About You: Love & Sacrifice

The Love That Remains

The morning sunlight gently caressed the clear skin of Younha who was still wrestling with the blanket. Those pretty eyes slowly opened, slightly narrowed as a straight light directly hit her retina. The morning had indeed arrived, the long curtains behind the wide glass window had opened showing the beauty of the world from the balcony of the fifth floor apartment he lived in.

Both of Younha's eyes blinked slightly as she felt a little dizzy and less conscious. The effects of drinking overnight made him Overheng and fast asleep.

"Oh, it's so dizzy." Younha held his head. She slowly flicked the blanket and was immediately stung when she remembered the baby. Last night it was absolutely slumbering without being disturbed at all.

His legs began to climb the white marble floor to the crib beside his bed until he was wide-eyed when the son was not there. Younha composed the memories last night, is Mas Jihoon still here?

With a hasty step Younha called Yeonjun along the hallway to the kitchen because Yeonjun was no longer in his room either. And Younha steps more steady when smelling the aroma of toast as well as the sound of the kitchen utensils combined.

"Mama!!" Yeonjun was playing with his sister on the living room carpet while watching weekly cartoons. Some toys were also scattered there. "We've had a shower. Dad who bathes because mom woke up a long time ago."

Firmly Yeonjun was flat which made Younha somewhat embarrassed. He glanced at the wall clock and glared in disbelief. It was already half-nine in the morning and Younha had just woken up, quite unexpected. How can a woman wake up?

Younha stepped again towards the kitchen, a man looking cool making baby milk while singing ria with a smile on his lips. Only with a simple shirt whose arms are folded until the elbows look elegant and contemporary. If people do not know for sure think the man is still single so slangnya.

"It's so nice?" Younha took cold water from the refrigerator.

Jihoon turned his head and only realized Younha was there. "Away awake?" Chirp it while stirring one small bottle of baby milk. "I thought you'd sleep until the afternoon. Then I will kidnap children all day." teased Jihoon.

Younha screeches. "Ih, haphazardly. Ask permission, I don't want my son to be with you at all." Refusing to glance at Jihoon a little, Younha saw that three bottles of Soju had been tidied up from the kitchen table and at that moment he tried to remember the events of last night. Remembering what he said when he was drunk. Suddenly Younha was dizzy, may he not do anything strange and the memory of it until the moment Younha would fall asleep, the sentence burrowed in his head.

"Sleep with tonne."

Younha reflex beat her own head in frustration. The finished Jihoon turned to Younha. "Why are you?" Jihoon. "You better hurry up and get ready, Yeonjun took the road today and I promised you, didn't I?"

"Why should I?" Younha asked while tying her long hair. "I'm busy. Sunday is my time to clean the house, if you want to invite them to play it is okay. But I still can't."

Jihoon gave a rude snort. "Yeonjun who invites. If you don't believe, just ask your son. Thirty minutes, nothing more."

Younha clucked, immediately preparing as what the man said. In his heart he was rather happy, the thing he always looked forward to was to go together as a whole family. Something that has not happened since his second son was born. Younha blinked, slowly the beautiful smile was engraved from the reflection of the makeup mirror before her.

"Are you ready?" Jihoon asked from the doorway of the room. "Yeonjun is hungry, he said. We'll have breakfast outside."

"O-Oh, yeah." Younha gasped in shock and hurriedly closed the moisturizing colored lips. She did not know her makeup was excessive or not. Jihoon appeared suddenly at the door of the room after making Seojun milk. With a nod, Younha grabbed her little bag on the bed and followed Jihoon by the door.

"Why are you still standing here?" Tegur Younha when Jihoon was even coolly leaning against the door while crossing.

"Just amazed, you are still the same as before. Stay pretty." Jihoon said while circling.

"Rice." Younha rotated her eyes, then passed through her ex-husband's shoulder without a care.

...*****...

"The heart is." Younha tightened the bodyguards on her two sons especially little Seojun while they were riding a small chair-shaped swivel comedy. After having breakfast at one of the luxury restaurants in Seoul, they went on to play at Lotte World as Yeonjun wanted.

Today Jihoon deliberately invited two maids of his trust to momong Yeonjun and Seojun. Not without reason, the man was deliberately in order to enjoy time with Younha even though the woman was only indifferent and cold to him.

