│C h a p t e r   N i n e t e e n .

B a e k h y u n

Ugh. I don’t know how it got into this. I just remembered and see myself buying drinks with Minseok hyung. I didn’t even expect that they will hold a picnic in front of Dad’s grave! Who does that anyway?!

“I heard you haven’t gone here ever since he died.” Minseok Hyung says as we go up the hill after buying the drinks.

“Uh, yeah.” And silence crept again. He stops staring at the bench. “You want to take a break?”

“Badly.” I chuckle. He has never been that kind of person who works out a lot and just the type to stay at home and laze around. I open a can of beer and handed it to him. “He must’ve been so happy, that we’re all here to see him today.” He leans with one hand on his back for support as he sips and stares up to the sky.

“Mm.” I nod. I grip on my drink. I was never comfortable with Dad being the topic but when it comes to Hyung, it doesn’t feel that way. Maybe because I treat him as my older brother already. Hyung, Dad and I went go to fishing by ourselves back then. I really had fun and I never been so happy spending time with him. “Don’t you hate me? After what happened to Mi Ho.”

“I do.” I flinch. As I thought so. “Until last night. I gave it a thought.” He brought up his legs and crosses it. I smile seeing old habits. He usually does that whenever we talk. “How can he leave my sister alone after those times that they spent together? Did he not feel anything towards her anymore? How can he let Mi Ho go through this alone?” Then he looks at me with his head hanging backwards. “It can’t be helped.”

I look at him and stare. It can’t be helped? That’s it?! “How can you just say that?! It can’t be helped?”

“You still haven’t change. You’re still strange.” He chuckles. “Well you didn’t know right? Everything. You just know that she left. What can you do? I just needed somebody to blame which is why I have thought of it like that.” I felt tears creeping in my eyes. This is lame. “You crying? What the hell?!”

“I’m not!” I exclaimed and wipe my tears.

“Lame.” He mumbles. I chug in my drink and felt a hand on my head. It never occured to me how much we’re alike not until now. We just keep our feelings to ourselves, afraid of showing it to others. “It can’t be helped.”

I sigh and let him pat my head. I missed this. Ever since Mi Ho left, not only did I lose the girl that I love, but also the guy that I respect and treated as my brother. “Mi Ho asked me for help. She wants to know who Sejoon’s father is.”

“Oh.” He didn’t say anything. I sit up and look at him. “What?”

“What do you think I should do hyung?”

“Why are you asking me that? Am I supposed to know the answer?” I look at him in disbelief and sighed. “What would you do if Sejoon’s not your son then?”

I felt a huge pang in my body. “Back then when I still haven’t heard about how painful what happened for Mi Ho was, I thought that I can be Sejoon’s father even if his blood is not mine. I was selfish on keeping Mi Ho close to me that I was so willing to take Sejoon who’s really important to her right now.. but when I heard all about it..” I stop. I look at Hyung and he’s staring at me like he already know what I am going to say next but he just need to hear it come out from my mouth so I give it to him. “I’m scared. I’m scared that whenever Mi Ho sees me, she’ll be reminded of that painful memory that almost took her life away. I can’t make her feel that way Hyung. She had gone through so much and I am not even there with her.”

After I finished talking, everything was silent. The wind passes by and I sigh. I am not really going to hear anything back from him do I? “You know, you’re stupid.”

“Wha-“ I stand and glared at him.

“She almost died by killing herself. But do you know what made her live as she was right now?” He points at me with the can on his hand. “You. She’s still holding on that hope that Sejoon is yours. So hard that’s why she’s smiling like she was back then. That’s why she gave birth to that kid. Now do you understand?”

I remember. Those are the exact words Sehun told me too. “She... believes in me that much?”

He stands and sighs walking ahead of me. “Ask her if you want to.”

»« »« »«

We all head back to my house after we finish. Minseok hyung offered to bring Mom and Seulgi home while Mi Ho and Sejoon wait for him at my house. I didn’t think it would end this way. Maybe, just maybe, I am hoping it doesn’t end up this way. Because I am running away from myself in coming up with an answer. I know myself that I am afraid of finding out the truth, but there’s no use if I keep on doing it. It’s just how things fall into place.

“I’ll make something for dinner so you can eat before you leave.”

“Mm! I’ll help.” Mi Ho follows Chanyeol to the kitchen. My eyes fall to Sejoon who’s staring at the pool.

“You want to dip in?”

“But it’s cold.” I smile having an idea.

“Come, I’ll show you something.” He takes my hand as we make our way to my bathroom. He gasps seeing how big my tub is.

“Can this be filled with water? This whole thing?!” I chuckle and nod. “I wish I can get in...”

“Why don’t we ask your Mom then?” A smile appeared on his face and he nods. We walk together in the kitchen where Mi Ho is. “Hey.”

