~5 months later~

Take responsibility. Don't try to deny this life which growing in my body. I want you to take responsibility!"

~30 minutes earlier~

The doorbell rang. Who could have possibly rang the door bell this early in the morning. Daniel took a glance at his watch, it was only 6:35 am in the morning. It couldn't be Seongwoo because he knew his passcode, normally the guy would just barge into his place. One more thing, they just went back from their morning jogging session together just now.

He opened the door when the bell won't stop ringing. Who dared played with his doorbell. He opened the door just to be greeted with his parents' faces.

"Mom, dad, come on in. Why did you bother ringing the bell? I told you my passcode combinations didn't I. Don't tell me you guys forgot it already."

Daniel sighed thinking about how clumsy his parents were.

"No, no. We remembered it actually. We were just giving you some privacy and time. Who knows... you might have a girlfriend to hide."

His mother was being sarcastic, of course. And Daniel knew the main reason why they came this early to his house in the morning now. It was all because of yesterday's event. He was at fault but he didn't feel guilty at all, instead, he was relieved.

"Mom~ I'm sorry but I really couldn't do it this time."

"Do you know how hard it is for me to arrange the blind date for you? Daniel, you're already 28 years old. Next year you will turn 29."

His mother did all the talking whilst his father didn't said anything. He was more interested in going to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for his wife and son. He knew they came way too early, he was sure his son hadn't had his breakfast yet either.

Daniel didn't said anything which opened another chance for his mother to continue her speech.

"Don't you want to have your own children? Just imagine a few mini Daniels running around the house. Well maybe you don't want them but I do. This lonely old woman needs grandchildren."

Daniel just pressed his lips together, he didn't intend to hurt her mother's feeling but he just couldn't help it. He already did some background check on the woman that he was supposed to meet yesterday. The most surprising thing was she already had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who was in a six years relationship with her on top of that.

"How is your work at school? Everything is okay right?"

His father interupted from the kitchen before things get too intense in between the mother and son. Daniel worked as a teacher. He was the kids favourite teacher.

Kang Daniel worked as a primary school teacher. He specified in Science subject but he also teached English in his free times. That was the main reason why the kids liked him, not only the patience he had when teaching them but he also spared his recess time if they need him. He also won the Best Teacher Award for three consecutives years because of his kindness.

"School is the same, as always. Nothing interesting."

His mother attacked him with another question, seeing there were chances.

"Isn't there anyone who caught your attention at school? It would also be easy for you if both of you are teachers."

Daniel just held his mother hand while shaking his head after giggling. He had that habit of giggling or laughing whenever he was confused, nervous, shy or didn't know what to say. He can sense that his mother was not joking this time, she really wanted him to get married as soon as possible. Eventhough it was too early for him, as a filial son he will do it her.

He held his pinky finger out right in front of her and made a promise to her.

"I will marry the next girl that you want me too. I promise mom."

She smiled for the first time for today when she heard him.

"You better keep your promise. Or do you want to serve your supposed-to-be-master? It's never too late to go back to him or her.."

But before his mother could finish her sentences he cut her.

"Me? Tending a human being? Maybe in my next life."

He said that jokingly because he knew his mother was a human herself. He himself was also half human. Serving a human as his master was way too much for him to accept, but he would gladly accept whoever it might be as his friend though.

"Breakfast is ready. My dear, Daniel's mom, my son. Come here let us eat now. The food will not taste good if it's cold."

He made scrambled eggs and fried rice for the three of them.

"And here is some treat for Peter and Rooney~"

He also fried some fish for the two cats. Fried fish was their favourite food. He knew about it when he turned into his cat form and talked to them last year. Daniel had a form of a Siberian cat coated with long black fur while his father had a form of a Munchkin cat with grey fur. They are blood related but they can't choose the type of cats of their form.

Daniel and his mother were about to walk to the kitchen when someone rang his bell again. This time, the person behind the door was not as patient as his parents since the person even banged the door.

'Who is it this time.'

He shouted inwardly before he opened the door and a girl appeared right in front of him. She might wore a decent cloth, an ugly bracelet and put on a big round glasses. A whole different look but Daniel still recognised her. It was the girl from five months ago, the girl whom he had forgotten what her name was.

"Take responsibility. Don't try to deny this life which is growing in my body."

Daniel was speechless as he finally noticed how the woman right in front of him had a bump on her abdomen. The woman was actually shaking out of fear, but when Daniel didn't respond to her, she started to shout. Her loud voice caused some commotion and his mother came to see what was happening.

"I want you to take responsibility!"

Daniel's mother looked at her with an unexplainable expression. She was clearly judging her, but she changed her mind immediately about the girl.

"Come in dear, let's talk inside. It's not nice for you to scream here as it might interupt the neighbours."

Daniel didn't said anything. What he feared for the most was finally happening. But he had a doubt for a second. He was not the only man in the world. It could be anybody's child. Maybe she was deceiving him. But after all of the suspicions that he had, he couldn't let even a word out from his mouth.

