"Woo Hee-ya, let me bring those books and I will lock the door. Just sit at the car, I won't be long, if not you will be late for the papers. You gonna hate it much when you running out of time or worse you aren't allowed to sit for the papers by your scary professor. He hates tardiness, don't you remembered?" a voice belong to a young man resonated as he motioned a woman, his beautiful wife to be precise, to hand him all the books that she was carrying.

The latter doesn't have much choice but to follow the instructions because what her husband said was right all along. She takes her flat black shoes, put it on her feet then walks to car where the engine were already on. She sits quietly and let herself drown into deep thinking.

Her mind wandered far from the reality, her thoughts was everywhere and she knows that her focus for the last paper was long gone.

In all circumstances to come, he was the one she thought right now. It is him who matters now.

Truthfully, she did felt something was off for last few weeks, she can't deciphered the feeling or what is going on, which bothered her in many way, but if anything she can really think off (an intuition actually), it will had to do with her husband, Baek Ah whom she married 2 years ago.

She noticed that Baek Ah had been quiet all throughout the week. He went home earlier than he usually did and went to work a little later after sending her to the class. He seems to lingered more on the breakfast table during mornings and appeared to be unenthusiastic to leave when she finally had to shoo him away when he stayed a little bit longer as he dropped her at the university entrance.

She did asked if there was something wrong with the museum or the gallery but he just shruged it off like it was nothing to be worried about. She tried again, querying on the next day and other days where he just replied with a small smile, yet it laced with sadness in it. She really didn't mean to pry on his business, she really is and how she aren't worried or scared for him when she couldn't do anything but catch the sad look in the man eyes, her husband to be exact from time to time when he thought that she wasn't looking.

What's going on, love?

How ironic was that when she says she loves him but the sacred words never escaped from her lips or how she not reciprocated even when she knows how Baek Ah had a long and painful unrequited love for her. How he loves her so fiercely and willingly, how beautiful and kind his love is for her, how strong and passionate he is for her. Still is.

And all this time she was being so in fear, scared as all the insecurities engulfed in her. Eating her alive.

She thinks she doesn't deserve him. He deserves someone who is better, who is not someone who wasn't broken like her. Someone who is and will not be, HER. Yet, why she feels like breaking inside?

When fate first decided to set them up, it was an arranged marriage that he proposed to her, to help her escaped from manipulative, merciless and ungrateful uncles. Who chained and used her like she just a commodity, trades or offerings to strengthen their company in the conglomerate world. Of course, when she an orphan and taken under their care. And she has to pay their so called good deeds as the famous saying, no free lunch in the world. Everything needs to be paid or repaid. Maybe that is the reason why she exists in this world.

It is such a cold, sad world with cruel fate.

She tried her hardest to break free, of anything, of everything. But they wouldn't let her go just like that. She kept on fighting for her own freedom and they tightened the leash on her neck. Making her suffocated and used her weaknesses for their own gain. Until he came, carrying a light and brighten her dark and scary world.

Her long trains of flashback come to halt as she feels a warm hand touching her palm, soothing her in the process. With his pair of black sincere eyes, worry written in his face, he asks as turning to her – " Woo Hee-ya…are you nervous? You'll do fine. You've been doing really well this semester, haven't you?"

"Well, I-" She pauses, then turns towards him, knowing how busy he was with all the succession of the Wang Corps. "How did you know I've been doing well this sem?"

Now it's his turn to avert his eyes from hers. "I… I just… You know, urm, I went to check things out." He lets his lips to curve into a small smile. "It's as important to me as it is to you."

All over again, with just a few words, coming from him, he has done it. He is throwing her into ocean of raw emotions, ranging from being moved by his sincerity and concern, to guilt towards the awkwardness of his one-sided feelings. She watches as he gives a quiet cough, lifted a boxes tied in a soft fabrics and a thermos flask with spoon onto her lap.

"Baek, what is in this boxes?" as she smell a wonderful aroma coming from the bundle. She can feel the car start to move out from the mansion to the main road heading towards her examinations venue.

