Chapter 72. Time

The vibration shook her from her trance.

She took her phone from her bag and gulped seeing the caller ID. Yuri took a deep sigh before answering, “Oh, Seohyunie…”

“Hi, unnie…”  She heard the sudden drop of her friend’s tone as she continued, “Is everything okay?”

Despite the distance, Yuri could tell that man apart from every other living specie in this earth. She closed her eyes for a moment before replying, “Uhm, yeah… I’m just in the middle of something…”

“Oh, is this a bad time?”

It was definitely a bad time for Yuri. Her heart was throbbing deep in her chest and she hated this feeling that he could still cause her this. The last time she saw him, she wasn’t able to resist and the years that was between them made her think that she’d possibly be apathetic once this happened.

But seeing him here— so close— Yuri realized how wrong she was.

He could still stir her whole being.

“What is it? I— I can’t stay on the phone…” she hurriedly said once she remembered the question that she should have already been answered.

Seohyun’s silence was palpable until she spoke softly, “It’s nothing important, Unnie. Uhm, I’m just checking if we can have lunch one of these days?”

He moved seeing her car and Yuri knew he was staring straight through her. It made her wonder how he knew it was her inside the car.

Or was it just instinctual?

Every step he took her mind got even murkier.

She shivered then pushed her gaze away from him, “I’m really sorry, Seohyunie… I’m just— busy. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“I hope everything’s okay, unnie… don’t worry, and I’m not going anywhere. Anyway, I won’t keep you anymore.”

“I’m really sorry…” Yuri found herself laughing, “Thanks…”

Yuri mumbled upon seeing him turning away and started walking. She couldn’t understand how she was feeling—

Was it relief?

Was it regret?

She swallowed then spoke softly, “I’ll call you once I’m free… maybe later tonight?”

“Sure, unnie…”

Yuri placed her phone in her bag suddenly thinking that it was not really him— somewhat realizing that it could have been some random guy who happened to look terribly like him. It hurt though, thinking that she was only letting herself imagine that he would be here.

That he had been looking for her.

That, once again, she was found.

She stepped out of her car swallowing back the pain that bubbled in her chest ready to storm out of . Shutting the door behind her, she turned away only to shriek when she hit a hard wall of chest.

~~~~

He was under this heavy hangover. His mind was floating in this cloud of high haze that he didn’t want to come down from. The sky spread clearer ahead reminding him how close he was to home.

Home.

That word suddenly meant Seohyun and Euna.

What happened this afternoon put a spell on him. Sometime between lunch and their little tryst in his office opened this hole inside him.

But then again, they had been opening holes since arriving in his life.

Yonghwa swallowed ignoring the warning bells. He was too engrossed on it that he didn’t notice the blinking light of his phone until it stopped. It silently rang in his hand as he picked it up intending to see who called. “Yeah?” He asked once he saw that it was his friend calling.

“Bro,” Jonghyun’s voice faded and he heard a loud cough, “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can make it tomorrow.”

“What do you mean you can’t make it tomorrow?” He frowned trying to remember the site inspection he had on his schedule.

“I probably caught something from my trip,” he replied clearing his throat after another cough, “I feel terrible.”

Yonghwa’s frown deepen realizing that he might need to step in for his friend’s absence. “I see,” he replied after a while, “Do you need me for something?”

“Uhh, the project managers will just forward the reports to the office. So… if it’s okay for you to check them once they’re in would really be great. But if not—”

“Just take a lot of rest and make sure to get checked,” he muttered keeping an even tone so his friend wouldn’t know of disappointment.

Jonghyun’s absence would mean that he needed to put in a few hours before he could go home since it’s crucial to check those reports by either of them to keep track of the progress of the projects and make necessary and immediate solutions in case of problems. Since he had been looking forward to going home, Yonghwa was obviously disheartened but this was something that he had no power over with.

Once he reached the lake house, the very first sound that welcomed him was the loud sorrowful wail of his baby. Yonghwa rushed to find Mrs. Kim trying her best to shush Euna.

“There’s Appa…” Ajumma lilted but to no avail as the little one was already lounging forward towards her appa.

Yonghwa put his bag on the ground and took the baby who was already having loud hiccups, “Aigoo, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“She’s upset that umma didn’t carry her as soon as she got in,” Ajumma replied wiping Euna’s tears away, “Seohyun wants to shower before taking her.”

He frowned, “She just came back?”

“Just a few minutes before you,” she responded then took Yonghwa’s bag, “I thought you drove together…”

He didn’t think much of this since she might have met her unnie or some friends outside. After instructing ajumma for his other things he needed from his car, Yonghwa decided to stay at the garden since the baby was still obviously upset. When ajumma decided to leave for the day, they walked her to her car and bid her goodbye. By this time, Euna seemed to have lightened up but she was still pouty so he set up a mat on the grass and let her play for a while.

Tired from work, Yonghwa found solace on his little girl’s presence as he laid sideway on the mat. Euna sat in front of him bouncing on her bottom while her attention was focused on the dragonfly fluttering around her periphery.

“Woooohhh…” she cooed looking over her shoulder with arm stretched pointing towards a bird feeding on the dirt across them.

Yonghwa shifted kissing her shoulder, “Uh-huh, what’s that, sweetheart?”

Euna waved her hands in excitement, continuously cooing and screaming at the bird. He smiled realizing that she seemed to have forgotten her woes. Moving closer, he wrapped his arms around her waist kissing her then got encouraged of her shrieking that he playfully bit her back.

“Ah- ah-ppaaaaaa!!!!”

She was obviously tickled, her body bent and curled to him with enjoyment until she shifted, sprawled herself on his chest and started slapping his face.

Yonghwa laughed as his little one mercilessly attacked his face. “Euna, Euna!!! Stop!” He realized that the more he tried to stop her, the more it was becoming more entertaining for her. All he could do was to laugh as well while battling for a grip that wouldn’t end up hurting her. Finally, he managed to tuck her under his arm and sat up. “Kiss Appa…” he set her feet on his lap and right away, Euna lounged on him, mouth wide open attacking his nose with what she understood to be a kiss.

The baby squealed once he tried to peel her off him and it only made her hit him a little harder.

“Aigoo, Euna-yang! It’s painful!” Yonghwa laughed pushing her away un