With a promise, Johnny assured everyone that he would return soon. And that was truly his full intention, however, he wasn't entirely sure what he should do when facing his father. The trip, as tiring as it was, provided him with the perfect time to reflect on his choices and reconsider his future. A future where he would truly be happy. How would that future look? There was no way to know. The more he pressed his tired knees that had been bent for too long, the more anxiety Johnny felt about meeting his father after so much time.

His heart already felt the pain from all the adrenaline, and as soon as he stepped out of the taxi, all the longing that had been dormant inside him awoke. A wide smile spread across his face and his father's. A tight hug, two soft pats on the back, and they were finally reunited once more.

"It's good to see you!"

"You were shorter, John!" His father laughed briefly. "From the calls, I didn't think you had grown this much!"

"Of course I grew, I was sixteen!"

They walked together toward the large house with glass walls. The man led him to the room where they had left Johnny's luggage and showed him around the house. The house, despite its luxurious exterior, was smaller and much more comfortable than he had imagined. Once they sat down, they chatted about how they had lived through the years apart, the joys, the struggles, everything they could remember to share.

"I know you came to visit because you wanted to, but tell me, what's bothering you?"

"Was it that obvious?"

"You can't hide your emotions, son. Are you worried about leaving your brother in Korea?"

Johnny smiled.

"Part of me is, yes, but actually, I'm thinking about something else."

"The real reason you came here?"

"By the way you're talking, it sounds like I'm a terrible son."

The two laughed.

"Of course I came here because I missed you too."

"But you came to give me your answer to what I asked, didn't you?"

Johnny pressed his lips slightly, staring at his glass with ice cubes in the gin and tonic.

"I believe that should be answered in person."

"And are you sure about the choice you made?"

Due to Johnny's confident smile, Mr. Seo knew that no one could be more decided than Johnny at that moment...

Two months later

Rebecca was in her dressing room removing her makeup while Manager Kim stood beside her, checking the singer's schedule for future appointments. Everyone was silent, a little anxious due to the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Now, while we head to the studio, you'll have only two hours to sleep, so don't stay on your phone and rest, okay?"

"Hmm..."

"When we're done recording, you'll have the rest of the week off. We want you to be healthy for the album release and Sunday's performances."

As soon as they could, Yuri and Kim silently headed to the van until the woman couldn't take the melancholy anymore.

"Why did you agree to the director's request to record a new album?"

"Because this is my job." she murmured.

"What's the point? You get distracted, forget the lyrics. Your fans don't want to see you like this."

"I'm sorry." She kept her eyes on her phone screen.

Kim sighed.

"Did he say anything else after that?"

"Not yet, we don't have time to talk like we used to." She locked her phone screen, feeling even more downcast.

"Yuri, you..." She was interrupted.

"Sorry, but I'm really tired, can you wake me up when we get to the studio?"

"Alright..."

And so, the final weeks of those three months since Johnny's announcement on television were passing by. The news wasn't what surprised her the most; it was the lack of time he had to talk about it and spend more time together. She missed him more than anything, and being without him was making her depressed, just like it had been a few years ago.

That day, Yuri was waiting for news from Jaehyun. He had gone to visit the older friend over the weekend and promised to bring updates on how everything was going with Johnny's sudden life transition. However, the eldest Jung son hadn't sent any messages, nor had he called her, and he would only return to Korea the following morning. In the end, all she could do now was wait.

"You really scared us, you know that?" Jaehyun commented after the beer went down hot in his throat.

"I was going to do that from the beginning. I thought I made it clear that everything would be fine before coming here." Johnny laughed, finishing his beer bottle.

"You said everything would be fine? Yeah, you did, but how do you expect us to stay calm when we found out you became the new director of your dad's company from the news? This is big, man, you were in the newspaper, your dad named you as his successor in front of the whole company. We thought you weren't coming back."

"Of course, I'm coming back. I became the director, not the owner."

"Not yet, but you will."

"My dad plans to take care of the company for a few more years, I don't need to worry about moving back to the United States now."

"So, you're going to end up going back, huh?"

"I don't know." Johnny smiled lightly. "If everything goes as planned, I can handle everything even while being in Korea."

"But you'll be traveling all the time."

"It doesn't matter where I live, I'll have to travel anyway because of this job."

"True." Jaehyun left his empty beer bottle on the coffee table.

"Don't worry, I will return to Korea."

"Did you manage to talk to Yuri about this?"

"She's worried about all of this—traveling, the new position... I should have talked to her about it before accepting. I feel guilty. But I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had turned down my dad's request anyway."

"Even if it risked your relationship with her?"

"Well, I already did, didn't I?"

Jaehyun nodded, looking at him with some concern.

"I just hope she doesn't think she's less important to me now because I didn't tell her earlier."

