a breezy weekday dusk and jaehyun was left in the house with his sons playing. as of now, he still has no idea until when they're gonna stay in korea. he doesn't know how to bring it up to his son that they're gonna have to separate again soon. however, he didn't want to stress over the fact that they could be crying again soon as well, so he didn't bother thinking about it as early as now.

right now, he's wandering around the house. assumedly, he was set up again by his sons. on his right hand is a blind fold and on the left he held the door handle of some room he couldn't recognize. he gave up on the game that his sons urged him to play a few minutes back.

how did he even end up in that one room? he had no idea whose room it was but he decided to cheat the game and his sons wouldn't know. now he's just trying to find his children and this one room is where he went into next.

the three boys casually hung out after playing what seemed to be their hundredth battle in tekken 7. they decided to watch horror movies in their watch list, assuming they could show their dad how brave they are.

when the movie ended, jaehyun stood up to get more snacks for his three boys only to come back to them planning a new game.

"oh why don't we try that game in the movie? that's kinda creepy." mark suggested. "the what? the hide and clap? that's so lame, mark." minhyung said throwing another popcorn into his mouth.

"but it's creepy. let's try it with dad." sungchan seconded on mark. soon, the other twin agreed and called out his dad.

"hey dad, we're playing the game from the conjuring. you be the the it?"

and now, this room looked like it's a private room. nevertheless, it looked like he finally knew who owns it. he used to own this room too.

the master's was absolutely stunning and clean. no doubt since taeyong always liked neat things, neat places. it shocked him to see some of the things inside the room were still recognizable to his eyes. just like the one journal taeyong had before they even fell apart.

it was sitting still on taeyong's night stand beside a photo frame. the book already looked so old yet still pretty. he doubts it was the same journal taeyong uses now because the number of pages didn't seem like it could hold taeyong's stories for 10 years.

this is wrong. i shouldn't even be here. he thought. however, there was a photo peeping out between the pages of the journal. the corner of the photo was already familiar enough.

he took it, opened it and the first thing that he saw was the photo falling from between the pages. picking it up, he didn't need to guess who it was, his face was all over it.

he remembered how the photo was taken back when they had their first date. the memory was vivid. they were so happy that one day because they were finally together after taeyong had to bitch around different girls and boys in order to win him over.

the page he opened had his name on it. he looked at the date and it read, april 27th.

this day was supposed to start out great. i didn't think my marriage would end on our anniversary.

today, he decided to end everything with me. i didn't think he would do it but i love him so much i would just try to understand his reasons. our argument, the fights, the yelling, it's already getting tiring. i told him it's nothing yet he didn't listen. and this scumbag and pure asshole kim guy, if only i didn't need his money, i would cut all connections to him and his family. 

this morning i found out jonghyun told him we were seeing each other. my marriage was already slowly falling apart as it is, why did he have to ruin it for me? and jaehyun believed him.

how could he believe someone like him? i told him our contract is purely business. i didn't want my parents to think i'm a huge disappointment by letting our business go bankrupt but i had no other choice.

i hoped jaehyun would listen and believe me but i understand him too. it's jonghyun who ruined us, and jaehyun only believed because jonghyun showed so many signs. fake signs. i hope jaehyun knows i was only doing this because of our family. my babies don't deserve to live with hardships.

but today, i realized maybe my husband's slowly falling out of love. our fight have reached almost a year already. we haven't resolved it and here he was, already asking for a divorce.

i can't. i know i'd do anything for him. but no matter how much i love him, i can't lose him. i already lost my parents' love, he's the only one i have.

tonight, i asked him for a week, and he agreed. i didn't think he would. i asked for a week because i trust that we could get through this. i trust that he would love me again if i regain everything i have for this damn business. i hope he wouldn't end it yet.

a week is all i have, and the future of our marriage, i have yet to see.

looking at the pages, he noticed tear stains. his world crumbled. how could he do this to his own husband? it's all his fault.

"what the hell are you doing here?"

suddenly, taeyong's voice filled the room. the man had a glare as he walked towards him. he snatched the photo and journal away from his grasp and kept them far from him. "i asked what you were doing here. if you're not gonna answer me, it's best if you leave."

taeyong went to his table and arranged the papers scattered from all paperworks without sparing a glance at his ex-husband.

