Chapter 19. Tease

They sat across each other in the café nearby as Yonghwa was waiting for her to speak up but it seemed like she was still stalling. He reclined on his seat and watched her carefully, “What did my daughter tell you?”

“She said she wants me to be her mommy… for real,” Joohyun disclosed without taking her eyes of him. Only a fraction of surprise colored his face; right then she realized that he knew about it. Shaking her head, she smiled regretfully, “I’m sorry but I decided to stay away for a little while because my presence might give her a false hope that I am embracing what she said. And it feels so awkward having you as my boss and all.”

“Now I understand and I’m sorry this happened.” Yonghwa gave her an encouraging smile, “When she celebrated her birthday, her wish is to have a baby brother and so she devised this little scheme of looking for new wife for me so that she will have what she wants.”

Joohyun almost laughed at the cuteness of that idea, “Really?”

He nodded then focused at the open street behind her when he spoke pensively, “Then she saw this beautiful woman in the art gallery where their class had a fieldtrip a few months ago. Right then and there, she vowed to herself that she will be her new mommy...” he let off a deep sigh, “Apparently, that woman was you…”

“I’m sorry…” it was somewhat a cute revelation and her heart fluttered that she was, sort of, the chosen one.

“No, I should be the one apologizing. Maybe she got used to getting everything that she wants so now she is up to getting you,” he unexpectedly laughed at that while the woman across him had that warm smile. Yonghwa continued rather contemplatively, “Euna never had her mommy by her side because Ha In left when she was just a few days old.”

Joohyun noticed how his eyes glistened when he mentioned Euna’s mother. It brought a different feel inside her but she wanted to know so much so she asked what she had been dying to know, “Tell me about her—your wife.”

It caught him by surprise. Yonghwa never expected that request coming from her. How long has it been since the last time he talked about this? He sighed noticing the glimmer of expectation in her expression, he decided to just go ahead with it then he started, “Ha In was my childhood friend and someone who was always there beside me almost all my life. We went to the same school and you know those stuff…” he felt a little embarrassed talking about his love life to her but somehow it was relieving. “We got married after I finished University but she passed away after Euna was born…”

“I’m so sorry to hear that…” She blinked hard and took a slow sip of water. Yonghwa had that melancholic smile so she didn’t say anything more and allowed him to continue.

“Ha In was a simple woman who cared so much about me and Euna and I’m sure she could have been a very good mother to her but I couldn’t do anything anymore. It’s all in the past now and maybe I have moved on too.”

“Maybe?” That made her laugh softly and raised a brow at him, “You’re not sure if you have really moved on?”

Yonghwa just had to laugh with that rather sarcastic remark because that was all he could regard that as— a pure joke. He leaned on his seat pondering her question but there was no answer to that, for the time being hopefully. Clearing his throat, he continued, “So going back to Euna, since she basically spends her life without a mother, she has this obsession with the mother-thing.”

“I guess that would be natural,” she retorted thoughtfully then lifted her gaze to him keeping an even tone, “Then why don’t you just re-marry?”

“I don’t know, I have been burying myself to work after she died and there’s Euna to take care of. Maybe I just don’t have the time to find someone… or if there would be someone for me. I feel that I’m still married to her.”

“Maybe,” she played with her straw dropping her attention on the colored liquid in her glass, “It must be hard for you since Euna is aching to have a mom.”

He nodded, “Although my mother took us in after Ha In’s death but she still feels like she’s missing a great deal, which is also true…”

Joohyun focused her eyes towards the street since she didn’t know what to say anymore. He reminded her of her father—as if it was him who was telling her those things. “Talking about her makes me miss my mommy too, so I think that it’s why we seemed to be so attached, we ache for the same thing, for the same figure,” Joohyun smiled, “Umma died when I was 12—with cancer she never told us about. Daddy was devastated. I detached myself from everybody else when she left but I am too lucky to have Changmin Oppa beside me ever since, especially when I was coping…”

“Changmin?” It was the first time mentioning that man and something in him wanted to know more about him.

“A brother? A friend?” She smiled shyly. It has always been hard explaining her relationship with her oppa to people so she waved a hand diverting the issue, “Going back to daddy. After a few years, like I was around fifteen, he started dating a few women in our circle and introduced them to me. But I put them all off because I said I already have a mother. That’s why Euna and I are opposite on this regard. I never wanted my dad to marry again because I feel jealous for my mom.”

‘Changmin must be an important man in her life that she seemed to be uncomfortable talking about him,’ Yonghwa thought. “So your dad never married because of that…”

“I don’t know… maybe… but I know that umma was the only one he loves in the end and will go on loving,” she laughed then took a sip of her drink before continuing, “That’s a daughter’s point of view, of course…”

He felt glad that they were having that kind of conversation. At normal circumstances, he would feel awkward talking about Ha In to a woman but Joohyun made it a lot easier.

“You must still love her so much.”

That observation left him speechless especially since Joohyun was smiling that way. He could not really fathom what emotion it was—somewhat close to melancholy. Then they were silent again—just feeling each other’s little movements.

There was this calm that enveloped them both.

“Don’t worry, Euna will probably realize it soon…” Yonghwa broke the silent spell that continued until they decided to head back to the office, “I can’t promise but hopefully she won’t bug you on marrying me again.”

Joohyun could only laugh at that. When he took his place, she noticed the frown that suddenly took over his face as he looked at his phone, “What’s the matter?”

“I got 11 missed calls from my mother…” he grinned, “Must be Euna again.”

“Call her…” she said with a worried expression.

He nodded at her and was glad that his mother answered right away, “Umma, I’m sorry I was out for a meeting. What happened? Oh… I can’t leave now… I have a pile to sign. Yeah, it’s okay. Bring her here.”

“What happened?” Joohyun asked when he ended the call.

“Euna is throwing a fit. Sometimes when my mother had enough, she would usually call. It’s nothing serious,” Yonghwa added seeing her worried expression, “I told her to bring Euna here. I’ll take her somewhere after work. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” she smiled happy with the thought she would be seeing her little girl once more after their little drama. She pursed her lips at the thought and mumbled, “I feel guilty staying away from her…”

“Don’t worry, she’ll hardly notice,” he smirked.

~~~

Two hours later, Hyoyeon escorted Euna and Mrs. Jung inside their office. To everybody’s surprise, Euna threw herself to Joohyun the moment she saw her that they all looked at each other in amusement. “Hey, princess…” she wrapped the little girl in a fierce hug and kissed her hair. She smiled when she found their audience smiling warmly at them. She winked at them especially when Euna did not show any signs of pulling her body off her, “You miss me that much, huh?”