28. Shared Responsibilities

“How’s Euna? Did she cry last night?”

“She did but it wasn’t as bad as yesterday.” Seohyun placed her chopsticks on the table. Since they have this quiet time to spend together, she decided to let him in even for a small glimpse of her life. She had been thinking about it. Yonghwa also deserved that peace of mind to know that she was not an opportunist. She cleared and stared deep into nothingness of the lake, “That was like the second time I was so unsure in my life…”

“The first one would be when you were about to give birth?”

She looked at him again, smiled and shook her head, “The first would be when I learned that I was pregnant.” Her gaze darted ahead and she her lips before continuing, “I was so confused, I didn’t know what to do.” She laughed softly out of nervousness, “Mostly, I was afraid of my father. Although I’m already an adult but, he can be tough even to me. But then I was here already so…”

Her voice faded as their eyes met.

“Why did you leave Japan?” He asked quietly.

“I decided to come here and look for someone…”

She stared at him almost unsure if she should continue or not but his eyes left hers focusing mainly on the sight in front of them. Yonghwa didn’t say anything but his posture changed, she could see his jaws set tight then he would swallow hard. She couldn’t read him all so suddenly. She didn’t know why his back to having that sour mood again.

“Are you still looking?”

Seohyun smiled and nodded hoping her light attitude would infect him, “Yes, that’s why I’m here…” She sighed and lounged on her seat, “But right now, it’s on hold. I have to focus on Euna first.”

“On hold until?”

Until when exactly? She hadn’t thought of that. Her lips puckered in concentration then spoke thoughtfully, “Two or three years from now?”

He didn’t expect that answer. So, whoever that punk was, he would only get to know about Euna in about two or three years later?  And would that also mean she would be open to staying with him for that duration? At least that gave him a little feeling of relief.

Seohyun looked at his pensive expression until it dawned on her. That was why he was looking as if he got scammed. She frowned at him and asked, “Who do you think I’m looking for?”

Yonghwa scowled back at her especially since she was wearing her amused grin, “Who do you think I’m thinking of?”

When she could no longer hold in the laughter bubbling inside her, she just let out a small giggle then shook her head, “If you’re thinking of that someone related to my daughter, don’t… it’s not.”                        

Yonghwa managed to look straight at her when she said that. Looking at her like that did something inside him. She wasn’t looking for Euna’s biological father. Did he just sigh? He very well should. That could only mean he would be his baby’s appa for a little bit longer. He winced with the thought of not being that at all. When he noticed that gentle look on her face, Yonghwa deliberately turned away and muttered under his breath, “I wasn’t thinking of that.”

A soft laugh escaped her watching him act like a little boy with his lips pressed together in defiance. Then, out of curiosity, she decided to ask but managed a soft voice, “Would it upset you if I was—”

He stood deliberately and groaned, “You are not so don’t ask that question!”

“Now you’re upset with me,” Seohyun tried not to laugh when he marched back in the house. That was awfully cute of him. How he looked really upset thinking she was looking for Euna’s father. Her only goal was to open up to him even for a bit but now it was ruined by his bad mood. She shook her head as she stacked the empty dishes then walked inside the kitchen totally ignoring him as he wiped the counter clean.

Seohyun started doing the dishes when the baby monitor sent an alarm.

Yonghwa grabbed the clean towel and handed her, “Go, I’ll finish here…”

She turned to him and took the towel he offered and wiped her hand but instead of going, she took his hand and shook it gently, “Euna appa… don’t be mad. Please?”

He frowned at her smile until he couldn’t take it anymore he nodded, “Arasso, go to her before she chokes.”

She laughed softly and watched his eyes dance in a new found bliss. Euna was crying— screaming, actually, but it was her I’m-disgusted-with-myself cry so her umma was not rushing yet.

Because Euna’s umma needed to comfort Euna’s appa for a while.

Seohyun raised her hands. To what? Embrace him? She hesitated until she just playfully patted his chest with both hands, she looked straight into his eyes and spoke gently, “The possibility of me looking for that person is close to not. So you’ll be Euna’s appa until, until the time comes you relinquish yourself from being that…”

She walked away leaving him alone to contemplate.

Until his lips broke into a smile.

Did she just say it was up to him until when he wanted to be Euna’s father?

~~~

The look of relief on his face would probably stick in her mind for a long, long time. Seohyun had already made peace with the fact that he was starting to believe the lie that they both created. And it was still giving her conflicting emotions.

Euna made a loud smacking sound as she drank her milk. She looked down on her baby and laughed softly when she shifted her head away turning away from her bottle, “No? Umma’s still better…” she smiled when Euna’s lips puckered again so she offered the bottle once more.

The milk was going down fast and she was a happy mommy to see her baby finally had food to eat. And Euna, too, was happy and satisfied once she finished a bottle. Gently, she put the bottle on the side and positioned Euna on her shoulder to burp when Yonghwa emerged from the open bedroom door. She smiled at him since she was still on the mission of making his bad mood go away, “Appa, your kid needs burping…”

And that definitely raised his mood as he walked in and sat on the bed but he was still not talking so she moved to him walking on her knees closer. He gestured for Euna so she carefully laid her on his shoulder. After a few gentle taps on her back, their baby did the deed followed by a loud gas from her bottom that they both laughed.

Euna too jerked, surprised by herself that when her appa laid her on the pillow on his lap, her lips curled into a smile.

Yonghwa laughed, “Oh, are you embarrassed?”

“Of course, she’s embarrassed,” she giggled and kissed her baby’s cheek then looked at him, “She’s a little lady, after all…”

“She is…” Yonghwa nodded watching the mommy of her baby lie on her stomach and leveled herself beside his lap facing their baby.

“She’s taking it easy today,” Seohyun let Euna wrapped her little fingers around her thumb, “She was so mad at me yesterday…”

“No, she wasn’t,” he replied softly restraining the need to touch her hair spread so close to him. Yonghwa took a deep breath, this growing need to touch her was making him angry with himself.

She looked up at him and saw the strain on his face. Instead of frowning and giving him one-line of sarcasm, she smiled. What do they say about killing your enemies? “Did you forget me this morning?”

He groaned. Exactly how could he forget her? Morning or evening, even in the shower, she crossed his mind. Yonghwa sighed and shook his head, “I went for a run. Maybe we can do the market tomorrow. I’m sorry…”

She shook her head then rolled on the bed stopping close to the edge as she stared at the ceiling, “Don’t be. I was just kidding…”

“Where did you go this morning?” Yonghwa frowned when she laughed out loud after he asked.

“We went there…” her head moved to him with a smirk.

“At the farmer’s market?”

She nodded, “I thought you were there…”

They were quiet after that— not re