SEUNGHYUN POV

“Hi!” I show her my brightest smile the moment she steps into her balcony.

She scrunches her brows upon seeing me, but her expression changes in less than a second. “Oppa! Oppa is living next to me! Omo is this really happening? I’m not dreaming, am I?” she covers with her hands, eyes widened. But her tone says it all, she’s mocking me.

I sigh, “Leena, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

She tilts her head to one side, clearly not buying what I just said, “Your label released the statement and you’re telling me you didn’t know about it? You know what, bite my ,” she walks into her room and slams the door shut behind her.

I’m so ed.

Craning my neck through the front gate, I try to take a peek at the house. Come on, come over to the window.

I flail my hands in the air when I spot a tiny figure near the window, dying to get his attention. No, no, don’t go away, come back.

Few seconds later, someone opens the front door and the face I’ve been longing for pops out from behind the door. “Uncle Superman? Is that you?” “Hey! Buddy! Yes, yes, it’s me!” I say with a lowered voice, putting my index finger over my mouth, “Shh, let me in.”

He disappears from the door and the gate slides open one moment later.

“Good job, buddy,” I ruffle his hair with a contented smile. At least I’ve an ally here. “Where’s mommy?” “Upstairs in her study,” he points his finger up, a curious look on his face.

I crouch before him, hand still brushing his frizzy hair gently, “Uncle has done something wrong and mommy’s angry with me, so I’ve to say sorry. Uncle will come and play with you later, okay?” He nods.

When I step on the first stair, he calls out, “Uncle Superman!” I turn over my shoulder, “Do this,” he pouts, lips protruding in such a cute way, plus a pair of glistening innocent puppy eyes, “Whenever mommy’s mad at me, she’ll smile when I do this, and she’s not mad anymore.”

“Komawo, my buddy,” I smile and climb the stairs, shaking my head in disapproval. That might be useful for a kid like him, but I’m a grown-up man, she’ll probably give me a slap if I ever do this.

“Knock knock,” I say as I push the ajar door wide open and step in. She lifts her head from the papers and adjusts her glasses, “How did you get in?” she stands up and walks toward the door where I’m standing at, “I told him to never let strangers in.”

I grab her wrist when she walks past me, my heart cringes at her words, “So I’m a stranger now?” She stays in silence, doesn’t even turn to look at me.

I put my hands on her shoulder and turn her around to look at me, “Please, just hear me out for a second.”

“Fine,” she takes a step back to break free from my hold, glaring at me, “Explain, then get out of my house.”

“I was in Texas when the news broke out, hell I was riding horses, posing in front of the camera wearing that stupid cowboy hat, nobody told me anything about the news, I didn’t contact anyone in Korea,” I bend slightly to look at her eyes, but she turns her head away. A sigh slips out of my mouth, “I had no idea Sajangnim would release a statement like that, I would have stopped him.”

“You being in Texas doesn’t mean you didn’t know about the news, and the statement,” she emphasizes on STATEMENT, “Don’t you have SNS? The news went viral.”

“SNS?”

She sends me a sceptical look, “Facebook? Instagram? Twitter? You don’t have these?” I shake my head weakly, cursing myself for not having one of these. If I have at least one of these, I would have known.

She looks at me, brows furrowed, clearly not believing my words. I spread my arms helplessly, “I don’t use SNS. If you ever paid attention to Big Bang…”

I stop halfway, she’s not into us, she doesn’t even know a song of Big Bang! I’m not being cocky here, but who in Korea wouldn’t know at least a song of us?

“Forget it. I explained everything to Sajangnim, he had put down the statement.” “Explained” is a gentle term used to replace I-burst-through-the-door-and-threw-a-tantrum”, but she doesn’t need to know the details.

Once I got off the plane this evening, I got a call from maknae. “Hyung, the girl in the news is our fan? How can you not tell me when we met at the café? She must think I’m rude!” When I was about to shout at the phone that he should just go himself and stop drunkcalling me, the words came through the other end hit me like a hammer, “She’s living next to you? Hyung, I’m your maknae, and I need to know that from YG’s official statement?  By the way, can I come by tonight? You know, fan service. We can have dinner with her and the boy!”

I went straight to his apartment, practically strangled him with my hands while shouting “Maknae, you’d better tell me everything if you still want your !” right into his ears.

I didn’t know how the paparazzi got that photo. I thought I’ve lost their attention and… I was abroad! How did they manage to get a photo of me and her having breakfast together in New York?