"Omma made it." He give a sweet smiles,-"for you. She got one of the helpers from main house to send it over this morning." He then added, "She says it is important to have a good breakfast and eat well before your paper and I've seen you didn't eat much this morning. You know how she taken a liking doing this thing," he smiles again. "Omma loves doing this because it makes her feel like she's part of your life."

Her heart swells in warmness of love, nodding her head wordlessly, Woo Hee starts to untie the fabric that covered the four tier square boxes to reveals the contents inside. How shocked and elated her was when seeing four different types of gimbap, cuts in perfection with enormous delicious fillings in the middle, wrapped with nicely done rice and with crisp seaweed at the outer layer. The first box was for egg gimbap, and then it is tuna, followed by dried meat, lastly with fishcakes gimbap. She then closes the lid and tied it back up again as she open the thermos flask. The seaweed soup aromatic smell dispersed in every corner of the car, she was tempted to have the soup now but her thought of sharing the foods with Baek Ah come first as for her foods always be so delightful and more enjoyable when eating with other person. Foods can wait as she sees his current focus is on the road as his long fingers griped tightly on the car steering. Making sure they arrived safely towards their destination.

Even though his eyes on the road, he can see clearly of Woo Hee actions who sit at the passenger sit. When she closes the lid of the containers filled with the gimbap and she just taken a look at the soup without taking a sips or tasting the foods, he fears if she hates the food or it is not on her taste. He let a slow voice, - "Aren't you eating, wifey? Is it not good? Is it not to your likings? Do you want me to stop somewhere where we can take a go-to-go breakfast? Or is there anything you want to have in your mind?" He keeps on firing his question and the latter give a questioning looks.

Realizing the situation as he might have thought wrongly as she wasn't touching the food, Woo Hee replied in hurried, "No,no no. Don't stop anywhere, the foods is beyond marvelous and all I want now is to ravish it all in one go. But I, … erm I want to share it with you. Let have it together, okay?" she say it shyly.

"You, - you want to share it with me?" Baek Ah replied back at her.

"Why, don't you want it? Omma might have made it all for me, I just want to share it you. If you don't, it's fine with me then." There is disappointed tone coming from Woo Hee.

Baek Ah come fast with another words, "Of course, I want it. I just totally thought that you don't like it. It is still a long way to go, you know, so what if you eat the gimbap and the soup first? Then, you can tell me how good and nice it is."

After hearing her husband explanations, Woo Hee dips the spoon into the flask and begins to drink the soup. It's delicious, she thinks as a smile form in her lips.

When, the car stop as there was massive jam on the road, she spoon feed him with the soup and gimbap which he was stunned at first because Woo Hee rarely shows any affection openly, as mostly it was discreet or any other first direct approaches in these two years of marriage. He can feel like he is in a cloud nine. Even though it looks not like a grand gestures, but her actions make his heart a little bit at ease. He wants to savors these moments.

Two years. Make it four, if counting the two years prior their marriage when he first time met her.

He lost in his own counting's. Two years of him always making the first move, two years of him always trying to get her to open up to him, two years of getting her to love him, two years of push and pulls, where resulted in them behaving more like a housemate than husband and wife.

He gladly takes all of it if this is what needed to make her stay.

In fact, for the couple of weeks, no it might have back dated to two or three months ago, as he was reminded by a promised that he made before they were married. And it will killed him much to honored the promise if she ever asked for it. It has taken a tolls on him, at the very much as his feeling concern.

I want to be selfish.

He wanted more time with her.

I really, really, really want more time with you, Woo Hee. I meant it. Will you let me be with you just a little more?

"Baek, what's wrong? Is the soup to hot? Oh my, Baek, I'm really sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't blow it well." Woo Hee frantically close the soup lid and her hand searching for the napkins or tissues that was kept in the dashboard as she saw tears brimming at the corner of Baek Ah eyes. When she finds it, she dabbed it to his lips to lessen the effects.

Baek Ah right hand hold on her left cheek, caressing it softly as he looks at her deeply as she will vanishes from his sights forever. He then runs his fingers at her locks of hair. He looks at her, just staring and gazing like she's the light of his life. Like how she meant a world for him.