"taeyong.." he started.

"get out, jaehyun." he ordered facing him.

jaehyun understand he doesn't wanna talk. he respects that. he'll grab a chance to talk to him soon. right now, he has to think through what had happened before.

he only looked at taeyong in the eyes before leaving the room.

the kids helped the house staff organize the groceries their papa bought earlier that day. they also helped their papa cook for dinner. they didn't understand why they had to but in taeyong's mind, it's probably the last time he's going to bond with all his 3 kids complete so he grabbed the chance. he's going to talk with jaehyun that same night.

after dinner, the three boys continued with their unfinished films as well as their unending tekken battles. away from the three boys, taeyong decided to take jaehyun in the gazebo and finally have the talk.

between them was a bottle of rum sitting still as poured in both glasses. they both endured the somewhat comfortable silence while they can before they start to sort things out.

"tell me why, jaehyun." he suddenly spoke. jaehyun took a look at his ex husband confusingly.

"why what?" he asks.

"why are you still here?"

another moment of silence enveloped the atmosphere around them as jaehyun took a look at a different direction. "it's my children, taeyong. they're my children too. can't i at least have my time with them while we're still here?"

a light and sarcastic chuckle was released from taeyong's mouth. "oh really? is that what you thought when you took mark away from me?" he spoke calmly. too calmly.

"geez taeyong, that was years ago." wow.

taeyong fell silent. he cannot believe that after a decade of separation, his ex husband was still like this. "crap, i almost forgot how inconsiderate you were. you have no idea how it hurts me, do you?"

way to go, jaehyun. he thought. "i'm sorry." he responds. 

"you don't have to be sorry." taeyong started. "it's been years. it's not like i still think about it."

jaehyun took a look at the man beside him. "that's not what minhyung said."

taeyong, once again, fell silent as he slowly looked at his ex. minhyung? minhyung knew? he thought.

"you know..." jaehyun started before pouring another to his glass. he's taking this comfortable time to their advantage before things come crashing down again. "i accidentally read your side of the story, is it okay for you to hear mine now?"

jaehyun spoke ever so lightly that taeyong would think he's still the same husband he married and never got divorced with. his voice came out to be the same voice he would hear whenever he wakes up in a bright sunny morning before terrible things happened between them. 

nevertheless, taeyong didn't speak. he didn't even know what to answer so he chose not to speak.

"before minhyung and i flew here, he told me stories about you. he said he saw you crying sometimes. he also read some parts of your journal." jaehyun said. "i didn't know you felt that way before we broke up, taeyong. why didn't you tell me?"

suddenly, the man began feeling uncomfortable. he didn't want to talk to jaehyun about this. "and now you have a new boyfriend? or is that already a husband?"

"why do you care if i have a new man, then?"

"because it didn't seem like our children knew about it and they're gonna have to adjust having another dad." he says.

"jaehyun-ah..." taeyong didn't look beside him again. he only looked in a straight direction away from the man next to him. "why are you depriving me of love?" how is he this much of an asshole after 9 years?

"we got divorced and i was about to find another man of my own after a decade but then you come back here, reunite our kids, and tell me i'm not supposed to find another man? what is it you want? you want me to ask for your blessing? after years of not seeing each other, after you asked me for a divorce from a completely shitty assumption, do my decisions still need to go through you?"

and it was jaehyun's turn not to speak.

"what do you really want, jaehyun? why are you here, because we can make a plan for the children but i know there's something more than just seeing them."

taeyong down the remaining in his glass and sniffed. he was almost crying and jaehyun can still see that.

"is there really not a chance between us anymore, taeyong?" jaehyun spoke. "is it really too late?"

what the fuck are you doing, jung jaehyun? it's been a decade.

but then taeyong took a long hard look at jaehyun. his face was already expressionless, a sign that he can't think straight anymore. his thoughts were all scattered, his emotions were going haywire. he can't let those emotions ruin his stoic face now. he needs to show jaehyun that he's not that weak anymore. but jaehyun is still the father of his kids.

he was his one true love. why does his world crumble when jaehyun's with him? why is it that after 9 years, jaehyun still has that effect on him?

no. not this time.

"i think you've been here for far too long."