Chapter 21

“He saw Hyunnie, Yuri? How could he possibly not tell that he was his son?” Doyeon said, as he stood up from the couch & walked over to the window to take some air into his lungs.

“You weren’t there. How could you possibly know, Doyeon Oppa?” She asked, angry with him for getting into her problem but she knew he was trying to help.

He let out an angry breath, “It doesn’t matter if I was there or not. You said you didn’t want Jaejoong to find out about the baby. Why risk the chance?”

“I didn’t know he was going to be there.” She said, trying to control her voice before she could yell at her brother, “The reason I came back here was to visit mom & to make her get well again. How could I not go visit mom because I was scare that he was going to be there? It will be a waste of time for me to come back here then.”

Doyeon looked outside at the dark street. He wanted Jaejoong to know that Taehyun was his son but yet, he doesn’t. He promised Yuri to keep his mouth shut but then, he wanted her son to have a father. If only it wasn’t his sister that Jaejoong cheated on. Her heart was torn apart; that was why she torn the baby away from him. It will probably tear more if she finds out that Jaejoong & Jessica are engage.

“Yuri.” He said, after a long while, “Remember, he’s a lawyer.”

She stared up at Doyeon & nodded, “I know.” She got up & grabbed her dark red michael kors trench coat, “Take me to the hospital. I will stay there with mom tonight. Hyunnie’s asleep. I’m sure Mina & dad can look over him.”

“Yuri...”

“Just take me, Oppa.” She interrupted him, & walked out of the door. He raked his short brown hair & took in a deep breath. She was still stubborn & he was sure she wouldn’t let Jaejoong find out about Taehyun at all. Doyeon followed her outside & got into the car. He looked over at her closed eyes & started the engine.

“Who’s the father of Hyunnie?” He asked, after a while of driving.

She opened her eyes & turned to look at Doyeon with a confused look, “Him.”

“Who’s him?”

“Jae...Jaejoong. Why?”

He turned to look at her then back to his driving, “You wouldn’t say that to him if he asked you, will you?” Jaejoong took hold of Jessica’s hand & opened the door to Mrs. Kwon’s room. He paused in mid-stride. There she was again, leaning over to feed her mom. She looked up, not surprised to see him but then she turned back to her mom, not caring about his presence or Jessica.

“Hello Mrs. Kwon.” He said, walking over to the opposite side of where Yuri was. He looked at Yuri then back to Mrs. Kwon, “How are you?”

“The same.”

“Hello Yuri.” He said, looking down at her downcast face. She glanced up with her immense eyes & nodded her head lightly. The man dared to ask how she was. Horrible, she was, with him being around, especially Jessica. The woman was smiling shyly as usual & how much did she want to slap that sly smile off of her face. After all these years, they were still together, ‘Longer than my relationship with him.’ Yuri thought.

“Jae Oppa told me you were back so I came here today to welcome you. I hope that is okay since...since…”

“Of course, it’s okay.” Yuri interrupted her. She looked back down & started to feed her mom again, hoping that both of them would get out soon.

“Where is Hyunnie?” Jaejoong asked, not at all hesitating. The fun he had had with that little boy last night, he would never forget. Just a little joke from him & Taehyun was laughing like he was a clown & his blue typhoon contrast-yoke sporty tee with the ink blue skinny fashion khakis pants, Jaejoong loved it.

She averted her face sharply to look back up at him. Damn the man a hundred of times! What the hell does he want with her son?! She was ready for any war, “Why are you asking?”

“I was just curious.”

“Well, don’t.” She said cruelly.

“How are you?” He asked again, the same question from yesterday.

“Never better.” Yuri lied, with a breath of hatred, ‘& I bet you are doing great, huh?’ She thought.

He flinched at her reply. Jessica looked up at him. He smiled down at her. At the time, Yuri looked up, seeing how happy they were. She turned back before they could see her looking at them. She hated how they were showing their love in the same room where she was. Don’t they have any respect for the useless?

“Your son.” He said. She turned back to look up at him for the thousandth times. For sure, after he leaves, not only is her soul going to ache but her neck too, “He’s very smart.” But still, he doesn’t have the courage to ask her if she remarry.

“Are you here just to see my mom or are you here to ask me questions about my son?” Mrs. Kwon looked up at Yuri, disapproving her manner.

“Both.”

Her stare at him became sharper, “I’m sorry Mr. Kim, if you don’t have anything else to do around here except ask me questions, you better leave.”

