Eunjung stared blankly at her mom, her thumb in .

“Mom’s leaving!” My husband announced as I waved my hand at the toddler.

“Bye-bye,” I turned to Eunjung who was already shaking her head. “No?”

I shrugged my shoulders and raise my eyebrows as I turned my attention to JongIn. “What has gotten into her?” I mouthed the words out to him.

Eunjung waddled towards me and enveloped me into a warm hug. “You want to hug me? Don’t go?” I felt her warm breath tickle my neck.

“Stay here with dad, Eunjung,” I said while approaching JongIn.

He clapped his hands together and brought his arms out, ready to receive his daughter from me. “Come with dad.” She closed and opened her hand as if waving goodbye.

Reluctantly, the girl pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Thank you!” I gushed as I returned her kiss.

“See you,” JongIn intertwined my fingers with his.

“I’m going, bye,” I said softly.

He leaned in closer to me and tilted his head slightly. “I love you.” He smiled before pressing my lips to his. Innocent and chaste.

…

On a plastic hallway chair sat a child, legs kicking in the air, clearing the floor by several inches as they swung back and forth. I was mesmerized by the red rubber boots on his feet and blue duffle coat, somehow the kid reminded me of Paddington Bear. His face had an unhealthy look to it and his eyes were hard open as he stared at nothing on the wall. I stopped. The boy's legs weren't swinging in the care-free way he'd first assumed. Each one was more like a kick, sharp and pointed. I crouched down in front of him, letting the boy see my white coat and stethoscope and brushed his brown bangs from his face.

His hair, dark and lustrous, had sheen like fine hardwood. But that comparison wasn't entirely fair, I supposed. Hardwood didn't swish gently like his hair did, swaying with the words he spoke. A shiny varnish catches merely light around it, but the depths of that deep chestnut brown reflected all the radiance of his plastered smile.

"Hey there, I'm Doctor Park. What's your name?" The boy became still and was quiet for a moment, sitting further back into the chair.

"Jisang," came out almost like an accident, spilling out of his drawn inward lips. His brown eyes lost their harshness, becoming rounder, more glossy. Then all at once his face buckled, his breathing stopped momentarily and tears streamed…

I bit my bottom lip and pulled the boy into my arms as I slowly rocked him back and forth. “Everything is going to be all right,” I whispered softly.

…

JongIn held Eunjung’s hand while the girl walked around the lobby area. “Let’s go, Eunjung. Let’s go.”

The pair was in the hospital. He thought that it would be a good opportunity to visit his wife who was at work. Except that he had no idea where she was.

“Eunjung , is that you?” A perky voice broke him from his thoughts. “It is you!” Her voice screeched.

Soo Eun picked the toddler into her arms before she tickled the girl at her sides, earning her a gummy smile from the girl. “What are you guys doing here?” She bounced the girl in her arms.

His eyes widened at the question. His cheeks flushed a slight scarlet. “We’re visiting ----. Do you have any idea where she is?”

 “I see. ----‘s so lucky to have a husband like you. Chanyeol doesn’t even want to bring Chanyong here. He’s afraid that Chanyong will get infected with some disease.” Soo Eun rolled her eyes when she recalled what her husband said to her the other day. “I think I saw her in the park with a boy. Try to see if she’s there.”

“Oh, thanks!” JongIn beamed.

Soo Eun glanced at her watch and she muttered a curse under her breath. “Opps, I’ve got to go. I forgot that I have a meeting in five minutes.” She handed Eunjung over to JongIn. “Nice meeting you!” She yelled as she ran towards the lift.

Entering the indoor park, a slight breeze rustled the leaves making them fall to the solid ground one by one. The air was warm, the beams of sunlight glowing his skin. Flowers were vast, and they concealed the freshly cut green grass. The pathway was nothing more than dirt littered with random rocks. The children were playing and the patients talking among each other. There were more shades in the forest canopy than whiskers on a fox, and every one of them was green. Some were nascent, bright, yet still pale enough to glint from above. Others were the deepest green of mid-summer leaves. Between these two were every shade, every hue. Some had an undertone of blue, others yellow.

The sunbeams poured through narrow openings of the pale clouds as it outlined the fringes of the lazy drifting clouds. The calm relaxing shade of blue in the background supported the clouds and sun. The colourful swings grew wings as it merrily jumped up and down accompanied by little humans with smiles from ear to ear...

