Chapter 34

Yuri rubbed her face with a sigh. Taehyun was sick again, with the summer flu. Everyone was getting sick with their own stuff. She couldn’t go yet & visit her mom. Yesterday night to this morning, she was still looking over Taehyun. Only high mummers came through his wee lips. His eyes had never even fluttered open & to now, this was even worse than the one he had five weeks ago.

A hand touched her shoulder as she looked at Taehyun again, “How is he?”

“Worst.” She replied to Doyeon.

He pressed her shoulder & sat down on the edge of the bed, “Does this happen every summer?”

She nodded, “You told mom already, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, she will be out of the hospital in eight or three days.”

She sighed & rubbed her face again. How she wish her mom haven’t known yet, “Hyunnie needs to see his doctor. We have to go back home soon.” Her voice sounded dead with no energy. Not only was she concern about Taehyun; she was also concern that his real father would come back soon.

“There’s a lot of doctors here, Yuri. They can treat him.”

“No.” She said, shaking her head, “We need to go back tomorrow. Can you check the tickets for me & Hyunnie?”

“Yuri.” Doyeon said, with a sigh. He raked his hand through his hair, “I know why you really want to leave Korea. Don’t worry, he will never find out if you are afraid that he will. You kept the secret in for four years; it could go on for another four years.”

She brushed a strand of hair away from her brow, “It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow would be a lovely day to leave.”

Doyeon stood up & began to walk back & forth in front of the bed. Marriage interrupts too many things, “Why don’t you just wait until Hyunnie gets better? He can’t go on a plane when he’s that sick. He will just get worst.”

Yuri let out a breath & glanced up at Doyeon, “I will check the airlines myself then.”

He ranked his hair again. She was too stubborn for her own good, “No. I will do it. Stay here & watch Hyunnie.”

“Please make it an early flight.” She added, before he strolled out of the bedroom, frustrated at everything. Why does everything always happen at the same time?

The doorbell rang from below. Yuri didn’t get up; knowing that Doyeon was at the door already. She heard mumbling voices but couldn’t tell who exactly they belonged to. A few moments later, a knock came at the opened door.

“Come in.” She whispered, too tired to say anything else.

“Hi, dear. How is Hyunnie doing?”

Yuri turned around at the voice. At the door, she saw Mr & Mrs. Kim standing in the frame. She parted her dark red lips in surprises. What were they doing here? Had they found out about Taehyun being sick already? They walked over slowly & looked down at Taehyun. Their expression changed from shock to sorrow, “How long was he like this?” Mrs. Kim asked.

Yuri her lips, trying to start a conversation, “Since last night when we came home from the hospital.” How she wished to take Taehyun into her arms & never let them see him like this. She didn’t want any of them to be concern about her son but soon, tomorrow, she will return back home secretly.

“Can I feel his forehead?” Mr. Kim asked.

Yuri nodded. Her ex-father-in-law kneeled down before the bed & placed his hand on Taehyun’s forehead. He removed his hands after a while & turned to look at Yuri, “It’s a headache.”

“He gets the flu every summer; about five times each year. That rarely happens to other babies but unfortunately, Hyunnie has it.”

Mr. Kim frowned, “What did the doctor say?”

Yuri glanced down at Taehyun, “He said that Hyunnie might had inherited it from one side of the family. I had never had it before, neither has my family.” She sighed, “Neither had my husband nor his family has ever inherited it.”

Mr & Mrs. Kim exchanged looks. Mrs. Kim cleared , “Just like Jaejoong.” She said, after a while. Yuri lightly pressed her son’s hands & looked up at them, “What do you mean?”

They exchanged another look but this time, it was more of an ‘I told you so’ look. Mrs. Kim let out a breath & sat down on the edge of the bed. She folded her hands, “When Jaejoong was Hyunnie’s age, he use to have flues every summer. I stay up every night, just watching over him. His temperature raises if he doesn’t have his medicine. The flu didn’t stop until he was eight. They must have the same illness.”

Her lips parted again. Yuri blinked once & then twice. The room went silent. Taehyun made another mumbling noise. Her grasps tightened on his hands, “Rea...Really?” She stuttered out.

Mr. Kim nodded, “Jaejoong inherited from his grandpa.” His voice was strong, now really knowing that Taehyun was his grandson that had been hidden by this woman for four long years. He kept his anger down. By the look of his wife’s face, he could tell that she was doing the same. Their ex-daughter-in-law had been a great actress but now it was over.

