"Mom, we're home," Cha called out gently as they stepped through the front door.
"Oh, my daughter-in-law!" Jinho's mother gasped, hurrying over and pulling Cha into a warm hug. "Where on earth did you go? You were gone for so long!"
"I just took a little vacation, Mommy..." Cha replied, offering a soft, reassuring smile.
"A vacation? Without telling anyone?!" His mother gently scolded, pulling back to look at her. "Do you have any idea how worried sick we all were about you?"
"I'm really sorry, Mom..."
"Alright, alright... as long as you're safe back home," she sighed, turning her head toward her son. "Oh... Jinho, I suppose now that she's back, that hot temper of yours will finally cool down a bit."
Jinho remained silent, his eyes shifting awkwardly between the two women. "I'm going out for a bit," he muttered curtly.
"Jinho! Where do you think you're going?!" his mother called after him.
Without turning around or offering an explanation, Jinho strode straight out the front door, leaving his mother exasperated.
"Ah, that stubborn boy!" she groaned, rubbing her temples.
Cha couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"I'm so sorry, my dear," his mother said, turning back to Cha with an apologetic look. "Ever since his accident, everyone in this house has been walking on eggshells around him. He's been picking on everyone."
"Is it really that bad, Mom?"
"Yes! He was practically ready to fire half the housemaids over the smallest things. I just wish our old Jinho would come back."
"We just need to be patient, Mommy."
His mother took Cha's hands into hers, looking at her with hopeful eyes. "Please help him remember, my dear. Will you?"
"Of course, Mom. I'll do everything I can."
Later that evening, Jinho returned home and headed upstairs to his bedroom. Opening the door, he froze in his tracks—Cha was curled up on his bed, fast asleep.
Startled, he backed out of the room and almost bumped into his mother in the hallway.
"Mom..." he whispered harshly, pulling her aside. "Why is Cha sleeping in my room?"
His mother raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Where else is she supposed to sleep? She's your wife."
Frustrated, Jinho ran his fingers through his hair, turning it into a messy mop. But knowing he had no legitimate excuse to argue, he let out a heavy sigh. He had no choice but to share the room with her.
Stepping back inside, Jinho quietly approached the bed and sat on the edge. He stared at Cha's peaceful, sleeping face. Looking at her like this, a strange, unexplainable warmth fluttered in his chest—a sudden, deep pang of longing, almost as if he had missed her deeply.
Ah... no way, he quickly brushed the thought aside.
Just then, Cha shifted under the covers.
Panicking, Jinho recoiled so fast that he lost his balance, tumbling backward off the edge of the bed and landing flat on his stomach on the floor.
He slowly pushed himself up, peeking over the mattress to see if she was still asleep—only to find Cha sitting up, staring straight at him. Their faces were mere inches apart.
"Ahhh!!" both of them gasped in unison.
"What are you doing down there?!" Cha demanded, clutching her blanket to her chest.
"Me?! I should be asking you that!" Jinho blurted out defensively, scrambling to his feet. "What are you doing in my room?!"
"Mom told me to sleep here... why?" Cha asked, raising an eyebrow.
Instead of answering, Jinho turned on his heel and bolted straight into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
"Hmph! Weirdo," Cha muttered, pulling the blanket back over her head.
A short while later, Jinho stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from his shower and fully dressed.
"Move over," he grunted, tapping the edge of the bed. "I'm going to sleep."
Cha shifted to her side, placing a thick bolster pillow right down the middle of the mattress to divide their spaces. Jinho lay down on his side, and within minutes, the exhaustion of the past few days caught up with him, pulling him into a deep sleep.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains.
Cha was the first to wake up. As her eyes fluttered open, she realized they were no longer separated by the pillow. She was wrapped snugly in Jinho's arms, her head resting against his chest, while his arm was slung comfortably around her waist.
A soft, genuine smile spread across Cha's face as she stayed completely still, savoring the warmth of his embrace.
A few moments later, Jinho stirred. His eyes slowly fluttered open, instantly locking onto Cha's face resting inches from his own—and realizing his arms were wrapped tightly around her.
"Whoa!" Panicking, Jinho instinctively shoved her away.
Thud!
"Ouch!" Cha yelped as she rolled off the bed, hitting the floor hard. "What is your problem, Jinho?!"
"Sorry! I'm sorry! Are you okay?!" Jinho scrambled off the bed, extending a hand to help her up.
Cha slapped his hand away angrily. "Don't touch me! You ask if I'm okay after shoving me off the bed?! You are so infuriating!"
Glaring at him, Cha turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
Left alone, Jinho stood by the bed, a subtle, involuntary smile creeping onto his lips. He placed a hand over his chest—his heart was hammering frantically, bubbling over with a strange, giddy lightness he couldn't explain.
Downstairs at the breakfast table, Jinho sat quietly, his eyes trailing Cha's every movement as she served food.
Catching him staring, Cha crossed her arms. "What...?"
"Nothing," Jinho quickly looked down at his plate.
Sitting at the head of the table, his mother observed their unspoken tension, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"Cha, dear," his mother spoke up gently. "While Jinho is still recovering, I think it's best if the two of you stay here with us for a while."
"Alright, Mom," Cha agreed softly.
The following afternoon, Tanya paid an unannounced visit to the house.
