"Are you doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry for making you worry."
"So what happened with Zen?"
"Uh… Just a small misunderstanding."
"You guys made up?"
"Kind of, but I asked for some time away from him so I'm still at Jumin's."
"Take as many time as you need."
"I can't do that. I shouldn't be selfish. Enough about me, what about your brother?"
"We're getting there…"
"I'm sure you can do it."
"I want to see you soon."
"I hope so."
Jumin places his bag on the living room couch. Ha Eun was putting away her phone.
"Zen called you?"
"No, it's Saeyoung. He's checking in.", answered Ha Eun.
"Oh."
"You're going somewhere?"
Jumin was straightening his sleeves and correcting his cuffs. He was back on his formal attire.
"I'll meet Secretary Min and take care of things for now."
Ha Eun frowned a little and Jumin saw something was off.
"Is something wrong?"
"What am I supposed to do with you gone?"
"Umm….. Go anywhere? But anything. You can't stay inside all the time. Find some fresh air. Driver Kim will return once he drop me at the office."
"Alright then."
"I enjoyed our time today.", Jumin said.
"Hmm?"
"We used to talk in the office. Well with and without the wine. You don't drink though, you said you'll be betraying Zen because you know how he's holding back his drinking.", said Jumin,"Like a certain someone I know…"
"You made me feel even worse. Just go."
"You wanted me to stay now you want me to go."
Ha Eun pushed Jumin away and give a wave of the hand. Jumin gave a light smile, at least she's feeling better.
Jumin walked across his apartment lobby. The sky was already dark when he got back. A little part in his heart feels bad for leaving Ha Eun alone. Driver Kim was with him all the time so she didn't go anywhere either.
"Mr. Han, you got some packages. Do you want me to bring it up for you?"
"No, I'll take it myself."
The suited staff hands Jumin a large white cardboard box. He didn't order something. But the address and name was correct. This is odd.
Jumin entered the keycode to his apartment and it was a lovely smell of food that greets him.
"Jumin, is that you?", Ha Eun emerged from the kitchen, complete with an apron.
Jumin observed the woman in front of him, and that apron… a pink flowery apron.
"Since when do I have such apron?"
"Oh I just bought it. I saw it and it was cute, so I got it."
"Wait. You went outside?", asked Jumin alarmed.
"Yeah."
"With who? How…. Uh…. Why?"
Ha Eun opened her mouth, wanting to start her explanation. But she saw Jumin was holding a clearly heavy box that he seemed to have forgotten about.
"Put that box down. Come here.", she said.
Jumin followed her orders and went to the kitchen. She was opening his refrigerator to his full view.
"How is this supposed to answer my question?", he ask.
"Look inside."
"It's food."
"It's expensive food. Kobe beef, Norwegian salmon, matsutake mushrooms and even the cheese are expensive.", explained Ha Eun.
"I pay great attention to my nutrition and diet."
"But I don't know, or at least don't remember, cooking things properly. I don't want to waste such precious ingredients. So I wanted to buy something normal but still good."
"So you….?"
"I wanted to ask Driver Kim for a help, so I got to your house telephone where I think your secretary wrote all the important numbers above it. So I called him. But he sent his wife instead. So we went to the market together. Oh remember to pay back her money."
Jumin sighed.
"He always goes all out to help. Hey, wait.", Jumin stopped.
Ha Eun was looking at him, puzzled. Jumin stared at the exit and back at her, exit and her.
"You went out?"
"Yes."
"How did you get back in?"
Driver Kim doesn't know his passcode. Secretary Min does, but he's with Jumin all day.
"Oh, Saeyoung told me the combination. Besides, you didn't give me the combination. Do you expect me to climb?"
Jumin places one hand on his waist and another one on his forehead. What just happened is really unexpected, even for Jumin. But at least, everything went well.
"Well, nothing bad happened. So I guess it's okay. Anyways, this huge package came, but I don't remember ordering any."
"Saeyoung must've sent it."
"Luciel?", asked Jumin.
"He texted and said he sent some things."
The living room become an unboxing place. The box was filled with clothes, amenities and all the necessary things Ha Eun might need.
"Lots of clothes. And I'm quite sure everything is in your size."
"It is."
"Did he ask?"
"No."
"Even Zen overlooked this.", commented Jumin.
There was a quiet moment that envelopes the two. Even Ha Eun herself hasn't realized the things she might need. But someone had it taken care of.
