The way Johnny had said it raised Yuri's hopes. They could spend more time together during the weekdays after he dropped Jinwoo off at school, and share their weekends with the child. Right now, all she cared about was having her boyfriend close as much as possible, so she could make up for all the missed time. And that's exactly what they did. They ate together, had fun together, and of course, never neglected the affectionate gestures. When it wasn't Johnny surprising her with sudden kisses, it was the two of them using the television as the soundtrack to their passionate kisses.

Yuri would be embarrassed to admit it, but watching Johnny nap on the couch with his head in her lap was one of her favorite hobbies. His face was so peaceful that the singer's heart filled with comfort, and nothing else mattered except wanting to make him happy.

There was also the immense panic when Manager Kim caught them hugging in the apartment. The fear focused on the possibility of losing him because of that.

— Ah, I feel like I'm losing years of my life every time you decide to do something... Aish... — The woman had her elbows on the table, her face covered by her hands, hiding her frustrated expression.

Manager Kim hadn't been so difficult to deal with, and in the end, the situation turned out to be better than expected. Yuri could have gone on a hiatus due to her lack of responsibility from one night of drinking, but everyone believed that having company might be the remedy she needed at the time.

— Well, your two years without relationships have expired, and it's not like we're going to force you to stay single forever. — Another sigh. — I'm happy that you and your life are getting better, but your scandal is still too recent, so for now, I want you to keep this a secret. Don't go out together okay... That's all the company is asking of you now. — She lightly slapped her own cheeks. — I can't let this affect me too... Ah, I can already feel the wrinkles... — More sighs.

Time was limited, and for Johnny and Yuri, not being able to have couple dates now was the least of their dilemmas. They had each other's company, and even though there were limits to what they could do behind closed doors, they were making it work just fine.

Two weeks seemed like a long time when they were first mentioned. However, as the days passed, the couple's joy began to fade. They were becoming melancholic easily and missing each other more frequently.

— Johnny...

— Hm...?

They were lying together on the couch, watching a variety show on television at that moment.

— Two weeks is too little time... — She murmured, resting her chin on his chest to look at his face.

He returned the gaze.

— Yes... It's too little.

— You... — She bit her lip. — Do you really have to go? Can't your dad come this time?

Johnny smiled faintly and started stroking Yuri's black hair.

— Just like two weeks are passing too quickly, three months will too.

He didn't believe it himself, but more than anything, he wanted her to not be sad and to hold onto the hope that everything would be fine.

— Before you know it, I'll be right here. — He wrapped his arms around the singer. — And you'll have to take responsibility for making me love you so much.

Yuri stretched a little so her face was aligned with Johnny's. Four days were all they had left now. She gently caressed his chin, slowly moving her hand up to his cheeks. He kept his gaze locked on her eyes, which seemed mesmerized by every detail that made up her boyfriend's face.

— What are you doing? — He whispered, smiling.

— Memorizing... — Finally, she focused on his eyes. — Saving every feature of your face in my mind so I won't forget how it feels to touch your face when you're far away.

Johnny placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer without much force. As soon as she lowered her gaze to his lips, a cold sensation gripped his stomach. This was the first time he saw Yuri so seductive, even with the dim lighting. She slowly descended, almost torturously, until their lips met and started an intense dance. It was different from the kisses they had shared before; this one was hot, exciting, and addictive. They kept calm, savoring this new feeling, while Johnny's hands explored Yuri's back beneath the shirt she was wearing. As soon as his hands touched the strap of her bra, they briefly separated. He looked at her with desire, and she knew exactly what that look was saying. Her hands, resting on his chest, could feel his heart racing.

— Shall we go to the bedroom?

Such a question caught him off guard. It was almost like it was his first time doing this, the adrenaline, the fear of making mistakes. And it was indeed his first time. He had never made love before, only had sex, which he had briefly believed was a sincere act for both parties. But now, he cared little about the past. He just took the hand of the girl he loved and promised himself that he would make her feel like the most loved woman in the world that night.

The bedroom was warmer, Yuri more beautiful than ever, and every touch sent chills down his spine. The caresses that made his girlfriend moan only made him fall deeper in love. Everything felt more exciting and passionate, even the creaking of the bed was music to his ears.

