Past Honeymoon: BTOB IHS

Chapter 7

P A S T H O N E Y M O O N
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It was not love at
first sight exactly -
but familiarity.
Like: 'Oh, hello.
It's you. It's going
to be you. Game over.'
ㅡMhairi McFarlane
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Chapter 7 | SERA

Something has shifted in the air between us. I don't know but it feels a bit lighter.

Hyunsik drops me off. I tell him good night and he tells me to take care, and then he leaves. And my heart seems to be glowing.

Why am I so simple like this?

I go to work and smile at Seunghee. She eyes me suspiciously. "Something good happened?" She asks.

I grin, facing her. And then I take a deep breath. "I think it might just work out."

"What?"

"Me and Hyunsik. I think we still have a chance." I say excitedly.

"Sooo, the divorce isn't happening anymore."

"No, I mean, we don't know yet. He said we'll figure it out on the trip."

"Trip?"

"To Jeju."

Seunghee's eyes widen. "No way! You get to take a break and I don't?" She says and then grins. "I'm happy for you, Bam. Just be careful."

'Bam' means night. Sera means night or evening in Italian. Seunghee calls me Bam sometimes.

"I just hope it all turns out well." I say hopefully.

And then I tell my boss I'm getting a three-day leave of absence. It's been approved because I haven't really skipped a night of work in a long, long time.

• •

A week later, on the day we're leaving, Hyunsik prepares nothing but clothes. He says the company is covering everything, so I also prepare nothing but clothes and my things.

I'm exhausted from the night's work, so I let myself fall asleep during the ride while the radio is playing a soft ballad song.

When I wake up, there's a pillow around my neck and a blanket draped on my body. I let myself smile secretly before stretching my arms and I yawn. "Where are we?" I ask.

"Almost there." He says.

I just lay there comfortably, staring at him. He gives me a quick glance. "What?" He asks.

I shake my head. "Nothing."

"That look is not 'nothing'."

I groan and bury my cheek against the pillow. "Nothing."

"Can you tell me what you're thinking?" He asks, like he even wanted to add 'please'.

"You look good." I say.

And then there's silence.
And then he laughs. "Seriously?"

I nod, smiling. "Seriously."

I look away and as we pass by the trees and buildings on our way to Jeju, I think about the time when we weren't married yet.