Chapter 109. Caught

“I couldn’t tell him, Unnie,” Seohyun grumbled in frustration especially once she remembered how cocky her Oppa looked telling her that he knew Yonghwa’s past, “He was unbelievably unreasonable!”

Yuri turned to her almost grinning at how she really looked and sounded pissed, “What do you mean?”

She exhaled loudly before her soft reply, “Telling him would be the fastest route back to Tokyo.” The telltale sign of tears started in the pits of but she swallowed them all back and muttered, “It sounded like he was only settling for this because of Euna. What would have I done if I let my brother know that she’s not Yonghwa’s biological daughter.”

“Oh, Seohyun, I’m so sorry…” she sighed shaking her head knowing that it was her idea to tell Joowon anyway, “I will talk to him. Don’t worry. But if it would be more comfortable for you not to tell him, just remember I will be here for you.”

Seohyun sniffed and pulled her hand off the steering wheel and wiped her nose, “I just can’t believe he’s turning into him…”

“Him?”

“Appa,” she sniffled again because saying it out loud really hurt, “It was like talking to him all over again. He wouldn’t listen— he’s the only one that should be heard.” Her unnie went quiet and she was left with her own thoughts that this never crossed her mind before. They talked about how their parents’ way of parenting and they both agreed that they wouldn’t let them affect how they live their lives. Hearing her brother talked today stirred something in her.

Somehow, she felt alone.

“That was I was fearing,” Yuri finally spoke pensively while looking out of the window.

“Is that why you have been keeping your distance?” She asked quietly.

“What?”

She found herself giggling remembering how her unnie looked trying to distance herself from her brother. “It just doesn’t escape my attention, Unnie. When you are around him, you would always have that look, kind of like, you’re fighting this battle of wanting to be closer or running away from him as far as you can.”

“I’m really trying, Seohyun, I’ve been in this road before,” Yuri muttered, her fingers massaging her temple, “He needs me but I know I should protect myself from him.”

“He will not hurt you, Unnie…”

“He won’t, deliberately,” she shook her head, “But I fear that all the years we’d been apart had made him lose some of the man I loved before. Like you said, he was becoming like your father. I can’t be like your Umma. I’m not as strong as she is.”

Seohyun smiled reaching out to give her unnie’s shoulder a small pat, “But you love him…”

“What I learned through the years? I should love myself first,” Yuri smiled sadly.

Despite this new trouble her brother brought her, she was still rooting for him to get the perfect girl he could ever have. Seohyun smiled throwing her unnie a wink, “And he’s giving you a hard time by hovering around you?”

“Oh my god, exactly!” The older woman exclaimed then exhaled rather loudly again, “But I can’t stay away…”

“I know the feeling,” she nodded and they both laughed when the baby at the backseat babbled then yawned. “Right, Euna?” Seohyun cooed back looking at the rearview mirror for a second or two and seeing her baby happily giggling with her little feet bouncing up and down.

Yuri laughed, “As if you understood her?”

“Of course, I did,” she grinned wide then spoke, “Euna said you love Joowon Samchon so you can’t stay away.”

“That’s the toughest hurdle…”

~~~~

Coming home to the silence of the lake house has never been this deafening and almost empty. His little game day with his friends was fun— being able to give each other and at the same time sweat the day out was something he considers ‘fun’. Yonghwa used to enjoy this quiet after a long day but now it suddenly has that eerie foreboding surrounding him.

There was no longer this buzzing silence— instead, there would be some kind of noise coming from somewhere, whether it was from Seohyun and Euna cooing, a nursery rhyme playing somewhere, or this clanking of kitchenwares welcoming him home. He sighed as he made his way in the shower to wash off the sweat and most especially to prepare himself for their arrival.

Seohyun called him just as he pulled in the driveway telling him she would just drop Yuri at her apartment before going home. The extra time he got was spent in the kitchen making dinner and he also decided to make porridge for the baby. And when the security alarm sounded, he found himself scrambling out of the house and meeting Seohyun by the bridge.

She actually giggled seeing him and he realized that he was still wearing her pink apron. Ignoring her apparent amusement, he took the baby bag hanging on her arm because she looked like she was really struggling with Euna asleep as well. “You should have left the bags in the car,” he muttered but groaned when she only laughed at him.

“What did you make for dinner?” Seohyun asked as he followed along until they got in the house.

Once they reached the living room, he took the sleeping baby from her and kissed her chubby cheek before replying, “Beef stew. I made her dinner too but it seemed that I’ll be the one eating it.”

She moved clo