*It's been a while since I updated this story. Sorry if this chapter is boring. I still need to brush up my skills. Haha. Mian*

Ji-hyo couldn’t believe what Jong Kook had suggested to her.

“Are you crazy? Do you want me to die, oppa?”

“No! Ji-hyo ah, you can’t run away forever from your kid. It’s unfair for him, and it’s unfair to your family. It’s mostly unfair to yourself, Ji-hyo ah.”

“Andwae! No way! I cannot bring Yoo back to Korea. I cannot bring him to see my family.”

“Ji-hyo ah, it’s about time you be the mother of your own child.”

“But I can’t bring him back to Korea. Everybody will know. My family will not accept me in the family anymore, oppa!”

“But he’s your child for God sake Song Ji-hyo!” Jong Kook losing out his temper.

Ji-hyo couldn’t respond with words except crying. Jong Kook trying hard to calm his own feelings.

“Please, Ji-hyo ah….You are not this kind of person……The Song Ji-hyo I know, is a very kind woman with a big heart. I saw the way you care for your fans, especially the young ones. And I know you have full of love inside you…..You are not a selfish woman, Ji-hyo ah. Your mistakes in the past, it was not because of you. It was because of your manager. So you don’t need to feel guilty for leaving Yoo Jin here for so long. But now, you can’t repeat the same mistake by leaving your kid again. You have to start being his mother now, Song Ji-hyo……..”

Ji-hyo covered her teary eyes on Jong Kook’s chest.

“But I’m……so scared…..op-pa…….I’m….so…..scared……Yoo Jin….will….nev-ver……for-give m-me…….My fam-mily……will….hate me…..My fans….and ev-veryone…..will hate me…….I’m scared, op-pa……” Ji-hyo confessed sobbingly.

“But I love you, Ji-hyo ah……And I will never let that happen to you….I promise that things will only get better……Yes everyone probably will be shocked at first but soon they’ll start to accept everything especially your family, Ji-hyo ah……I know how much your family love you…..And they will never kick you out from the family……That’s I’m sure about…..” Jong Kook gave assurance words to calm his girlfriend. He kept Ji-hyo’s back to calm her faster. “Yoo has been waiting for so long to meet his mother…..This is the right time, Ji-hyo ah……You two will be family again, together again. Didn’t you miss him? Didn’t you miss his attendance in your life? You carried him for nine months, Ji-hyo ah…..I’m sure there’s a special connection between mother and son inside both of you….”

They both stayed silent for a minute.

“………When I saw him…..calling unnie ‘mommy’, my heart ache…….But…….I know…….I didn’t have any right………to feel jealous…..because……..unnie has been his mother……from the day he was born……..” Ji-hyo stated while still holding to Jong Kook’s shirt, her voice a bit whispery.

“You have every right to be his mother, Ji-hyo ah…..It’s your right that nobody can take…..You will become a very good mother once you and your son reunite. I know you can do this…..”

Ji-hyo turned up to look at Jong Kook.

“What if……he never…….accept me…..anymore?.......What if……he’s angry with me, oppa?”

Jong Kook brushed away the hairs from Ji-hyo’s wet face. “From what I heard from Jessie, although he’s still a boy, but he’s matured than his real age. He knew that Jessie is not his real mother. And he’s still waiting for his mother to come and get him…….He’s waiting for you, Ji-hyo ah…….”

“……But what if…..he didn’t want me to be his mother?........What if, he prefers Jessie unnie?.....”

“He will need some times to adapt to everything, Ji-hyo ah. Even if he’s matured, he’s still a kid. We need to slowly approach him and make him understand about everything. We will discuss with Jessie about this…..okay? Just know that no matter what, I will be with you…..Alright?”

“Promise…..you won’t leave me, oppa?”

“I promise…….I love you, Song Ji-hyo……So much……”

“…….I love you too, oppa……Thank you so much……for coming into my life……”

“Thanks to you……for opening up your heart for me……”

Jong Kook slowly leaned down and captured Ji-hyo’s lips with his own. After few minutes of making out, they disconnected their lips.

“I love you…..” Jong Kook confessed again.

“I love you more…Thank you, oppa…..” Ji-hyo replied.

Jong Kook smiled hearing the confession and hugged his lover tight.