Yuri’s face turned three times paler. Goosebumps climbed up her arms. She rubbed her hands against each arm, trying to warm them down, “Jae...Jaejoong never told me.”

“He never really told anyone. He made us hide his little secret.” Mrs. Kim tried to smile kindly but failed, “He thought everyone would laugh at him.”

“But it was sickness. Why would he think anyone would laugh at him?” She asked, wanting to know the truth that Jaejoong had never told her. Why did he even hide it from her when they were married?

Mrs. Kim shrugged, “I guess he just wanted it in a jar tightly shut like everyone else with their little secrets.” Her voice was giving out more than hints for Yuri to tell them the truth. The little secret Yuri was holding inside is about to be burst open.

Yuri turned away, trying to hide her face which was fill with the deepest secret she was hiding. Why did she tell them about Taehyun’s illness? Lord. She should have taped shut. She should have told Doyeon never to tell their mom. It was all her fault now & now, she wants anything to happen instead of this. Anything will do. Yuri looked up at them again. She tried to smile but failed. On the third smile, she succeeded, “It must had been a hard time for Jaejoong but Hyunnie is strong enough. When tomorrow comes, he will be himself again.”

The amount of time came when she needed. Taehyun started to swarm in his sleep. His mumbling became louder & clearer. He started to kick the blankets away with cries. Tears came to Yuri’s eyes as she kissed his burning forehead. Half of her tears were for Taehyun & half of them were for the coming out bursts of her long time secret. With her back to them, she blinked several times, making the tears in her eyes go away. She ran her hands down his cheeks & kissed them.

“Mommy’s here, sweetie.” She cooed, “Mommy’s here.”

He mumbled something again, & fell into a deep sleep. Her heart settled down into a normal heartbeat. At the alertness of silent, Yuri turned around to find Mr & Mrs. Kim staring closely at Taehyun. Goosebumps climbed up her arms again. She ditched the feeling away & cleared . How long were they going to stay?

To make the room more comfortable, Yuri turned around & grabbed Taehyun’s medicine. She wasn’t going to feed him now since he had already fallen asleep again; she just wanted to make the room more in harmony. Mrs. Kim moved towards Yuri & placed her hand on her shoulder. Yuri became startled but calmed herself.

“Is that his medicine?”

Yuri nodded & circled her fingers around the bottle, “I didn’t think that he would get it until another five weeks so I didn’t pack his regular medicine prescribed by his doctor.”

“You should always bring it in case.” Mr. Kim said, being the doctor, “I know the right medicine for Hyunnie. Let me help?”

She shook her head, “No thank you.”

“Really, Yuri.” He took a look at Taehyun, his grandson, “I’m a doctor & surely, I can get the right medicine for Hyunnie just like I had for Jaejoong. Why don’t you bring him to the hospital?”

“He will get well in a few days. It’s just a minor headache. I can take care of him.”

Mr. Kim cleared his throat, “Then I will bring him the medicine here tomorrow night. That’s the latest I could get it. I hope it’s fine with you.”

Yuri blinked. Yes, it was fine with her. Tomorrow morning, she would had already left. They will find an empty room with no sick Taehyun. Long gone, they will be. No one would disturb Taehyun & her again, ever “That will be fine. Thank you.”

Mr. Kim nodded, “We will have to go now. If Hyunnie wakes up, give us a call.”

“I will.” She lied.

“Goodbye.” They said, before walking out of the door.

Yuri let out the deepest breath ever held. Were they making the trouble for her or her to them? Whichever way, she care less. Tomorrow morning, her life would continue on again, without his family. She had to make it; Taehyun has to make it. Her son had always been strong & still strong he is. He wouldn’t miss Jaejoong, she promise to it. Like before, she would erase his picture from her mind along with Taehyun’s. All the words that he had said to Taehyun will be banish. Life will be back again, when they reach Los Angeles, her son & her home, real home.

She got up & walked over to the window after kissing Taehyun on the forehead. Placing her hands on the wood below the windowpane, Yuri felt a dryness & cracking of a leaf. She removed her hands & her lips parted in awe. A dried rose petal.

A/N: i remember someone saying that they want to see how jaejoong will react when finding out that hyunnie is his son so stay tuned because its coming up soon *wink*