Chapter7: “I’ve heard every album listen to the radio- Taylor Swift”

-o0o-

He opened his eyes only for a couple of slits, gazing at the living room. So, he never reached the bedroom last night? Kyuhyun groaned, getting up sluggishly, rubbing his eyes in drowsiness. Unexpectedly, there was a loud giggle below his feet, unknowing of what made such a sound.

He hadn’t realized something so small could ever exist. Abruptly, he was staring at a baby, gnawing on a small toy robot, staring at Kyuhyun happily like there was nothing wrong. It had almond-shaped eyes, a bit darker than Kyuhyun’s. Its cheeks were like pink balloons glued to the baby’s small face. It had no teeth, not single one. The child was wearing a denim jumper.

Kyuhyun, still frightened, approached it, picking up the baby casually like how any person would. But it wasn’t every day you’d get to see a child wandering around someone else’s house. He stared closely at him, still perplexed of the child’s presence. He was so adorable, so cute---it melted Kyuhyun’s heart almost instantly.

“Eh, kid,” he said, talking to it with his deep voice. “How’d you get here?”

“I brought him. You don’t mind, right?”

His heart stopped pumping, as he turned to face Seohyun by the kitchen area; she was wearing an apron, a spatula in one hand. She smiled at him, acknowledging his company in the house. Kyuhyun’s eyebrows were raised in astonishment, in total shock that the baby was actually Seohyun’s kid. He stared back at the baby---trying to uncover what traits it inherited from his old wife. He then gazed up at Seohyun; his face asking her what the hell was going on.

“This is...Sijoong,” Seohyun introduced him. “He couldn’t help himself from being cute.”

Kyuhyun cleared his throat, his eyes widening, and then placing Sijoong back on the couch. “Er...well, he...has your eyes.”

Seohyun laughed cheerfully, expecting Kyuhyun’s comments. She had to tell him the truth about Sijoong, but somehow, it was just too fun to see Kyuhyun...so uncomfortable. She sat next to Kyuhyun, who had his head down, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was seriously troubling him.

“He’s...not...Yonghwa’s son,” Seohyun confessed shyly, blushing.

Kyuhyun leaned back, craning his head as he looked up at the ceiling. What else? “You dated other men before Yonghwa?”

She nodded, feeling the tensed jealousy Kyu had proved. She couldn’t help but grin at him. “Aish, oppa. Yes, that’s true.”

“Whose son is it, then?” he retorted, didn’t know why he had to wonder whose boy it was.  It still would cost him some kind of pain.

“I...I...I honestly don’t know,” Seohyun replied, Kyuhyun holding his breath at the thought. He could have fainted after hearing this, but he managed to hear what other excuses were there. “I just found him at some box near my clinic. He was around 2 months old then. I felt like crying that I picked him up and carried him to my room. I had turned him in the police, but they couldn’t locate the baby’s mother. I realized...he had trouble breathing...He had con heart disease. Yonghwa...performed an operation then and there, saved little Sijoong. Since then, I’ve been giving him his daily dosage of vitamins. I also inferred he was premature. Sijoong’s turning seven months old this 30th.”

Kyuhyun noticed that he began breathing again, sighing afterwards. “I thought---”

“Yes,” Seohyun knew so well. “You thought he was my son. He is. I’ve adopted him. He’s Seo Sijoong. It isn’t that a cute name?”

“You find everything cute,” Kyuhyun generalized, hearing his tummy grumble. “Were...you cooking?”

“Yes, why?” Seohyun asked. “You’re bound to be hungry. It’s already 10.”

Kyuhyun got up, his stomach somewhat aching. He hadn’t eaten dinner, gotten some alcohol, and now gone to missed breakfast as well. He had a surefire way of killing himself. Seohyun looked rather fine this morning, a smile perched up on her face. She picked Sijoong from the couch, as they followed Kyuhyun to the dining area. Surely she made various ways of pleasing him.

The table was set, with the proper utensils and napkins. There was an omelet dish in the middle, alongside a bowl of rice and sushi on another. Kyuhyun glanced at Seohyun, who was patiently carrying Sijoong in her hands. She beamed at Kyu, bowing her head.

“You didn’t have to---”

“It’s a matter of bribing you,” Seohyun said at once. “I’m sorry, oppa. If what you came here for was the title of the house, it has been sold. There is no way for you to re-organize it. I have no more right concerning the house. Maybe...you can talk to the new owner. She might as well sell it again to you. Why don’t you give her a shot? The sooner it is the better. The bigger chances you’ll have in convincing her.”

Kyuhyun looked away, now staring at the light that touched the tiled floor. The sun was high, his tummy was growling, Seohyun was giving up on him, the house was sold...

He sat on the chair, as Seohyun was seated just across him, entertaining little Sijoong with the toy robot. Kyuhyun was silent for a moment, thinking crucially his next step. He had to meet up with the buyer. That was the only chance of getting the house back. The mother was giggling at her child, while Sijoong quietly continued to play, ignoring a bunch of pet talks.

Kyuhyun took a slice of the omelet, hastily putting it in his mouth and tasting the ‘Seohyun-like’ cooking he seemed to miss. As expected, but he continued chewing, swallowing the food down with water.

“How is it?” Seohyun wondered.