The next day, Ji-hyo had been nervous since early morning knowing that today she will finally meet her son. Jessie had told her last night a little bit about her boy which makes her excited at first. But as the time gets closer, she gets more nervous.

“Are you okay?” Jong Kook asked, checking on his girlfriend.

“……..I’m scared, oppa……I’m excited but…….but I’m scared………”

“You don’t have to…..You heard what Jessie said about him right? He’s a good kid, very bright kid just like you. I’m sure he’s happy to finally meet his mother.”

“But what should I say to him? You know I didn’t speak English that much…”

Jong Kook burst into laughing.

“Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?...........Oppa!”

“Is that what you have been worrying about? About the language?”

“Of course I’m worried. What will be our language then if he didn’t understand Korean while I don’t understand English?”

“Then you both should use sign language…….erk erk ark erk erk……” Jong Kook mocked Ji-hyo with his sign language.

“Oppa!” Ji-hyo pouting.

“Okay! Okay! Sorry…….But you’re just too cute, you know? Hahahahah…….”

“Well thanks for being a big help…I better go and talk with halmeoni than sitting here with you…huh….”

Ji-hyo was ready to leave before Jong Kook stopped her.

“Hey, I’m sorry okay? Please don’t leave me alone….”

“Huh! As if I leave you in haunted house…..”

“Ahah! That actually reminds me of someone who almost fainted in the haunted house before…..But I think she’s just pretending to be scared just to get my attention…..” Jong Kook teased.

“Hah! You wish!”

“Hahahahahah………..Why are you so upset? I didn’t mention any name…….Or was that you, Song Ji-hyo?” Jong Kook continued.

“I really am wasting my time here. I’m leaving.”

By the time Ji-hyo get up from her chair, Jessie approach them with Yoo Jin following behind her.

“Yoo, come and meet my friends,” she requested.

Ji-hyo’s face turn out pale, not ready to meet her own son.

“Yoo, this is……aunty Ji-hyo…..and this man here is uncle Jong Kook….You met him outside yesterday, remember?”

“Yes! Hello aunty! Hello uncle! I’m Lee Yoo Jin……” Yoo Jin introduced himself in English.

Ji-hyo couldn’t control her automatic tears from flowing. Slowly, she gets closer to Yoo Jin and bend down to see him up close. Her hands tried to touch him.

“………Hey………How……..are…….you?” Ji-hyo tried to speak in English.

“……..I am fine, aunty….Thank you……How about you?........”

Ji-hyo couldn’t answer anymore. Not because she didn’t understand. But because she can’t believe that she finally gets to meet her real son right in front of her eyes.

“Aunty, why are you crying?” Yoo Jin offered. His hands automatically wiped away Ji-hyo’s tears.

But it only makes Ji-hyo cries harder. She holds onto the little hands on her cheeks while crying out loud.

“…..Are you sick, aunty?.....Mommy!” Yoo Jin called for Jessie’s help.

While Jessie get Yoo Jin, Jong Kook bring Ji-hyo into his embrace, calming her.

“Yoo, go to your room and take a bath, okay? Mommy will call you when the food is ready,” Jessie sorted out.

“Okay, mommy.”

Yoo Jin left to his room.

“Ji-hyo ah, you have to calm yourself in front of your son. He didn’t have any clue who you really are,” Jessie told Ji-hyo.

“……I’m….sorry, unnie………I can’t…..help it……..”

“I understand……But you need to try hard…….Yoo Jin is always full of curiousity……He love to ask about anything…..I’m afraid if you keep crying, we will have to tell him the truth while he’s not ready…….That could shock him…….”

“Erm…..I’ll bring Ji-hyo to her room for now……” Jong Kook suggested.

“Yeah….I think that’s the best….” Jessie agreed.

“Come on, Ji-hyo ah…..”

Inside her room, Jong Kook continues cradling her.

“I cannot……do this, oppa…….I cannot…….see him……without……feeling guilty………I’m so cruel, oppa………How could I…….leave him here…….” Ji-hyo let out her sadness to Jong Kook.

“Ji-hyo ah, we’ve talked about this right? You are not a bad mother. You are just a victim of unexpected circumstances. Nobody would wanna be in a situation like what you’ve gone through. But everything is already in the past. You still have time to make things right now…..Let’s do that without looking back….Hmm?”

“But how?........I can’t even see his eyes……without crying……..”

