Chapter 3: Eomma?

You are having quiet day as Haneul go to school and Aeri go to kindergarten. All the members were taking flight to Singapore for their music show. 

You plugged in your phone to the portable speaker and songs echoed across the house. You just chuckled.

"You can only play my Appa's songs!"

Aeri said only Appa songs are allowed in in this house. She's really a number 1 fan. 

You hummed along with 'Butterfly' and doing all the chores all morning. It's been 4 months you live here. This is definitely the best job. You become a caretaker for Aeri and Haneul. The pay is good and their fathers are quite nice.

You sighed when you thought about your life. Being orphaned at 10 years old is not easy. Nobody wants you. Everyone keep saying that you are the burden to their family. You skipped school a lot due to stress. You lived with many foster parents and it wasn't a cherry on top memories too. You even had scars to prove it. 

Until one day, the Kim's family took you in. There were only Mr and Mrs Kim. They were old childless couple. People said nobody want rebellious teenager like me. They proved others were wrong. You did live happily with them even though they were not rich. Until one day, both of them died in car crash while you were taking your big examination. 

Long story short, here you are, stuck with two adorable kids and 7 dorkiest fathers.

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You walked Aeri home from the kindergarten. While both of you walked hand in hand, she start talking about her day at school. About her friends, how they played and her teachers taught them a new song today. She teaches you how to sing it and both of you laugh together. 

But your laugh died when Aeri call you "Eomma."

You turned to her. Trying to hear it once again. She smiled at you, "Can you be my Eomma?"

You're panicked! Where did she get this crazy idea. You calmed your breath, "Aeri-ah, Why do you want to call me Eomma?"

"My teacher said the happy family start with father and mother. I have Appa but I don't have Eomma. Can Unnie be my Eomma?"

She looked at you with her shining eyes. You chocked on your words. 

"Do..do you want ice cream? Let's go buy some for you and Oppa," you tried to distract her. She just smiling and nodded her head. You hope she will forget about this 'Eomma' thing forever.

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You awoke from your sleep and reached out to your phone. It show 7.00 a.m. 

You get up from the bed and stretch yourself. Tidying your bed and hair then go to bathroom for quick shower. Since today is Saturday, you let the kids sleep in.

Last night they were FaceTime with their fathers until Aeri fall asleep in Haneul's bed. 

Sometimes the members called early in the morning or late at night, according to their schedule.

During school night, you won't let the kids stayed up late. So you will held the phone for their fathers so they can see the kids sleeping. 

You were startled when your phone rang and quickly slide the answer button. 

"Hi y/n." Jungkook's face appeared on the screen. He looked quite tired,  leaning his back against the headboard.

"Hi Jungkook. Where are the others?"

"Sleeping. I can't sleep from last night," he whines to you.

"You know it's still early in Singapore right?"

He nodded his head. 

"Yeah! It's 6.15 around here. I miss home," he whines again. You just chuckled at him. He looked a lot like Haneul when he behaved like that.

"Yah! Go to sleep. I have a lot of works to do."

"Where are the kids? Are they awake."

"Nope. They sleep late last night thanks to you guys," you snickered at him.

He just laughed. "We just finished recording our music show and we miss them. Hey y/n, let me see the kids."

"They miss you guys too." You walked to Haneul's room and hold the camera to Haneul. Jungkook looked smitten when he saw Haneul is in deep sleep wearing the Iron Man socks that he bought him.

"He looked like you while sleeping," you let out soft chuckled. 

Jungkook just grinned. You went to Aeri's room and she was sleeping with her pink jumper. You pulled the blanket and cover her properly. She scrunched her nose when your hand patted her back.

"Awww! She looks cute. Is that the jumper that Jin Hyung buy?" Jungkook stuck out his neck to see properly. 

You shook your head. "Nope. It's the one that Namjoon bought." 
This girl has so many pink outfits thanks to her Jinnie-Appa and Joonie-Appa.

You closed her bedroom's door and walked to kitchen.

"I'm going to make breakfast. These kids are big eater like you guys, you know that."

Jungkook let out high-pitched laugh. 

"Yah y/n, don't turn off the call. I'm lonely and can't sleep. Talk with me." He shift his body into sleeping position. 

You sighed and put the phone on the stand in the kitchen and start your work. Jungkook start to talk about their hectic schedule, how Yoongi sleep right away after they touch down in Singapore, how Hoseok become 'J-Hoe' during their interview, how Namjoon nearly break down a 5000 dollars antique vase, how Jin was blowing kiss to all hotel staff, how Taehyung playing games for hours and Jimin keeps on bothering him about 'you like to copy Hyung right'.

You laughed every time he imitated the other members. 

"You guys didn't have schedule for today?"

"We did. On the afternoon. We free all morning."

He asked you about the kids and you told him every single things that they do. Except for the 'Eomma' part of course, which you relieved when Aeri never brought it up again.

While you are busy chopping the celery and talking about the kids, you noticed that the other side was so quiet. You looked at the screen and saw Jungkook was sleeping with his mouth open. He smacked his lips when you smile and off the call.

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Aeri rubbing her eyes while adjusting the brightness around her room. She kicked her blanket and went down from the bed, dragging along her plushie.

