Chapter 25. Rainbow

He sipped his coffee and watched the people passing by the sides of the street through the glass window in front of him. Yonghwa hardly slept that night; he was almost sure that she didn’t as well. It made him wonder how they would be able to take the long drive back home.

After last night, everything would change. He was still trying to figure out this feeling that seemed almost alien to him. The only clear thing though was that he wanted her more now. Shaking his head, he sighed as he saw her walking towards him by his periphery. And when she finally reached him, he noticed the familiar wide smile she was wearing— like nothing happened.

But her eyes told a different story.

“Good morning…” Joohyun greeted with that smile as she slid on the seat across him. It was almost lunch time and she thought she would have avoided him for breakfast but it was either he waited for her or he too just got up.

“Morning,” he smiled. It did not escape his attention that she was trying to avoid his gaze. He couldn’t blame her but then again it was the start of the changes between them.

Joohyun fell asleep while soaking in the tub last night. It somehow relaxed her after what happened but the moment she woke up and headed to bed, she only tossed and turned. It was too hard to sleep. When she got up a few hours ago though, she decided on one thing— to ignore and forget everything that happened between them.

If it was even possible.

Along with that, she decided as well that she would make things clear to him since it was for the best. Lifting her gaze at him, she started, “Yonghwa-ssi, about last night…”

Yonghwa’s eyes widened. He didn’t think she would bring it out; he was about to speak when she lightly raised a finger at him.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled apologetically for deliberately cutting him off, “I know that everything changed after that— everything will change. And I don’t want them to. I realized that we were okay, we were finally getting along and it would only ruin things for us.”

He fidgeted on his seat. The words she uttered somehow made him feel uncomfortable but he didn’t say anything.

“I-I hope… I want us to forget about it…” her eyes dropped on the table then she continued softly, “That it never happened…”

‘That it never happened.’ How easy it was for her to say that. But she was right, he could not possibly know how to get to the next step, if there was even one for them when his mind was still all blurry. Maybe it was just him being a man— with needs, since it has been that long. He sighed. He felt like an for even putting it that way.

Joohyun wondered what he was thinking but she feared looking at him that moment. The silence was expanding though. She shook her head and gathered the courage to look at him, “What do you think?”

“I…I…” he couldn’t form the right words to say. “You’re probably right since we are working together.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” she tried so hard to sound enthusiastic about it but his confirmation somehow wounded her. Managing to paste another big fat fake smile, she continued, “Well then, let’s get down to breakfast— or lunch.”

Yonghwa could only nod and grin at her enthusiasm. Although she was obviously trying so hard, she was more like cheering herself up for the consolation prize.

And she was not the only one.

~~~

Euna was watching her grandmother while she was stocking her clothes on her dresser. She silently smiled imagining what her daddy and mommy could be doing that moment. All the three days they were gone that was all she was thinking of.

“He should be home by now,” Yeon Soo took Euna’s pajamas and sat beside her granddaughter, “I need to check on your uncle again. My friend from Ilsan said he looked sick when he met him.”

“You’re going to Ilsan?” Euna raised her hands as her grandma slipped off her dress.

“Yes,” she smiled as her little girl pouted.

“Again?!” Euna exclaimed with obvious exaggeration.

“Again. Uncle Heechul might be sick and halmeoni cannot sit here and wonder about him, can I?” Euna shook her head then wore her fresh sleeping clothes, “But we will wait for your appa to be home before I go.”

“Will I get to see umma again?”

Yeon Soo raised her brows, “Who?”

“Unnie! I mean, unnie!” Euna smiled sweetly when she realized what she said.

“You did not say unnie,” she chuckled, “You said umma.”

“I did?” Euna giggled, “Maybe my tongue slipped… something like that… it usually happens, halmeoni.”

“Arasso, arasso…” she nodded with a smile then looked intently at her granddaughter, “Eunayah, do you really want Joohyun-ssi to be your umma?”

“I think so…” she looked at her grandma’s different kind of smile, “How about you?”

“Anybody is fine with me. As long as that person loves you, loves your appa and your appa should love too.”

Euna looked down on her fingers thinking about what her grandmother said. She knew that her appa could love anybody but she shook her head and looked at her again. She should not lie to her grandma, “I don’t like anybody, halmeoni. Would you like it if it’s Joohyun Unnie?”

“Of course!” She winked at her granddaughter’s hopeful expression, “She looks really nice and I think she loves you so much.”

“She does…” Euna felt happy that she realized that she found an ally on her grandmother, “Now all we need to do is for her to love my appa and fo