SOOJUNG FORGETS WHAT ITS LIKE WITHOUT EUNHEE. Forgets how she could easily just be one of those millennials who party a lot while equally stressing about paychecks, and what they really want from life. She supposes that if things had been different, she would most probably be a part of that crowd of people.

    That’s not the case now though. For Soojung, her life is less youthful chaos and more grown-up hardcore adulting chaos. She has to wake up at six every single day, cook breakfast for Eunhee, drive her to school and then go to work in her sister’s company (a job she still holds a grudge over). Her reality is far away from the lives of most of her friends from university, and all of that is due to just one single factor.

    She could have gone about her life begrudgingly, but frankly, Eunhee’s existence has made Soojung less indecisive and more forward about what she wants to do. Her spontaneity still exists, albeit used for more calculative circumstances, and less for fun - which is not something she’d hoped for when she was younger. She’s also become more responsible, the best side effect at having a child during her late teenage years.

    The only thing she holds a grudge about, is how Sooyeon basically blackmailed her into working for Blanc and Eclare. Sooyeon would pay off the rest of Soojung’s college tuition fee and babysit Eunhee during Soojung’s classes, in exchange for Soojung becoming a creative assistant the moment she graduates. It’s not something Soojung envisions for herself, but she couldn’t quit the job, not while she’s already busy building the foundations for Eunhee’s school years.

    Soojung has just dropped her daughter off to school and she’s on her way to the company when Taemin calls.

    “What is it again?” She doesn’t even bother with a proper greeting. Her friendship with Taemin has surpassed everything, including proper phone greetings.

    “Soojung-ie, do you love me?” The sickeningly sweet voice at the other end of the line causes Soojung to groan in disbelief. She knows where this is heading already.

    “What do you need?” This time, Soojung is a bit more merciless with her words. It’s not the best morning and she would appreciate it if he just cut to the chase.

    “Pick me up? I’m in the bingsu shop I always take Eunhee to. Fans found me.” She doesn’t miss the desperation in his voice when he told her that fans found him. What he did for that to happen, though, is completely beyond her.

    “Jesus Christ, Taemin. You have to be really thankful I’m such a good friend and that I’ll do this for you right before I go to work.” She says as she speeds through the neighborhood to Taemin’s rescue.

    Soojung could count on one hand the amount of constants she had in her life, and Taemin is one of them. They’d met as classmates in middle school, and his knack for annoying her ensured that their friendship would last for years. In fact, it’s Soojung who found out first about Taemin’s debut with Shinee, he called her on the phone screaming and Soojung had been ecstatic.

    It’s also through Taemin that she met Jongin, a wound she would prefer not to open up today out of all days.

    She finds Taemin in the bingsu shop trapped with about twenty teenage girls blocking the exit. Sighing, she calls Taemin once more.

    “I’m outside. Can’t you find a different exit?” She’s definitely less annoyed now than she was before. Now, she just feels sorry for Taemin who probably only wanted his bingsu until his fans swarmed him. It’s the price to pay for being one of the biggest kpop idols.

    “Open the door to the passenger seat, I’m going to make a run for it.”

    “Lee Taemin I will kill you if you die from being mobbed by your teenage fans.”

    “Have some faith in me, Soojung.” Then he hangs up and before Soojung knows it, there’s a Lee Taemin making a beeline straight towards her car. The moment Taemin shuts the door, she floors it.

    “I’m going to make you pay for all the gas I’ve spent trying to pick you up from wherever you go to.” Soojung tells him.

    “I’ll pay you back by babysitting Eunhee. She loves me anyway.”

    She only gives Taemin a hum in response. Their years of friendship already assures her that he will, in fact, be sincere in every way. No matter what she asks of him, so as long as its reasonable, he’ll do it within a heartbeat.

    Sooyeon asked her once if she plans on dating Taemin, especially after that one incident where Eunhee called Taemin ‘appa’. After all, she remembers Sooyeon pointing out, I don’t know who else could take better care of you two than me aside from Taemin himself. Admittedly, Soojung had already given it a thought once or twice, but she doesn’t want to risk their years of friendship on something so fragile. Plus, dating one of the biggest kpop icons of their generation would only draw unwanted attention towards her and Eunhee.

    “You never told me where I’ll drop you off.” Soojung points out the moment she realizes that she’s only a few turns away from where Sooyeon’s company is.

    “I’ll be coming with you. Sooyeon asked me for a favor.” Taemin shrugs. Soojung comes to the conclusion that he probably asked her to pick him up on purpose, that he would have done it anyway without the fans.

    “By the way,” He adds, “Have you considered the dance class Eunhee wanted to go to?”

    The dance class, of course, how could she have forgotten. Eunhee had been asking for it ever since she saw a clip of Shinee’s latest comeback. The little girl had been endlessly telling her mother that she wants to be like uncle Taemin. Taemin never allowed her to live it down ever since.

    “I have, yeah. I just haven’t found the right place to take her.” A side-effect of overworking and being a full-time single mother is always not knowing things outside of her usual orbit. It’s always her work, Eunhee, and the occasional hangouts with Taemin and whoever he decides to introduce her to.

    “God, Soojung, is that how much you’re neglecting your own personal life now?” His lips curve up into a teasing smile.

    She reaches out to her side to give Taemin a flick on the forehead, “Looking for a dance class for Eunhee is not personal life. But also, if I was neglecting my personal life I wouldn’t have talked to you the moment Eunhee was born.”

    “I’m the only exception to that. Other than me? Your only friend is Eunhee’s teacher who basically had to force her way into forming a friendship with you.” For a moment right there, Taemin looks like an emoji the kids these days use.