Woo Hee couldn't let her words out because she was too dazzled by his husband actions. It feels so affectionate and like it was only reserved for her. She can feel her heartbeats fast and hammered her like crazy. Thump… Thump… Thump…

Unfortunately, the loud honks from behind had both startled and then stopped them from basking in the moment longer. The road in front was all cleared and Baek Ah wiped his tears away, he pulls down the brake and resumes his driving.

As the radio play a beautiful yet a sad song of longing between lovers, its title matching their current situation. Sung by Lee Hi and Epik High, 'Can You Hear My Heart' resonates in the car. Clearly both of them have their own inner battle right now.

How ironic is that.

Woo Hee trying not to thinking much of what just happen. Her minds will always thinking of him. The most kindness, understanding, selfless, strong willed, loyal and most importantly he loves her too much.

She loves him too. Too much. So, so, so much that she doesn't know how much.

He gave her everything. He gave her families she would die for to have, him being a husband, a lover,a friend, a housemate and she don't know how to thank him. For all he have done. She have someone who she called father and mother, three brother-in-laws who treated her with kindness, sister-in-laws who much a best girl-friends too and aunt or her other title, the godmother of beautiful twin, Wang Seol and Wang Seo Yeol.

Come to think of it, when she thought on family, Baek Ah's mother dote her a lot, although Woo Hee knows that she isn't the ideal daughter-in-law for the Wang family. Considering she doesn't have any power or back up as her uncles taken the authorities of her father company through dirty ways and when she married Baek Ah, she can hears people whispering on how she managed to get a good catch. The rumors hurt her and cause damage to her. Like, who wouldn't want to married a successful bachelor in town, with the good genes and looks, not to add with his other good attributes.

But Oh Soo Yeon – no it's Wang Soo Yeon, her mother-in-law put stop to wild spread, good for nothing rumors in her own ways. She never cares on power play or her being an orphan. Her mother-in-law should have known that her uncles will try their ways when she married Baek Ah. She makes sure no one would make mess with her, constantly protecting her like her son always do.

She loves Woo hee, bringing her out with Soo and Seon Deok for teas, showering her with expensive gifts, much how like how Baek Ah did even though she was not comfortable at first. She tried to refuse the gifts, but then Soo Yeon will let a pout and she says she only wanted to get close with her daughter that she never had, (bear in mind, her mother-in-law also used the same method to coax Soo and Seon Deok to take her mountain of gifts) Woo Hee comes to conclusions that she couldn't win the argument. Hence, she received the entire gift and went out for their girl's day out for shopping spree or just strolling around the park. But Soo Yeon will always continue to pampered her like that, just how she have to wakes up to cooks her for today breakfast, just to make sure she will get the best of world. Woo Hee knows that Soo Yeon treats her as her own daughter, because she knows how much her son loves her, yet she remains grateful and thankful for all that she has done.

While, Baek Ah is currently fighting his inner demon, threaten to eat him up.

Please, heart, soul or twisted mind, just don't make it is so disastrous. Don't let her relentlessly worried for you. Woo Hee doesn't need you to be this whole emotionally wrecked, just not today. It's her day, don't ruin it for her. She deserves to be calm and focus on her papers today. Her long awaited future waiting for her. Baek Ah, you will be okay, like you always do. Just, just be still, stay still, heart. He tried to reason with himself like a mantra.

But, what if her future doesn't include you then? His inner voices come alas.

What you gonna do, then?

Baek Ah nearly missed the junction of Woo Hee's university as his inner voice kicked him to the reality. He must be to drawn too much on his own thought.

Truthfully, he is so scared of losing her before, scared to losing her now or losing her forever.

He gives a signal to left and his eyes looking around to find a spot for parking. Seeing one under a small tree, he drives forward, adjusted it well and then pulls out the key.

Woo Hee came to see a place where she spent two years of her live continuing her studies doing Masters in art and minoring in dance. And now, it will be just a final step, final day of papers before she can graduate in full color.

