“Omma…, can I call Appa?” little Haru holds her mother’s cell phone. Chaerin who is busy preparing Haru’s lunchbox left her activity and walks toward her pouting daughter on the living room

“Appa is working, baby…. he will call us once he’s free” she’s kneeing in front of her daughter

“But, I miss Appa…” Haru mumbles and looks down. Her lips were quivering when she said that. Chaerin smiles bitterly. She knows how her daughter misses her father. And it’s been four days Jiyong didn’t give a single call at all. She tries to smiles to her daughter and takes her cell phone from Haru’s little hands

“Omma will text Appa first. If he doesn’t that busy, we can call him, ok?”      Chaerin says and Haru’s face lit up instantly

“Yay! Text Appa now, Omma… now…” she’s bouncing in her seat, makes Chaerin giggles

Then she starts to type a message

To: Jingyo Oppa => Oppa, are you busy now?

She sends the message and put her phone on the couch

“Done. Now, let’s change into your uniform first while waiting Appa’s reply” she holds her daughter and kisses her lovingly. The little girl just nods in excitement

They just need less than ten minutes to change Haru’s outfit into her kindergarten uniform. Haru runs immediately into the living room and takes her mom’s phone

“Omma!! There’re 2 missed calls… it’s must be Appa… call him back, Omma…” Haru pouts and Chaerin just smiles and shakes her head. She takes the cell phone and check it

2 missed call. From Jingyo

2 new messages

She opens the message

From : Jingyo Oppa => I’m sorry… I’ve been busy these days lately. Now, where’s my princess?? I miss her to death.. I still have view minutes before go

Second message

From : Jingyo Oppa =>Hunchae…, pick up the phone… I’m running out of time…. L I miss you two…

Chaerin smiles then look at her daughter who is looked frustrated now. She walks to Haru and gives her the cell phone. Haru looks up to see her mom

“Now, call Appa…” she says and Haru’s smile spread instantly as she reach the phone and make a call to her Appa

“Hun…”

“Appa!!!!! I miss you…..” Haru screams, cut her Appa’s words. Chaerin just watching her over-excited daughter and smiling happily

“Aigoo…, my princess… Appa misses you too baby…, Appa is really sorry for being so busy…” Chaerin could hear Jiyong’s voice over the phone

“It’s ok, Appa…. Omma said Appa is working. And Omma also said that’s for Haru’s future. Is that true, Appa?” Haru asks innocently

“Aah…, yes baby. Appa does it at for Haru’s future. With Appa and Omma too…” Jiyong laughs lightly at his daughter innocence. The next 10 minutes, Haru bombards her father with her stories. It’s her habit to ‘report’ everything to her Appa while Chaerin is finishes her previous activity: preparing Haru’s lunchbox

Chaerin looks at her watch. 8.15 am. It’s time for her to send her daughter to the kindergarten. She puts the lunchbox into its bag and brings it to the living room

“Baby…, it’s school time…” she calls her daughter softly, earning another pouts from the little one

“Omma…, Appa wants to talk to you…” she gives the phone to her Mom

“Neh, Oppa…”

“Hunchae…., I’m really sorry…” Jiyong says softly, feeling bad for his limited time with them

“It’s ok, I understand. Just next time, call your daughter more often. Once every one or two days is fine. You know her…” she smiles. And over the phone, Jiyong chuckles bitterly

“Neh, Mian… I’m a bad Appa… and a bad man for you…” his voice is getting weaker. Chaerin feels it.

“No, Oppa. You always do your best. We understand that….” She knows him. They fall silence for a while until Chaerin break it. “Oppa, Haru has to go to school now. Talk to you later, ok? You need to go to, right?”

“Oh.., uhm…, yeah” Jiyong startled.“Then.., tell Haru Appa loves her so much…” he says

“Neh, Oppa… take care of your health” Chaerin looks at her daughter who is busy with her shoes now

“Uhm… you too” Jiyong tries to swallow the lump on his throat “I love you, Hunchae….” He says, almost as a whisper

“I love you too, Oppa…” Chaerin just does the same. Her heart feels so heavy

“Bye...”

“Bye…”

And the call ended.

Chaerin takes a deep breath to calm her heart. Then she looks at her watch, and walks to her daughter

“Are you ready for school?” she’s kneeing in front of Haru, help her with her shoes

“Yes!” Haru says excitedly. “Omma…” she calls her mother softly

“Neh?” Chaerin stands up and reaches Haru’s hand, walks with her leaving her apartment

“When Appa will visit us?”

Chaerin’s heart becomes heavier with her daughter innocent question. She tries to smile and looks at her daughter

“Soon, baby” she lies. Truthfully, she doesn’t even know when Jiyong will visit them. “Appa said, he loves you so much” Chaerin smiles again to her daughter and see Haru’s face becomes brighter again

“I love Appa too, Omma… a lot” Haru smiles widely. Chaerin couldn’t say anything. her tongue becomes stiffen all of sudden. Her heart is bleeding, looking at their daughter who can’t live her normal life just like her friends

They are arrived at Haru’s school. Chaerin once again kneeing in front of her daughter, tidying her uniform

“Be good at school, neh?” she kisses Haru and hugs her “I love you”

“I love you too, Omma…” Haru reply

Then they’re parted. One of Haru’s teachers is coming and the little girl is jumping happily entering the school gate. She waves her little palm to her mom who is still standing outside the gate. And Chaerin waves back, gives her best smile and keep watching her daughter until she’s disappear from her sight

On the other hand, Jiyong is sitting at his office. Her hand holds his wallet. His eyes are teary, looking at the picture he’s always keep. A photograph of his Hunchae is holding baby Haru in her arms. And another picture, a four years old cute girl is holding her teddy bear.

