I’m nervous, I’m trembling
Something feels really good
My heart cannot calm down at all
For some reason, I’m excited today
For some reason, I’m trembling today
I think something good will happen, oh
Somehow, somehow, it feels like
A day I’ll meet you, who I want to see

– Wowowow (SHINee)

***

“Aggy, do you want some cookies while waiting?”

The little girl right before me stopped her block games and ran toward me, all giggly and happy, makes me instantly fail to recall that I’ve been stayed more than an hour to accompany her because no one pick her up yet.

“Ms. _______! I’m so sorry! The traffic was horrible and I got my meeting delayed so, I’m so sorry!!” A young father pants right in the door frame.

“Daddy!!”

She forgot the said cookie and sprung onto apparently her Dad which today seemed to be late. Smile automatically tugging my lips up, I reach for a small yellow backpack on my desk and wrapped the cookies with the nearest napkin. The view of a man reunited with his little princess makes my heart swelled and lifts the weigh on my shoulder.

“Aggy, why don’t you tell your Daddy about our activity today?”

Mr. Lee took the bag and hung it on his shoulder, “Anything interesting today?”

“Yeah! We drew family picture!”

“And you drew me?”

“And Papa too! And uncle Tae too!”

“Good girl!” Aggy looked so proud and I just realize she inherit her Dad’s eye smile, bright and contagious, “Ms. ________, once again, apologize for prolonging your work hours. I’ll tell Kibum to bring you some goodie from his shop when he drops her tomorrow morning.”

“Oh! Don’t be bothered. That’s not necessary! It’s my job to take care of the kids until their guardian safely pick them up.”

And because I clearly knew what Mr. Kim does for a living. His shop means the small jewelry shop at the first floor of a famous hotel near the publisher company I came every weekend. Or the small edgy boutique nears their apartment. He once gave me a gift on the parent’s day at school, it was a muffler that I would never could buy even with my whole pay for a month.

“I’m still gonna do something about this. I owe you one. A big one.”

“Seriously, Mr. Lee, I’m fine with that. Aggy is such a good girl after all.”

Just like the other Dad who overflowing with some strange energy when they saw their kids, Mr. Lee too, successfully drown into the thought of his daughter.

“Yeah, we’re grateful with that too. Come on, Aggy. Say goodbye to Ms. _______.”

“Bye, Ms._______. Thank you for the cookies. See you tomorrow!”

“See you, honey!”

***

I came back to the teacher’s room in panic. Aggy’s missing. Yesterday, Mr. Lee said he’s gonna be late again, so he asked me to take care of her until he arrived. But when I checked the common room, there’s no Aggy in sight. Neither in the playing room.

“Minho! Did you see Aggy?”

“Aggy?”

“Yeah. She’s supposed to be here because her Dad is gonna be late today.”

“Just now I saw her with a man with a red cherry car. Isn’t it Mr. Kim’s car?”

Mr. Kim indeed owned a red cherry car. And he used to come to school with that car. But this is a little girl on stake. A little girl who has a half monster half angel as her fathers.

“Hello?”

Mr. Kim answer it in one go, making me more nervous because it means he’s not currently driving.

“Mr. Kim, this is _______ for the kindergarten.”

“Oh, Ms. _______! Can I help you? Is Aggy making a fuss at school?”

Heaved a deep breath, I collect any remained guts from all over my vein, “Actually, Mr. Lee said that he’s going to be late. But Aggy’s not here. Did you already pick her up? Please tell me she’s with you and 100% alright.”

“Oh, my God! That old man must forget to tell you this morning! He told me that he’s gonna left Aggy a couple hours before he got to the school, so I said to him I’d go to pick her. But I got something to take care at the store. Fortunately, Jinki’s brother just came back from the States and willing to meet his niece. So yeah, I’m sorry for causing such inconvenience, Ms._______.”

“That’s a relief.”

Indeed a relief. What if their kid got kidnapped and they sued me right on my face? My entire income for a year doesn’t even enough to pay their breakfast. What am I going to do with my life then?

“And he might continue doing that, covering me or Jinki when both of us busy with the works. So if you saw a pretty tall man, with short hair and bangs covering his face, thin build but quite board chest, fairy eyes and full lips, don’t hesitate to say hi to him. He would drive my car, so you don’t need to worry if he didn’t jump off the car and saw Aggy just go inside it.”

“I’ll make sure I’ll recognize him with such a detail, Mr. Kim.”

“I really apologize for panicking you. I’ll tell Taemin to greet the teachers. Don’t worry Ms. _______, he loves Aggy as much as you.”

***

A week passed by. Seems like every single parents managed to take their day off earlier and enjoy some quality times with the kids. And that gave me so much time to finish some chapters for the upcoming script of a soap opera.

It was a fine afternoon when the kids already back home and Minho’s too tired to check the student consultation books in his class.

“Do you know the hottest news that spread lately?”

My eyes locked onto the screen right before me, engrossed with the part where the main male character trying to convince the girl he loved, “Hmm. You got engaged with Jonghyun?”

“Oh, I wish! That man is like Katy Perry!”

“I thought Katy Perry has super fine arms, not the muscly ones. Well, their chest almost alike in size, thought.”

“Shut up. He’s like that irritating song. Hot and cold. One day he’s so la la la I love you more than my bass then suddenly who are you, why am I talk–– HEY! We’re supposed to chit-chat about the recent gossip around the parent waiting room!”

 I can’t help but cracking straight away. Thank God, I’m not sipping my coffee or else it just burst out my mouth and messed my desk up, “You’re the one who start it! Blame yourself!”

“Enough. Some parents went insane with a new attractive guy who always had his earphone plug into his ears.”

“So?”

