Seungho's POV

"Do you really have to work here?" Min Jeong asked as she cleaned my wounds.

"It's just today." I said.

Everyone seem like they were in a bad mood today. They abused me mercilessly. Despite not being able to feel the pain, my body was so badly hurt I could not seem to walk properly. It did not seem like a grave problem to me but when Min Jeong came during lunch, she freaked out and demanded that I left work early.

Min Jeong said nothing, but I saw her bite down on her jaws. I kept quiet, knowing better to not say anything else despite the fact her silence scared me.

"Min Jeong..." I called out when I saw felt droplets on my arm.

She was crying. I tried to lift her chin up so she would be facing me but she refused to let me do so.

"Darling~" I touched her cheek.

"No." She said, smacking my hand away.

"What's wrong?" I asked, shocked by her sudden tears.

"Are you really asking me this?" She frowned, looking up finally. Tears kept flowing down her cheeks like an open dam.

"You... you don't feel the pain! But I do! It's not just today that those psychotic people abuse you so badly! It's everyday! Even if you can't feel the pain, don't you at least feel emotionally hurt!? Don't you have any pride at all!?" She yelled into my face.

"What is pride? Is it something that could be eaten?" I asked, not meaning it to be funny at all.

She stared hard at me, tears still flowing down her cheeks. I very much wanted to wipe Those tears away, but all I did was look at her.

"I don't like seeing you end up like this all the time! Do you know how painful it is for me to clean the wounds I know I could prevent? Why can't you just take up a decent job in the cafe? If it's not enough, I can help support you and Aeri too! You don't have a reason to keep doing this!" She cried.

"At least the carnival owner lets me keep my pride by allowing me to at least earn my own living. But you just ripped it off me in a mere sentence." I said.

She stared at me as if I just slapped her across her face.

"I... what?" She asked.

"You ripped off my pride." I said.

"I ripped off your pride? By saying that I want to have a share in you and Aeri's life? I want to chip in to support the both of you? I am ripping off your pride by doing that?" She asked.

I nodded.

She looked like she was about to say something but she just turned and walked out of the house.

"Ah!" I jumped when I felt a smack on my .

"Why did you hit?" I asked Aeri who was glaring angrily at me.

"Naughty!" She pointed at me. Pandy barked in response. I stuck out my tongue at Pandy.

He bit me, but thankfully he is still a baby, therefore his teeth were still in the initial stage of growing.

"Is Appa wrong? Appa just wants to be the man. Appa wants to be the one supporting the both of you, not the other way round. Is Appa wrong to want this?" I asked.

Aeri grabbed Pandy, hugging him tightly while still glaring at me.

"I just..." I realized I had no words to defend myself with.

"Fine. It's my fault. Everything is my fault." I said.

Aeri blinked at me, as though saying 'Throw all the tantrum you want. She is not here anyway.'

Pandy barked once, perhaps agreeing with her.

"Pandy, let's go." Aeri said, dragging Pandy by his ear.

Great, now even my daughter is ignoring me.

I picked up my phone and dialed Min Jeong's number. It was ringing, but she did not answer. I sighed as I threw my phone aside after the fourth try.

'Jeong ah, I am sorry. I am an idiot. Let's talk. Don't ignore me :(' I texted her.

I stared at my phone, waiting for a reply but it never came.

Is she really mad at me this time?

Aeri came out of the room with Pandy following behind her. She climbed onto the couch and sat next to me.

"I thought you were angry with me too." I said, playing with her hair.

She put my arm over her lap and caressed it gently, and then she looked at me and pointed at the door.

"I know. Let's go." I said, carrying her in one arm while carrying Pandy in the other.

We headed to Min Jeong's house. I pressed on the doorbell a few times, but no one came to open it.

"Is she not at home?" I asked.

"Min Jeong!" I called out as I knocked on the door.

"Is she not home?" I asked Aeri.

I put Aeri and Pandy down to call Min Jeong.

"She's not answering." I muttered.

"Maybe she went to get some food or something. She's hungry, right?" I asked Aeri.

Aeri nodded and tried to climb onto my leg. I sat down on the floor to let her sit on my lap while Pandy sniffed around.

"Maybe she's not hungry... Maybe she's angry..." I said after awhile.