She turns with vegetables on her hands. “Yes?”

“Can Sejoon take a bath with me? We’re going in the tub.”

“Um, but that’s too much trouble-“ she turns to Sejoon feeling defeated knowing where this will be going. Mi Ho smiles in defeat. “But if it’s alright with you, please do. I figured that he’ll be tired from wearing the suit sooner or later so I brought a change of clothes for him anyway.”

“Wah!” Sejoon jumps in joy and quickly pulled me towards the bathroom. “Let’s go in now!” I chuckle.

“I think we should get you out of those clothes first.” He nods. I fill in the tub while getting him undressed. After a while, we get in. “Care to get those for me?” He stands walking to get the ball of bath soap for me. “Now get one and drop it in here. It can make bubbles.”

“Wow!” He chuckles in amusement. I smile. I never know making a kid this happy makes you too.

“Hey Sejoon? Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” He replies while playing with the bubbles on his hand.

“Do you want to know where you Dad is?”

“I do. But I want Mom to tell me instead.” I look at him confused.

“Why is that?”

“It’s because Mommy feels sad whenever I ask for him. I know that Mommy is having a hard time which is why she had that line on her wrist.”

“Line...on her wrist?” I freeze. Is that the mark when she attempted to kill herself back then? She told Sejoon that?

“Mm. I asked Mommy what that is, she told me that she once had a hard time and got hurt. That’s why she has that line on her wrist. That’s why I can’t ask her about Daddy. Because Mommy will get sad again if I do. I just want her to smile like how she smiling right now. Ah,” he faces me this time and holds on to my chest. His hands are small compared to mine. “Mommy said she’ll let me see Daddy one of these days! But she’s not sure if Daddy can be with us afterwards.”

“Are you fine with that?”

He smiles. His smile is the same as Mi Ho’s. He’s definitely her child. But somehow, now that I get a closer look, he actually looks like- “Mm. Because I just want Daddy to know that I am glad that he met Mommy and for giving her that music box. It was so nice ahjussi! Mommy plays it whenever we sleep.” I smile pulling him for a hug. “Ahjussi?”

“I hope you’ll see your Dad. I’m sure he’ll definitely love you.”

After we rinse ourselves, we both dressed ourselves just in time for dinner. “Oh! You’re done?” Sejoon runs to Mi Ho and she kisses him. “You smell great!”

“Mm! Ahjussi helped me!” She smiles.

“Mi Ho, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Hm? Sure.” She puts Sejoon down. “Go and help Uncle Chan for a second okay?”

“Alright~” While Sejoon run off to where Chanyeol is, Mi Ho approached me.

“What is it?”

“He’s a great kid. Sejoon is.” She smiles nodding.

“Mm. I know.”

“That said,” I face her and held her hand. She looks at me surprised. “I would be lying if I tell you that I am not scared about this. Of finding out the truth. I was selfish at first. When I haven’t found out what happened to you, I was willing to take you both in. I was willing to be Sejoon’s Dad even if he’s not mine because he had your blood Mi Ho. He’s your son. I would gladly have what’s yours. But then when I found out about everything, I was scared. What if you remember everything whenever you see me? I can’t let you have that. You’ve gone through enough. That is what’s making me scared about finding out the truth. If Sejoon’s mine, then-“ I felt warm all of a sudden. She’s hugging me tight.

“I’m not asking you to act like his father if that’s the case Baekhyun. I just want him to see that he has a father. I don’t want to keep Sejoon left hanging on someone he hasn’t seen since he was born. I guess I just want both of us to keep on living happily which is why I am doing this. I don’t want to force things on you because I know how that feels. When you just wake up one day having a lot on your plate without even knowing.” She releases me and smiles. “Just you agreeing to help me is enough. But I won’t force you if you don’t like to.”

I pull her back. I love her. God I love her so much. Why did she even deserve to go through all of that alone? “I love you.”

I hear her gasp. “Mm.”

“I love you Mi Ho.”

“Mm.”

I release her and smile. “I love you. Which is why I want to know the truth with you.”

She smiles with tears on her eyes. “Mm. Thank you.”

»« »« »«

That evening, when I was on my way back to bed, I got a call from my Uncle.

“Hello?”

“Baekhyun, did I wake you up?”

“Not really. Is there something wrong?”

“Forgive me to call you at such hour, but I found something about the guy you asked me about. I think you may find this useful. It has something to do with Ms. Kim.”

I sit up feeling awake again the moment I hear Mi Ho’s name. “I’ll head over first thing in the morning Uncle.”

UPDATE! Hope you liked this fluffy chapter ^^ sorry for the late update though! I’ve been busy lately -.-“

- cheonsabyul <3