“Appa,” Ken climbs onto Seunghyun’s lap, almost knocking the TV remote off of the couch. “Is sun home a sea?”

“What?” Seunghyun frowns, completely not crowding into the sudden question. It’s Tuesday and hot, clearly a day Seunghyun would prefer to cool himself in their pool but can’t because he needs to take care of his son while Daesung is out. Ken is not yet allowed to go near the pool without adults and Seunghyun doesn’t trust himself to be the only one watching him.

“Why Sun lives in sea?” the kid repeats, shoving a clear curiosity on his face.

“Why would you think like that?” Seunghyun raises his eyebrows, not really knowing how to answer. As far as he knows, the Sun is not living anywhere.

Ken slides down his leg and before Seunghyun could warn him not to hurry, already disappeared into his bedroom. He emerges with a piece of paper a moment later.

“Daesung–appa,” Ken says with a way of explanation.

Seunghyun understands him by the next moment when he sees the drawing that’s obviously Daesung’s. Who else would draw a Sun with eyes and smile resembles Daesung’s mascot, D-kun?

“Daesung–appa draws a photo,” Ken tells him quickly. “Sun will sleeping.”

“Setting,” Seunghyun corrects him. Whatever photograph Daesung made attempt to copy into a drawing must’ve been a view of an ocean sunset although Seunghyun must admit that Daesung’s version is way simpler. “Sunset.”

“Daesung–appa said it is sleeping,” Ken tilts his head to the side, wondering. “What is setting, appa?”

Seunghyun opens his mouth to answer then shuts his jaw with a click when nothing comes out.

“It’s sleeping,” he says quietly, admitting that Daesung had given the best explanation for their three years old.

“It is sleep in a home in the sea?” Ken’s question stands stubbornly. “Sun can swim, appa?”

Time for parenting 101, the voice in Seunghyun’s head says. How do you know it’s the right time to explain about solar system?

“Sun lives with fishes, appa?”

Seunghyun’s frown deepens to thousand degrees. “Well, Ken,” he uses his father voice, even clearing his throat as if he’s giving an important speech on stage. “The Sun doesn’t live anywhere.”

“It is not have home?” Ken is surprised, his eyes are full of doubt. “Why?”

“No, it’s like our planet,” Seunghyun smiles a reassuring smile, holding bits and pieces of knowledge he’d learn somewhere during his childhood. “It’s even bigger than our planet.”

“We have planet, appa?” Ken’s face glows the same way every time Seunghyun told him that he had a gift. “What is planet, appa?”

“We don’t own it,” Seunghyun carefully spills out. “It’s a big thing. We live in it.”

Ken looks up at the ceiling then at Seunghyun. “House is planet, appa?”

“Our house is in the planet, bubble,” Seunghyun’s cheerful mode falters. “The planet is really huge.”

“Huge?”

“Big.”

“Bigger than appa?” the toddler’s mouth opens with amazement. “Bigger than house?”

“Very big.”

“Ooh,” Ken nods. Doubt still lingers in his feature and Seunghyun is sure that more questions are coming up. Daesung was right, parenting is nothing near easy. How do some parents make it like the most fun thing to do? How does his mother never come up with nothing as answers?

What was actually he’d made a deal about?

“Appa, Sun lives in planet too?”

Seunghyun scratches his head. “Sun is bigger than our planet, Ken.”

Ken blinks. He knows that things must be smaller or in the same size to fit in. Like he could use a pair of shoes that’s bigger than his feet but no longer able to wear one that’s smaller. He knows that he is growing bigger and one day, his favorite jacket might be no longer could fit his body just like his pajama pants that he ended up putting inside a box his Seunghyun–appa said would be donated to homeless people. “Why?”

“Why?” Seunghyun is completely lost upon the word.

“Sun has no home because so big, appa?” Ken latches himself onto Seunghyun’s leg until the father takes him in his arms.

“Well, no,” Seunghyun his son’s hair softly. “How about we go to the book store and I will get some books to explain?”

“Book?”

“Yes, with drawings and all. You’ll love it,” Seunghyun pats Ken’s head. He really has no idea how to explain without tools, his son is clearly not getting it.

“All right,” the boy nods then places his palms on either side of Seunghyun’s face, looking at Seunghyun’s eyes with the softest gaze it makes Seunghyun’s heart aches. “Appa, if I grow big, will I still have home?”

Seunghyun kisses his forehead, tucking his head under his chin and whispers, “You’ll never grow that big. I won’t allow you”. “And you will always have a home in me,” he adds with a smile. “You’re forever my little kid.”

The boy giggles happily, trailing his fingers on Seunghyun’s shirt until it rests in between their chests, feeling the beat of their hearts that rhythm together.

***