The highway was quieter now. The chaos had settled into stillness, just the soft hum of the car engine, the faint rhythm of their unsteady breathing,
Mr. Lee was driving slowly this time. He didn't speak; he didn't need to. The rear-view mirror caught only fragments, two people sitting close in the back seat, wrapped in a silence so fragile it almost felt sacred.
Suho's hand rested loosely in hers. Their fingers weren't clasped tightly, but every few seconds, his thumb brushed gently against her knuckles, as if checking to make sure she was still there, still real.
Hauen turned her gaze to him quietly. His eyes were still red, his cheeks pale, his breathing slow but uneven.
She wanted to scold him for what he did, for risking his life like that, but the sight of him now, so raw and human, stopped her.
"Are you okay?" she whispered finally.
He turned his head slightly, eyes soft, tired, filled with things words couldn't carry."I am now," he said simply.
Her chest tightened.
"Why did you do that, Suho?" she asked softly, voice trembling with concern and lingering disbelief. "Do you even realize how dangerous that was? You could've—"
"I couldn't let you go." His voice cut through her words, quiet but steady, firm.
"I just… couldn't."
He looked down, his fingers trembling as they held onto hers.
"I told myself it was just a contract… that when the time came, I would let you go easily. But every single day… You kept finding your way into my heart. The way you smile, the way you nag, the way you care…, your warmth I tried not to fall, but I did."
He paused, his voice breaking slightly."When you said goodbye this morning, my heart broke. I couldn't breathe, Hauen. I couldn't stand the thought of walking into that house and not finding you there."
Her throat tightened; her tears welled again.
"Suho…"
"I know I'm late," he continued, his eyes glistening, "and I know I'm not perfect. But I don't want to lose you, Hauen. I need you." His voice was stubborn.
The words hung in the air, trembling between them.
Hauen exhaled shakily. She looked down at their hands, his trembling fingers, her soft grip, and finally spoke.
"I thought you didn't feel the same," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Suho's head turned to her instantly.
"I kept telling myself that if I said it out loud, I'd scare you away… that you weren't ready for love again. So I buried it. Every time I wanted to tell you, I swallowed it back. But, Suho… I love you too. I've loved you for a long time. from the start."
His eyes widened, and for a second, he just stared, like he couldn't believe she'd actually said it.
Her teary eyes met his.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he gasped, voice trembling between disbelief and ache.
She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "You were in love with Yerin," she whispered.
His heart clenched.
"I couldn't help but fall in love with you," she continued softly, her voice breaking at the edges, "even though I knew you loved her. I didn't want to become poison between two hearts."
Her words hit him like a storm. He stared at her, breathing unevenly.
"Then the accident happened… and everything changed," she murmured. "When Yerin left you, you were shattered. I couldn't bring myself to confess my love then, so I pretended. I stayed quiet… and loved you in silence."
Suho's hand tightened around hers, eyes glistening.
"And after that you made me fall for you, eventually… only to leave me forever?" he scolded softly, his voice trembling, half hurt, half pout.
She looked up, stunned by the sudden shift in tone. "I didn't know what you were feeling! Why are you scolding me?"
"Because if you had told me earlier, I wouldn't have had to run after you and nearly die on the highway!" he argued back, lips pouting. "How could you leave your teddy bear like that?"
Her eyes widened. "Did I ask you to run after me? And pull that stunt? You could've just confessed at home! I would've stayed!"
He frowned like a child and shot back. "You loved me first! So technically, you should've confessed first!"
She gasped, offended. "Why are you yelling at me? You're the one who made me suffer alone for months, and now you're blaming me?" she fired back. "What did you expect me to do, huh? Tell you that, I love you when you were still crying over Yerin?"
"Yes!" he argued back, his tone completely unfiltered now. "You kept calling me husband and teddy bear all the time and giving me butterflies, but didn't confess that you actually love me! You made me cry like a fool, locking myself in the bathroom, last night, thinking I was going to lose you!"
Her mouth fell open. "What—?"
He froze instantly, his words catching up to him. His ears turned bright red as the realization hit what he had just blurted out. His lips clamped shut immediately, and he turned his face away, covering it with his palm in embarrassment, refusing to meet her gaze..
From the driver's seat, Mr. Lee, who had been silently witnessing their entire emotional rollercoaster, swung from emotional crying to bickering to downright adorable embarrassment, and couldn't hold back, let out a soft chuckle. He quickly masked it behind a cough, but his shoulders were shaking.
Hauen bit her lip, trying hard not to laugh, but her shoulders shook as she pressed her lips together.
"Suho…" she called softly, fighting a smile.
No response.
"Suho…" she said again, her voice softer this time.
Still nothing, just him hiding behind his hand, muttering, "Don't talk to me…" in a small voice.
Her heart melted. She smiled, reached out, and tugged his arm gently."Come on, teddy bear…"
He protested quietly, "Leave me… I'm embarrassed… I don't want to talk."
Her lips curved into a tender smile. "Why, Teddy?" she teased, her voice warm. "You said nothing wrong."
He peeked at her between his fingers, still hiding, still ears red.
She let out a soft laugh, unable to stop herself this time, "Come here."
Then pulled him toward her until his head rested against her shoulder. This time, he didn't resist.
His arms circled her waist slowly, shyly, like he'd been waiting to do it forever, and he hid his face in her neck, still flushed.
She held him close, running her fingers through his hair before pressing a gentle kiss there.
"I love you," she whispered against his head.
He smiled faintly, eyes closing, he tightened his hold on her as he pressed closer to her, humming lowly against her shoulder, a sound that felt like quiet relief
She chuckled softly, kissing his hair again, her tears now replaced by a warmth she hadn't felt in months.
Mr. Lee caught a glimpse of them in the rearview mirror and smiled quietly to himself, his heart lighter.
This time, the drive back to the penthouse wasn't heavy or silent.It was calm. Warm. Filled with gentle laughter, quiet touches, and the comforting sound of two hearts finally beating in sync.
After months of ache and fear and unspoken love, they were finally going home, again. Together. As a real couple.