Quality Over Quantity
EquationsINote: Hi, sorry for making you all think I'm never going to update again. Long story short: Went to our family house in Busan and my laptop fell from the second floor, and if you've been to Korea, there's not a lot of Apple stores here, not to say in Busan. So I had to wait to get a new one and had to re-read everything from the beginning. Well, there you go. Once again I apologize! :( But... Back here with an update in honor of Kaleidoscope! Enjoy...
Jihyo was lying down alone on Gary’s bed in his parents’ house. She stared at her phone as Gary video-called her. She yawned as he focused back on the white paper in front of him.
“Jollyeo?” He asked her, looking up for a while. Jihyo just smiled. “End the call then, go to bed. Keia will wake you up early tomorrow.” He said, laughing. Jihyo grabbed a pillow and hid her face behind it. Gary laughed at her.
“Arasseo, I’ll call you tomorrow.” Jihyo said, looking at the screen again. “Don’t forget to sleep too, oppa. Don’t get too tired.” She reminded him and he nodded, ending the video call.
Jihyo turned off the light and stared at her phone for a while, catching up on things before she sleep.
Keia, on the other hand, was filled with energy. She was jumping up and down her grandparents’ bed. After a while, she decided that she’s had enough and sat on their bed. Her grandfather rested his back on the headrest and Keia snuggled next to him.
“Habi…” She called, getting his attention that was already fixed on her. “Read me a story.” She asked of him. He’s a fool for both of his grandchildren, he would do anything for them, and that night, he read her a story. Keia’s grandmother joined them a little while later.
“It’s late.” Her grandma said, “Let’s go to bed.” She pulled the cover over them and slid down their bed. Keia whined in protest.
“Wae?” Her grandpa asked her, still willing to listen to whatever it was she demanded for. “Ahn jollyeo?” He asked. Keia shook her head. “Just lie down with us, you don’t have to sleep, ok?” He tried pulling her down, but she shook him off. “Then what do you want to do?”
“Let’s call appa, and you’ll sleep after that, ok?” Her grandma tried to negotiate with her young granddaughter. Keia nodded. Gary saw his screen lit up, knowing it was probably something to do with Keia, he picked up.
“Eo, eomma?” He picked up. He saw Keia snuggling with his mother on the other end of the screen. He smiled at them. “Keia… What are you doing still up? This is past your bedtime.” He told her.
“She won’t go to bed. I think she’s too excited for tomorrow.” His mom said. He chuckled, but quickly put his serious face back on.
“Keia, go to bed. I can tell that you’re tired. Halmi and Habi are tired too.” He said. Keia looked down and he didn’t like seeing her sad, but he had to discipline her somehow. “Eomma is asleep too.” He said changing the subject. Keia shook her head, still not wanting to go to bed. “If you sleep now, you’ll be able to wake up and leave earlier, right?” He asked her. “You won’t have to wait too long.”
“But I’m not tired yet. I don’t want to go to bed.” Keia kept denying.
“Let me talk to Halmi for a while.” Gary said, telling her to give the phone to his mom. She did as told. “Eomma, I think she can’t sleep. She’s already very sleepy, but she doesn’t want to sleep.” He said. He could tell very well that Keia’s eyes were already heavy.
“Then what should I do?” She asked her son.
“Just wake Jihyo up, it’s ok.” He told his mom. “Or tell Keia to go to my room, she’ll sleep fine with Jihyo. You and abeoji should sleep, you look tired.” Gary said. His mom felt bad if she had to wake Jihyo up.
“Keia, do you want to sleep with eomma? Is that why?” Her grandma asked her. She nodded shyly, a pout on her face. “Ok, I’ll take your kid to her mom. Get some rest!” His mom told him and ended the call. “Let’s go.” She said, grabbing Keia’s hand. Keia trotted along with her grandma. The moment they got to Gary’s room, Keia waited for her grandma to open the handle and sprinted inside. She climbed up the bed, lifted Jihyo’s arm, and snuggled her way into her mom’s embrace. Jihyo woke up because of the touch.
“You can’t sleep?” Jihyo asked Keia, still half-asleep. She nodded. Jihyo looked to the doorway and saw her mother-in-law still waiting for her granddaughter. “Give Halmeoni a goodnight kiss first.” She told Keia. Keia went back to her grandma and gave her a goodnight kiss. She then went out of the room to her grandpa and gave him one too. Gary’s mom said goodnight to Jihyo and left, going to bed herself. Keia snuggled in Jihyo’s arms.
“Eomma bogoshipeoseo mot jayo…” Keia said, melting Jihyo’s heart. Jihyo smiled pulling Keia tighter.
“It’s ok, but just sleep next time, ok, Keia?” Jihyo whispered in her ears. “Halmi and Habi want to spend time with you, you can see eomma everyday. Aren’t you bored of seeing eomma?” Jihyo joked. In all seriousness, Keia shook her head and wrapped her arms around Jihyo’s waist. Jihyo just laughed at her, kissing the top of her head. “Ok, let’s sleep now.” Jihyo told her daughter.
“Good night, Eomma.” Keia whispered, giving Jihyo a sincere goodnight kiss. The child fell asleep soon after. Jihyo took a couple minutes to stare at her daughter’s face, adjusting her so she could sleep comfortably. Only after that did she fall asleep herself.
On Wednesday morning, Jihyo woke up in her in-laws’ home. Keia was already gone from the bed, probably outside getting breakfast. She went outside to find Keia sitting on the sofa holding a bowl of fruits. Her eyes were fixed on the screen of the TV. Her grandpa was
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