six

Sprawled in the middle of the living-room floor, Soojung keeps her blue bunny tucked safely by her side while her pretty eyes are riveted on the children book that Hyukjae gave her earlier. There are colorful pictures on each page that illustrate the few lines of the story, which she traces with the tips of her careful fingers. She’s humming softly under her breath along a music that is playing on the radio, unaware of the commotion that is going through Donghae’s head. Bewildered, he stares at her, at the striking resemblance that she has with her father, and has to take a long minute to seize the whole situation once again. Next to him, Hyukjae glances warily at him and leans over towards his daughter, as if ready to protect her if Donghae does as much as something threatening.

The two men are standing by the doorframe of the living-room, in-between sunlight filtering through the windows and shadows of the house, while gazing silently at Soojung. A tense silence has settled firmly between them, so thick and uncomfortably that Donghae has to hold himself back from fidgeting. He frowns instead, nibbling absently on the insides of his cheeks, and folds his arms on his chest with a resigned frown.

A slight grimace flashes briefly across his sharp features, but Hyukjae keeps his eyes settled on his daughter and ignores him pointedly. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans and unconsciously picks up a defensive posture; Donghae will have none of that.

“You… have a daughter and you didn’t tell me?” Donghae asks softly as to not alarm Soojung, but his tone of voice sounds offended enough that Hyukjae stiffens slightly.

“Why would I have?” Hyukjae grumbles bitterly. “It’s not like we’re friends, are we? All we’ve done since we first met is insulting each other. As much as it’s been fun and everything, I don’t want you to start badmouthing my only child.”

Donghae blinks and opens his mouth to retort something scathing out of habits, then stops. “I wouldn’t have,” he says sincerely then. “And—and you know it’s only for fun. I don’t think half the stuff I’ve said to you.”

Hyukjae snorts, but a reluctant grin has appeared at the corners of his lips. “But the other half you do?”

“Well, it is quite stupid of you not to have signed that contract, after all.” Donghae sends him a good-natured glare, nudging his shoulder with his own. “Idiot.”

Then, after a short pause upon which they hear Soojung trying to read a more complex word, Donghae asks, “Are you… married, then? I haven’t seen anybody else other than you in the house all this time, so I just assumed—”

“No, I’m—…” Hyukjae pauses, hesitant, and then quickly spells the word under his breath so his daughter won’t understand, “I’m D-I-V-O-R-C-E-D. I’m still friendly with her mother, though. We didn’t get along as a couple that much anymore, so we decided to… well, you know.”

“Yeah,” Donghae replies softly. “I mean, I do.”

“Yeah,” Hyukjae echoes.

Donghae glances at him and then at his pretty girl, at the unrestrained affection he sees shining within Hyukjae’s eyes when the latter looks at her, before he smiles. “Yeah.”

For once, Donghae decides he can forget about signing contracts for a little while.

*

Donghae is busy setting the table for late breakfast while Hyukjae finishes cooking scrambled eggs in silence, when Soojung runs into the kitchen with a rather distressed expression. In spite of her small size, she manages to create a small commotion all on her own, and stomps her way in loudly enough that they both startle. Donghae peers at her and then chuckles a little, eyes warm as they take in the sight of Hyukjae’s tiny child.

That thought still sends his mind through bouts of bewilderment, but Donghae manages to quell them down quickly.

“Daddy!” Soojung demands loudly, both her bunny and her book held precariously between her small arms. “Daddy, I—”

Soojung stops in her tracks as soon as she spots Donghae standing at the other side of the room, as if she forgot all about him since earlier that morning. Squeakin