Something caught her attention as she sees that the university compound wasn't crowded with people. It feels so weird. Did she come late or she went to the wrong venue? She turns paled. She swiftly takes her phone out to check for the examination time. The time is correct, the venue too. Woo Hee eyes darted to the clock at the car, then to her phone back.

Baek Ah can sense something was wrong as he sees Woo Hee in her state. When Woo Hee asks for his phone, he just gives it to her. Then, he heard Woo Hee let a small laugh and smiles to herself.

"Is there something wrong, wifey?"

"Oh my, ayy.. I was worried for nothing then. I thought that I was late, you know. Looks," she pointed at outside – "…see there was not many people right now, do you know why?"

He really thought of anything but couldn't find any as for answer for his wife question.

"Baek, we're early by two hours. That's why I was laughing." She answered on Baek Ah behalf.

Realizations hit him hard, how he can do this silly mistake, more like today. Why today, instead of other day, then? Baek Ah can only face palm thinking on his earlier actions.

"Wifey, I have made mistakes. I changed all the alarm clock in house to two hours early because I might be too paranoid, afraid if I overslept - no I mean that if you overslept and missed your paper then. I didn't mean to scare you off, I'm truly sorry. I'm..," his words was cut to half as Woo Hee was keep on laughing and just pat his in shoulder saying that it's okay. He did a good job and they should resume their food at her hangout place.

After they exit the car, Woo Hee left hand taken a grip on his right as she motions to a tree where she excitedly telling him how often she take her time eating and revising during her lunch hour. Sometimes, she was there napping for a short rest. He swears that it make him feel so close, so happy now, she more open to him. It feels like he is in euphoria with no end.

They sit comfortably and began to eat. Woo Hee keeps on complimenting on the foods and Baek Ah can't help than giving a proud smile on her words.

I will do anything, only if you will laugh and smile likes this.

Woo Hee stopped eating when she saw that Baek Ah just staring at her and aware that he not really touching the food so she asks him to open his mouth. She gently put an egg gimbap in his mouth which Baek Ah happily take and chew it slowly. He finishes it in second, timidly asked if she can feed him another one. She chooses a tuna gimbap and then does the same as before. Her husband is like a kid trapped in adult body, she puts her word on it.

Baek Ah take his own chopstick copying Woo Hee movements. He then picks a meat gimbap, trying to feeds on Woo Hee, but there are insecurities whether she will eat it if he gave it to her.

As for Woo Hee, today is like a dream, having felt more open and a little bit bold on her actions and affections for Baek Ah. She can tell that he might be so confused on her reactions today. She has come to decides that she will not hold on her feelings anymore. She wants to love him freely and show it to the world how he meant so much for her.

"Don't you think that it's my turn to be feed?" she bluntly asked.

"Urm.. Here it goes." He picks up the meat gimbap he intended to give Woo Hee earlier. He looks upon her who chew it joyously and when she asks for another one, he automatically put in her mouth.

They continue feeding on each other, sipping on the soup till it leaves about half. Woo Hee said that she will eats the remaining gimbap and soup during lunch and it will save up more time rather queuing up to buy at the cafe.

Both of them sit in silent, enjoying the sceneries and the calmness of the place. They still have another one and half hour leisure time before she will head up for her exams and his husband start his routine of going to the gallery then to the museum.

Without a word, she reaches over and takes his hand in hers, running her finger over his open palm, then tracing it lines, then touching the wedding ring on his ring finger thoughtfully, which she put it on him during their wedding, unable to look at him.

Baek Ah let out a grins, "I love it when you do that, wifey."

She was alert by his remarks, gives him a quick small shy smile, but he sees it.

His spirits now lifted to the sky just by her small smile.

Sensing no one would come to the tree, he reaches over by reflexes and lifts her onto his lap, then holding her with his arm around her waist. At first she flinches slightly, maybe a little bit of shy with their close proximity, but then he holds on her more tightly, and she finally yields and stays still.

Baek Ah rarely being emotional and she know something was bugging him nonstop, he seems to just want to be close to her right now.