"Tell me Daniel, do you know her?"

His mother asked him while holding hands with his father, tightly.

"I.. I do."

He didn't dared to look back into her eyes.

"What does she do? What is her name?"

"I... I don't know her that well, her name is..."

He tried his best to remember it, but nothing came into his mind.

"You don't even remember her name and you dared having your seeds in someone's precious daughter?!"

His mother was about to slap him but his father calmed her down.

"It was just a one night stand and someone drugged us!"

He tried to protect himself, but his mother seemed like she didn't believes in him.

"I never said this, but you dissapointed me Daniel.."

Now she diverted her attention to the girl.

"What is your name? How old are you my child? And what does your parent do?"

She held the younger woman hands' as the woman was sitting right in front of her.

"I'm...Ji Mihae, 25 years old and... I don't have any parent or relatives in this world..."

Without any other question, Daniel's mother hugged her tightly. The child did the right thing by coming today. She herself will make Daniel be responsible for what he did or maybe didn't.

"Is that my grandchild?"

She had tears in her eyes when she touched Mihae's baby bump. Mihae nodded but she didn't answered because she felt lightheaded all of a sudden.

"Excuse me but can I use the toilet?"

She tried her best to surpress her vomit from coming out. Daniel led her the way eventhough he didn't fully trusted her yet.

 

~

 

From Mihae to Ahae : [Ahae, I don't think I can do this anymore.]

Mihae's hands were shaking when she send the text messages. She did vomitted, but she might feel dizzy again if she don't talk to Ahae immediately

From Ahae to Mihae : [What are you talking about? You just arrived there!]

From Mihae to Ahae : [But still, it's not nice to deceive him. His parents are also here they're too nice to me I feel guilty now.. And I never shouted at anyone my whole life. Look at what you just make me did.]

From Ahae to Mihae : [You feel guilty for deceiving him but you don't feel guilty for lying to our parents about your study? I was the one who supported you and your child for the last five months. Just do as I say. That's because you're too nice. Try to be more harsh from now on.]

From Mihae to Ahae : [None of this will happen if you just let me abort this thing!]

From Ahae to Mihae : [You can abort that child but you have to tell me first who is the father!]

Mihae took about five minutes to reply when her twin sister mentioned about the father. Her breath turns heavy because of anger but she cooled down fast as she remembered she's now in someone else's house, Daniel's house.

From Mihae to Ahae : [I'll do as you say... but why him?]

From Ahae to Mihae : [Because he's nice. I can trust my little sister with him.]

From Mihae to Ahae : [Fine! Fineeeeee! I have to go now bye!]

'What a lame reason, there must be something that I didn't know. Why else would she ask me to go live with an unknown guy.'

Mihae took in a deep breath before stepping out from the bathroom. She had no way out now. It's now or never.

 

~

 

"Marry her."

His mother's command was short and clear.

"But mom! You just met her, what if she was lying to us?"

"Did you forgot about your promise earlier? If you still want to see me smile then marry her."

"He's right, do you really have to do this?"

His father finally talked.

"If you two are that suspicious of her than do the dna test when the baby is out. You can do whatever you want if the baby turns out not to be yours later. It won't be long, trust me four months is a short period of time." 

His mother was sticking to her own decision.

"I'm the one who have to live with her. How could you say it like that, it sure won't be long for you but for me...."

"If you don't want to then I'll take her home with me. I'll be the one who will take care of her and her child. Happy now?"

Daniel finally gave in. How could he trouble his mother from the mess that he created himself. And there are 50% of possibility that the child might really be his.

"Alright. I'm sorry I will marry her."

He massaged his own head, he will deal with the woman later. Mihae arrived at to the living room when Daniel said he would marry her. She bowed down to the ground with tears in her eyes just to thank him.  Everything was going like how her sister planned.

 

~

 

Seongwoo visited Daniel that evening, he knows how to knock now since Daniel was not alone in that house anymore. A week had passed but he still couldn't believe his eyes that his friend was married already.

They only registered their marriage without having any wedding reception. Not even a small one. But by the law they were already tied to each other.

Daniel didn't feel anything much, the only thing that changed for him was he will be living with a stranger from the moment they registered it. But his mother's smile was priceless. He was clueless for why did his mother liked that woman who came out of nowhere. Maybe her grandmotherly instinct told her that it was really his child? That was the only reason that he could think of.

It didn't took them long to move her belongings to his house since she only bought one large luggage with her. Daniel saw how shabby the house she rented looks like, he would feel guilty to let his child live with a single parent there if it turns out that the child really belonged to him.

"Hey, does she know about your secret?"

Seongwoo asked out of curiosity.

"What secret? Which secret? Man you know I share my every secrets with you, be more specific."