“That’s because it’s the first time you met him after a long while…….Once you get used to it, you’ll feel better…….Tell you what, let’s try to spend more time with him….to get closer to him….hmm?”

“………..I……..I don’t know…….”

“Don’t worry….I’ll be with you……So the three of us could chat and get to know each other further…Okay?”

“…………Okay……..”

“But…..you’ll have to promise me that you’ll be strong……If you kept crying, he will be afraid to be alone with us…….Can you do that?”

“………I’ll try……”

“That’s my girl…….You know I love you so much no matter what, right?”

“……….Yeah……Thank you, oppa…….”

Jong Kook send out his sweet smiles and peck Ji-hyo’s lips, knowing it was one of the ways to calm her fast.

All four of them sat together in the dining room later on. Ji-hyo has stop crying and decided to stay silent while facing her child.

“So, Yoo Jin…….I heard that you are a smart and good kid…..” Jong Kook started.

Yoo Jin simply smiled without saying anything.

“Oh yes! Yoo Jin is a very good boy. That’s why halmeoni loves him so much,” Jessie responded.

“Mommy didn’t love me?” Yoo Jin asked. However, his question surprised everyone.

“Aigoo! Of course mommy loves you, darling.”

“Hehe…..I love you too, mommy…..”

And that confession feels like a knife stabbing Ji-hyo’s heart. How she wished Yoo Jin dedicate that confession to her. But she knows she didn’t deserve it.

After lunch, Yoo Jin asked Jong Kook to play Playstation with him. Ji-hyo used this time to be with halmeoni.

“………So,…….you met him right?......” the old lady asked.

Ji-hyo nodded while holding halmeoni’s hand, kissing it once in a while.

“……..He’s a very good boy, Ji-hyo ah……..Just like you………”

Ji-hyo burst into tears.

“……..Aigoo…….Why are you crying, Ji-hyo ah?........”

“………I’m so sorry, halmeoni……..I’m so sorry for burdening you……..I’m……….”

“……I never thought of him……as a burden……In fact,……he made my life…..meaningful….and full of happiness…….So, don’t feel sorry…..Ji-hyo ah……..There’s a reason…..for everything to happen…….Even my sickness……..has a reason too…..”

“…….I’m sorry, halmeoni……I’m so sorry…….” Ji-hyo still apologizing.

“Ji-hyo ah,……you don’t have to feel guilty……We all knew what happened, right?......So there’s nothing to be sorry about…….” Jessie tried to calm Ji-hyo with her words.

“But I….should have protected him…..I shouldn’t listen…..and follow everything….that my manager said……This is my child……I should have been with him……I…….”

“Don’t say it anymore, Ji-hyo ah….Like I said, everything is in the past…….Now, it’s the time for you…..to play your role…….” Jessie said.

“But how, unnie? Nobody else…….except my manager…..and Jong Kook oppa…..knew about this……You saw the way Jong Kook oppa reacted, right?...........How do you think my family will react…….when they know…..about Yoo?”

“Ji-hyo ah…..they are your family……No matter what, family sticks together……I’m sure they will accept Yoo Jin and you…….But of course they will need time to understand everything…….”

“…….Ji-hyo ah……Yoo Jin…..has lost……his father…….And I……may not be here…..for long…….”

“A-ni, halmeoni! Don’t say that……”

“No! It’s the truth……You need……to learn…..accepting the truth……Even…..if it’s bitter……Yoo Jin…..needs you…….We may raise him….until now……..but his life…..is still….incomplete……without your touch…….without…..your love……..So please……..raise him well……”

Ji-hyo didn’t know how to respond. If only everything was easier, she will not hesitate to bring Yoo Jin back with her. But because of her situation, it’s just so hard to deal with.

By the time Ji-hyo and Jessie went down, Yoo Jin is laughing out loud at Jong Kook for losing to him. Jessie has never seen him looking so happy like that.

“Mommy! Mommy! I beat uncle for five game straights,” Yoo Jin reported.

“Five game? Really? Woww…….”

“Uncle didn’t know how to play. He didn’t even know how to use the controller. He kept running the wrong way……..hahahhahaha……Uncle is very funny………”

“Well…..that’s because this is the first time uncle play, Yoo Jin. By tomorrow, I’m sure I can beat you….huh…..” Jong Kook defended his lost.

“Hahahahh….Okay….Okay…..Tomorrow we play again, okay uncle?”<