Kwang Soo glanced worriedly in the direction of his room from the kitchen. He had heard no signs of distress coming from the bedroom and hoped everything was fine. Feeling a soft tug on the hem of his shirt, he looked down to find Hyo Joo staring up at him, her eyes questioning. “Uncle Kwang Soo? Is this correct?” She asked meekly, as she lightly stirred and turned the eggs in the pan. Kwang Soo smiled at the girl and gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

She was wearing an oversized apron, which she insisted on wearing since she was a chef for the night. It was the same one Ji Hyo had worn when she baked for Kwang Soo's Christmas party. Kwang Soo had folded in the ends so they wouldn't trail on the floor and trip the little girl. “Yes, Princess.” He encouraged. “Now, carefully take the pan off the heat and continue stirring. We don't want the eggs to be overcooked.” He instructed gently. He then took her little hand in his, helping her with the pan.

Hyo Joo had been determined to cook scrambled eggs for her father, as she knew that he loved eggs. Kwang Soo indulged the little girl, and the pair raided the coop for some fresh eggs. The chickens were a little nonplussed to have two humans visiting their coop at night and had scattered quickly, flying all over the place, clucking loudly at the intrusion. The job was made harder as the chicken's fluttering and the stray feathers flying about obstructed their view. After scrambling about in the darkness, they finally collected enough eggs and headed back into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner.

Kwang Soo helped Hyo Joo plate the eggs and set about reducing the sauce for the pasta he was making. Turning the heat on to its lowest setting, he left the sauce to simmer down to concentrate the flavours. He had decided on a tomato based sauce as it would help cut through the richness of the eggs that Hyo Joo had cooked. Using the stool he had given her in order to reach the countertop, the child hovered around the tall man, craning her neck in an attempt to peer over him to see what he was doing. Finally, adding a sprig of basil, he tasted the sauce and smiled. It was good.

Taking a small spoonful, he blew on it, cooling it before offering it to Hyo Joo to have the final verdict. She happily obliged, taking the spoon into . “Mmm... This is good Uncle Kwang Soo. It's not too sour!” Hyo Joo exclaimed, giving him the thumbs up. He smiled and thanked the child before helping her off from the stool.

As Hyo Joo stepped down from the stool, she called out softly. “Uncle Kwang Soo?”

Turning to look at the girl, Kwang Soo could see how nervous she appeared and smiled reassuringly. “What is it, Princess?” He asked gently, trying to encourage the child.

“You don't think daddy and mummy are fighting again, do you? I've heard them in their room... Back at home.” She answered timidly.

Hiding his sadness behind a bright smile, he ruffled the little girl's hair. “Of course not, Princess! You don't hear anything, do you?” He said, putting on the chirpiest voice he could muster to comfort her. He watched as a smile appeared on the child's face, and she nodded. “Adults fight sometimes, but that doesn't mean they don't love you. Your mummy and your daddy both love you very much.” Kwang Soo added kindly, reassuring her.

Seeing that the couple showed no signs of coming down, and hearing nothing from the bedroom, Kwang Soo started to get worried. He decided to check on them using the pretext that dinner was ready. He didn't want to believe that Chang Joo would dare Ji Hyo again, especially in his home. God help him if he did. Kwang Soo would kill the man. Afraid that Hyo Joo might witness her parents fighting, or worse. He shivered at the thought, and decided it was best to leave Hyo Joo at the dinner table.

He turned to the child. “Why don't you wait here, and keep an eye on Fang while I go get your parents? Fang always steals food from the table, so I need you to keep an eye on him. Ok?” He asked, giving the girl a job, making her feel important. He smiled as she agreed enthusiastically, beaming proudly back at him. “Thank you.” He said, affectionately patting her head. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs.

Fang, who had been lurking about the fringes of the dining table, looked up hopefully as his human left the dining room. He stared longingly at the food on the table. He was about to rear up on his hind legs to get to it when he heard a sharp remand.

“NO!” Hyo Joo reprimanded the puppy.

Fang turned to see the human child standing next to the table, her hands on her hips as she stared down the canine. Busted for attempted food thievery, Fang tucked his tail between his legs and guiltily slinked to a quiet corner.

Kwang Soo put his ear to the door. He wasn't trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, but he wanted to listen in and make sure that everything was alright. Hearing no sounds of an argument or struggle, he took a deep breath before knocking softly. He heard Chang Joo coughing and clearing his throat before his deep, gravelly voice invited him to enter. 

Opening the door slowly, Kwang Soo took a tentative step into his room, studying the couple. He noted with some sadness, how closely Ji Hyo stood next to her husband. He wondered if they had decided to work through their differences, and decided to get back together. Swallowing hard, Kwang Soo tried to take comfort that at least in this way, Hyo Joo wouldn't be separated from her father. Still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. It would mean never having the love of his life at his side.

Pushi