    “Say one more word and I’m dropping you off to the curb for your hungry fans to mob.”

    “Alright, fine.” He holds his hands up in surrender, “I’ll quiet down. There’s this good dance studio though, Seulgi told me about it. Want me to check it out with Eunhee?”

    “You’d do it?” She raises an eyebrow at him, “For why?”

    “Come on, Jungie, you’re acting like I didn’t help you raise the kid. I love Eunhee, and I feel sad that you’re out here trying to juggle a busy life by yourself. At least let me help while the hyungs are still in the military and I’m basically jobless for the time being.”

    For the first time today, Soojung finally laughs. “Oh Taemin, I doubt you could ever be jobless.”

\

HER DAY AT THE OFFICE ENDS LIKE THIS: Taemin approaching her cubicle after that day-long meeting with Sooyeon (a perfect example of why Taemin could never be jobless), grabbing her car keys and telling her that he’ll pick up Eunhee from school and go to the dance studio Seulgi had suggested. She would have said no, in fact, she is so close to saying no before Sooyeon approaches her and tells her to take the rest of the day off for herself.

    “Leave the kid to Taemin. Just for today.” Sooyeon prods her.

    She gives Taemin a hesitant look to which Taemin only responds by holding up his baseball cap and face mask. A sigh escapes her lips and Taemin cheers in triumph. She’d already debriefed the guy anyway, if anyone asks who Eunhee is, she’s Taemin’s niece (his cousin’s daughter).

    However, the only thing worrying Soojung the most is Eunhee’s actual resemblance to Taemin. He’s not Eunhee’s father by any means, but the resemblance between Taemin and Eunhee’s father is too uncanny for anyone to miss. If anyone looks at Eunhee hard enough, it can be deduced that her face is more of her father’s than Soojung’s.

    Any misinterpretation of the aforementioned facts could easily mean a new scandal for Taemin, and a manhunt for whoever she is. Soojung doesn’t want that kind of publicity. She didn’t stay hidden in Sooyeon’s shadows while Sooyeon is out there facing all kinds of publicity by being the CEO of Blanc and Eclare only for her and Eunhee to be exposed to the limelight because of an interpretation gone wrong.

    “Can I come with you to pick Eunhee up, at least? I’ll spend the rest of the day with Jinri.” She requests, knowing full well that Taemin wouldn’t have it in him to say no to her.

    The walk towards the car is silent, but more comfortable than any other silence Soojung finds herself in. It’s not the overwhelming kind that forces her to say something out of the deafening silence. It’s kind, and welcoming. The very characteristics one would expect from a Lee Taemin.

    “Taemin,” She begins just as soon as Taemin had started the car. “You know how much you look like him, right?”

    Taemin nods.

    “And how much Eunhee looks like him?”

    “Which means Eunhee’s going to look like me, at least for just a little bit if anyone paid close enough attention. We’ve talked about this millions of times before.” Despite those words, it doesn’t seem like Taemin’s tired of this same conversation again and again. Soojung chalks it up to him understanding her situation.

    “I’m just scared. I don’t want them to think Eunhee’s your kid. I can’t put you and my daughter under the spotlight like that.” As responsible as Soojung is, she’s not ready to face the music if ever that scenario actually comes true.

    Taemin places a hand on her shoulder, “There’s nothing I could not handle for Eunhee, and you.”

    “You’re going to make me cry, shut the up.” She laughs it off instead, and she feels all warm again.

    The moment Jinri accompanies Eunhee to the front gate of the elementary school, Taemin already sweeps in and spins Eunhee around in a hug while asking the little girl if she’d missed Uncle Taemin.

    “Well, looks like you have me for the entire day today.” Soojung shrugs, her eyes still fixed on her daughter and her best friend.

    “You’re giving Eunhee… to him?” Jinri asks with the look of disbelief on her face.

    Soojung only blinks.

    “You’re literally forgetting here that you left Eunhee with Taemin once in the apartment and you went back to a mess of baking ingredients in the kitchen.” The expression on Jinri’s face reminds Soojung that she is one of those strict but fun teachers in that elementary school, as per Eunhee’s narrations during dinner.

    Soojung only laughs though, leaving Eunhee alone at home with Taemin is different from letting Taemin sign the kid up for dance classes. She tells Jinri exactly that.

    “Maybe it’s just me, but i don’t trust Taemin with Eunhee.”

    “I feel like that’s just you being bitter over the fact that he’s Eunhee’s favorite instead of you.” She gives her friend a sympathetic smile.

    “Alright, yeah, maybe that’s the reason.” There’s a pout on Jinri’s face which Soojung laughs at. For someone who looks a bit mature for her age, Jinri sure does act like a kid sometimes.

    Soojung approaches her daughter and wraps the little girl in a tight hug, “Mommy will be back, yeah? Have fun with Taemin.” She presses a kiss on her daughter’s forehead before approaching her best friend.

    “I trust you. I swear to god if you do something completely stupid I will kill you.”

    “Alright, alright, I wouldn’t do anything stupid because I know just how distraught you’d be if I died.” Taemin winks at her and ruffles her hair before escorting Eunhee to the car, and leaving her with Jinri in front of the elementary school.

    “Soojung, I love you, but I have such a bad feeling about this.” Jinri shakes her head.

    “With what? Taemin or the dance classes?”

    “Both. More so the dance classes than him, though.”

    Soojung could only bite her lip and look at her car’s retreating figure while hoping for the best. It’s Taemin, what could go wrong, right? He’d never let her down before.