When I was having my photoshoot in Texas, the photo was all over the news. What surprised me the most was the action taken by my label. YG released an official statement, explaining T.O.P and the girl in the photo were merely neighbours who coincidently staying in the same hotel in New York. It’s not only on the news but on YG official website! Sajangnim usually didn’t respond to this kind of news. “No solid proof, it’s just a hype,” he used to say to us.

I threw his sentence right into his face when I confronted him after leaving Seungri with his intact. “You’ve been away for two years, I need to make sure you get your fans back, the scandal will push even more of them away,” Sajangnim said calmly, as if everything’s under control. Well, maybe the news is, but I’m not!

“Put the statement down or I’m the one you push away” was the last thing I said to him before I slammed the door behind me.

“Explained?” her soft voice penetrates my thought, bringing me back to the reality.

“Explained,” I repeat, before I send her a smirk, “Well, I might have threatened him a little.”

She chuckles upon the sentence. The burden on my heart seems to vanish when her chuckles ring in my ears. But she composes herself almost immediately, the smile on her face disappears. The burden sinks right back on my heart.

“Whenever mommy’s mad at me, she’ll smile when I do this, and she’s not mad anymore.” Clarence’s words echo in my ears. Should I do it?

Aishh, it.

“So…” I bend down so that our eyes are at the same level, “Am I forgiven?” I pout, looking at her with the most adorable puppy eyes I can pull out.

She looks at me with her sparkling eyes, then wrinkles her brow and cross her arms over her chest, “Do you think that can get you out of this?”

I keep my pouty lips and puppy eyes on my face, “I’m trying.”

She looks at me in silence, then gives in, “Fine, you win,” an amused smile on her face.

I keep my promise to my ally. Now I’m a dinosaur or some kind of monster who had just destroyed the city, and Superman is piercing me through with his laser eyes. I fall down on my back, growling and roaring. Superman straddles over me and grab me by my shoulder while I beg for mercy.

“Clarence, you’re hurting your uncle,” she walks into the living room with a carton of ice-cream in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other.

I lift Clarence from my chest, sitting up, “It’s okay, we had fun, right buddy?” I gently pinch his nose, he nods in excitement.

“This is for the small kid,” she hands the plate of cookies to Clarence, “And this is for the big kid,” she hands me the carton, smiling.

“Mommy, can I have that too?” Clarence asks, pointing to the carton in my hand. “No, you can’t have ice-cream in the night, remember?” He nods in disappointment.

“Uncle will treat you to banana split next time,” I whisper into his ear. He breaks into an ear-to-ear smile. I shrug when his mommy looks at me questioningly, “Men’s secret.”

LEENA POV

Clarence went to bed after his snack time. He kissed us on the cheeks before waving goodnight.

We decided my front yard would make a better place for our midnight talk. The night is quiet, except for the occasional chirping of crickets. We lay comfortably in the wooden lounge chairs, leisurely sipping wine.

Chilly breeze blows on my face, causing few strands of hair to fall over my eyes. Tucking them behind my ear softly, I breathe in the scent of autumn, “It’s autumn, summer is gone.”

Autumn has never been my favourite season. It reminds me of separation. Although it’s just early autumn, the smell in the air has changed and soon the leaves would turn yellow, they would pile up on the ground, being blown by the cruel autumnal air to the unknown destination with their infinitesimal resistance. Autumn bears the same meaning as melancholy.

My expression must have sold me out, he’s now sitting up, putting the glass on the small table in between us, looking at me with concerned eyes. I flash him a weak smile, slightly surprised that the autumn seems less unbearable with him beside me, “I miss summer, that’s all.”

“I’m going to Australia next week, Queensland.” Ah, right, the photoshoot.

“It’s still warm there, unlike here.”

The smirk on his face sparks my curiosity. What’s he up to? I study his face, but nothing comes to mind.

“Come with me, you and Clarence.”

I look at him in disbelief. He can’t be serious. After what had happened, the last thing he should do is asking me to go oversea with him. Who knows what kind of “official statement” his Sajangnim will release if someone ever finds out I’m there with his precious money tree.

“So your Sajangnim can tell the press that I’m a crazy fan who follows you all the way to Australia? Come on…” I lay back, crossing arms over my chest.

Still sitting in the lounge chair, he shifts his legs to the ground, “I’ve done a mistake, it wasn’t my intention, but a mistake is a mistake, let me make it up to you.”

A mistake? He’s saying the photo of us on the news is his mistake?

Frowning, I look deep into his eyes to make sure my words get into his funny little brain, “Look, I was mad at you, but I’m not anymore, okay? It wasn’t a big deal, now that I think of it, I didn’t know why would I make such a huge fuss about it,” he is looking at me intently, “What I’m trying to say is, you don’t have to do this.”  