Stepping into the living room, her eyes immediately landed on Cha setting down a tray of tea. Tanya's expression hardened. "You're back? Where's Jinho?"
"Oh, you're here," Jinho said, stepping out of his study. "Why didn't you call first so I knew you were coming?"
"Do I really need to call?" Tanya purred, walking past Cha and taking a seat on the couch, deliberately pulling Jinho down beside her as if she owned the place.
Jinho cleared his throat, looking over at Cha. "Cha... can you bring us some juice?"
Cha froze, staring at him in utter disbelief. "What?! Get it yourself! I'm not your maid!"
Turning abruptly, Cha marched into their bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
Out in the hallway, Jinho stared at the closed door, his mood instantly souring.
"What's wrong?" Tanya asked softly, noticing his distraction. "Is something bothering you?"
"Ah... no, it's nothing," Jinho muttered, though his attention remained completely fixed on that door.
Behind the thin wood, Cha leaned her back against the door, trying to listen in. But the living room had gone quiet, offering no clues to their conversation.
Giving up, Cha threw herself face-down onto the bed. The weight of everything—his coldness, Tanya's presence, the aching void of his forgotten memories—finally crushed her. She buried her face in her pillow, weeping silently as tears soaked the fabric, letting out all the built-up pain in her heart.
A short while later, Tanya finally took her leave.
Jinho quietly turned the doorknob and slipped into the room to check on Cha. Seeing her fast asleep on the bed, her shoulders still rising and falling softly, he quietly backed out and closed the door, assuming she was just resting.
An hour passed before Cha finally woke up. Parched, she walked out to the kitchen to get a glass of water, only to find Jinho standing by the counter.
"You're awake..." Jinho said softly.
Cha didn't answer. She kept her head down, but Jinho couldn't miss the heavy, swollen state of her eyes.
"Cha..."
Ignoring him completely, Cha turned around to leave the kitchen.
"Wait!" Jinho reached out, grabbing her wrist to block her path. "Why are you ignoring me?"
"What do you want, Jinho?" she rasped out, her voice raw.
"Can you... can you help me remember?" he asked, his tone laced with genuine desperation. "Can you help me bring my memories back?"
Cha let out a bitter, sad laugh. "Why bother? You seem perfectly happy the way things are right now."
"Cha..."
Cha pulled her hand back, breaking his grip. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to the condo so you don't have to deal with the irritation of having me around."
"No! You're not leaving!" Jinho barked defensively.
"Give me one good reason why I should stay!"
"I don't know!" Jinho yelled back, frustration bleeding through his words. "I just... I just want you to stay here!"
"For what?! So I can keep getting hurt watching you live a life where I don't exist anymore?!"
"Cha, it's not like that!" Jinho pleaded, stepping closer. "That's why I'm asking you to help me remember! Please..."
Their eyes locked, a heavy, painful silence falling over the kitchen.
"Because... Cha, I'm struggling too," Jinho confessed, his voice dropping to a fragile whisper.
Cha looked at him, her heart softening despite the pain. "Come with me. I'm taking you somewhere."
Grabbing his hand, Cha led him out of the house and into the car, driving up to the high-altitude town where she had stayed during her months away.
Night had fallen by the time they reached the scenic view deck overlooking the town's sparkling lights.
"Why are we here?" Jinho asked, looking around the cold, windy deck. "Do you really expect me to remember something here?"
"Do you really not remember this place at all, Jinho?" Cha asked softly, turning to face him.
"What is so special about this spot?!"
"This is where you proposed to me!" Cha cried out, tears finally cascading down her cheeks, glistening under the night lights. "Why is it so easy for you?! How could all your memories of me just vanish into thin air in a single instant?!"
Jinho stood frozen, staring at her as she wept. Every tear that fell from her eyes felt like a hot blade pressing into his chest, making his heart ache violently.
Suddenly, a blinding, excruciating pain exploded inside Jinho's head. He clutched his temples, gasping as jagged, sharp fragments of forgotten memories fought to break through the dark fog. The pain was so intense he could barely breathe, a strangled cry tearing from his throat.
"Jinho?! What's happening?!" Cha panicked, rushing forward to support him. "Jinho!"
Before she could hold him up, Jinho's knees buckled, and his body went completely limp, slipping into unconsciousness.
Panicked and terrified, Cha rushed Jinho to the nearest emergency room.
Hours passed before the doctor finally stepped out to update her. The physician explained that the sudden blackout was caused by immense psychological strain—his brain had short-circuited under the force of trying to drag back suppressed memories all at once.
Eventually, Jinho stirred awake in his hospital room.
"Are you feeling okay?" Cha asked softly, sitting at his bedside, her eyes red and puffy from crying.
"I'm fine..." Jinho rasped out weakly, searching her face.
"I'm sorry," Cha whispered, looking down at her hands. "I shouldn't have brought you to that place. I shouldn't have pushed you."
"No... it's not your fault," Jinho replied gently. "It's mine."
Cha offered him a faint, bittersweet smile, taking his hand gently into hers. "We won't force it anymore. We won't force you to remember."
"I'm sorry for making you worry so much, Cha," Jinho murmured softly.
Cha squeezed his hand, her smile widening just a little bit more.
______chapter 14 end____
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