She yawned while walking down the stairs. She walked towards the kitchen when she hears you cooking breakfast.

You turned around when you feel someone hugging your hip.

"Eomma."

Aeri rested her head against your side thigh. 

"I'm hungry," she yawned.

You looked at her with disbelief. You thought this thing have gone for good. You turned off the stove and kneel down to her. You breathe out a breath. Long one.

Aeri cannot say this ridiculous thing in front of her fathers. This is definitely a no-no!

She looked at your flustered face. You balled your fist in the air.

"Aeri-ah, I'm Unnie. Not Eomma."

"You are my Eomma."

"No! I'm Unnie!"

"Eomma!"

She stomped her little feet on kitchen floor. 

You let out a sigh and hissed at her attitude. Here we go again. You mumbled.

She run upstairs and you just let her go.

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Your dinner is in quiet mode. This is the first quiet and peaceful dinner you ever had since you be with the kids. 

Haneul is busy eating his chicken while Aeri chewing her stir-fry vegetables slowly. 

She still gave you cold shoulder since you rejected her wish. You're trying to ignore her and eat normally but your breath hitched when Aeri was looking at you with her pity face. 

"Yah! What's wrong with you!" Haneul couldn't stand with Aeri's strange behavior. "Just eat normally!"

"No I won't!" Aeri continue looking at you with dejected face and chewing her rice. 

"Noona! What's wrong with her? Did she hurt her head!" Haneul stared at you, demanding the answer.

You just shut your mouth tightly. How can you tell him that Aeri behaving like this because she want to call you Eomma. 

Aeri put down her glass and dashed from the table, leaving you and Haneul dumbfounded. 

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Aeri was so pensive in her own world when Haneul knoced the door. Her brother went inside and sit beside her.

"Hey Aeri, what's wrong with you today? Can you tell Oppa?"

As much as Haneul hate doing this, he forces himself to because he feel obliged as Aeri's brother.

Aeri look at him with doe eyes. She gazed into his eyes.

"I miss our father."

Haneul snapped at Aeri's words. 

"Appa are nice but I miss father sometimes." Aeri put her head onto Haneul's lap. 

"You know father had gone to better place," Haneul Aeri's hair. 

"Jiminie-Appa said father always watching us from the sky." Her voice cracked. "Oppa, why did he leave us. I want to live with him."

"Oppa miss him too." Haneul sighed.

"I called Unnie Eomma today," suddenly Aeri told him about that 'Eomma' thing.

Haneul's eyes popped out. "You call Unnie what?"

"Eomma. I call her Eomma."

"Yah Kim Aeri! Are you crazy!" Haneul pushed Aeri down his lap.

"I want to call her Eomma. Why Oppa? Why can't I called her Eomma?"

"She is not our mother. You can't call her that!" 

"We called our fathers Appa. They are not our real father! My teacher said Eomma is the person who take care of us!"

"Kim Aeri!" Haneul clenched his hand. "Don't go around calling somebody Eomma! She just nice because Appa paid her! Just because she is nice and take care of us, that doesn't mean she is our mother!"

You were surprised as well as Aeri when you hear words that come out from his mouth. You were behind the door the whole time. You heard Aeri screamed 'I HATE YOU!' and the door being pulled from inside.

Haneul was shocked when he saw you were standing near the door frame. His face seemed guilty. He dashed to his room. You just stand still, trying to grasped the situation. 

You heard crying from Aeri's room. You're still thinking whether want to go in or not. When her crying turned to sobbing, you pushed the door slowly. 

Aeri still buried her head with her plushie. You sit beside her and pulled the plush toy down. She closed her eyes and you wiped her tears.

"Aeri-ah."

"Go away!" Aeri sobbing. Tears streaming down her cheecks.

You sighed. "No I'm not going anywhere."

"I want to call you Eomma. You're good to us. I want Eomma like you! because you take care of us! But Oppa said you only take care of us because Appa pay you. Is that true?"

You sighed, letting her words go unanswered. You don't want to admit it. Maybe because it is true. You do take care of them because it's your job. Partially because you start to love them too. You looked down and linked your hand with her. 

"Aeri-ah, yes your fathers pay me to take care of you." 

Aeri face looked heart broken. She swayed her head, avoiding your eyes. 

You pulled her face softly towards you and give her the sweetest smile. "But they didn't pay me to love you and Haneul. And I love you guys so much. With all my heart." 

Hearing your words, Aeri smile widely. Her eyes formed a smile.

"With all your heart? Swear?"

"Crossed my heart," you chuckled. Rubbed her hair.

"Can I call you Eomma? Please? Please? I don't have one. I'm just jealous when my friends have one."

You looked at her. Her earnest face looked so pity and cute. You bite your lower lip. Ahh! Your inner self scream. How could you resist after seeing her face and hearing her story. What the hell could happened right? You nodded your head

Aeri hugged you tightly. "Thanks Eomma!" Shrieking was heard across the room.

"BUT! You cannot call me Eomma in front if Haneul or your Appa. You can call me when we are alone. Promise?" You held out your pinky.

Aeri linked her pinky with yours. 

"Promised!"

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