“There’s mom!” JongIn exclaimed as he pointed towards her direction.

Mom was sitting on a wooden bench with a boy beside her. Her hair was a lovely whisky, the colour of fallen leaves browned and sleek with the first rain of autumn. How such a tint could play with the light, like peering at the sun through a jar of pine honey. Each lock was individually illuminated by the sun's golden rays. The beams seemed to yearn for the touch of even one single strand, they seemed to ache for the privilege of caressing each and every string of hair, and they seemed to be stretching across the vast universe solely for that purpose. She was wearing a white lab coat which reached her knee caps. Apart from that, she had a stethoscope around her neck.  Despite all that, to JongIn she was still a beauty.

First, her nose grew very red at the tip; then, her small mouth screwed itself around by her left ear; gradually, her round face wrinkled till it resembled a withered crab apple; and finally, if one listened intently and watched closely, one could hear small sniffs and see two infinitesimal drops of water issue from the nearly closed and wrinkled eyes.

“Hey Eunjung, are you okay?” Her father idiotically blurted out.

She was clearly not okay.

Eunjung raised her hand and wiped the tears pouring from her eyes away from her cheeks. She slapped JongIn’s hand when he tried to brush her tears. As soon as she had cleared her tears away, a fresh torrent burst forth. Her body was wracked with great sobs and she shook like a leaf. JongIn pulled her to his chest where she stayed until her crying subsided.

He chuckled. “Mom’s strange? It’s not the mom you knew? Don’t cry,” He urged.

“Daddy!” She cried out and sniffed into his shoulder.

“It doesn’t look like mom?” JongIn questioned as he walked around to stop her crying.

“Mommy,” She managed to mumble out in between her sobs.

“You want mom?” He asked as he rubbed her back to soothe her.

 When she finally looked at him, her beautiful brown eyes were swollen and sore. “Oh, it’s a butterfly!”

 The brightly coloured blue butterflies were quite the sight to be seen. They flittered from vase-shaped flower to flower, pausing to drink the sweet nectar inside. Instantly, her sobbing ceased. She pointed to the butterfly curiously. Eunjung stared at it in awe.

“Look at mom over there. Look at mom.”

“Woo~” She cooed and kissed the air.

“Mom’s so cool,” JongIn praised his wife.

He placed Eunjung on the ground. Out of a sudden, Eunjung held out a hand as if she was checking someone’s heartbeat. “Eunjung, did mom do that with that oppa? Is that what mom did?”

The girl nodded her head and smiled. “There’s mom. There she is.”

“Mommy!” Eunjung yelled and dashed towards her mom, leaving JongIn. She was deliriously happy, giddy even.

She felt pumped, excited, more alive than she had ever thought possible. “You’re here!

I lifted her into my arms and showered her with kisses. Eunjung nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck. “Where’s dad?”

A familiar figure ended up beside me and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m here.” He panted, glancing over his daughter with a concerned look in his eyes.

“I think she loves you more than she loves me,” JongIn huffed and crossed his arms.

“Of course,” I replied with a grin and a peck on his lips.

“Hello there,” A raspy voice broke the moment. The old man had a fringe of grey-white hair around his balding, mottled scalp. He had a wizened face and a back slightly hunched. With each movement there was the creak of old bones. He was a shrivelled toothless creature, feeble and walked with a cane.  His twinkling eyes were framed by thick white eyebrows and on his chin were white whiskers. The map of wrinkles on his face told of the most incredible journey. His eye lines told of laughter, of warm smiles and affection. His forehead told of worries past and worries present. But mostly they were so deeply engrained they told or a man who had travelled through eight decades to that moment; to stand here as an old man, beaten and forlorn. “Is this your daughter, Doctor Park?” Eunjung tightened her hold on my neck.

“Good morning Mr Kwon,” I replied and bowed slightly. “You’re right, this is my daughter Eunjung.”

“She looks just like you, Doctor. And this gentleman beside you is your husband I assume?” He asked.

“My name is JongIn sir. Nice to meet you,” My husband said finally.

“Can I play with her?”  Mr Kwon asked, his arms, ready to receive Eunjung.