Kyuhyun smiled at her, mouth still full. He held his thumb out, before again drinking water. “Like the last time. It’s horrible.”

She blushed, still grinning. “Is it really that bad? Should I just call---”

“No,” Kyuhyun stopped her, ignoring the dreadful taste. “Seohyun’s cooking gags me every time. It’s the most awful thing I’ve ever tasted. But since you’ve made an effort to come back here, all the way even when you had a hangover, I suppose eating it is much worth than throwing it down the drain. And you want to spend for processed food again? This is still money, darling. You must learn to save it. You got that?”

“I learn a lot from you just like before,” Seohyun remarked.

Kyuhyun was satisfied, agreeing. “Of course, you will.”

“How did you know about my hangover?” she inquired.

He gulped, swiftly drinking a glass of water. “Sungmin-hyung informed me”

She nodded quickly. “I see. Oppa...did you...ever date?”

Choking, Kyuhyun seized the pitcher, poured himself a glass full, some of the water slipping out, and drank the whole lot of it, surprised by her question. He looked up at her, staring in bafflement. What kind of stupid question was that? He really wasn’t anticipating for her attack so straightforwardly. He wiped his mouth with the napkin, still puzzled.

He wasn’t anymore that intimidated of looking at her straight in the eye, those gorgeous y eyes that made him forget about ever breathing.

“Seohyun-ah,” Kyuhyun began, smirking. “Why open such a subject?”

She shrugged. “Just liked to. Thought about it while playing with Sijoong. I was wondering how you’ve been doing lately. I don’t hear from you that much since then.”

“Same here,” Kyuhyun told her. “I didn’t know you adopted a kid. I didn’t know...you were planning to remarry. I also didn’t know that you could easily be tempted by any guy. I didn’t know you were selling the house. I didn’t know...anything about you to begin with. I felt like a total stranger when I saw you yesterday.”

She giggled. “Ah, Kyuhyun-oppa. It’s not that. The only reason I dated back then was to forget you.”

He gazed at her, surprise with the reply. Wasn’t that so heart-warming? She dated because of him, because of the very scum thought of him. “Did it...work? Did you forget me?”

She couldn’t help but pause at his question, hastily thinking of a counter feedback that would have him flying into cloud nine. But honesty always saved her , so it was best to just reveal the whole thing.

Seohyun shook her head weakly, head down. “How could I? I never thought my heart would fall for someone else, anyone else except maybe you.”

He knew were to fire his missiles. “But you did, didn’t you? You fell in love with him, didn’t you? You’ve forgotten about me, haven’t you?”

She looked up, Sijoong also staring at Kyuhyun with those intellectual eyes again. “Yes to all. It would seem marrying you became the worst decision I’ve made. I’ve overlooked guys who were...like Oppa.”

“You got that right,” Kyuhyun snarled, finishing his breakfast. “Can you tell me where the owner is now?”

Seohyun thought for a little while before answering him. “She said she was staying in Busan for a business trip. She’s practically staying there right now. Might be in her old apartment.”

Kyuhyun sighed, taking out his cell phone. “Ryeowook-hyung can get me through this one. He’s the only one in Busan I can trust right now. The address, please?”

She couldn’t quite make it out quickly, but became suddenly sure. “23 Broadway Lights, Haekyung Street.”

He dialed Ryeowook’s number, the other man answering quickly. “Hello?”

“Wookie, can you do me a favor?” he said, smiling. “Can you check on someone for me? Make a deal about having my house here in Incheon sold back to...the owner’s husband?”

Seohyun blushed, lucky enough that Kyu wasn’t even looking her way. She hid behind Sijoong, until her face softened a little from Kyuhyun’s remarks.

“What? I don’t get it,” Ryeowook told him. “What do you mean? How’s Incheon? How’s Sungmin-hyung?”

Kyuhyun became annoyed. “Talk the new owner of our house to return back the deal to me, Ms. Seo’s ex-husband. Just talk her into it and tell her to contact me at once. I will get to her tomorrow for lunch. That is, if you want to come along.”

Ryeowook nodded. “Okay, Kyuhyun-sshi. Where does the new owner live?”

“23 Broadway Lights, Haekyung Street,” Kyu responded. “Get to her at once. Thank you, Wookie-hyung.”

The man chuckled. “If I didn’t love you Kyuhyun-sshi, I wouldn’t do this at all.”

Their call ended, leaving Kyuhyun to wonder. He stared at Seohyun, carefully sitting Sijoong on the table and holding him by his pits.

“Aren’t you going yet? I thought you were leaving today to move in with your new hubby,” Kyuhyun stated.

“Well,” Seohyun replied calmly. “I thought about staying just until you leave. You might make a lot of mess here before she comes around. She’ll be displeased by then. I’ll clean up after you go. Don’t worry. I’m not going to sleep here tonight.”

“My...flight’s tomorrow at 9,” Kyuhyun muttered, while texting Wookie to talk to the buyer. “Is the buyer a nice old lady? How is this ahjumma going to take care of the house?”

Seohyun chuckled. “Ahjumma? Oh no, she’s just one year older than me.”

“Aren’t you an ahjumma?” He teased, seeing her blood boil at once. “Aigoo, only kidding.”

She pouted at him, her