The shrieks and cries from a five months old Yuhan, kind of aggravating Baekhyun.

The day was weekend, and Baekhyun got a whole lot more stressful than the days he actually working (which is probably should be more stressful but) and he felt his temple throbbing as it was smashed with a 1000 kg weighted steel baseball bat, if there even exist one.

He already fed his son with a bottle of milk but Yuhan still didn’t stop crying. Baekhyun had cuddled him while walking all around his house thrice but failed to shut him up too. He tried to lay down his little son on the baby fluffy mat and arranged all of Yuhan’s toys around him, did funny faces and even sang for him.

His baby cried even louder.

“Oh God, Yuhan…shut up will you. What else do you want? Daddy’s tired okay?” Baekhyun gently picked Yuhan up into his arm again and tried to cuddle him to sleep before he heard another yelp from Hyemi in her room.

“Daddy!”

He reluctantly got up and paced towards Hyemi’s room holding Yuhan and halted at her doorstep. “What is it now Hyemi?” His little girl was still wrapped in her pink towel, pouting while crouching in front of her closet, rummaging all of the contents inside it. “Daddy where’s my ?”

“Have you searched for it in the laundry bag?” Hyemi got up and the frown on her face deepened. “I did and there’s none!”

“Are you really sure about that?” Hyemi thumped her feets and stormed to sit on her bed with both hands entangled against her chest. “Yes of course Daddy! Now what am I going to wear.”

“Haish stop whining. Just wear some pants and we’ll be going to buy some new one for you.” Baekhyun was about to leave but Hyemi’s yell turned him back again. “But Daddy, how am I supposed to wear pants without any undergarment! That would be weird! And so not feminine!”

“Young lady, do not yell at me.” Hyemi rolled her eyes. “But what’s the problem with that? I used to do that most of the time and I don’t feel funny. Nobody wouldn’t even know if you’re not wearing any as long as you don’t tell them. Simple, right?”

“But Daddy..” Hyemi began to complaint nonetheless Baekhyun cut her off immediately. “Uh ah, ssh ssh ssh. If you’re not getting ready in five minutes, I will never buy you for the rest of your life.”

With that Baekhyun left along with the crying Yuhan in his hold and followed by a deafening sound of door being slammed right on his back.

“You’re welcome, Hyemi. You're welcome,”

∆   

The next day after the graduation, Saehyun was all set up with preparation to return to her beloved hometown. She didn’t tell her mother or father about her homecoming and decided it to be a pleasant surprise for them.

And as for her job, she officially quit it before then, even though was completely disagreed by Doreen. She had no other proper choice and she was ultimately home sick and could no longer afford to say alone in Germany anymore.

The flight to Seoul ended faster than last time, perhaps due to her excessive euphoria.

“Myeongdong, please.” Accompied by a single black luggage and a medium-sized red backpack, she departed from Incheon Airport with a cab and had in mind to spend couple of hours in Seoul before make a move to her true destination, Busan.

She seemed awkward with the huge black luggage she had dragged all over Myeongdong and into several shopping centres but Saehyun didn’t mind. The smells of home, the resonances sound of Korean and the crowd which made her less obvious rather than when she was back in Germany, delighted her.

∆

“Don’t let go of my hand got it Hyemi?”

The sky was dull blue, the sun wasn’t there, shielded by the clouds perhaps. It was the perfect weather for Baekhyun (he ought to think) to bring both of his kids to the shopping point in Myeongdong rather than under the blast hit of the sun. And Yuhan, strangely be seated quietly inside the baby carrier hanged at Bekhyun’s back. “Yuhan is happy to be outside eh?” Baekhyun cackled and gently patted Yuhan at his back before locked his car safely. “Let’s go Hyemi.”

They started to stroll around the small shops outside the shopping centre before actually entering the mall. The people were extremely crammed that day and Baekhyun always kept his eyes on Hyemi by his side, making sure she’s still there.

They had entered the mall but the excessive amount of people turned it hard to search for Hyemi’s stuff. The sudden jerk on his sleeve made Baekhyun turned to his side and saw his little angel whom cheeks was almost flaming red. “Daddy can we get ice cream after this?”

“Of course. Hyemi, come here let me carry you. You look terrible,” Hyemi pouted at the word ‘terrible’ and Baekhyun smiled at her cuteness before picking her up. “Let’s find your stuff and get the hell out of here.”

They passed through the crowd hurriedly as Yuhan started to weep, and halted near the children’s cloth department. The quantity of people was possibly lessened than at the entrance. Baekhyun stopped to sit at the stool prepared at the shoes section and tried to calm Yuhan down. He was crying ever since they entered the place and thank God, he began to get more noiseless at the moment. Baekhyun gave him his toy before putting him back into the baby carrier and proceed to search for Hyemi’s undies.

“.” Baekhyun rarely cussed in front of his children but the situation kind of forcing him to. Hyemi’s hazel eyes were widely opened and she moved her index finger to the left and right, and said, “Uh oh Daddy said the bad word.”

“Okay okay I’m sorry but, hell, how are we supposed to buy your ?”

The most ‘interesting’ part for Baekhyun was that, the undergarments section for girls was located near to the undergarments section for ladies. To be exact, it was placed in the middle of the ladies’.

“Nope. We’re not going there.”

“But Daddy!”

“The last choice I had was to buy you some boys’ briefs. That’s it.”

“No, Daddy! I don’t want to wear boys’ .”       

“Uh oh, you had no choice. Now let’s go and get you some masculine undies.” Baekhyun mercilessly pulled Hyemi to the boys’ section because there was no way he would step into the ladies’ undergarments section. Not when there was like tons of middle-aged women lingered around there. His pride and dignity must come first. Even if it’s mean Hyemi would hate him throughout her childhood. “No!” Hyemi doesn’t stir yet Baekhyun was literally pulling her away.

“Nobody ever going to see anything under your skirts though, Hyemi.”

“I don’t care. I won’t move, Daddy.”

He thought, he did heard the sound of his dignity and pride as a man smashed down to bits as how audible the cackles and giggles of the middle-aged women behind him while he was browsing for some pink and fairies pattern children .

∆

Saehyun stopped by an ice cream parlour after an hour strolling and window shopping all over the world’s top shopping heaven. She picked a seat near the vast glass window and noticed the bell sound tinkled, signalling new incomers into the shop. Without even mind to look at the people getting inside, she quickly moved to the counter, leaving all of her bag and luggage there, to order her favourite vanilla ice cream before the line got too long for her level of patience.

Baekhyun took Yuhan off the baby carrier and placed him securely on Hyemi’s lap and he reminded her for several times to never let go of her little brother. “Hold him carefully okay, I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t forget, Daddy, I want tutti frutti ice cream!” After a silent nod, Baekhyun stride towards the counter and had in mind to be as quick as he could, as he was worrying over Hyemi and Yuhan back there.

But his movement got all stuck and he hastily became immobile when a familiarity hit him right on his chest.

Saerom?  

A lady, dressed in simple black jeans and red blouse, was walking in front him, cautiously the ice cream that was partly melted in her hold.

Everything altered into slow motion for Baekhyun except for his excruciatingly beating heart inside his ribcage which he felt, was about to jumped out through his throat.

The same perfect face and those fine brownish wavy long hair that fell flawlessly without her trying.

Baekhyun never felt so surreal.