Jieun opened the door after she knocked it. She saw her mother stood before her, smiling kindly as usual. Jieun replied the smile and closed the door after entering the room.

“Do I disturb you lovey dovey moment?” Eun Hee asked teasingly as she noticed Jieun weak smile and slow action.

“Lovey dovey?” Jieun chuckled. If only what her mom said was true. “I wish,” She replied simply after the small laugh.

Eun Hee sat on her bed and signalled Jieun to sit beside her. Jieun frowned. This was the first time her mother did this to her. In her view, it seemed that her mother wanted to talk something with her. Was it about Yoseob? Was she didn’t accept that Yoseob was her friend? She was worried and anxious.

Still, Jieun followed her mother instruction.

“Can you tell me more about this Yoseob boy?” Eun Hee asked directly but in a gentle way.

Jieun looked at his both feet, kept silent. She was speechless. Her mother wanted to know more about Yoseob. Her thought might be true. She disliked Jieun to be friend with Yoseob.

“He is a good guy, omma,” Jieun replied in a weak slow tone. She still wanted to be friend with Yoseob. Actually, she wanted to be more than friend but that seemed impossible now. Ever since she knew Yoseob, he never showed his feeling towards her. He must regard her as a friend, normal friend.

“I know that, dear. It is not easy to take care of a child especially when you are alone. He must be a caring and loving person. I just want to know how he survives with a child to be taken care of,” Eun Hee explained as she sensed hesitation in Jieun voice.

Jieun was shocked to hear the explanation. Slowly, she absorbed the statement said by her mother. Gradually she smiled, gladded that her thought was wrong. Her smile stopped as she remembered her mother question. The answer was a secret that she promised to keep. She turned away, hiding her guilty feeling.

*********

Byung Soon was looking at the city through the clear glass of his office. However, his eyes were not on the awe scenery of the city. He was remembering the moment that made him almost lost himself. He smirked. He was losing himself at that time. He gained his old self because of something. Something that changed his thought, the fact that she was having his child.  

Byung Soon followed her update in the entertainment world. He always did ever since she chose that path. She finally announced that she had a daughter. He was getting worried at first, thinking how would she react to the shocking news. It was surprised to him that she handled the situation calmly. Most probably, So In helped her.

He sighed at the thought that she was someone else’s wife. How he wished that he was in So In place. However, he knew he didn’t deserve it. She never forgave his after what he had done. He understood the reason. If he was her, he might do the same thing. Still, his heart couldn’t let her go. After so many years, he still couldn’t forget her. In those painful years, he was approached by many girls but none could compare to her. He left them all. No matter how sincere their feeling to him and how bad they cried for him, he ditched them. He smirked. Yes. He had become a jerk and it was all because of her.

 It had been 16 years since he last saw her. At that time, his child was only 2 years old. Byung Soon smiled, remembering the cute face and action of that child. He saw her daughter grown up face at the newspapers before. She was beautiful, just like her mother. So In was so lucky to have two beautiful women in his life. He grinned at his jealousy thought. It was so childish and immature of him to think that way.

All these years, he was following his heart as it was following her. It did hurt him but now he was numb to the pain. He was too familiar to it. Strangely, he never wished to move on and forgot her. Maybe, not yet.

*********

It was dinner in Lee household, a cheerful and joyful dinner with balloons, cakes and gifts. So In was on his usual wheelchair, with a colourful paper hat on his head and a gay smile on his face. Jiyong was enjoying it too as his mouth was full with the sweet and creamy cake. He never ate it in his 3 years life and he liked it after the first spoon. Yoseob was laughing hardly at Jiyong cute and funny face as it was smeared with the cream of the cake. Jieun joined the laughed as she kept taking Jiyong funny pictures. Eun Hee was sitting beside So In, looking at Jieun, Yoseob and Jiyong lovingly with a motherly smile. Their house was rarely as happy as this. Most probably, it was because of her and her busy schedules or Jieun depressed feeling of keeping her secret. Somehow, she still didn’t forgive herself to keep Jieun secretly from the media and press. It affected Jieun life until now.

So In caressed the smooth hand of his wife gently. It made Eun Hee looked at him with a gentle smile of her. She replied with her hand on top of his.

He was contented and gladded that Yoseob and Jiyong came today. His birthday was never this great before. It was usually silent and sometimes filled with a common conversation and stupid jokes of his. Now, it was different. It was filled with laughter and happiness as the cheerful aura of Yoseob and Jiyong filled the space of their household.

The birthday party ended. Yoseob was helping Jieun with the dishes while Jiyong kept hugging to his legs.

“Thanks for coming,” Jieun said to Yoseob as she was washing the last plate.

“No, thank you for inviting us,” Yoseob replied with a smile, a sincere smile that Jieun always loved. It seemed that the situation between them was fixed just like that. No need to explain or confess.

Jieun just smiled, not knowing what to reply as she dried her hands at the towel hung on the wall.

Yoseob followed her action.

“Appa,” Jiyong called for Yoseob as he noticed that Yoseob had finished his task. He stretched his both hands upwards. Yoseob smiled and carried him to his chest.

Jieun chuckled at the scene. They both were so cute. Lightly, she pinched the chubby and soft cheek of Jiyong. It made Jiyong pouted and quickly hugged Yoseob neck.

Yoseob burst out a small laugh as Jieun was doing the same. “I think he likes you,” Yoseob voiced out between the light laugh. “He never acts like this to others,” Yoseob continued after he stopped the laugh.

Jiyong took a peek at Jieun behind Yoseob head. Most probably, he was curious of what Jieun would do next.

“Yoseob – shi,” A voice suddenly called for Yoseob. Both, Yoseob and Jieun turned to the owner of the manly voice. It was from So In and somehow, it made Yoseob nervous. A call from Jieun father, he wondered what it was about.

“Could we talk in private for a while?” So In asked although it sounded more as an instruction.

Yoseob just nodded his head. He turned to Jieun and hand over Jiyong to her. He forced a smile to Jieun to assure her that everything would be okay and followed So In to his music room.

Jiyong was looking at his disappearing ‘appa’ in puzzled. “Appa,” he managed to voice out, most probably worried that he would be gone for a long time.

“Don’t worry, he will be back and everything will be okay,” Jieun softly tightened her hold to the boy, as if she was trying to assure herself.

________________________________________________________

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