Daniel laughed. Eventhough other people might not find it funny but he did. Maybe because Seongwoo was his bestfriend.

"The secret about how you're not fully a human. A half cat and a half man."

As Seongwoo asked Daniel the question, they can hear Mihae's scream from her room.

"Peter! Don't get near me! Don't you dare!"

Daniel heaved a sigh of tiredness when he heard her.

"As you can see or hear, she hates cats. My girls liked her but she hated them, I don't know if I can cope by living with someone like that."

He said as he remembered exactly how she blew flying kisses at his cats five months ago but on her first day living here she was crying alone at the living room in the middle of the night just because Peter and Rooney climbed up her bed. That room used to be their room before Daniel told her to stay in that room, so it was understandable why the room have flap door. He did think of removing the flap door for the new owner's comfort, but after seeing how she disliked cats, Daniel changed his mind.

Daniel's apartment consisted of three rooms. One was his, the other one was his cats', now it's Mihae's, and one more was a room that he used to store things. He might need to tidy that room up for his little girls, Peter and Rooney.

"And I have no reason to tell her, it's not like we were long lost friend to begin with."

Daniel continued.

"Maybe the two of you were long lost soulmate. See how you were entangled with her at the party, and now you're married to each other!"

Seongwoo tried to cheer Daniel up but his face was as gloomy as ever, not like the laughing machine he used to be, so he went back into a serious mode.

"Try to get to know her Dan, who know you might grow fond of her."

Daniel forced a smile, with a very soft voice that not everyone could listen to, he said he will.

"Wait a minute, tell me the reason why you came here for."

"Do I have to have a reason just to come here now... my friend changed after he got himself a wife..."

Seongwoo pretended to sulk.

"Are you being serious here Ong?"

Daniel sighed for the nth times for today. But then again Seongwoo grinned and excitedly told Daniel what he saw today.

"There was this one dog that came to the clinic today, a Samoyed breed. God it reminded me of you!"

Daniel went speechless, this one friend of his was really unbelievable sometimes.

"Get out! I don't want to see your face anymore!"

Daniel pretended to kick him, but both of them know how he was just kidding around. Seongwoo or Dr. Ong Seongwoo might seems like the guy who tend to cause trouble, highly sociable and looks like he had no work to do, but actually, he was a doctor. A veterinary physician who owned his own animal clinic.

"Alright, alright! I'll get out of here after I tell you this. That woman, I don't think Jisoo introduced her as Mihae to us. It's either Mahae, Myehae.... or Ahae....."

Luckily Mihae heard that since she went to the living room to get her book.

"It's Ahae, my nickname."

She almost made the two guys jumped from their seat. That was a close call, luckily she didn't get caught.

 

~

 

Daniel tried to take Seongwoo's advice seriously by trying to talk to her. By dinnertime, he took the opportunity to talk, they had been living together for a week but he know nothing about her.

"Mihae, do you worked anywhere before? How about school?"

Mihae sipped in her glass of milk before answering him.

"I'm currently pursuing my master's degree but now I'm leaping a year because of the baby."

She told him the truth, Daniel didn't look at her when she was talking because he was busy with his food. As he lifted his head up, he almost choked because of the view right in front of him. Mihae rushed to give him a glass of water, he took it and wiped the little tears that formed at the end of his eyes. After wiping his eyes, his thumb swiftly moved to Mihae's philtrum. Gently, he wiped of the thing that was on her upper lip.

"You got yourself a moustache from the milk foam."

They were very close to each other at the moment, it turned awkward especially after what Daniel did. Mihae excused herself and returned to her seat.

"I'll find a part time job if you don't want a bummer in this house.."

She did feel guilty about freeboarding at Daniel's house, maybe it's time for her to find some income herself. The only money that she had was from her sister and parents. Yes her parents, they thought she was still studying overseas. They had no idea that she was currently breathing the same air as them in the same country and how she took a break from college after the problem that she caused.

"No, you don't have to. Just study and take care of the house while I'm working."

He noticed how she was crazy about reading and studying.

"You can work after the baby is born... Or continue your studies."

He added. Even when he entrusted his house with her, he still didn't believed in her 100%. He was still suspicious, there was something eerie about that woman for him. Working. Mihae had no idea about what her husband's work was. She wanted to ask him but then she reminded herself to not mind other people's business. In addition, she thought Daniel might find her annoying if she put her nose in his business.

 

~

 

"Dear, do you really have to do this? Our son just got married with a stranger and now you said we can't visit them for a month?"

Daniel's father was worried, he had no idea of what was going on in his wife's head.

"You really have no idea about what is going on don't you?"

Daniel's mother shook her head in disbelief.

"What if she was lying about her child?"

Daniel's father stated his worry.

"Trust me, even if she was lying to us, she is still the best wife for Daniel. From her eyes, I already knew it that she is a pure child. You will see later how compatible they are with each other. Just trust my motherly instinct!"

 

 

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