He caresses the photographs. His heart is heavy as it just has a ton of load.

“Appa is really sorry, Haru…” he whispers weakly then looks at Chaerin’s smiling face while holding their baby. “Hunchae…, please hold on a little longer…” he couldn’t hold his tears anymore

His heart is breaking every time he remembers how the two most important people in his life have to trough this hard time and he couldn’t be with them. Heaven knows how much he wants to be with them.

He wants to be with them, watching her daughter growing up, dropping and pick her up from school, spending time with Chaerin and Haru without have to sneaking around and hide from everyone.

He feels bad for them, for he makes Chaerin like a kept woman and Haru like an illegitimate child who has to hide their relationship with him. Well, yeah… technically, Haru is really… an illegitimate child.  But it’s not like he doesn’t want to make her a legitimate child.

Chaerin is his one and only woman. The woman he loves with every breath he takes, the mother of his only daughter, the queen of his heart

But the situation is too difficult… and the more day passes, the more difficult and complicated the situation is….

Jiyong runs his fingers on his styled hair, closes his eyes and breathe heavily. He tries to calm himself, and focus on his job which is waiting now

Knock..knock…knock…

Someone knocked the door. Jiyong snapped from his thought and fix his appearance. He closed his wallet and put it back to his coat

“Come in” he says and the door opened

“Sir, we have to go now. The guests from England are waiting for you” His secretary informs him

“Oh, yeah. Let’s go” he stands up and walking out of his office

“Unnie, have you read the articles about him?” Minji asks curiously. Chaerin is busy with her espresso machine now

“Which one?” she asks absentmindedly

“Aigoo.., Unnie, haven’t you read your newspaper? All the newspapers wrote articles about him these days lately. About him being the strongest candidate for the prime minister position” Minji blubber while counting the money on the cashier machine

“Aah.., I know that” Chaerin answer while give two cups of espresso to the customer “Thank you…” she bows to them

“Are you ok, Unnie?” Minji looks at Chaerin’s expression. She knows exactly there’s something wrong with her

“What do you talking about?” Chaerin frowns

“I mean.., I rarely saw him lately…” Minji said carefully. Chaerin’s face become gloomy for a while, but then it’s back to normal

“He’s busy, Minji-ah… but he still gives us routine call” Chaerin smiles

“And financial support too, right?” Minji asks seriously

“Sure. He won’t abandon his child” Chaerin chuckles a bit

“Whatever it is, I just wish you and him will live happily with Haru” Minji smiles too. She senses there’s sadness on Chaerin’s face, but she decide not to talk about it anymore and makes her becomes sadder. Chaerin gives her a smile and gives another cup of mocha-latte to her customer

“Minji-ah…” Chaerin calls her

“Yes, Unnie?”

“I’ve got a job offers”

“Heh?Jinja? Where? When?” Minji asks excitedly

“Aigoo…, you’re too excited, young lady” Chaerin laughs at her respond

“Wae??? Unnie, just tell me”

“Ara…, I’ll tell you” Chaerin smiles “My sunbae from high school is working on an advertising company now. He called me last night, said there’s a position for a secretary. They need someone who speaks Japanese because their boss is Japanese” Chaerin explains

“Then what are you waiting for, Unnie??!! Grab it!! We all know you’re more than this! You are too precious to be a forever-waitress!” Minji half shouted, earning strange sight from the coffee shop’s guests. “Aah…, I’m sorry…” she bows to the guests awkwardly

“But, I’m just a university-drop out-plus-single-mother Min….”

“Screw those university- drop out- plus- single- mother things. You’re capable for that job, Unnie….” Minji rolls her eyes. “You know what, this is the stair you need. The stairs that will take you to the higher place, Unnie.to upgrade yourself in Jiyong’s parent’s eyes!”

This time, Chaerin is the one who rolls her eyes

“Minji-ah, even though I upgrade myself into a demigod, it won’t enough to make me looked proper in their eyes” she chuckles

“But…, still… you have to live a better life, Unnie. Working in a better place, wearing better outfits, meeting better people…, you deserved that” Minji insists. For her, Chaerin is her one and only Unnie. The only person she could trust with all of her heart. The only person she would die for if it necessary…, Chaerin is her Unnie, her best friend, her savior. She just wants the best for her

“But, What about Haru… If I work there, I won’t be able to spend my time with her like now…. She is lack of her father’s time already…” yeah, Haru is her ultimate reason

“Aigoo, Unnie. It’s not like you will go overseas! You just work from morning to the afternoon. And after that, you’ll be free with Haru again..”

“But, who will take care of her while I’m working?”

“Unnie…, you have me! I’ll in charge to take care of Haru while you’re working” Minji keep insists. Chaerin looks at her and her strong determination

“Unnie…, maybe this is the way that will take you to the better place, to a better life….” Minji says. Chaerin thinks deeply and then smiles

“Thank you, Minji-ah…, I’ll think about it” she smiles

Yeah, maybe this way will lead her to a better life….

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A.N

Hello everyone…, my lovely readers…

So, this is the first chapter

I wish you like it

C’mon…., I need your voice…., those comments are my fuel, my spirit to keep writing…

TT_TT

So, did you get the picture? About Jiyong, Chaerin, and Haru’s life?

Hmmmm, next chapter, I’ll reveal what was happen before Haru’s time and how their life becomes this complicated

Soooooooooo

Please keep subscribing, voting, and COMMENTING on my stories….
well, then, see you on the next update

I LOVE YOU

-LIA-