We stare at each other. I can hear the motor running in his brain. “Don’t take it as an apology gift. It’s an offer.”

“An offer?” I arch a brow and he answers with a nod, before standing up, flailing his hands in the air, “I was dead bored in the states, nobody talked to me, I had to talk to the bearbrick I brought with me.”

Oh my god he does that again! Can’t he just keep his lips in place? And his puppy eyes!

I shift my eyes away. I’m not letting him has his way with me, again.

He walks towards me and crouch before my chair, “It’s still summer there, I’m sure Clarence will like it.”

Clarence. He knows my soft spot and he just hit the bull’s eye.

While I contemplate his offer, he throws in another leverage, “Everything’s on me, I’ll get hotel and transportation arranged, you just need to pack your luggage.”

I look at the man in front of me, he’s looking back at me affectionately, waiting for my answer. A feeling I hadn’t felt in a while sweeps over me. I feel loved.

SEUNGHYUN POV

I frown upon the ringing door bell. I can imagine maknae outside the gate, I don’t even have to check the monitor, who else would bother me at the most inappropriate time if not him? It’s my last day off before departing to Australia, he’d better have a strong reason or I’d snap his neck. Flinging the door open, I shout at the top of my voice so he could hear me from the gate, “Yah maknae, wanna d…”

The words get stuck in my throat the moment I see the person standing by the gate. It’s definitely not Seungri. It’s her.

Hurriedly, I trot towards her after pressing the button to open the gate.

She squirms in her spot, “Emm… Do you have time today?”

Is she asking me out?

Flowers blooms all over my heart. Sorry eomma, I can’t join you today, but soon I’ll be bringing one more person with me, your daughter-in-law.

“Can you look after Clarence for one day?” she asks gingerly.

I just stand there, frozen. Not getting answer from me, she shifts her weight in uneasiness, “I know it’s weekend but there’s an urgent matter at the company and his nanny’s on vacation. I’ve tried Hyori-eonni but she isn’t answering my call and nobody’s in her house, I…”

A smile escapes my mouth as she starts gibbering. “Okay.”

She looks surprised, “Sorry?”

“I said ‘okay’. I’m going to visit eomma, I can bring him with me.”

“Are you sure? It’s fine if…” the ringing phone cuts her sentence short. She takes it out from the pocket of her coat, jumping up when she sees the caller’s ID, “Oh no I gotta go,” stuffing the phone back into the packet, “Clarence’s having breakfast right now, I left the key with him,” she turns over her shoulder as she runs to the gate, “Just make sure everything is off and doors are locked before you leave. Thanks Seunghyun-ssi, I owe you one!”

 “Whoa, who’s this?” my mom asks as I step into the house, holding Clarence’s little hand in mine.

“My son.” I answer nonchalantly. It’s a joke, but I’m really curious about my mom’s reaction, in case the joke becomes truth one day.

“That’s not funny, son,” her solemn face says it all. I could feel a huge boulder falls on my heart but I force a laughter, “This is Clarence, I’m babysitting him for my friend.”

She looks at him, from head to toe, “He’s not Korean?” Clarence gives her the answer by bowing 90 degrees with both hands on his tummy, “Annyeonghasaeyo Halmoni, Clarence-imnida.”

Despite she’s my mother, her face is precious when Clarence extends his greeting in Korean, and Clarence smiles widely at her.

Judging from the stare I get from my mom, I know she demands explanation to be made. “Come on buddy, let’s go watch telly,” I lead Clarence to the living room after sending my mom an I-will-tell-you-later wink.

I find her in the kitchen, peeking over her shoulder, I grin like a child upon seeing what she’s cooking---Gamjatang, another favourite of mine.

“Your friend is a…” she frowns, trying to find a suitable word, “African?”

I crease my brow. African?

“Aniyo, eomma. She’s a Korean, just like us.”

“Then why is her son black?” she retaliates.

“He’s not black, eomma. Yes he’s special, but...” given the unambiguous condition I’m putting myself in, there is no way I can give an explanation she desires, thus I choose to brush it off, “I don’t know, eomma, maybe she adopted him, I didn’t ask, it’s personal.”

She seems to be convinced by my improvisation, she nods in understanding, and cranes her head, trying to look at Clarence over the living room, “Anyway, the boy’s cute.”

My face lights up. Maybe it’s not definite impossible for eomma to accept him after all.

But she swerves the conversation abruptly, catching me off guard, “It’s about time for you to get a son too, Seunghyun-ah.”

I whine, “Eomma….”