He stared deeply into her tired eyes, wondering why she was calling him by his unusual name. He didn’t like the sound of it. He didn’t like how it had came out so uncaring & rude, “I’m sorry, Yuri. I came here to see your mom, not you.”

Yuri shot him a glare. Again, as much as he didn’t want to see her, she was the one who would never want to see him again. He was still careless just like that day when they signed the contract of divorcement. There was still no regret in his eyes but she was sure that when he finds out that Taehyun is his son, he had regret it soon, “That’s good to hear.” She said. Turning back to her mom’s tray of unfinished food on the bed, Yuri picked it up & set it on the table, “Go to sleep mom. I will be right here.”

“You should go home, darling. You look tired after your short sleep last night here.” Said Mrs. Kwon.

Yuri shook her head & pulled the blanket up to her mom’s chin. Mrs. Kwon closed her eyes of concern for her daughter. Yuri picked up her book from the table & started to read, ignoring Jaejoong & Jessica who were talking to each other.

“Yuri.” Jessica said, after a while. She looked up, “I will have to go now. I’m very sorry about your mom & that I couldn’t stay longer.”

“Thank you.” Yuri said, with a nod.

Jessica looked up at Jaejoong. He leaned down & kissed her lightly on the lips. Yuri looked away, “Bye. I will see you later.” He whispered, so low that Yuri almost couldn’t hear it.

“Bye Oppa.” Jessica said, & then walked out of the room. Jaejoong popped slowly into the extra chair & looked at Mrs. Kwon.

Yuri looked up questionably at Jaejoong, “You are not leaving?”

“I came here to see your mom, Yuri, & I didn’t plan to leave just yet.” He said, “Why don’t you go home & get some rest? You look tired. I will stay here to watch over your mom.”

“No thank you.” She replied, a matter-of-factly, “I didn’t come back to Korea just to sit around, Mr. Kim.” ‘& I didn’t come back home to see you.’ Her mind said.

“I know, Yuri, & what’s wrong with calling me by my first name?”

“Nothing.” If she ever calls him by his first name ever again, how could she not call him by shortening his name? She was so used to call him Jae years ago & she didn’t want to start calling him that again. It was Jessica’s turn, the woman who had stolen him away from her, “You don’t have any work then?” She asked, changing the unwanted subject.

“I do but I promised your mom that I will stay longer than usual.”

“You don’t have, too. I can look over my mom by myself.”

“I know you can.” Jaejoong said, & took a wedding magazine from the table on his side. He flipped the magazine through halfway & stopped to look at a wedding dress.

Yuri swallowed, glad that he had stopped the talking. She turned back to her book & began reading. Jaejoong flipped another page & scanned the dresses. He could picture Jessica in there. A smile came up to his face. It would be perfect on her but he said that every time he sees a beautiful dress. Taking out a pen, Jaejoong circled the dress. Just less than three more months then he would be a married man again. Looking up, Jaejoong took a glance at Yuri’s downcast face, wondering if she was still healing from what he had done but she looked happy with her husband & Taehyun.

He was hoping to see Taehyun today but guessed that he was with his daddy, “Where’s your husband?” He asked.

Yuri gulped & glanced up. There was the question again, but it wasn’t said from Doyeon this time. It was said from Taehyun’s father. All the while she had stay here yesterday night, that question kept popping up in her mind, lessening her sleep. Lord help, what was she supposed to say? He was the only man she had ever married & it was going to stay like that, “He’s not with Hyunnie & me anymore.” About to cry, knowing that that was about almost the truth, she looked down.

“I’m sorry.” He said, not knowing what to do next.

‘No, you aren’t.’ She thought, ‘You were never sorry you hurtled me.’ “I...I’m sorry that he went away too, but that’s how life goes. You can never expect things to happen. It just does. He was a nice man, a lovely husband & a loving daddy.” She looked up, wanting to hurt him as much as she can. He was never going to be the father of Taehyun.

“But you still have Hyunnie. Maybe he looks just like his daddy.” Jaejoong said, trying to cheer her up but felt an unhappy butterfly in his stomach at the same time.

“I do. It wasn’t the same without him but after a few years later, I got over it. Hyunnie got his mouth, eyes but the nose he got it from me.” She smiled a non-smile, “Maybe it was better to live without a man.”

Jaejoong narrowed his brows, staring closely at her. He his lips & closed the magazine. Those words, he felt, were as if sent to him.