Aeri looked up at me.

"Right?" I asked her.

She bit her lips inwards, something she always do when she meant that she has no comments because I am right.

"What do I do?" I whined as I buried my face into her back.

Just then, Pandy started barking really loudly and ran down the corridor even before I could pull him back.

"PANDY!!!" Aeri exclaimed as she pushed my arms away and ran after him. Despite her short little legs, she sure can run fast.

"AERI AH!!" I yelled, running after her.

As I chased after the both of them, all sorts of scenarios that could happen flash in my mind, scaring the guts out of me. What if it was some kidnapper or murderer behind the pillar?

"Oh my baby, what are you doing here alone? Did that idiot leave you here all alone?" I stopped running when I heard a familiar voice speak. I hid myself behind the wall.

Pandy barked once, and I could hear Min Jeong laugh.

"Minnie Unnie." Aeri called out.

"Sweetheart! Why are you here?" I heard Min Jeong say, followed by a loud smooch. I laughed silently when Aeri squeaked. Min Jeong love doing that to her because she thinks the way Aeri squeaks is really cute. She is not wrong.

"Are you here alone? Hmm?" I heard her ask.

"Appa~" Aeri said.

"Appa? I don't see him. Perhaps he decided he wants to be part of the wall. He can do whatever he wants." I heard her say, and then she walked passed me with Aeri in her arms and Pandy following closely behind her.

Pandy barked and headbutted me on my leg.

"Min Jeong!" I caught up with her.

"What?" She asked, not looking at me as she opened the door to her house. She let Aeri and Pandy enter first before entering. She did not slam the door in my face, so that means I still have hope?

"Min Jeong ah~" I called out again.

"What?" She asked, sounding a little more irritated this time.

Aeri dragged Pandy along and ran into the room, leaving Min Jeong and I awkwardly together.

"Please don't be angry." I poked her arm.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare." She said sarcastically.

"Min Jeong ah~" I pouted.

She glared at me and looked away, sighing. I followed behind her as she walked into the kitchen.

"Have you eaten?" I asked her.

"Would I have eaten?" She asked.

"Shall I cook for you?" I asked.

She looked at me.

"Go shower and watch some TV or play with the two! I'll cook!" I said.

"Come here." She said with a straight face. I followed behind her obediently.

“Sit down.” She said, before disappearing into the room.

She came out with the first-aid kit in her hand.

“I’m really fine.” I said timidly as she continued dressing my wounds. She glared at me and I knew better to shut my mouth.

“Thanks.” I muttered when she was done.

She nodded slightly as she cleaned up. I grabbed her hands while she was at it. She looked up at me.

“I’ll take good care of myself, okay?” I said.

She rolled her eyes and looked away.

“I don’t know how to tell you why I have to keep on working in the carnival. It’s just… I cannot leave the place. I…” I had no idea how to continue explaining to her.

“Just know that, each time you get hurt, although you don’t feel it, but I do. So please, even though you can’t feel it, act as if you can and take good care of yourself.” She said.

I kissed her on her forehead.

“Now, go cook.” She pushed me off the couch and kicked me on my .

“That would have hurt if I could feel it! I thought you just said that if I get hurt, you’ll feel the pain!?” I exclaimed.

“What is pain?” She asked, sticking out her tongue before she ran off into the room.

“That’s true… What is pain?” I muttered to myself, wishing for the umpteenth time I could feel pain.

***
“Apapa!!!” Aeri screamed while I was busy cooking.

“Yes, baby? How many times do I have to tell you not to scream?” I said as I concentrated on cooking.

“Apapa!!” She called out again, tugging on my leg this time.

“Yes?” I answered, finally looking down.

I gasped when I saw her dressed in a cute little pink hanbok. She was grinning and jumping around, pulling up the hanbok, doing all sorts of things a girl should never do when wearing a hanbok.

“Kyahhhhh~!!!!” She screamed as she rolled around.

“Hey, hey~ You little thing. When you wear that, you’re supposed to be behaving appropriately. No screaming.” Min Jeong said, tapping her cheeks.

“Hehehe!” Aeri giggled as she jumped onto Min Jeong, hugging and clinging onto her like a little monkey.