He takes a good looks at her, her long black mahogany hair that was left open frame her face beautifully, her doe like eyes wide and innocent, and with his intense gaze boring into her, so cavernous, so strong that it managed to penetrates into her soul, which causes blush to her cheeks.

"…. Baek Ah? "

"You sound like you are leaving me, Woo Hee." He finally says it.

He lets his inner voice win him.

"What are you talking about?" She stares at him, "I'm not. Why would I?"

"Woo Hee-ya," he sighed, bringing his fingers through his hair in slight frustration, as if there were thing he wanted to say but was stuck as he didn't know how to put it into words. "I really wanted to talk about this only after your paper, but…- how should I say this, I just… I don't know. We have been together for two years, isn't it?"

She was away from being surprised, She rarely seen him unable to speak coherently when he such a good talker, sometime he can be so sweet at that too. "Yes." She replied, "We have."

He let out another sigh, "I just… I know that we didn't start out right. And I know… that I know after these few years, I mean, I don't know how wiling you have been t be with me. But, just so know that I have always, always loved you all of these years, wifey. And I never ever will stop loving you no matter what decision you made."

She then gives a quizzical looks, not sure of what he meant with her decision.

"I can tell that our marriage- oh screw that, this isn't even a marriage or relationship, it always been my unreciprocated feeling where I forced on you for two whole years. I know that this all started because this tangled situation that you and I were in, which your uncles and I used it against you, Woo Hee. Until now, please believe in me, I still feel very guilty towards you, wifey." He then then takes her hands for a comfort and was relieved she doesn't draw back. "But it doesn't mean that I don't love you. I totally do, that's why I have insisted on us living together all these years."

"I confess that I feel too scared now, because I was so frightened that I will lose you that I have actually lost you. I never want to eavesdrop on your conversation with Seon Deok, I'm sorry for that, and when you said… That if maybe if we had met under unalike our situations, you would've fall in love with me right now. You know, that scares me, making me regret on a lot of things, if only I hadn't be so persistent and selfish in getting you to be with me, things could have been a lot more different now."

"Baek Ah…,"

"Woo Hee, my beautiful wife, please let me finish. Now, I'm telling you this, once your finals end, you will graduate. And it also means that I've no longer have to pay for your university fees. I won't ask for you to pay me back, because these are things I've done and will remain to do willingly, because I love you so much, wifey, and the only way I know how to love you is by giving."

"But I know you that well, you hate the feeling being indebted and how stubborn you can be, you will fully pay off the fee to me. Although, of course I wouldn't ever ask you any of it back. So, can you consider it as a gift from me, can… can you do that for me?" He then lets out a voice, so exhausted, so resigned, drained and sad that Woo Hee have this sudden surge in her to lean forward then kiss his both sides of cheek so he can let go his worry and set it aside. Her nearly or pending actions was pause as Baek Ah continue to speak again,-"I just want for you to know, that between us, you don't owe me anything, wifey. Yet,I…" there was hesitation on how he should constructed his word better, -"…. I need to know, I want to know if, after all of this was over, would you like to start all over again with me. I meant that, I really, really want for us to build our future together, if you choose to stay."

After all this while, is she finally get her long awaited freedom, is she going to be free? She can feel her heart swelling and sinking. Why isn't she feeling happy or content? If Baek Ah is freeing her, she will be back to her normal life. She will have a job maybe as a lecturer or teacher and wouldn't have to attend the grand party or huge gala that can only be attended by their own kinds. She wouldn't have to live under the media scrutiny, waiting for her to do one small mistake and pull her husband and his family with her. She might be going for a journey or travel around the world, seeing places and people. She will be back to her world and there will not be anyone as Baek Ah. Does she really want that?

She asked herself if this what she really want.

As this two years passed by, with every seconds, minutes, hours which turns to days, days turns to year then the cycle repeats for the second time. With the years of awkwardness on his one sided feelings, stolen glances when they thought others won't see, the passionate gazes that bore into each other souls when they are with themselves, their arguments, then hope at his part, indifference on her part, regret on his side, anger on her side, pain on his and hers, will they decide that it would be better to end it? Will she be the one who decide to end it all?

Will love be enough to sustain?

