Whoever said it was cute to make weird crying faces with teary effects like a proud father giving her daughter away during a civil wedding could join Taehyung and jump off a hundred feet manhole.

I mean, why would you even do that when:

1. You're the groom yourself.

2. It's a civil wedding for melon's sake!

3. Just no.

And when Namjoon almost knocked over the tall coffee table with a vase on top as Taehyung did his stupid moment, the one administering the wedding ceremony glanced at me quite sympathetically—like he wanted to know if I was really with the two.

I wanted to question myself with that, too.

Mr. Min had an uneven smile when he caught my gaze. So what I did was to smile back, pitying myself for being there.

If only it hadn't been for Aeri, I wouldn't have to experience this secondhand embarrassment.

Thankfully and fortunately, the short ceremony was over in a blink of an eye and a thin, gold accessory now rested on my ring finger. After the picture taking, Taehyung and I started to sign the papers.

That was when everything started to feel strange—like I was going to live a whole new different life. When in reality, nothing would really change. Not much, that is. The only difference would be the fact that Aeri and I would be living with Taehyung, and legally, Taehyung and I were married.

But my stomach kept doing that falling feeling. And the worse part was that I couldn't decipher for which reason it was.

I had just bound myself with this guy who I hadn't seen for such a long time, and not to mention, so many questions still lingered on my head that I wanted to throw at him.

But I guess I'd have to wait for the right time to ask. Though sometimes, I think it wouldn't come.

Taehyung and I parted with Namjoon at the parking lot, since Namjoon said he still had papers waiting for him, and phone calls he had to attend to.

That, then, left me and Taehyung all by ourselves for dinner. He brought me to some fancy restaurant with the heavy high class aura.

Taehyung had ordered for us both, and when the waiter had left, he leaned on his chair and crossed his arms. Then he shot me a smug pointed look.

"Remember when you said you wouldn't marry me, because your husband is going to be that Park Jimin back in high school?" he remarked, and I made a face at the suddenness of his question.

"It's not like you didn't have a girlfriend that time who kept wrapping herself on you and taking you with her wherever she went," I shot back.

"So you were jealous?" He slyly grinned.

"You wish," I mumbled, and Taehyung chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's been a long time," he mused.

"Yeah." And a clueless me still existed.

The waiter arrived with our orders, and we both indulged ourselves with our food. The first minutes passed with silence between me and Taehyung—only the sound of our utensils clinking against the plate and the background music could be heard. It gave me comfort, actually. It had been a long day: from moving to Taehyung's this morning, unpacking, and this. Taehyung must have felt the same too.

"You know, you still hadn't told me the whole story about Aeri. Could you enlighten me?"

I lifted my head and saw Taehyung with raised brows and curled up lips. A playful smile made its way to my face.

"Funny how you're only asking me that right now. I could be a criminal who just wants to take Aeri away from her parents."

Taehyung tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm? That doesn't seem like you."

"Or maybe I'd be planning your death so I can acquire all your wealth." I shrugged and shoved a piece of meat to my mouth.

"I'd still marry you either way."

I gulped down the chunk of food a little too quickly, making me plaster a struggling expression. "W-what?"

Taehyung bursted into a fit of laughter, placing his fist to his mouth to muffle the sound. "You're too amateur for a criminal."

I glared at him and grimaced. It was unfair how I wanted to fill him in with the details he wanted to know—like the Kyungmin back then who could never shut up when there was something to story-tell Taehyung. And by something, I mean, anything.

"Just finish up your food so we can go home and I can see Aeri." I sighed and pouted in defeat.

"But the night's still young," remarked Taehyung as if he still had plans after dinner.

"Well..." I began. "Aeri's the daughter of my friend."

Taehyung's expression told me that he wasn't expecting that I'd speak up about it right now.

"My friend, Mina..." A smile formed on my lips at the sweet and sad memory of her. "She passed away after giving birth to Aeri. Her parents—Aeri's grandparents—told me they're planning to give her up for adoption when I asked them what they're going to do after Mina-unnie died. So I asked them if I could take care of Aeri."

"So they still have Aeri's custody?"

"Yeah. I asked them if they could keep it until I'm sure that I could legally adopt Aeri without any problem."

"What about her father?"

"Her father? Well, he left them. He's an..." I trailed off, thinking of the right term.

"An asshole?" Taehyung finished for me, and I must say, he was right.

I nodded sternly in agreement. "But I knew my friend wanted to be with Aeri and shower her with love. I just couldn't let her go knowing Mina-unnie loved her so much despite the circumstances."

"Aish, you're such a nice person." He let out a low grunt.

Is there something wrong?

"I still wonder why some people used to dislike you back in high school," he added.

Well, that was actually because of you, Taehyung. I learned that a little too late, actually.

"I used to speak my mind a lot before." And maybe that, too.

Taehyung chuckled as if he had thought of something. "You still do until now, actually. Though I noticed that you toned that down a little."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I stated.

"You know, how about you stay at home so you could be with Aeri more and take care of her?" he suggested.

"Ah, no." I waved my hand dismissively. "I have to work to support Aeri and myself."

"But I'm here, I'll help." He looked at me convincingly.

"Taehyung..." I frowned. "I told you already..."

"What? I'm going to treat Aeri as my own child too. Is that no good?"

"But that's too much!" I exclaimed. "You're already doing so much."

"You're still hard as a rock." He sounded a bit disappointed, but I could tell that he didn't really take my words seriously.

"Anyway, go finish your food so we can go out," he coaxed.

"Huh? Where to?"

"We're going to get ice cream!" He cheered.

"Don't they have ice—"

"Oh come on, it's more fun to eat ice cream outside late at night."

"But it's freezing cold," I whined.

"That's why it's gonna be more fun," he pushed on with his idea.

"You're really weird," I mumbled to which he only smiled to.

My eyes wandered to the side as I finished with the remaining food on my plate, contemplating a little about certain things.

After a while, I turned my head back up.

"Taehyung?" I called.

He looked at me thoughtfully, waiting for me to continue.

"Despite my seemingly unappreciative self, I want you to know that I'm genuinely thankful towards you for helping," I confessed and looked away, suddenly feeling shy at what I had just said.

But I did catch the way Taehyung's eyes lit up in delight.

I guess ice cream outside would be good to cool down the fuzzy warm feeling deep within me.

— ✿ —

a/n: chapter dedicated to mingyful ♡♡ thank you so much for the support and for being one of my inspirations as I write this book. It seriously means a lot lot lot lot lot to me aaah c: