Hide & Cute

“are you sure she’ll be fine by herself?” Hyunjoong asked while passing the warm bottle of milk to Yunho. Both men glanced outside the window where the rain poured. It wasn’t stormy but the showers had begun last night at had continued for 14 hours. It was enough to flood most of the roads. Hyunjoong was worried that his daughter had decided to keep her date with him despite the weather.

“I just called her. She’s on the way. Besides the hospital is much closer to here, so even if we hadn’t pre-decided to come here it would be the best option in the storm. She can even walk the distance if necessary.” Yunho assured. He bent down and handed his one year old son his bottle.

“Naaaw~!” Moonbin squealed and hit the bottle making it fly. “eeeeeeyaaaahhh~!” he let out a war cry as he ran around the living room and then through the open front door.

“what…was that?” Hyunjoong pointed in the direction his grandson ran.

“we just discovered Moonbin likes rain.” Yunho said in a manner like it was a bad thing. He sighed, “I’ll just get him and then we have to figure out a way to drain his excess energy or he’ll have Jaejoong on her toes.”

“Okay. I’m just cleaning up a bit in the storeroom. Call me if you need anything.” Hyunjoong went to where the bedrooms were. His wife’s things were all in the master bedroom the way Jaejoong kept it. He used Jaejoong’s old room. But since he moved in, he has noticed that Jaejin had preserved a lot of their old stuff and consequently Jaejoong too. He didn’t like how they all sat there gathering dust and wanted them to be put to use, at least whatever was in the condition. After being busy with schoolwork for a year, the holiday was a good chance.

Jaejoong and he had decided to donate all of Jaejin’s medical books, after Changmin has taken what he wants of course. The old clothes were going to a shelter. Old photographs were going in albums or the Jung’s memory wall. They have some of things of their old house which Jaejoong would keep in her house or Hyunjoong would decorate the apartment. Jaejoong hadn’t decorated the apartment much when she lived there. The handful of decorations were put there by Junsu’s mother.

Hyunjoong navigated through the piles of books they had sorted out to see what were the miscellaneous items at the back of the room. He found a nice vase and remembered that it was one He and Jaejin had bought to celebrate their first house together.

He remembers how they cringed at the ugliness of the puke-ish green strips on the white ceramic and some disfigured Chinese woman painted on it. They wanted this crystal one but with Jaejin’s resident salary and Hyunjoong just starting out, they couldn’t afford crystal vases after paying for their house and repaying Jaejin’s student loans. Nevertheless, the ugly vase memorable because the second they put it on the dining table, Hyunjoong fell and broke his nose. They went to the hospital to get it fixed, Jaejin fainted and they found out they were expecting.

“You're going to be in a nice place.” Hyunjoong told the vase and proceeded to clean it.

~~~

Yunho stood leaning on the wall of the corridor for a good ten minutes. He was enjoying his son enjoying the rain. Over the years, the façade of the building had changed. The apartments all lined one side since the beginning. Around the second year when they were studying in London, the corridor wall which was bare was redone by the building’s proprietor. It was designed like the balconies of the apartments, with high railings and small circular gaps in the brick parapet.   

For a child the size of Moonbin, they were big enough windows. He put his hands through them and felt the shower while gazing through the one directly in front of his eyes.

Yunho didn’t have the heart to take him away from his fun. However, he does want to get him in because it’s cold and he doesn’t want Moonbin to fall ill. He thinks it’s his cue when he sees Moonbin’s frame shiver a bit.

“Okay kiddo. Enough rainy-rainy today.” Yunho picked him up and wrapped him in a small towel he had carried with him.

“Daddy, rainy-rainy.” Moonbin pulled out his mother’s inherited pout.

“Not working today baby. You're shivering.” Yunho brought his closer to his chest to keep him warm. Apparently, the desire of playing in the rain fell short of the warmth he got from his father and Moonbin sighed blissfully. But he didn’t relax. Yunho knows that rain-induced excitement will have to be out if they want to put him down for a nap. “hey baby….” Moonbin looked at him, “wanna dance?”

~~~

Moonbin mimicked his father and headbanged to the beat of the music. After being fed and changed into a comfortable onesie, Yunho played whatever songs were in his iPod and danced with his son. Both got to do their favourite hobby and Moonbin would get sleepy at the end. Two birds in one stone.

Hyunjoong came out with some stuff to put on the walls. He chuckled at Moonbin’s cute wriggling while putting up some old paintings. He finally took the vase from the floor to put it in the centre of the table full of pictures.

“Yuck! That thing’s hideous!” Yunho suddenly yelled pointing at the vase. Moonbin was unfa