“Oh, I’m Kim Minho. Nice to meet you,” as he was taught by his parents, he offer his hand to the latter.

Hoon shook his hand, “I’m Kim Joonhoon. Nice to meet you, too. You can call me Hoon,” he grinned. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m having breakfast with my appa,” Minho pointed to his dad, who stood before the cash register. Hoon looked over to the direction. His face twisted in confusion.

“What’s appa?” Hoon, who haven’t received any proper education, ever, was confused with the new term. He only knew the word umma, hyung, noona, ahjusshi, and ahjumma. But, no one ever mentioned the word appa to him.

“Don’t you have appa? Everybody have appa,” Minho, too, confused.

Hoon shook his head, no. “What’s appa?”

“Appa is the one who created you together with umma,” Minho innocently explained.

“I was created?” Hoon asked again, amused by the whole idea of him being created rather than just appearing on earth. He never really thought about how he had come about. He always assumed than he just appear one day because his umma was lonely and God sent him as a gift to her.

“Minho,” suddenly, someone called for Minho from across the table. Both of them looked to the direction, “come here and eat your breakfast,” Suho called.

Minho nodded before looking back at Hoon, “just ask your umma who’s your appa. I’m sure you have one. Nice to meet you,” Minho said politely before running to the table where his dad was waiting with their glorious breakfast…. And left the little Hoon, confused, all by himself.

Minutes later, Chanyeol came to Hoon’s table. “Hoon-ah, umma asked you to come to the kitchen and eat your breakfast, come,” Chanyeol took Hoon’s hand before guiding him to the kitchen. The still-in-dazed Hoon just follow his uncle.

“Who was that?” Suho asked Minho, who’s busy devouring his scrambled eggs. Minho properly swallowed his food before answering his dad, another manner teaching he got from his dad.

“His name is Kim Joonhoon. He doesn’t have appa,” Minho said.

“He doesn’t have appa?” Suho asked, surprised.

Minho nodded, “yes. He doesn’t even know what’s appa. Weird, right dad?” Minho head tilted while he wonders in confusion. 

Suho forehead was scrunched up in confusion. Isn’t that basic knowledge taught in pre-school? How come anyone doesn’t know what appa is?

“Well, maybe he doesn’t go to school and his umma never told him about it?” Suho suggested. However, he himself was still quite unsure about the bizarre idea.

“Maybe…” Minho shrugged before he continues attacking his egg.

Suho just heaved a sigh before he turned his head to the kitchen’s door, where he saw the kid disappeared into just minutes ago.

“Umma,” Hoon called with his mouth full of food.

“Hoon, empty your mouth before talking,” Yookyung, who’s grinding the coffee, scolded.

Hoon quickly chew his food and swallowed them before continuing to his question, “umma, who is appa?”

Yookyung stopped for a moment, surprised with her son’s question, “pardon?”

“Who’s appa?” Hoon repeated. He played with his dangling feet, swinging in back and forth.

She took a deep breath before turning off the grinding machine and wiping her hands off on her apron. She turned back to face her son. “Why are you asking me this question all of a sudden, Hoon-ah?” She asked softly, trying to make up reasons and explanations in her head.

“Well… It’s just, the kid at the front was telling me that I was created by umma and appa. I was confused. Am I created? If I am, why don’t I have my appa now?” Hoon’s face turned into distress.

Yookyung softened at her son’s confused face. However, she still doesn’t know how to explain it to him. She didn’t expect this question to come this soon.

“Hoon-ah…” Suddenly, he started crying. He has a habit of crying whenever he’s confused or nervous. Yookyung quickly pick up her son and rock him back and forth. Hoon buried his face into her mom’s shoulder, wetting her uniform.

Baekhyun, hearing the sound of crying, quickly came to the kitchen. “What happen?” He worriedly asked while slowly approaching the mother and son.

Yookyung look at him and Baekhyun saw desperation on her face. He slowly rubbed Hoon’s back in a soothing manner.

“Hoon-ah. You want to tell uncle Baek why are you crying?” He cooed.

Hoon straightened up his body. His face was wet and read. Yookyung wiped his tears with her thumb.

“Uncle Baek, do you know what’s an appa and who is my appa?” he asked while still hiccupping.

Baekhyun was taken back by the question. He looked at Yookyung. She shook her head, also not knowing how to answer the question. He sighed before taking Hoon into his embrace and sat down on the chair, Yookyung standing before them.

“Hoon-ah. Appa is someone who loves and take care of you and your umma,” Baekhyun slowly explain. Hoon tilted his head, “you love me and umma. Also, you take care of us,” He whispered in realization, “does that mean you are my appa?”

Both Baekhyun and Yookyung were, again, stunned by the question. They look at each other, trying to decide on what to say. Yookyung is against the idea of lying to her son, but she really doesn’t know any other way of explaining their situation to her son. Baekhyun, as if reading her thought, nodded to Hoon.

“Yes, I am your appa,” He smiled to Hoon.

Hoon’s face was immediately brightened up as her quickly hug Baekhyun’s neck. “Appa! Hoon has an appa!” he exclaimed, cheerfully.

Yookyung smiled, bitterly. She doesn’t know, and hope she will never need to know, how will Hoon’s reaction be in the future when he found out about the whole scenario they both just made up to please Hoon.

“Does that mean you and umma created me?” he asked with his innocent face.

Both Baekhyun and Yookyung’s eyes were opened wide before they broke into an awkward laugh.

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW

"Mind telling me how Hoon had came about?"

"Okay..." She sighed, "this is how I got pregnant with Hoon..."