I AM ME

Sunhee had been home for a week and the only word from Taehee had been in the suitcase she must have a switched on Sunhee at the airport. There were divorce papers in a large envelope and a small letter addressed to Jongdae inside the suitcase alongside only Taehee's clothes. Sunhee had been upset when she found out her sister had taken her bag and all her clothes, but she let it go like she always did when it came to Taehee.

Jongdae had not been pleased to learn Taehee had run off leaving him with their nine month old son, Kim Minhwan, divorced papers for their year and a half long marriage – that Sunhee was never told about – and in an apartment that wasn't even Taehee's to begin with. But after Sunhee told him he could stay with her in her spare room, which was turned into the baby's room, while Taehee and Jongdae had taken over Sunhee's room, Jongdae had calmed down slightly and gratefully accepted while trying to calm the crying child in his arms.

During that first week back Sunhee only tried once to tell her parents about Taehee, but all they said was 'she'll be back' and 'Taehee is a good girl'. After that one call Sunhee made no effort to try again, her parents were too narrow-minded, but she wasn't. Taehee tan away, Jongdae was struggling to take care of Minhwan alone and Sunhee was about to go back to working her old job before she went to America.

Now Sunhee was lying on her living room floor rolling a green speckled back back and forth with her giggling nephew. It was only a matter of hours before the bright eyes, chubby cheeked boy had her wrapped around his finger. When Jongdae had managed to calm the baby down he sat the child on the floor to play while the father tried to get a hold of his wife. During that time Sunhee plopped down, her luggage left by the door, and watched the kid play with red rimmed eyes from crying and a smile as a toy sang the alphabet to him. By the time Jongdae gave up contracting Taehee, Sunhee was smiling and playing with Minhwan completely weak to his charms.

“Send it back Minhwan,” she cooed. She waved her hands in front of her as she laid on her stomach, urging the baby boy to roll the ball back to her.

Minhwan gurgled happily as he picked up the ball and squealed in delight as his little hands sent the ball bouncing across the floor to her.

Catching the ball Sunhee gave a little cheer and beamed at the child who clapped back. “Good job Minhwan. You're such a good boy.”

They passed the ball back and forth a few more times before Sunhee pushed herself to her knees and crawled over to the boy to hug and snuggle him. Minhwan shrieked with happiness as Sunhee held him close and rolled onto her back placing the boy on her stomach. She bent her legs to keep him from tipping backwards while she poked and tickled his pudgy baby belly. Minhwan cooed and laughed.

Their fun was interrupted by the apartment door opening and a heavy sigh sounding as it clicked shut. Holding onto Minhwan's hands as they clapped along to the singing toy Sunhee tipped her head upward so she could see the arrival walk in across the room. It was a tired looking Jongdae, loosening his tie and dropping his briefcase on the couch as he passed by.

“Hey,” she greeted pleasantly.

“Hey. Thanks for watching Minhwan while I went to that meeting. Sorry it took so long,” Jongdae said. He stopped next to Sunhee perching on the edge of the coffee table as his eyes drifted over to Minhwan, his gaze sparkling at the sight of his son.

“No problem. Minhwan is an angel,” she said as she sat up, sliding the boy down to her lap.

“If only when it came to bedtime,” Jongdae chortled. The man reached out to the child and scooped him up from Sunhee who was sad to part from the cutie pie. Hugging his son close the father smiled and planted a kiss to the giggling child's forehead. “Were you a good boy for auntie Sunhee? Such a good boy Minhwan,” he cooed.

Jongdae bounced the boy on his lap, brushing his black hair away from his forehead before pressing another kiss to the child's head. Sunhee could see how much her old club president loved his child, she heard it muffled through walls the first day of her return. She laid in her newly reclaimed bed staring at the ceiling as she listened to Jongdae cry, but swear to his son that he would never leave him, that he loved Minhwan more than anything. Listening to that shook Sunhee's heart making her wonder how her sister could just leave her family so easily. Minhwan was such a good baby and Jongdae was the nicest guy Sunhee had ever known.

“Thank you again for babysitting. You're already doing so much for us, I don't mean to take your personal time too,” he said in a soft tone.

Sunhee looked up from the boy to his father, who was gazing down at her with remorseful eyes. The Kim Jongdae she knew was a smiling, energetic goofball, seeing him so tame and depressed now just made her more upset about her sister's decision.

Reaching out Sunhee ruffled Minhwan's hair and gave Jongdae a smile. “I can spend my time however I want and as Minhwan's aunt why wouldn't I want to spend time with the angel?” she said trying to be playful.

Jongdae's expression hardened as an all too familiar look smoldered in his eyes. It was the look she received from people who knew Taehee, who knew she was her sister, who had met Taehee's true self. It was the look of you're no better than her. Sunhee swallowed the lump in as she fought down the hurt that came with receiving that look, especially when it came from someone she considered a friend – or at least two years ago they were.

Retrieving her hand from the baby Sunhee got to her feet as her stomach knotted. “I'm not her. I'm Choi Sunhee,” she stated. She turned to head to her room hands clenched around the hem of her gray cable-knit sweater. “I'm not her, Jongdae oppa.”

For the rest of the afternoon Sunhee stayed in her room answering emails from her phone for work that she would be, personally, returning to tomorrow. Junmyeon had done a good job