Stirring the stew, she doesn’t lift her eyes to me, “Eomma never pushed you before because I knew you’ve your dreams. But you’re already 32 and you’ve achieved what you dreamed for, don’t you think it’s time to settle down, to build a family?”

I try to retort but nothing comes out from my mouth. She’s correct. To be honest, I’ve had the same thought and seeing how Leena interacts with Clarence makes me want to put the thought into action.

Noticing my silence, she puts the ladle aside and covers the pot before turns to look at me, “You met someone?”

Never underestimate the instinct of a woman.

I decide to come clean, “Maybe…”

“With the boy’s mom?”

I correct, never underestimate the power of a woman’s intuition.

I stammer as uneasiness churns in my stomach, “We’re not… Not yet… I didn’t…”

Eomma puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes gently, “It’s okay, I believe in you, and that means I believe in the person you choose.” I relax upon her words.

“What do her parents do?” throwing another bomb at me, she walks over to the fridge to claim more ingredients for the meal later.

Whose parents?

“Eomma! We just knew each other for like…months! We’re not what you think!” She responds to my denial with a hearty smile, “Is that so?”

“We are on our way to the hospital,” stepping harder on the gas pedal, I look at Clarence through the rearview mirror, his head is laid on eomma’s lap, she tilts his head back and pinches his nose to stop the bleeding. My heart threatens to jump out of my chest as I see the red splotches on his white t-shirt.

“I’m on my way” is what I heard before she hangs up, but the fright in her voice rings right into my ear.

Laying my back against the wall outside the emergency room, I pull my hair in frustration. Why the did you give him ice-cream?

Merely an hour ago, Clarence’s playing rubik’s rube on my lap after savouring ice-cream as our dessert. I heard water dropping when I patted his head, complimenting how fast he picked up the skill to solve the cube. I saw a drop of red liquid fell on the white colour square, then more drops on his little hands.

I tossed the cube aside, spun him around to take a good look at him, panicked. Blood was dripping down his nose, soaking his shirt red. Using the sleeve of my shirt, I quickly wiped the blood from his nose.

“Eomma!”

I lifted the pale kid into my arms, grabbed the car key from the bowl by the front door and rushed to the car, eomma followed right behind me. I can feel my hands trembling.

“Mom…me,” he breathed feebly into my shirt. “What?” I opened the door to passenger seat, laid him down on eomma’s lap as soon as she came in from the other side. His tiny fist clutched at my shirt, not letting me go. I hovered over him.

“Mommy, call her,” now I heard it right. Damn, I don’t even have her number!

“I… I don’t have….” I stuttered in fright.

He flashed a weak smile through his bloodless lips, “Calm down Uncle Superman, I remember mommy’s number.”

Clicking of high heels coming down the hallway pulls me back from my guilty reminiscence.

“Where’s… he? Is…he…alright?” she stops beside me, gasping for air between words.

The door to emergency room slides open and a doctor walks out through it.

“Who’s the family of Clarence Lee?” the doctor’s gaze darts back and forth among us. Leena steps forward, “I’m his mother, is my son alright?”

The middle-aged man sends her an assuring smile, “Mad’m, you’ve a tough guy in there. He’s alright, even playing with the nurse. The nosebleed’s stopped…” Leena cuts him off, “He has asthma, is it the asthma?” I can see how nervous she’s from her grips on her handbag.

“He told me about the asthma. But I don’t think it’s the trigger. Nosebleed is common among children since they’re more sensitive to the surrounding, changing of the weather could be the cause. I suggest an overnight stay for observation, if nothing comes out wrong he can leave tomorrow.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Leena stumbles to lean against the wall, heaving a sigh in relief.

Eomma went to grab something for us since it’d be a long night. Leena slides the door open deliberately lest it’ll wake the sleeping angel up. I enter the room after her, closing the door behind me.

She sits on the edge of the bed, hand caresses his face in tenderness. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know about the asthma. I… I gave him ice-cream…” my words trails off as guilt crawls through me.

Her eyes never leave the sleeping kid, hand tenderly brushes the hair over his eyes aside, “It’s okay, he’s alright, that’s all that matters.”

NO ONE POV

“Are you sure you want to do this?” the man asks when a blood soaked shirt is handed to him.

“I’ve got no choice, hyung. I need answers.”

“If it’s positive, you’ll be doomed!”

The younger man rests his head on his fist and stares out the window.

The man beside him sighs upon the silent answer, “Alright, it’s your choice,” he gets out of the car and jumps into another car parked down the street, leaving the younger man in his deep thought.

Gamjatang = Potato stew