09: Nobody Said It Was Easy

Nobody said it was easy

It's such a shame for us to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be this hard

-Coldplay, The Scientist

***

Jung Yonghwa's POV

March 30, 2016

We were heading to Changi Airport with the most uncomfortable silence inside the car.

Park Joon Geum, my mother-in-law, was supposed to go with us together here in Singapore yet she still needs to process her retirement. She retired as a bank manager in a rural bank wherein she served there for thirty years. 

Just like my very own mom, she was a passionate and dedicated mother to her only child. Since Shinhye's dad died when she was just little, it was hard for my mother-in-law to raise Shinhye alone. 

"Daddy, are we near yet?" Hye Kyo asked from the backseat while I was at the passenger seat. Shinhye decided to drive as she was more familiar with the route and place.

"I think so. Why? Are you excited to see Granny?" I saw her nod her head excitedly and smiled.

"Yes! It's been so long since we've seen her." Shinhye suddenly cleared and speak.

"Mom... will live with us?" I smiled faintly and held her hand.

"Mom's daughter is here. You're the only family left to her. She has nothing to do there." 

"How are your sisters? It's been so long since I've seen them." 

"Oh, Soojung is a teacher now. She is a very strict mathematics teacher." She laughed and squeeze my hand.

"That is what I exactly expected. She told me once, mathematics is a very interesting subject to learn and it is fun. All I could say was that, since I started going to school, my goal was to avoid studying that subject." I chuckled and said,

"Mathematics is not for us; that subject always pull my grades down."

"Soojung must be the smartest from the three of you."

"Well I won't disagree. Soojung had been wearing that title since we were young."

"How about Sooyeon?" I was silent for awhile. She can't focus on me because she was driving yet I held her other hand tightly.

"She didn't actually finished her studies. She got pregnant two years after you left and the father of the child was just forced to marry her. He was a lawyer and I assumed their relationship are on rocks." Shinhye smiled and asked,

"How do your parents feel? They were already disappointed when she pursued dancing." 

My parents were practical people and though they liked Shinhye very much, her job was something they disapproved. That's why Shinhye didn't pursued portraying any plays and instead teached to atleast make a living out of her talent. 

"Of course they were furious at first. But the child was adorable so it wasn't hard to accept her mistake. It was a boy and his already one year old. We call him Ji Yoo Jin."

"Is her husband abusing her or something? I am worried now knowing her situation." She frowned when I didn't answer her quickly.

"No. He was a good man but very conservative and introvert. I don't exactly know what my sister saw in him."

"Hey, you said the person was a good man." I shrugged and continue

"He is good by means when he provides for them financially. But emotionally, I don't know. We are not aware of what's happening when the two are alone." Shinhye suddenly smirked and I raised my eyebrows, questioning her.

"What else will a married couple do alone?" My eyes widened and so I punched her arm. She shrieked and look at me innocently.

"Yah! Aish! Between the two of us you're really are the ert. Stop thinking weird things, Park Shinhye."

"What? I just asked what a married couple do alone. Yah! You're the ert. You're the one thinking of weird thoughts, Jung Yonghwa-ssi." I shooked my head and rolled my eyes.

"Then what does a married couple do alone? Huh?" I shouted and I forgot that my daughter was at the back.

I looked at Hye Kyo from behind and she was staring at the window. Before I can speak to her, Shinhye pinched my arms.

"There are a lot of things we married couples do. Talking, bickering, laughing, fighting, kissing, and..." She winked at me and I moved away from her and squinted my eyes.

"What?" I asked accusingly.

She just laugh and instead answered, "Oh, you know already."

"Aish! Yah! Stop being a ert you are endangering my child's innocence." She scoffed and look at me.

"I didn't even say anything. Aish, don't accuse me of something like that. I was raised to be a very polite lady." She winked again and sent me a flying kiss.

I moved away and opened the window. "Kissed wasted, Mrs.Jung. Now focus on driving. I don't want to die young."

I regretted joking about dying young and we once again are engulf in an awkward silence. 

"I shoudn't have said that. I'm sorry." She shooked her head slightly and continued driving.

"No, don't be. His death was always because of me. I should be the one who's sorry." I held her hands but she pulled away. 

"Shinhye, what you think is wrong. Please know he died because it was his time to die. Everything has a purpose." 

I waited for her reply but there was none. Why is it whenever we're starting to get along very well, the past hunts us?

"Daddy! I can see the airport now! Granny is here now!" 

I smiled at her and reached out for her face. My daughter is growing beautifully and soon enough she'll turn into a vibrant young lady. 

"Kiss Daddy, Hye." She giggled and stood up to kiss me. She cupped my face and asked,

"Why are you asking for a kiss? Mommy Eun said it isn't free. You should return the kiss; that's why whenever I kissed Mommy Eun she always kissed me back." Talking about Yoon Eunhye is a taboo. I returned the kiss back and glanced at Shinhye.

Her face was voidless of emotion and I decided to hold her left hand but she pulled it away.

"Shinhye-ah." 

"We're here. Get out now." I sighed heavily and get out. I opened the door for Hye and carried her.

Shinhye followed from behind and clung unto my left arm. 

"I will try to fix myself again, Yonghwa-yah. But please do remember I did it for you." 

"Don't think of me. Think of Hye and think about yourself." 

***

 After fetching Shinhye's mom we decided to eat outside. My mother-in-law is very strict in her diet so she chose a vegeterian restaurant. 

"Granny, why is there no fries in the menu?" Hye Kyo was sitting beside her grandmother while I was sitting beside my wife. Shinhye was silent the whole time and would only smile occassionally.

"Remember, Granny only eats healthy food from now on. I only eat a lot when I always feel like I need to eat a lot." 

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