“Aye~ Your Appa did not do a good job teaching you proper etiquette.” Min Jeong said, smacking Aeri’s lightly.

“Then you do it.” I said.

“Of course.” She looked proud.

“When did you… This…?” I muttered.

“What are you saying?” She asked as she straightened the hanbok Aeri was wearing.

“You don’t like it?” She asked.

“I.. I mean.. I love it. She’s so cute.. So pretty..” I said, unable to take my eyes off my baby girl.

“I saw you staring at those baby hanboks the other day. For a split moment, I thought you were wondering if you could squeeze yourself into it.” Min Jeong said.

“Actually, I was wondering about that.” I said.

“Ah, really!? Do you want to try!?” She played along.

“No, no, no.” I laughed.

“Apapa!” Aeri pulled off the headpiece and handed it to me.

“Aigoo~ Don’t be so violent with the clothes.” I said, taking the headpiece from her.

She pointed at my head excitedly.

“What? You want Apapa to wear this?” I asked.

She giggled and clapped excitedly.

“The princess has spoken.” Min Jeong giggled.

I put it on and they could not stop giggling. For the sake of my girls’, what is wearing a female headpiece?

“Thank you.” I said to Min Jeong after we changed Aeri out of the hanbok before she can destroy it.

“I was planning to buy her one anyway. For Seollal.” Min Jeong said.

“It is very pretty.” I said.

“She’s pretty, so anything she wears is pretty.” She said.

“I wouldn’t deny that.” I said proudly.

“Aigoo!” She poked my cheek.

We were silent for a while until she handed another box to me.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Just in case… you feel left out.” She mumbled.

I opened the box. Inside was a set of matching hanbok to Aeri’s.

“Min Jeong ah!” I exclaimed.

“Just accept it, okay?” She said.

“But it’s too expensive…” I muttered.

“Do you know what’s more worthy and precious than money?” She asked.

I looked at her.

“Aeri’s happiness when I put on the hanbok for her. Your smile when you saw your baby girl in the hanbok, and your appreciation for my gift to you. These are all what money cannot buy. These are more precious than money.” She said.

“You should have spent the money on yourself. I would be very happy too.” I said.

“Who said I didn’t?” She asked.

“You bought a hanbok for yourself too? A matching one?” I teased.

Her eyes widened.

“I… Just…” She muttered, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

I did not expect my teasing to be true.

“You really did?” I asked her.

“I didn’t!” She turned away.

“Aye! Don’t be shy! You really did? Show me!” I laughed.

“I didn’t!!” She refused to look at me.

“Apapa!!!!!” Aeri shouted.

“What’s that?” I asked when I saw her pushing out a box of something.

“Baby girl! No!” Min Jeong dashed towards Aeri and carried her away from the box before kicking it into the room.

“I thought you promised it would be a secret between me and you?” I heard her whisper to Aeri as she poked her.

“My daughter would never hide anything from me. You told your secret to the wrong person.” I said.

Aeri was a giggling mess.

“Why are you embarrassed!? Show it to me! I’m not even asking you to wear it. Just show me the outfit.” I said.

“You don’t want to see me wearing it?” She asked.

“Of course not! Wear it!” I said.

“You obviously don’t want to see it.” She said.

Was she taking her revenge?

“I’ll go see it for myself!” I said, trying to go into her room.

“NOOOOO!!!” She blocked me.

“Even you!?” My eyes widened when even Aeri helped to block me.

“Hi-five!” Min Jeong gestured to Aeri.

“Fine, I am an outcast now?” I folded my arms, pouting, pretending to look angry.

“Of course not! You have a friend too! And I think it’s calling you.” Min Jeong said.

“What?” I asked, looking around.

“Do you smell your friend?” She asked.

“Oh no! My chicken!!” I yelled, remembering my grilled chicken that was still grilling on the pan while we fought outside.

I am so sorry, chicken sshi~ I did not mean to forget you. But what kind of friend are you? Not even helping me when I got bullied by the girls~ Bad, bad, bad friend. You deserved to be cooked!

***
Hello! Happy Lunar New Year! It's Seollal for Koreans and Chinese New Year for the Chinese, so whatever you are celebrating, may you be happy and have lots of good food to eat! Enjoy, and be safe! :)