ten

  “Some idea of a date.”

  Krystal was not amused as she strolled down the buzzing Hongdae market in the darkness of the night; prevalent was the fact that she was holding her boyfriend’s hand unusually tightly. But Sehun just smirked – he had heard lines that were very similar to the ones she had said very much often, to the point that he was no longer affected or hurt by her sarcasm.

  “What would you like then?” He asked coyly.

  She raised an eyebrow. “How do you not know what I want? Are you really that much of an idiot?” She was aghast, putting much emphasis on her words. “Oh, I want a lot of things Sehun, we could start with a fancy dinner, some flowers, maybe a glass of Riesling and then after that, you could pluck out that almost non-existent courage of yours and get on your damn knee with a ring in your hands!”

  He chuckled softly, still unaffected. “You’re still envious of Taemin and Sulli, aren’t you?”

  “Yes! Of course I am! He personally went to her house to tell her that he loved her despite the fact that she was the one hurting him.” Krystal ranted relentlessly. “And only a week after that, he puts a diamond ring on her finger. Tell me, do tell me, Oh Sehun, if there’s anything not to be envious about.”

  But Sehun just chuckled softly. “I can predict what their wedding aftermath will be.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, they’re going to turn out to be just like Luhan-hyung and Yoona-noona.” Sehun’s tone became bitter. “Two people who rushed into a marriage, landed themselves with a kid, and only after that they find out that they don’t suit each other at all. And then, they find divorce papers coming their way, and it’s the poor child that has to suffer because of his parents’ mistakes.”

  Krystal was silenced, not saying another word as she heard the bitterness in her boyfriend’s words. She had wondered for the entire evening, why her usually quiet and level-headed boyfriend would want to have a date in a bustling and busy place like Hongdae, but then, being a girl who was fast to understand things, she could guess the reason why. At that moment, she figured that her own personal frustrations may not truly be the most severe problem after all.

  She inhaled slowly, sighing frustratedly as she swallowed her complaints. “…Are you really that worried about Luhan-oppa and Yoona-unnie?” The question was useless to ask, and she knew it was useless, but for some reason, she knew it was important to just ask him, whether asking it was useless or not.

  “Almost two weeks of no contact whatsoever… She’s even driving me crazy with her stubbornness.” Sehun ran his fingers through his hair with much exasperation. “Every day I see Luhan-hyung at work, he looks like a panda suffering from anorexia.” He sighed deeply. “He won’t eat much, and I’d bet he doesn’t get any sleep either.”

  “…You guys must really be gay.” Krystal narrowed her eyes.

  Sehun gave her a sharp nudge, out of much irritation, evoking soft laughter from her. “Now’s not the time to question homouality, Krys! Geez, if we were gay, do you think I’d be here, ranting out my thoughts to you?” He couldn’t help but laugh a little as well. “You’re such a prick, seriously.”

  “I’m the prick you love, and let’s keep things that way.” Krystal kissed his cheek, and smiled with self-contentment as she stared into his eyes. “…Go to visit that gay partner of yours tomorrow. You’re worried and I know I won’t be of much help this time, until you go and visit him.” She gave in with a small sigh.

  “Thank you, ‘Stal.” A small smile formed upon his face as well, then he remembered one thing he had to add. “…And for the record, we never were gay partners.”

  “…Right.”

  Her one word hinted much sarcasm, earning herself another nudge from the agitated Sehun.

  “Daddy, daddy, daddy!” Little Seonjung’s loud voice echoed through the room as she bounded towards her father with a magazine in her hands, who had just entered the dining room. “Look at this, Daddy! Isn’t this dress beautiful, huh? Isn’t it, isn’t it, isn’t it?”

  Kyuhyun chuckled softly as he ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Good morning, Seonjung. It’s important for family members to greet each other in the morning and at night – basic respect.” He corrected his daughter.

  “Yes Daddy, good morning.” Seonjung was forced to suppress the excitement she had within her. Her parents were rather rigid with manners, and she knew that it was best to abide by their rules to avoid their wrath. “But Daddy, just look at this dress! Just look!”

  He lazily turned to look at the page she was pointing at, and then he found himself staring at a model wearing a long, dark silk dress with satin bows on the straps. “It is quite pretty… But what about it, Seonjung-ah?”

  “I want it.”

  “No, Seonjung, those dresses are too big for you. You’re still a little girl now, and later, when you grow up to be a young woman, you can wear one of those dresses.” He tried to give her an explanation using simple terms, rather than to tell her that the dress was just plain provocative.

  “Oh, you want me to wear it because it is a y dress?”

  Kyuhyun’s eyes widened. “Where ever did you did you get such vocabulary?”

  “Uncle Changmin told me that you called Mommy ‘y baby’ when you guys were younger.” Seonjung said innocently.

  Kyuhyun found himself turning bright pink as his daughter said those words. “Well, Uncle Changmin used to do it with Auntie Sooyoung in the –“

  “Are you spilling your best friend’s old secrets to your daughter, Cho Kyuhyun?” Seohyun interrupted their conversation, smiling softly as she carried their younger daughter into the room. “…Changmin won’t be too happy, you know.”

  “Did you hear what that twerp’s been telling our kids? It’s only fair that-“

  “Good morning, Mommy.” Seonjung smirked devilishly as she greeted her mother, then turning to her father. “…Daddy, you’re supposed to greet family members when they arrive in the morning, right? Basic respect.”

  “…Good morning, Daddy.” Yeonjung chirruped.

  Kyuhyun groaned.

  Owned.

  “Thank goodness, Jonghyun, you actually made it here on time!”

  Jessica sighed in relief as she saw her husband dashing down the medical centre’s corridor with much hurry, puffing and panting as he stopped in front of her. Thoughtful Jeongmin took a tissue paper from the receptionist’s table, then proceeded to wipe his father’s dripping swe