“He’s not as cold as his appearance, he smiles every single time the other smile to him first.”

“What’s so special about that?”

“That smile costs a million dollar. The waiting room now is like warfare.”

The last time there’s a light chaos in the waiting room was the first day Mr. Lee and Mr. Kim attended the parent’s day. Fresh cut dark brown hair, moon crescent eye smile with bright teeth, and deep soothing voice, coupled up with jet black head with cute bow lips with branded item from head to toe just like a living mannequin came right away from the mall. And the light chaos became a mass shock therapy when they show their adorable public display affection.

It was only ‘there’s something in your face let me fix it for you’ but the entire rooms went ‘aaaawwww…’ without ado.

“You should probably check him out. Maybe you’ll find your hot and hot one.”

Minho rolled his eyes and scoff, “You are no fun. I bet your next boyfriend would be as complicated as your script!”

Yeah, if. If I got a chance to make a new one.

***

“Aggy? Why are you here?” I’m crossing the hallway when I found a little girl standing alone with a cute ponytail on the crown of her head, “Where’s your Dad?”

She shakes her head half-heartedly. Aggy is just like her fathers, chirpy and bright, it’s an unusual view when she frowned like this.

“I was going to the play room. But it closed.”

It’s the last day of the school. What are you expected, really?

“Come on. Let’s go to my office. You can wait there. I have some coloring books. You like it, right?”

Rainbow decided to move on her face. She approached my stretched out hand and walked with me to the said room. My free hand reaches my pocket and makes a quick text.

‘I’m gonna be late. Start it first with Jonghyun. Sorry.’

“Put your bag over there. Which one do you want, mermaid or fairy?”

“Mermaid, please!” she shouts from my desk.

As soon as the books landed on the hardwood surface, she grabbed the colorful marker that I always prepared near the monitor to check some kids homework. I was starving before, but it seemed go away before long since Aggy started engrossed in her own world.

Once the hunger’s gone, the drowsiness starts attacking.

***

I don’t know how long I’ve been passed out and how wide a lake that I made by drools, until a light tap darted my arm. Once. Twice. Then a bit rapid since my eyes stay shut.

“Excuse me.”

When my eyes flickered open, I’m not sure I’m already awake or still dreaming because the man who owned the voice just non sense. There’s no way a man could be handsome and beautiful at the same time, but those eyes are real. So are the smiles dangling on his mouth.

“Ugh, yeah, I’m sorry,” I fix my face and my clothes as quick as I could. I finally opened the way on my throat for some words, “Can I help you?”

“I’m coming to pick Aggy.”

‘So if you saw a pretty tall man, with short hair and bangs covering his face, thin build but quite board chest, fairy eyes and full lips, don’t hesitate to say hi to him.’

This man is too handsome to be a trouble maker for a waiting room, “Aggy?”

“Yeah. Mr. Lee and Mr. Kim daughter? My niece?”

Something snapped my brain alive, “Ugh! Right! You are––“

“––Mr. Lee’s brother.”

“Got it. She’s righ––WHAT THE HECK! Where is she?! I swear she’s right here just now!”

He chuckles and casually tousled his bangs away, “Calm down. She’s at the door, talking to her Dad on the phone. I’m sorry waking you up. I’m just thinking of going straight to the car but it seemed rude after what you did to my niece.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry, I supposed to take care of her instead of falling asleep.”

“No problem. I should get here earlier. Had trouble with the car and need to change the car back at home but it’s okay now.”

The atmosphere suddenly feels deserted, he just standing right there and I intertwined my fingers anxiously, “Well, okay then.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m go––“

If only I could kill myself right now or magically create a huge flood here so I could drown myself in it. What was that?! I know I haven’t got any meals since I left my apartment in the morning. But that doesn’t mean my belly allowed to sing song so sudden without any notice!

I can only blushed and duck my head deeper while on the other hand, my student’s uncle burst into a huge laugh that might chased people away.

“I’m really sorry.”

He still unable to control himself, “Nah, it’s fine. Hahaha! Taking care of children indeed is so tiring.”

“Promise me you won’t tell your brother or his husband or else I can’t face them when they came to the school later.”

“I promise!” he lifted his pinky finger and carefully hold is laughter that about to spilled out, “One condition, though.”

He’s definitely Mr. Lee’s brother because yes, this mischievous stuffs must be run on their blood.

“What is that?”

“You join us in a late lunch. As my apology for making you stay longer in an empty school.”

Actually, it’s not really empty. There’s two security guards at the front gate and maybe the school gardener still somewhere around the school to put the final touch for his plants. I see no harm in his voice. Or his lips. Or his eyes –– OH GOD, WHY IS HE SO HYPNOTIZING?!

Glancing the wrist watch Minho gave me as birthday present last year, it’s already pass two. By this time, Minho and Jonghyun 100% already moved into their apartment and cuddling to each other under the blanket, that jerk hates cold more than anyone.

“Or early dinner with my brother and his husband?”

“What?”

He beams again, “Just in case you prefer dinner than lunch.”

“Oh.”

“So?”

“Well, I can use this as my sealed agreement for keeping my ugly nap as a secret.”

I wonder if this guy ever cried before because the only thing he did since the first time I opened my eyes were just smiling or laughing or cracking or giggling.

“I’m good in keeping a secret. Besides, that was not ugly at all.”

Blushing is the last thing I wished to happen right now. So I just collect my belonging and snatch the coat before heading to the door with him.

“I’m Taemin by the way. Lee Taemin.”

“I know.”

“How do you know?”

“Aggy draws so several times before.”

“Do I came out pretty?!”

His eyes got wider and I can’t help but laugh which he joined me a second after, “Of course!”

Not as pretty as the real one, though.

***