Him
EquationsNote: Update! Haha. The all famous Hangang is here! Oh, and Keia of course!
It was a nice morning. The sky was clear and it was the perfect temperature for a park visit. Gary was left in the living room alone, watching the TV when he had time to. Jihyo had left by dawn, leaving the two alone. Keia was still asleep, completely clueless about whatever happened in the morning. Gary heard little murmurs from the room, he knew Keia was waking up.
“Come out, Keia…” He said, switching the TV to Keia’s DVD immediately. He stood up to go to the kitchen and opened a cup of yogurt. The sound of Keia’s little footsteps filled the room. “Jaljasseo?” He asked her.
“Eomma?” She asked, completely ignoring his question.
“She left for work.” He said, flashing her a smile. “Come here, your breakfast is ready.” He said. She walked towards him, half-asleep. He scooped her up and set her on the table. She whined, leaning onto him. “I know, I know.” He said, rubbing her back. He sat down in front of her and she climbed onto his lap. He put a spoon inside the cup of yogurt and fed it to her once.
“I want to go out.” She said, pointing out the window. She started digging into her cup of yogurt too.
“Ok, finish that, and we’ll get ready to go out. Call?” He asked. She nodded with a new smile forming on her face. The cup of yogurt was gone in an instant. Gary did as promised, getting Keia ready. “What do you want to wear?” He asked her.
“This one.” She said, picking a light grey tee and light blue cotton shorts. Gary helped her wear it. Her fashion sense wasn’t bad after all. Gary left her in the living room for a while as he changed into his denim knee-length pants and dark gray shirt. “Let’s go, appa! Let’s go!” Keia said as he got out of the room. She took his hand and dragged him out.
The vastness of Hangang engulfed the two warmly as they arrived. The reflection of the morning sun reflected on the ripples like sparkling diamonds. Keia was excited at the thought of going out with her dad. The park was less crowded than it usually is, maybe because it was rather early for a weekday.
“Do they have bikes for you?” Gary said, thinking about bikes for kids. He asked Keia, but he was really just talking to himself. They went to the rental area and he spotted one for kids and was immediately pleased. “You wanna try this?” He asked Keia. She nodded in excitement.
Gary rented the bike, got Keia to wear the helmet and she sat on the seat. Keia fiddled with the bike. Gary kneeled and placed her feet on the pedal.
“Push this forward.” He said, touching her left foot. “Continue on, this one next.” He said. Keia was doing good, pedaling forward. “Jalhanda, Keia…” He said, praising her. A proud smile on his face. He raced forward and took his phone out, recording the moment to show Jihyo later on. Keia pedaled forward faster and faster, giggling in excitement as she mastered the art of it.
“Appa!” She squealed, excited still.
“Jalhae…” He repeated, grinning while waiting in front. Then he saw her going too fast. He was afraid she was going to fall. “Eo, eo, cheoncheonhi.” He said, reminding her. But as any child b with excitement, her father’s words were as silent as the creaks of a well-oiled door.
As if waiting for its moment, she went too fast and fell. Gary could see it all coming. He stayed where he was.
“Kwenchanha, ireona…” Gary said, smiling to let her know it’s all ok. Keia’s smile turned into a frown in the blink of an eye. Then her eyes watered, her cheeks turned red. Gary chuckled and walked towards her. “Iriwa…” He said, kneeling down and opening his arms for her. Keia got up and walked towards him with her head down. The moment he caught her, those contained tears fell.
“Appa…” She started to bawl.
“Eodi apa?” He asked his wailing daughter. Keia pointed her right knee that was now covered with scratches, a little bit of blood coming out and sticking to Gary’s gray shirt. Gary was surprised to see the blood, he didn’t know it was that bad. He carried her and cleaned the cut. The moment he tried to clean the cut, Keia wouldn’t stop wailing. “Mianhae…” Gary said before applying the ointment. She didn’t actually feel it when the ointment touched her skin, but the fact that she knew it was going to touch her scared her.
“Appa… Apa…” She repeated. Gary rubbed her daughter’s back repeatedly, carrying her.
“Ara…” He said gently. “Next time we ride a bike, we’ll be more careful, ok? And we’ll put pads on your knees and elbows so you won’t get hurt. But you should listen to Appa too, ok?” He said. She nodded lightly, agreeing to anything since she’s hurt.
“Jeogeo…” Keia said, pointing to the direction behind Gary’s back. Gary turned around to see what was there. She mumbled softly. “Super…” She mumbled. Gary chuckled.
“What do you want?” He asked her, still chuckling.
“Ice cream.” She said, softly, resting her head on his shoulder. It was a good time for her to play the patient. Gary held in his laugh.
“If we go and buy ice cream… Will you listen to Appa next time?” He asked. She nodded. “Listen to Eomma too when she says something, ok?” He asked. She nodded a
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