They felt complete as the calmness returned to their bodies. Numb. That was the only word that came to his mind when he tried to describe how he felt. They were sweaty and tangled in each other under the sheets. Yuri had already fallen asleep after saying "I love you" so many times and scratching his back. With a laugh, Johnny found himself thinking about how lucky he was. He pulled her closer, wanting to protect her, even if it was just from the monsters under the bed.

— Goodnight... — He kissed her forehead and fell asleep beside her.

Their first time together. Yuri felt revitalized and closer to Johnny than ever before. Her smile was almost impossible to hide, and he couldn't find it more adorable than he already did. On one hand, he was scared of loving someone this much. What if it didn't last? What if it didn't work out? Such thoughts terrified him, but he chased them away every time he remembered how short his time with his girlfriend was now.

— Yuri, my friends are throwing a farewell party tomorrow at my mom's house. — He leaned on the counter while she prepared breakfast. — I want everyone to meet you.

— Won't that be risky? — She smiled anyway. — They asked us not to go out together.

— When you made me go buy coffee for you on my first day of work, that wasn't a problem. — He crossed his arms with a pout.

— Are you sure everything will be okay?

— Don't worry, we can disguise you until we get there. — He glanced at the clock on the fridge door. — And it'll be at night, the lack of lighting will help a lot. Everything's fine, everything's fine. — He made an "okay" gesture with his hands.

— Alright... I'll trust you.

— Yes, and you'll even get to meet my mom. I mean, you've met her before, but this time it'll be less awkward. You'll get to know her better before she goes to work at the news station. To anyone watching, it seems like little time, but she gets home very late, which is why Jinwoo felt so lonely. At least yesterday, he stayed at a friend's house. I was surprised she let him. — He smiled absentmindedly.

Yuri was happy to see this side of Johnny. Before, his smiles were for joy or fleeting excitement, but this one was a happiness that filled him and made his smile come out spontaneously. It was charming and pleasant.

— Alright! Let's eat quickly, you need to go pick up Jinwoo. Today is my day to stay with him. — She started setting the breakfast table.

— You meant our day with him, right? In plural. — He helped her.

— Still jealous when it comes to your brother, huh? Eh, I'm jealous.

The two laughed until Johnny finished his meal and briefly said goodbye to his girlfriend before going to pick up his brother from the friend's house where he had spent the previous day. Everything felt so new and cozy that Johnny would never let his guard down. Ups and downs had never existed for the young personal trainer; in reality, everything always tended to go down. Until this moment. Now, things were going in the opposite direction. Up. And even though it was relaxing and enjoyable, Johnny wanted to be prepared for whatever came next. If anything came.

— I really should give you a prize, Jaehyun. — He answered when his phone rang.

— What? What do you mean?

— Prize for: "The friend who only calls me when I'm driving." How many times has it been?

They both laughed.

— That's kind of creepy.

— Yeah, but anyway, what's the good news?

— I called to check if everything's okay for tomorrow. I couldn't keep up with the messages last night. I was with Gayeon, and when I went to read the conversation, there were too many bubbles...

— How lazy... Yeah, tomorrow at 7 p.m. everyone will gather at my mom's house.

— Great, we'll be there.

— Look at that, does this mean you made up with Gwiyomi?

— Yeah, I think so. We apologized to each other... I think everything will be fine. Honestly, I don't even know why we fought so much.

— Because you care too much. At least you're on good terms now, right?

— Yeah... There's a guy in her circle of friends who worries me, but I won't get involved with that anymore. It might just be my imagination.

— See? Worry! — He laughed. — But what's the problem? You jealous again?

— Okay, I'm jealous, we know that, but it doesn't mean that when I'm bothered, it's always jealousy, okay?

— Oh, he's mad now.

— Shut up. — He was laughing. — He has a weird way of getting close to girls. He touches them like it's okay, he's clingy, I don't know... As long as he doesn't try anything with my girlfriend, I won't say anything. She doesn't like me judging her friends, so it's better to keep quiet.

— Hmm... I'd castrate him just to be sure.

The laughing fit was inevitable.

— Anyway, thanks Johnny. We'll talk tomorrow.

— Alright, alright, hanging up.

Johnny was excited for the party and to introduce his girlfriend to his friends, but he felt sad about having less time to spend with her. There was no remedy for that, so he promised to remind her how much he loved her every moment he could, to make sure she never forgot or doubted that feeling. With Yuri, it wasn't any different. They were both deeply concerned about the distance. What they had was completely new, and they would never consider giving up now, not after everything they had been through. Everything would be fine.