I glanced at JongIn beside me and I saw him nod his head slightly. “Sure! Eunjung, do you want to play with grandpa?” I chirped.

At the sound of the word ‘play’, Eunjung’s eyes lit up. She squirmed and fidgeted in my arms asking to be put down. After that she held Mr Kwon’s hand and walked towards the flowers.

Unexpectedly, his hand drifted to my hip. It settled there and pulled mecloser. I inhaled sharply. I was against his warm chest, chiselled to perfection. Must he be so perfect? I splayed my hand against it, intending to push him away, but instead I left it there. His breathing quickened as did mine. He began nuzzling my neck with delicate kisses. “I didn’t know that you were going to visit.”

My question went unanswered. JongIn pulled me to a bench and both of us sat down. “Surprise?” He said with a nervous grin.

“That’s really sweet of you.” I pinched his cheeks affectionately.

“I know. I’m the best husband,” He bragged and puffed out his chest. I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.

A comfortable silence filled the air. “I … “ JongIn began.

“Yes?”

“How do Iask this?” He said nervously.

“It’s okay, just ask me. I’ll try to answer honestly.” I rubbed his arms in an attempt to encourage him to spit out whatever question he had for me.

He swallowed and rubbed his hands together. “Whydidyoubecomeadoctor?” He blurted out all at once.

My eyebrows were furrowed. “Huh?”

“Why did you become a doctor?” JongIn said it slowly this time.

“That is the question?” I said looking appalled. “Why is it so hard for you to ask me?”

“I-Its not that…” He stuttered. My lips touched his cheek. “I was kidding,” I teased and laughed silently at the look he had on his face.

“I feel that making a positive difference in someone’s life is truly satisfying. That’s why I wanted to become a doctor. During my last year at high school, I volunteered at a hospital.  From the perspective of an older teenager, life in the hospital was a powerful experience.” I felt his fingers intertwined with mine.

I continued, “I spoke with children frustrated because they couldn’t go out to play, and with bedridden mothers worried about their families. There were patients longing for visitors; a senile old man who didn’t understand where he was; and senior citizens who knew very well where they were and for that reason were afraid. I was there to listen to them boast about their accomplishments and their families; to share their problems; and for a short time, to help them forget their worries. Sometimes I made them laugh but mostly I just listened. In these small ways, I helped them feel better. No matter how tired I was when I entered the hospital, I was always full of energy when I left.”

“I love many things about my job.  My practice includes all walks of life. Some of our patients are wealthy and some are poor. Some are only mildly ill and some are horribly sick. Some days I have a lot of fun, and some days I add more wrinkles and white hair.”

I cracked a small smile. “Every day with children and their families gives me something new to smile about. It feels great to help children and their families. It is fun meeting new people and to follow-up with patients I’ve known over many years. It is a humbling privilege to walk with families as they go through some extremely rough times.”

“My life is not perfect but by most of our world’s criteria, I am blessed. I have a lovely and loving family, my health, freedom, etc. I have a profession where I help children live healthier and happier lives. I enjoy learning new things and learning how to be a better doctor." I took in a deep breath and took my time letting it out again, as if piecing my words together as the air escaped my body. “My life is not perfect, but it is clear that I am a lucky person because I have you and Eunjung.”

As he leant forward my pulse raced. A small lock of hair tumbled in front of my face, resting just in front of my cheek, but with one swift slide of his thumb, it was brushed out of the way. Looking into his eyes I saw deep pools of brown that displayed his soul. His lips touched my cheek. Time stopped. My heart came to a halt. My breath caught in my throat. Our fingers locked together similar to puzzle pieces. As the soft skin of his mouth left the side of my face, the exact spot where they had come into contact burned and tingled. A hot blazing fire pulsed through me. A small grin crept onto my face and my cheeks painted they rose red. He pulled away silently, but our eyes locked, having a private conversation of their own.

“I love you,” JongIn whispered and pulled me into his arms. 

................................................................................................................................................

This turned out longer and expected XD

EXO won on Inkigayo! I'm so proud of them ^^ I love Kai's hair during their Music Core performance. His hair looks so smooth *squeals*

I really enjoyed Kai's interactions with his wife, that's why I decided to type this particular scenario out. Still I hope that you enjoyed it XD