smiled gently. "Don't be sorry. It was mutual. We both agreed to it, with consent."
He went silent again. But his mind wasn't.
After a moment, he spoke again, slower this time. "…Were you in love with me then?"
Her heart stumbled, her breath hitched, she replied, "Yes…" her voice slow, almost a whisper, like the pain she went through because of the one-sided love reflected in every word.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply because he could feel the pain in her voice. He kissed her palm, soft, slow, almost apologetic, and held it closer.
"Don't feel guilty, Suho," she whispered.
But he couldn't stop it. He stayed silent, his heart aching strangely. He had spent nights with her, sharing intimacy… and he didn't remember those moments. But she did.
How painful it must have been for her to share that kind of closeness with the man she loved, while that man didn't remember anything the next morning… and was in love with someone else.
But it was true, she was in love, and he wasn't. And she endured it silently.
He could feel her heart thudding right now, which meant it had definitely hurt her in some way. He felt guilty… and ashamed of himself for making her go through such pain.
He couldn't say a single word in that moment; his throat felt tight, almost burning. He stayed silent, feeling her warmth… feeling the quick, steady thudding of her pulse.
After a while, she spoke gently. "You must be tired… let's go to bed."
He slowly pushed himself up, his face unreadable, blank, distant, lost somewhere deep inside his thoughts. He looked at her once, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
She offered him a soft smile and stood up, guiding him toward the bedroom. He followed quietly… yet his hand instinctively reached for hers. He held it tightly.
But his heart… his heart was pounding. Because a faint memory flashed, the image of her guiding him to bed on those drunken nights. Her helping him. Caring for him. Loving him silently and him unaware..
When they reached the bedroom, he stopped. He tugged her hand, not moving.
She turned, confused. "What happe—"
Before she could finish, he yanked her closer, chest colliding with hers. She gasped...
And the very next second, he captured her lips. Deep. Intense. Almost desperate. His fingers tangled in her hair, his breath shaky as if the guilt, the realization, the longing, all erupted at once.
She was stunned at first. Then slowly melted into him.
The moment swallowed them whole.
They pulled back slowly, breath mingling, warm against each other's lips. He rested his forehead against hers, hands holding her face like she was the only thing anchoring him.
"Let me love you tonight," he whispered, voice trembling. "This time… for real."