"Women get insecure easily." Jaehyun sighed. "You should talk to her properly. It was hard enough for you two to get together after everything; it would suck if you broke up now."

"I love my girlfriend, I don't want to lose her."

"Now you understand me." Jaehyun grinned mischievously.

Johnny chuckled softly.

"Ugh, Jaehyun, your influence on my life has turned me gay."

"Ah, shut up." They both laughed again. "I warned you that you'd fall in love someday, tried to warn you, but no, you kept acting like the rejected single guy."

"Now I just know that the thing I miss is wanting to take a plane and show up at her apartment door today."

"Not much longer, you guys made it through a lot, you can last a little more."

"It's already been too much for me, if you want to know."

"You're really into it, huh?" Jaehyun put his hand on his chin. "What did I do to you?"

"But you're an idiot..."

They laughed while staring at each other.

"But hey, you told me you needed to talk about the job my dad promised you at the resort."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Johnny straightened up. "Since I'm not going to follow that field anymore, I wanted to make a proposal."

Jaehyun started laughing.

"You just became director and already have your sharp business mind, huh?"

"You guys are one of the richest families in the capital, why not?"

"Alright, I'm listening." Jaehyun adjusted himself on the couch.

"How about expanding your audience?"

"How so?"

"If you expand the property to add a runway for executive jets, your clientele won't just be the lower upper class, you'll have the upper upper class interested too. And let's not stop there, tourists will come more often, and it will also make it easier for many of your guests to get around."

"Johnny, what have they done to you?" Jaehyun was laughing.

"What?"

"I never imagined you in a suit and tie talking about business, sitting behind a desk... What a convincing talker you've become."

Johnny laughed along with his friend.

"I'm scared, it doesn't even seem like I didn't know how to lie a few months ago. What kind of training did you give me during these two months?"

"Alright, but what do you think? Are you interested in hearing more about our proposal?"

"Oh, no doubt about it."

The day may have already dawned, but Yuri hadn't even considered the idea of getting out of bed so early. She tossed and turned, trying not to think about Johnny for at least a minute, but it was as if his scent was embedded in that room and in her sheets. She didn't want to feel his presence, she wanted to have him in her arms again. She wanted to cry until a call startled her, banishing all her anguish.

"Jaehyun...!" she answered.

"Sorry for calling so early."

"No, it's fine...!"

"The reason for this is that I need to tell you something, and I'm sure if I don't say it now, I'll forget later."

"What is it? Is Johnny okay?"

"Don't worry, he's fine. I need you to clear your schedule for Sunday at nine PM."

"I have a performance that day."

"It's really important. Are you sure it's impossible to make an exception?"

"My performance ends at nine, but why?"

"Johnny will be back earlier. Don't you want to surprise him? He really misses you."

"Johnny will be back on Sunday?!"

"Yes, his plane arrives at 9:20 at the airport. I can take you there."

"I'll go!" she quickly sat up on the bed. "Let's do it!"

"Are you sure you can make it?"

"Yes! Please, let's do it!"

"Alright, send me the address of where you'll be performing later. Don't forget."

"Thank you so much, Jaehyun!"

"Hey, you're the one who brought life back to our little Johnny Boy, the thanks go to you." He chuckled softly. "But that's all I wanted to say, I'll see you on Sunday then." And the call was disconnected.

Finally, a spark of life ran through Yuri's veins, and she felt ready again. Three months of distance now felt like three days, and how she wished it would pass as quickly as possible.

"Are you sure you don't want me to send a driver to pick you up?"

Mrs. Seo was talking to her son over a video call.

"There's no need, I can take a taxi with no problem." He smiled.

"Why don't you come back today?" Jinwoo looked at him through the screen. "You're taking too long, hyung!"

"I know, hyung can't make it today, so we'll see each other tomorrow night, okay?"

Jinwoo made a face.

"Come on, won't you smile at me? I miss you too!"

The little boy pouted.

"You'll see the smile if you come here."

Johnny laughed.

"It's already late, go to bed, Johnny." His mother smiled. "Tomorrow, you'll have a long way back home."

"Alright, goodnight." He waved to both of them. "Sleep well. See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow, Johnny." She said goodbye. "Let's go, Jinwoo, don't be mean to your brother."

"Goodnight, hyung..." A pout.

Finally, the much-awaited Sunday arrived. Yuri was restless as she waited for her turn to go on stage. Her bleached hair was now a bluish-black, spread across her shoulders as she checked her microphone. She was nervous because she had gotten out of the habit of singing and dancing in public, while also being overflowing with anxiety to see Johnny as soon as she finished performing. At the same time, she wanted it to be over quickly, but she was excited to get back to doing her work.