"Well, let's have dinner shall we?"
Zen steers his bike into the nearest gas station. He was enjoying some 'me-time' taking his bike out. At the same time, his phone vibrates. He stops before going into the gas station.
The number written on his screen was an unknown number. He had cases of hardcore fans finding out about his number, but it's in the past.
"Hello?"
"Hyun?"
"Ha Eun?"
"Where are you?"
"Uhhh… I'm outside…."
"Have you had your dinner?"
"No, now that you mentioned it."
"Do you want to have dinner together?"
"At Jumin's?"
"No, somewhere else."
"Ha Eun, what happened?"
"I got kicked out of Jumin's apartment."
"What?!"
"Jumin's father came to visit so I had to go before he realizes that I'm staying with Jumin."
"Oh well…."
Zen had moved to the side of the station. Hiding his face from the bright lights to avoid being recognized.
"Are you alone?"
"No, I'm with Driver Kim. We're using Jumin's car."
"Give the phone to him, I'll tell him where to go."
Zen had given the directions to his secret place, well, now their secret place. His heart immediately felt better at the thought of seeing her again. They are not even a day apart. For him.
"This one tasted good. Your cooking this morning was bland."
"I got help this time.", she answered.
After all this time, that dinner was probably the first time Zen had such a hearty meal after a long time. On top of that, he was with the most important person for him.
Driver Kim saw Jumin's father arriving at the lobby and since he knew that Jumin is hiding Ha Eun, he had to give Jumin a call. In lightning speed, all the food Ha Eun had made was moved inside containers, her clothes was stashed in the storage room and she was out with Driver Kim.
"So, what's Jumin going to do next?", asked Zen.
"I don't know he hasn't said anything, but he gave me his card in case I want to stay at a hotel."
Zen reached out to his back pocket and took out his wallet. He took out a card too.
"Here, use mine. I'm your husband after all."
"I was going to give It back to Jumin right away. I don't want to bother anyone, more than I already have."
"You can always move back in, you know.", said Zen.
"Our house makes me uncomfortable. It has all sorts of things about me, which I don't remember. They're supposed to feel familiar but everything is new to me."
Ha Eun observed as Zen scraped the containers clean with his spoon, gathering all the tofu dish in one scoop. Watching someone enjoyed her cooking really warms her heart. Zen gave a very satisfied look as well.
"Do you know that you like tomatoes? Well, you like bananas most, but you also like tomatoes. Me, on the other hand, never liked it. So I never ate tomatoes.", said Zen.
"Tomatoes, huh…."
"On the day you disappeared, I was at home, watching the kids. I wanted to find something to eat and that was when I saw your tomatoes just sitting there, looking bright red and just really appetizing. So I ate a whole tomato by myself, just like that. I couldn't believe it too."
The cold wind blew the strands of Zen's hair softly. Ha Eun observed every curve and edges of Zen's feature. Her husband.
"The little things only we share, right.", she said.
"I was so excited to tell you when you get back. Yeobo, I just ate a tomato. I can picture your face just lit up beautifully."
"But you didn't get to tell me that time."
"Yeah.", Zen chuckled.
The times she spent with Zen is always like this. Zen's love just envelopes her fully, she knows how much Zen loves her. Too much probably. And it just saddens her that she couldn't remember a mere second of it.
"And you cried over food too.", Zen said with a lighter tone.
His eyes wonder to a past memory and Ha Eun can see the smile forming on his lips. It must've been a happy memory. His long fingers covers his mouth as he tries to cover a chuckle.
"I did?"
"Yeah. It was at the maternity center. The nurses had took the babies so we had a time for ourselves. The meal everyday was miyeokguk, even I'm sick of seeing you eat it. You cried on your first lunch."
"Really? Why?", Ha Eun asked curious.
"I was shocked when I saw you cry. I thought you're sad that the nurse took the babies or you're overwhelmed that we're finally parents. But you're crying over how delicious the soup was."
"Seriously?"
"You said it tastes so good, you only gave me a spoonful. Before, food tastes odd to you so that first soup was the first thing that tastes really good for you, so you cried."
Ha Eun gave a light laugh. It's hard to believe that she went through it. Giving birth, having a baby. Not one, but two.
Zen looked at Ha Eun now, his eyes hopeful.
"So, Ha Eun, what do you want to do now?", asked Zen.
To be continued...