CHAPTER 17 [The Best Things Can Be a Product of Misfortunes]

*

Seven years later…

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

“Wonwoo, what did you do to your sister? She’s crying,” Jeonghan asked in a gentle tone as he knelt down to meet the child’s eyes. “Did you fight?” Again?

Wonwoo’s lips quivered. “I-It’s her fault! She destroyed my lego car! It’s so hard to build,” he answered and began sobbing. Jeonghan clicked his tongue. He was torn in between pissed and amused, but maybe he should just focus on the latter feeling. They’re just kids, so everything’s a big deal to them. He turned his attention to the other kid who was still crying and wiping the tears from her tiny eyes.

“I didn’t m-mean it, appa. I tripped and fell on his l-lego car. Then he shouted at me. H-He… he told me I’m bad!” Then she started wailing, too. The silent house was suddenly filled with the two’s cries.

But instead of getting frustrated with all the noise and to the situation, Jeonghan found himself smiling as he inwardly shook his head. Was he like that when he was a kid, too? Too sensitive over small matters? Wow, parenting sure was amazing and frustrating at the same time.

“Aigoo, you two. Wonwoo, Seulgi said she did not intend to destroy your toy. She tripped, and as far as I’m concerned, she tripped because of the toys I told you to clean up but didn’t.”

Wonwoo and Seulgi simultaneously bowed their heads, guilt was written all over their cute, crying faces.

“I’m sowwy…” Wonwoo mumbled after a while, unable to lift his face up.

Jeonghan inwardly smiled triumphantly. “What is it, Wonwoo? Seulgi and I couldn’t hear it.”

This time, his son lifted his face up and bravely met his eyes. “I’m sowwy, appa. We did not pick up our toys last night.” Jeonghan nodded his head to acknowledge his apology, then Wonwoo turned his attention to his sister. “I’m sowwy, Seulgi noona. You’re not bad.”

Seulgi’s face brightened and her tears finally stopped. “It’s ok-okay!” she said with a hiccup. “I’m sorry, too, Wonwoo, appa.”

Jeonghan’s smile widened and opened his arms for a hug. “Come here, my little bundles of joy. Hug time!”

When the two lunged into him, Jeonghan showered them with kisses on their cheeks and necks which made the two giggle loudly. Their cries were now replaced with smiles and Jeonghan couldn’t be any happier and content.

Life became so much better with these two, he thought and sighed contentedly.

“What’s happening here, huh? Did I miss something? Did your appa made you cry? Tell me and I’ll make him cry, too!” a new voice suddenly yelled. The three of them lifted their faces to see the newcomer.

“Uncle!” his children shouted in unison, bouncing in excitement and glee.

Jeonghan released his kids and jokingly glared at the newcomer as the twins happily approached their uncle and held their arms up, a sign that they wanted to be carried.

“You’re here again, Jun? I didn’t hear you coming. Don’t you have a house of your own?” he teased. Jun had his own copy of their house’s key even though he didn’t live with them so he could just barge in and out whenever he wanted. That’s really okay with him, since his kids were so fond of him.

Jun swiftly carried the two in both arms. “Whoa, whoa. I think I heard a crack in my rib cage. You both are getting bigger and heavier each day!” he complained with a faked hurt expression on his face.

Wonwoo chuckled and said, “Of course! Appa always feed us fish.”

“And vegetables! And meat!” Seulgi enthusiastically added.

The adults laughed in unison. The two were really energetic and bubbly, a source of positivity for Jeonghan in the years that had passed.

“Only that? No chocolates and ice cream?” The children shook their heads. Jun clicked his tongue. “Too bad, if I were your appa, you can always eat those,” Jun teased while raising an eyebrow on him.

Jeonghan glared at the other. “They don’t need those—”

“But you can be our dad, Uncle Jun! Right, appa? You can marry my appa like our classmates’ parents did!” Seulgi innocently suggested, as if what she said was as easy as tearing a paper.

Both of them coughed and Jun looked at him with disgust. Jeonghan was sure he also had the same expression. “Ew, no! Your appa is not my type,” his friend said and jokingly gagged. Jeonghan rolled his eyes and said, “Same sentiment, Jun.”

The children groaned, obviously disappointed and didn’t understand the implication of what they were saying.

“Then make him your type!” Wonwoo suggested, flailing excitedly that almost made him fall from Jun’s arms.

“Whoa, whoa! Easy,” Jeonghan screamed in panic and decided to take him away. “Why are you being like this? Is this because of chocolates and ice cream? Fine, we’ll go to the supermarket later and buy those,” he said in defeat.

The living room was suddenly filled with cheerful claps and shouts, including Jun’s.

Wow, did he suddenly have three kids now? Aside from the twins, Jun was oftentimes acting like a giant, brat kid anyway. The case just now where he provoked him to buy ice creams and chocolates was the proof. He rolled his eyes inwardly. I raised three brats!

***

Dinner was served after buying tubs of ice cream of different flavors and chocolates of different sizes from the supermarket. The kids weren’t allowed to eat the sweets before the meal, which made their moods go down. So after they had all eaten, the kids merrily went straight to the fridge and ransacked the items they bought earlier. Jeonghan let them eat as much as they wanted, since he only let them eat sweets once or twice every month.

“Easy, Seulgi. The ice cream won’t go away,” he said with a chuckle as he stopped his daughter from scooping another from the tub. Her bowl was already full, and just another more scoop and it will surely be spilled on the table. The kid apologized and merrily took her bowl to eat on the living room while watching their favorite cartoon show.

“Appa, I want chocolate then vanilla then cheese then strawbewwy!” Wonwoo said as it was finally his turn. The kid let him scoop instead of doing it himself, much to Jeonghan’s relief. Wonwoo was a disaster when it comes to serving himself.

“Noted, big guy. Be sure to brush your teeth after eating, all right?”

The kid’s head bounced, eyes still on the ice cream.

Jeonghan smiled as he started scooping.

“Oi, what are you smiling there about,” Jun asked as he slid himself beside Jeonghan. He took a tub of cheese ice cream and started eating from it.

When he was finished scooping, he gave the bowl to Wonwoo’s eager hands who quickly left them as soon as he got the bowl. He laughed as his eyes followed his kid’s retreating figure. “They’re the reason of my every smile, Jun.”

Jun hummed and nodded his head. “Yeah, they’re such an energetic and loveable bunch of little monsters.”

Jeonghan laughed at his friend’s term. “Well, why not make your own ‘little monsters’, then?” he teased. He knew that his friend had been single for years already, and he intended to stay that way – a decision he made when he broke up with Minghao (who, according to him, had broken his heart to bits and never knew how it could be mended). He inwardly rolled his eyes.

“Who should I make it with?” Jun asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

Jeonghan chuckled as a response, taking a bite of ice cream from the spoon.

“On a serious note, angel, will you really… will you really not tell him about the children?”

His face turned grim. “No. What will be the point?”

Jun sighed, raising both his arms in defeat. “Fine, fine. I just asked because when I went back to Seoul, I accidentally saw him and thought that you might want to, you know, tell him the truth. He’s still their father, he has