Chapter 39

Everyone had gathered at the long table in Buddy and Nana’s backyard with a lot of ‘can you please pass this and that’. Laughter can be heard well within by the neighbors and happiness exudes in each and everyone whos present. The young dad’s all have their hands full, Mike is carrying his newborn, Nick was trying to break up a fight between his kids and Yonghwa was trying to feed the super hyper Ysabelle Hope who has been circling the table over and over again. Joohyun was still puzzled by the surprise visit of the Jungs if it was only her Eomma and Appa, she’d brush it off but also having Yonghwa’s hyung and family with them is a mystery for her. They have a big business to run after all.

Everyone was having the time of their life when Ysa decided that she wants to be fed by her big sister who was listening intently to the talking adults. The little girl stop behind Ia and tugged her shirt. She then looked at Ysa who was holding up her hands. She smiled at her sister, stood up and carried her.

“I’ll take it from here Uncle Yong, you can eat now” she winked at him. “What’s with the face Ysabelle?” she cooed at her sister who in return hugged her and began bouncing in her arms.

“You want us to dance?” Ia asked to which the toddler squealed in reply. The sisters then stepped away from the table and she dance while holding her baby sister with one arm while the other is holding the toddlers hands and did the waltz. The elders saw this and Buddy spoke

“Yonghwa, Joohyun, what are you going to do when Ia leaves?”

Joohyun sighs and looked at her daughters who were laughing to their hearts content as they continue to dance

“I don’t know, she looks up to Ia a lot and is very clingy to her. There are nights when she want’s Ia to tuck her to bed”

Yonghwa then added

“Last night I was trying to give Ysa a bath before going to bed and she ran to Ia’s room, and pulled her sister to the bathroom. I stood at the door and watched them in awe, Ia seems to have a way in communicating with her she was so behaved and not even a splash of water out of the tub” he narrated animatedly

Joohyuns dad then said “Yonghwa, your first parenting duty is to send a daughter to college, how overwhelming is that boy?” he laughed then tapped Yonghwas shoulder

“A very immense responsibility sir” he replied politely, he haven’t had the chance to really sit down and talk Joohyuns dad and so he is still very cautious.

“Whats with the sir? We are family call me dad or pops will do! Not sir, I feel old”

“You call yourself old what do you call me and Nana then? history?” Buddy chuckled

Everyone laughed.

“Oh wait I’ll get Nana’s pudding” As Joohyun stood up and went to the kitchen

She crouched down to get the pudding from the oven when

“Need help?” Yonghwa asked

“Nope got it covered the whole family is here! Are you happy?” Joohyun asked him

“Of course!”

“Are they here for vacation?”

“Yeah sort of” he answered while standing beside the kitchen sink

She was still puzzled but let it slide instead. She was cutting the pudding when Yonghwa swiftly moved and hugged her from behind. She gasped and stiffened at the sudden body contact.

“Yah! The whole family is here they might see us!” as she spat his hands

“So? Just let me be Joohyun, let me just feel you next to me, let me know that this is not a dream, that we’re both here” his hoarse voice lingered in her ear.

They have had a number of talks since the day Yonghwa came and little by little Joohyun seems to be falling back to her old self with him. They would stare at each other during dinner, which of course the older kids would notice and tease them to no end. Take Ysa to the park and Yonghwa would suddenly hold her hands and they’ll walk like that all the way. It’s the same routine but new feelings. They tried to keep showing affection down as much as possible because of the kids

She looked down and saw him intertwined his fingers around her stomach just to make sure he won’t loose hold of her. Her hands shakily and slowly covered his. She took another deep breath and leaned her head back against his shoulder, absorbing the heat coming from his chest. He placed his chin over her shoulder and snuggled himself around her as they held hands. She ran her thumb over the side of his finger.

After a moment, he let go and turned her around to face him, he reached up and tucked the loose hairs from her face. She looked up into his eyes, and almost lost her balance as she felt her entire body fall away from her senses for a moment. She quickly regained her composure

“Joohyuna thank you for accepting me once more” he closed his eyes, leaning his head against her. His arms s around her and he held onto her tightly causing her to melt inside his hug. She closed her eyes as she felt an overwhelming sensation come over her. She couldn't describe how his hug spoke with a language that only her heart could understand clearly.

In an effortless movement he leaned in, closing his eyes, kissing her on the lips. His lips were slightly parted as they pushed into hers, warm and relaxing against her. She tilted her head slightly and he pulled her closer to him as the hot touch of his lips on hers made shivers run down her spine. They stayed like that for a long time, their lips gently pulling at the others.

“Forget the pudding! Yonghwa and J is making out in the kitchen!” As Tiffany shouted while she headed back to the backyard

The two looked at each other with wide eyes, they can hear cheering, and shouting coming from the outside.

“I told you!” Joohyun began to continue cutting the pudding with full concentration. She can feel the heat coming up to her face, while Yonghwa was laughing hysterically at the situation.

“Well guess we can’t do anything about it now can we?” as he

“shut up! You’re not helping! How are we going to go outside now!?” As she began fanning her face

“We’ll just walk out casually as if nothing happened!”

“Easy for you to say! You don’t know the capacity of my family and friends when it comes to embarrassing me! Yonghwa! Do something!” as she hit his arms

“What do you want me to do? It’s not like I’ve asked for it!”he said while still laughing

“You’re hopeless!”

“It’s okay, lets get this over and done with and go out” as he got the pudding tray from her and walked to the backyards direction.

They slowly approach the now quiet long table with everyone looking at evey direction except the two who were standing.  Joohyun could feel the howlin