And there wasn't a single fan there who didn't cheer for Rebecca's grace and her melodious voice. The cameras captured her best angles, and her charm overflowed as the fan chant was made. She was really happy, not just for her return, but also because she knew she'd be seeing her boyfriend in just a few minutes.

After the thanks, Rebecca left the stage, and the moment she was free of the microphone wires, she wasted no time.

"Yuri, what's going on?!" The manager exclaimed, seeing the girl running to the dressing room. "Yuri?!"

She didn't have time to answer, grabbed her phone, and ran as fast as she could, thankful she was wearing sneakers for the performance.

"Where do you think you're going, Yuri?!" Kim ran after her but couldn't catch up.

Dodging everyone, the girl finally reached the emergency exit and ran to the street. Manager Kim almost grabbed her arm, but Yuri spotted Jaehyun waving from his Azera and ran toward him.

"Quick, before they catch up with us!" She said while buckling her seatbelt.

Jaehyun didn't need much explanation to understand the message and started the car. Clearly, they would be crucified by Yuri's company, but that was a worry they decided to leave for another time.

In ten minutes, Johnny would land. They were running late, but Jaehyun was thankful his car was fast enough to get them there just in time. He parked, and they rushed out with the youngest leading the way for Yuri. Still in her performance makeup and outfit, the singer became the target of curious onlookers who slowly began to recognize her and follow her with Jaehyun.

"Shit, we're attracting attention...!" Jaehyun muttered to himself until they reached the arrival terminal. "Yuri!" He called. "There, Johnny is there!"

He pointed, staying a bit behind to protect the girl in case anyone tried to get too close. Upon seeing her boyfriend walking distractedly, Yuri's tired legs disappeared.

"Johnny!" She screamed.

Surprised, he looked up to see the singer running toward him. Instinctively, Johnny dropped his bags and opened his arms to receive her in an embrace. And that's exactly what she did. She hugged him tightly and buried her face in the curve of his neck. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't her imagination, he was real, and she could touch him. He was hers again.

Jaehyun smiled seeing the scene, but then approached, opening his arms in an attempt to shield the two from the flashes of cameras and recordings trying to capture them.

"Please, don't get any closer." He said. "Please don't take pictures or videos." He tried to draw attention to himself, moving his arms as best as he could.

Johnny was laughing from the surprise of having Yuri as the first person to greet him when he returned to Korea. He pulled her back a little by the shoulders with a sweet smile.

"What are you doing here, exposing yourself like this? They're going to make up all kinds of...!"

He was interrupted by a kiss. She wasn't in her rational self at that moment, all she wanted was to shout to the world how much she loved Seo Johnny and how happy she was to see him again. As soon as they separated, she smiled brightly. She touched his face, analyzing every detail, making sure it was really real. A joyful sigh escaped her lips, and her eyes were teary with emotion.

"You came back... You came back to me..."

Johnny may not have wanted to admit it, but his heart was about to explode, and an immense happiness took over his body at that moment.

"I told you I would come back."

"I missed you so much..."

They embraced again.

"And I missed yours..." He whispered only to her.

The excessive joy made them forget about everyone around them, their presence with each other was so pleasant that they didn't care about anything else. Even Jaehyun found himself too close.

"I don't want to be a party pooper, but..." He was facing away from them. "We're getting cornered, and your faces are already all over the internet. Can we go now?"

As they separated, both realized how surrounded they were and finally started to worry.

"Let's go quickly, this way...!" Jaehyun began to try to clear the path.

Soon, the airport security noticed the commotion and came to assist the three young people trying to cross to leave. They managed to leave with difficulty and found themselves breathing heavily inside Jaehyun's car. They were definitely in trouble now.

"At least no one remembers your past scandal anymore." Jaehyun broke the silence.

"They're going to want to kill me." She whispered, but intertwined her fingers with Johnny's while sitting in the back seat.

"You might have ruined your career because of me..." He seemed worried, looking at her.

"No..." She smiled. "My career was saved because of you."

He seemed confused.

"I was lost until I found you again... My fans will understand, I know they will."

The three smiled suddenly. With that comment, Johnny sealed the moment by connecting his lips to Yuri's with affection. The longing, once bitter, was now sweet and pleasant.

"My God, how I missed you..." They smiled as they separated.

A lot of things still needed to be set right, but no doubts remained. The fear and loneliness that once plagued him were no longer there. Johnny finally had the certainty that his life was his to live. And the decisions he would make, he promised never to regret. While protecting his great love in his embrace, he felt, just like the breeze that touched his face: he had his friends, he had his family. He had someone who loved him, and he wouldn't trade her for anything or anyone.

He was no longer alone.

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ . ⋆ ･

And we've reached the end of another episode the Baby series!
Thank you so much and I hope to meet you again in the future!

See ya!