"You going around?" Tawar Jihoon with a convincing tone. "The kids are safe. It's free if we just sit around waiting for them to play. Besides it's Sunday, don't you need a mind refresh too."

Younha slightly held her breath and exhaled slowly. "I think more and more of you when I'm close to you. It's a public place, what if there's an office employee who also comes here and catches us both walking?"

"I'll protect you."

"Protect what?" Younha frowned, somewhat judging her ex-husband. "There they think I'm a man's lover. Moreover, your love story with Hyejin will be very popular in the office."

Jihoon exhaled violently, only responding to Younha's talk with a diversion joke along the road around the playground. They talk to each other, sometimes Jihoon is excited like a child and successfully makes Younha smile back. They also try to play simple rides, such as shooting cans, throwing balls, to mini arrow bows.

Younha was very enthusiastic, he yelled several times cheering Jihoon on as if the trouble between them had never existed.

"Well, I didn't think the game was that hard. I thought it was easy." Tukas Younha ate ice cream when they finished playing the rides and got a teddy bear that Younha now hugged.

"It's not great, it's just lucky."

"I'm still great." Jihoon shrugged his shoulders arrogantly. "Don't you see how I managed to beat you?"

Hearing that Younha laughed. "You should have seen how old the old man was. His hands alone were already wrinkled, willing to compare to your youthful strength. Is that fair?"

"Adil. We're both men."

"As much as you." Younha.

Jihoon chuckled, glancing at Younha's clear, happy-looking face brought the man to review a satisfied smile. The burly hand slowly rubbed the remaining ice cream on the tip of Younha's lips and made the woman reflect back.

Their gazes were intertwined for a long time, and somehow Younha was so at home looking into those beautiful eyes as if unable to break the invisible thread on them. Jihoon also smiled scanning every inch of Younha's face that looked extremely beautiful. The man still admired his ex-wife.

"Oh, we have to pick up the kids." Sahut Younha diverted, disconnected that gaze and then started the first step.

...*****...

"They're asleep?" Said Jihoon from the living room sofa when Younha had just come out of Yeonjun's room to put him to sleep.

"Yes, you should also go home soon and rest because tomorrow is work." Tukas Younha, taking care of the son's toy.

"Can't we talk?"

Younha snorted softly, slightly glancing at Jihoon disofa. "Who do you think I'm talking to now?"

"I'm worried about you." Jihoon's voice was random, but his lips extended a smile.

"Worry for what?"

"Everything related to you."

Younha frowned and only smiled faintly. "Do you not think that all your worries and cares are too late." Definitely with low intonation. "Our relationship is only as Yeonjun and Seojun's parents."

"Just—" Jihoon paused his sentence a few seconds. "—I can't lie to not worry. We're not as close as we used to be and you're rarely around me. I just feel like we're starting far away."

Younha let out a long sigh, starting to sit next to her ex-husband. "Don't feel that way. You are the father of the children of Mas, I will not limit you to them because you also have rights. Whenever you miss them I'll always give them permission to be with you."

He looked at Jihoon fixedly, as if channeling his sense of heart that he also wanted to always be close to the man but what was it possible. Now Jihoon already has a lover who is more loved than Younha used to be.

"You better get home soon. Don't you know what it's like to be quietly with me like this will only lead to misunderstanding for Hyejin." Younha. "I've been in this position and you know what it's like? It hurts so much."

"Younha—"

"Love Hyejin and take care of her feelings like you used to say you really loved her." Their views met intensely, it was clear to Jihoon that Younha was holding back the crying.

"Don't make the same mistake as before. Treat Hyejin well, Mom. Give him love every day like you loved him." Younha smiled bitterly. "You loved each other a long time ago."

Jihoon only fell silent at Younha's words which were all true. Not daring to refute a single word as the woman began to get up and started one step towards the room.

"Still left?" Jihoon said hesitantly "Is there a little love for me?"

"No." Younha replied straightforwardly. "We've been each one."

He continued his steps, closed the door to his room and leaned back for a moment while holding his tight chest. In the depths of Younha's heart yells that there is still, there is still love for Jihoon in Younha's hands and that is impossible to express.

Younha simply tried to hold everything back, burying deeply the love that had passed in her life.

...*****...