She knows it perfectly though. She won't ask for more. Being in love and live with him till they grow white hair, it will be just enough.

Woo Hee does all her mental calculations, of other possibilities, everything and anything but she cannot unseen how his eyes are now wet.

Like she always said, he has been largely good and kind to her all these years, no doubt on it. Despite the bumpy and rocky road here and there, they managed to maintain good relationships even though not as normal husband and wife like others. All in due to his patience and how he make her slowly falls with him day by day with his willingness to love her that deeply and passionately.

To imagine the world where he won't be exist, even that thoughts were scaring her, how they depend on each other for support and care, how she become dependent on him after these years.

She believes it is her turn to say something and begins, "Baek Ah,"

With a small smile he pulls her into a tight hug where he burying his face in her lavender scents hair. "Wifey, it's okay, it's really okay, you don't have to give your answer now. Never in my intention to effects your emotions and I'm so sorry for that, especially today. Maybe… just… It will be something you can consider in the future, then."

A loud bell indicates that the students should prepare for the papers booming to entire compounds. Some of the students can be seen walking to the venue with books on their hand.

"Woo Hee-ya, you should go then. Don't you have to report your attendance? " he slowly tugs them apart, still in haggard and struggling to look like everything was fine, like he's all okay, like he should be fair to her, giving her the options, or he can let her hate him if he intends to keep her by his side against her own will. He can't let his selfish side win now. He does a mental note to wish her good luck. "All the best, wifey. Like always, you are brilliant and smart, you must remember that."

Baek Ah didn't even know whether it is his own reflex or it's natural occurrence, his hand bring her curl behind her ear when he leans in and give a peck of kiss at her forehead.

Woo Hee cheeks can't be any redder than it's now but she managed to mutters a simple "Thank you" to his husband. Her lips curve into half crescent at the thought of how soft his lips are when it touch the surface of her forehead.

He give his signature smile, freeing her from the hug where he send for another farewell, -"Bye, wifey. Have a good day."

She takes small steps back to retreat and then turn her steps forward to the hall. She too wishes him well for the long day to come as her right hand waving to the tall silhouette.

There is a sudden voice coming from Baek Ah as he calls for her, "Woo Hee!"

So, she spins around.

She takes big steps to Baek Ah who his eyes are sincere and clouding with tears as he put on his hopeful smile. As he said, "I will still see you at home today, isn't it? You won't think to leave without telling me, right?"

Woo Hee swore that something in her cracks. It is her heart at the verge of breaking.

"How you can think of that? I won't, I promise you on that. Of course I will be home tonight, where would I be then? Once I'm done with the exams, I will directly return home." Not minding anything or anyone, she hugs Baek Ah in full intensity and her hand soothing his firm back. Her answer have put a stop at the dreaded thoughts that has been running in Baek Ah mind, that playing cruel tricks on him.

He laughs at her frantic response and there is a written relief at his face makes her tearing up. Why she is being emotionally today? Most of all, why he putting her first in anything? Can she smack some sense to his head, that he is also important to her, that he should think of himself too, not all the way worrying about her.

"Aigoo, wifey, there is no rush, spend time with your friend or go out with Seon Deok then. You have been working so earnest for your finals, consider it as compensation and enjoy yourself because you deserves it."

She replied in her crack voice, "No." She hold her hand to her mouth as she fighting back tears threatening to flows like a dam on burst, "No. I'll straight go home. Seon Deok or my friends, we can hang around later. Don't worry, okay. I'll be on my way to home after the papers end. Take my words as good."

Now, she is the one who don't want to let him go from the hugs they shared.

Baek Ah wants to continue basking in the warm hugs but he remember that Woo Hee should be at venue and sits for her exams. So, he gently detangled him from Woo Hee, reminding her that her papers were about to start.

Woo Hee takes a long last glances before she turns on her feet and walks to the entrance. She can no longer looks direct to him in eyes, as her body experiencing thousandth of emotions right now.

She already makes her decision.

She wants to start all over again with Baek Ah or they just can continue where they left for.

Baek Ah, wait for me, love. Wait for me, just a little while.