Chapter 14:
I Am My Father's DaughterPancakes for breakfast kept the kids mostly quiet at seven in the morning while Xiumin remained asleep in his room. Until Munhye and Seungcheol were picked up around ten the four of them made get-well cards for “Seungjae” since Yejin told them that he wasn't feeling good and that was why he was still in bed. They used the crayons Munhye brought, and when the two were gone and it was just Chiwon and Yejin left they cuddled on the couch to watch a kids movie that he loved but Yejin felt herself suffering through the roundabout plot and annoying characters.
When there was a knock on the door Yejin was half asleep, startled awake by the noise.
“Hyung!” Chiwon cheered excitedly.
Hopping off Yejin's lap he bounded to the door trying to open it, but he was still too short to reach the handle. Yejin smiled at the cute actions of the boy as she made her way to the door. Chiwon stumbled backward out of the door's way as she opened it to reveal a smiling Yugyeom on the other side. He immediately bent down to pick up the ball of energy that flung at him with giggles.
“Chiwon! Did you have fun?” he asked the boy.
Chiwon began a rundown of the night and morning in broken Korean and flubbed child language that Yugyeom nodded along with despite not understanding half of it. When the kid slowed down with the facts Yugyeom looked to Yejin who stepped aside to allow him inside.
“Wow that sounds like it was a lot of fun,” he said to humor the kid.
“It was! It was,” Chiwon assured.
“Okay go get your bag so we can give Jongsim noona a break. I have today off,” he said setting the boy on his feet.
“Yay!” Chiwon cheered.
He hurried as quickly as his little legs could carry him across the apartment to the hall, his bag in Yejin's room.
“Thanks again for watching him so last minute,” Yugyeom politely said.
“It was my pleasure,” she smiled.
“So this is one of the Circle's safe houses, huh,” he said below his breath.
“You could say that,” she said slowly. Her smile shrinking as Yugyeom glanced about the condo.
“Small world,” he said.
“So you do remember me,” she said pleased.
“Not many girls your age calling me “baby boy.” It leaves an impression,” he chuckled.
From the bedroom Chiwon called, “Found it!”
“Before you leave can I ask you a question about last night?” Yejin inquired.
Yugyeom looked panicked for a moment. “Did Chiwon do something? I'm so sorry,” he said quickly.
“Oh gosh no. He was perfectly good. I meant about Bambi's party. I assume you went,” she clarified.
The panic subsided as he nodded slowly.
“Did Xiumin really punch Bambi?” she asked.
Chiwon was halfway across the living room with his small backpack on his back. The two adults plastered smiles onto their faces to dissolve any negative atmosphere around them so the three year old wouldn't notice.
“I didn't see it go down, but from what I heard yes that happened,” he answered. “Why?”
Waving off the question she said, “Nothing, he mentioned it last night. I was just curious.”
Reaching the foyer Chiwon called for their attention as he shoved his feet into his sneakers. “Hyung, hyung, hyung. I want to go to the park today, pretty please,” he said clapping his hands together begging.
“Sure, but first what do you say to Jongsim noona?” Yugyeom said.
Chiwon turned to Yejin and gave a small bow. “Thank you for the sleepover and pancakes,” he said.
“You are very welcome,” she hummed.
Straightening Chiwon turned expectant eyes up at her as he asked, “Will you be at daycare tomorrow?”
“Mmhmm,” she nodded.
“Dance?” he asked excitedly.
“Only if everyone wants to,” she said.
After a few more questions about tomorrow Yugyeom ushered the beaming boy out with the promise of getting a treat on the way to the park. Yejin smiled and waved them off as Chiwon listed what treats he wanted, all of them candy.
It was almost noon when Yejin returned her room back into a functioning – or at least a her level of functioning – room again. Pillow fort dismantled and pillows and sheets taken care of so the only mines in the minefield were her piles of clothes and a few pairs of shoes here and there. Emerging from the organized mess she found Xiumin had finally left the confines of his room and was gingerly drinking a cup of coffee as he sat at the dining table as he looked through the cards the kids had made him.
“Hungover?" she asked the obvious.
“I've had worse,” he replied.
That was about their extend of conversation that day except when Xiumin asked if she knew where the Aspirin was and she fetched him the bottle from her bathroom medicine cabinet.
Their routine returned the following day. Xiumin worked from the apartment most days unless he absolutely had to go into his headquarters. Yejin cooked the meals and went to the daycare where she had been named Dance noona/unni. For two weeks they fell into the familiar rhythm, not once did either of them bring up Luhan's birthday to one another, nor did Yejin try to find out if Xiumin remembered their kiss. She almost did the following day but word of Dragon had surfaced and she only focused on what Xiumin explained to her. He had been seen in their area of the city but that didn't mean he knew where they were, but that also didn't mean he was completely unaware.
Several times during those weeks Yejin had offered to babysit Chiwon for Yugyeom since he worked late into the night, and on those days Xiumin hid in his room at a loss at how to handle children and didn't reemerged until Chiwon was asleep in Yejin's bed. She tried to assure him he cou
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