22. Understandings

He remained standing with his back on the counter watching her move fluidly in his massive kitchen like she belonged here—like it was made for her. There shouldn’t have this kind of impression on him since he knew that this house was his and his alone. Case in point, he didn’t have this domestic thoughts when he was designing this house. Yonghwa didn’t have this romantic ideas of that one day— because that one day was a vague concept for him.

The house was built for him.

To cater for his needs.

To be that place he could escape to when the real world gets too much to handle.

He never thought of this.

And this— he couldn’t understand why he was okay with this.

Seohyun washed the dishes. Found the right pantries to keep the ones he dried minutes ago. She even wiped the stove clean. During that moment, she didn’t bother asking where and how things should be kept. She went on her way like she owned the place— his kitchen.

His house.

The weird thing was that he was not bothered at all.

Yonghwa sighed to himself. Perhaps that short time he had to decide on having them in his place cemented that idea that he should be acquiescent of his possessions. Like him, Seohyun must have accepted it too and willingly take charge of this mundane task. If she didn’t realize it, Yonghwa was having strange sensations watching her be this domestic in his house.

He turned away— from the sensation.

The baby monitor offered a diversion from this conflicting thoughts. Quietly, he took it and retreated back while Seohyun remained engrossed in the housework that followed their late lunch. Yonghwa went into the guest room and found Euna awake and alert. Although she was wrapped in her blanket, her head was moving gently and blinking slowly. He moved closer to the bed and rubbed his nose on her chest. moved and her eyes wandered aimlessly in the room.

“Do you want to break free?” He asked noticing how her knees seemed to get pointy on her blanket. Gently, he unwrapped the baby and she seemed to be glad by it that she started kicking her little legs in the air. Yonghwa lifted her up and cuddled her close to his chest, “Let’s hang out outside, okay?” He put her in the carrier and grabbed the baby bag by the bed reckoning that it would save Seohyun time if the baby need changing.

The moment he reached the living room, he laid her on the coffee table making sure that the blankets he arranged were comfortable enough for her. Euna stared at him in full concentration when he just sat there on the floor beside the table. Perhaps his baby was now familiar of him. Would she know that he is her appa? It was still weird but Yonghwa wanted Euna to know that he is, regardless of the truth. The very first heartbreak he was probably ever going to have in this lifetime is when someone would come forward and claim that this little girl is his.

If his feelings for Seohyun was still foreign and even indescribable for him, what he felt for her little girl was certain. Everything that he did so far has probably proven that. This little one grabbed his heart and owned it. Yonghwa sighed and wrapped his thumb around her fingers. She looked better now, not like the alien life form when she was born. Her cheeks were plumper, her button nose were pink and her eyes were getting clearer. He could already tell that Euna is going to be as pretty as her umma.

He smiled but there was this constriction in his chest with the sudden realization that he may not be able to watch her grow up.

They only have a year.

Seohyun swallowed back the lump that formed in seeing that little scene in front of her. When Yonghwa disappeared from the kitchen, she didn’t think that he would be taking her daughter downstairs. That was how she found them— both noticeably engrossed in watching each other.

Clearing , she walked towards them and knelt on the other side of the table and tapped her baby’s nappy to check if she needed changing. “What were you two doing?” She asked just to clear the air.

“Nothing much,” Yonghwa shrugged and sat on the sofa, “You should take her outside once in a while.”

Seohyun nodded maintaining her attention on her baby who was wide awake and seemingly conscious of the changes around her, “What is it, puppy? This isn’t your house anymore?”

“This is her house,” Yonghwa corrected reclaiming his own corner opposite his baby’s mother. He grinned when Seohyun looked up to him with a smile.

“I think she knows she was no longer at my apartment,” she added then took Euna gently, “Tummy time while you’re not grumpy yet.”

Yonghwa frowned as she carefully laid the baby on her stomach. Euna started kicking and rubbing her face on the blanket for a moment until she stopped when her face shifted to his direction. “Euna-yang…” he whispered and chuckled when her eyebrow lifted and her eyes moved towards him. “Jung Euna…”

He continued to coo and Seohyun had to move beside him when her baby’s head remained still but her legs and arms continued to jerk. She was making little noises like answering her appa’s calls and Seohyun gently rubbed her back, “Euna, you have to move your head to the other side. Your neck’s going to hurt.”

“Do you think she’ll understand?” Yonghwa asked but his eyes widened when Euna did turn her head slowly.

“Good job, my little puppy!” Seohyun gushed as she softly patted her baby’s bottom. Their celebratory cheer stopped the moment Euna started whining and before it ended into a big wail, she lifted her baby up and cuddled her, “That’s okay for now. You did a really great job! We will do that again, okay? A little longer next time maybe?”

Yonghwa yawned slipping back into the sofa but this time he sprawled on it and watched Seohyun take the chaise on the other corner of the living room and gently positioned her baby. He continued to look until her eyes fell on his and he grinned when she scowled at him, “What? I swear to god, Seohyun, one day I’ll just drop dead from the way you look at me.”

Instead of getting upset, she ended up laughing then muttered, “Then you better start figuring out when I’m about to feed this baby…”

He laughed because he already figured that one out. “I think it’s you who should start figuring out that it’s okay for me to watch…”

Seohyun’s brows lifted but she couldn’t form any reply to that since it really made sense especially now that they were living in the same house; it would be inevitable for him not to see. She sighed and started fishing for the edges of her blouse. He made his point but of course she won’t be comfortable and she was probably only doing this to challenge him. Seohyun kept her eyes trained on Euna until her attention was taken when she noticed that he stood.

“I’ll check the room.”

Taking a deep breath, she watched Yonghwa’s retreating figure until he disappeared from her sight.

~~~

Moments later, he looked over the window from the nursery. When Seohyun’s stubborn spirit emerged again the moment she willingly accepted his dare, he couldn’t do anything but to leave the room. It was actually as awkward for him as it was for her— if she should know the truth. But he couldn’t tell her that— she already painted this picture of him. He couldn’t blame her though. He had grown familiar with this treatment but somehow there was this irritation when he got that from her.

Most of the time he was just playing around because he knew she won’t really put up with his crazy antics. But what happened a while back confused him so he needed to walk away. Yonghwa stared into nothingness. Everything that was happening was new to him; this was an unchartered territory so he didn’t really know how to act or what to expect.

This was probably regret that suddenly washed into him.

But thinking of not having those two with him now was also inconceivable.

“Hi…”

Yonghwa turned to the source of that voice and found her standing at the doorway rubbing her arm with that obvious guilty smile. “Hey…” he answered with the same small voice.

“I— the door was open so…” Seohyun trailed looking rather confused than apologetic for barging in.

“It’s okay,” he replied then looked over her shoulder, “Euna?”

She raised the baby monitor in her hand, “Sleeping. I left her downstairs… I— I’m sorry.” Seohyun sighed finally realizing that there was no other way than saying it, “Did I upset you or something?” The look he suddenly gave her suggested that she had him confused so she supplied, “You suddenly left, if there’s something I said that—“

When realization crept in, Yonghwa shook his head, “No, don’t think about it.”

Seohyun watched him turn away and face the window. She closed her eyes until she noticed how she was tightly clasping her fingers together. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke, “You’re right. I— I, I should get used to this… be okay with this.”

Yonghwa c