In Seven Days

Monday; 1: 25 AM

Someone tapped on his shoulder, rousing him from his sleep. There was a dull sting on the left side of his neck and his arms felt numb from crossing them for too long.

"Jin," a gentle voice whispered, "Jin, wake up."

As his eyes fluttered open, they came to meet Byulyi's as she crouched down to look at him through the open car door.

A smile etched onto his lips. "Byulyi," he breathed out, sliding himself into a more comfortable position in her car's passenger seat. He vaguely remembered waking up five minutes earlier to transfer from Mrs Seo's to this car when they came to pick Seokmin up.

The wind blew harder and he saw Byulyi tighten her thick jacket across her body. "We're here."

It was only then that Jin noticed that the headlights illuminated a familiar scene, the front of Byulyi's car shed.

"Can you stand? Or do you need my help?" she asked him again.

Jin only blinked back as an answer.

She nodded once as she bit her lip. "Wait for me here. I'll bring Seokmin upstairs first."

She disappeared in front of him before he heard the car door from the back seat open and close. He saw her walk up to the front door. At that, he clicked his seat belt open—though admittedly, he had to try more than once until it did—and stepped out the car, almost forgetting to close it behind him.

He stumbled upon the cobbled steps and almost fell face first into the hard stone. Thankfully, he caught himself and he continued to amble until he reached the door. As he slowly walked up the stairs—careful not to throw himself backwards and split his head open—, he heard Seokmin cry. Just as quickly as it came, it subsided into silence a second later. His steps grew a little quicker after that.

He pushed the already ajar door wider to see Byulyi clutching a sniffling Seokmin to her chest next to his crib, the baby seat placed on the ground. She sent him a mild look of surprise but all he replied was a finger to his lips and hush sound.

His steps wobbled as he walked towards the pair to see the boy, dozing away against his mother's shoulder. He made sure to keep a distance lest his clumsy fingers did anything.

"Is he asleep?" Byulyi quietly whispered.

Jin nodded initially but mumbled a quick yes after he realized she couldn't see.

Slowly, Byulyi lowered the sleeping baby down his crib. This time without protest from the boy. He followed her to the crib and ducked down so that he could see him clearly.

He drew a line from Seokmin's brows to his cheeks with a gentle finger. "My Seokmin. Sleeping so peacefully."

He turned to look at Byulyi and found that she was watching him, a soft smile on her face. He rose back to his height to meet her gaze and stumbled forward.

Thankfully, she managed to catch him. She always did.

"Let's get you to bed," she said. She guided him all the way to the guest bedroom, not minding the way Jin had his arm around his shoulder despite him being fully capable of walking himself.

If he closed his eyes, it'd be like it once was. They'd drink one too many glasses of wine on their couch, they'd lean on each other and laugh in between kisses as they stumbled through the hallway. Then he'd grow impatient and press her against the wall, wrap her legs around his waist, and carry her to their bedroom.

He'd have her, and she'd have him, and they would be happy.

The door of the guest bedroom creaked loudly as Byulyi pushed it open.