o16 || meeting the family
the pursuit of happiness
Lately, there has been a lot going on his mind. First of all, his kids. He received a call from the Seoul Central Police Station a few days ago. They told him they managed to find out where Jeno came from as well as his identity from the shady orphanage he used to live in. His parents were unknown but he was brought into the orphanage when he was a year old. Whoever dropped him there, left along Jeno's birthday tag and it has his name and birthdate one it.
Lee Jeno, born on April 23rd in Gauido Island, in the Taean region. That means he's no longer five years old but six, and yes, he was originally from the border island.
The police also interviewed each one of the human trafficking incident victims and managed to get hold of Sungchan's mother. The woman refused her identity to be disclosed, and she willingly let Jaehyun have Sungchan’s custody. Her economic condition wasn’t exactly good and Sungchan was an unwanted kid since his mother worked as a e. Sungchan was born in September, so he's eight months now. Jaehyun still can't believe the little baby will be turning one in a few months.
And then there's Yerim. There's a lot to process when it comes to what to do with her. He voiced out his attraction to her in a haste and he's worried that he might have just scared her off. And that's the last thing he wanted her to feel towards him.
He dragged his to the stool facing the piano on the corner of the living room. He hasn't played it in months ever since the kids’ arrival and right now he needs to get things out of his head. He opened the cover and pressed a key softly. Glad that it doesn't make too much noise, his fingers danced on the wooden keys smoothly, playing some tunes he created impromptu.
Just then he heard the door opened with a soft click and Jeno came out while rubbing his eyes.
"Sorry, baby. Did I wake you up?" He opened his arms and let Jeno climbed to his lap.
"What is this, appa?" Jeno leaned against his father's chest and looked at the piano in front of him curiously.
"This is called a piano. Want me to play you something?"
The kid nodded and curled into his father's embrace as Jaehyun began to play a classic Korean lullaby.
"Appa? Can you teach me how to play piano too, one day?"
Jaehyun smiled and kissed the top of his son's head, "Sure, buddy."
Jeno relaxed and let the soothing melody lulled him back to sleep.
Ten days passed after they day Jaehyun found Yerim sick in her office and he hasn't seen her even once. They've both been very busy and they resorted to video calls during lunch (so the kids could join in to greet their beloved Yerim imo) and late-night phone calls when the kids were asleep.
They made it work though. Yerim liked to send him his favorite pecan pie or random pastries and cakes from her cafe to his office or his apartment. One time, she sent a very delicious chocolate cake and several other cookies to his home and his family were literally having the best time of their lives eating decadent desserts for the next following days. In return, Jaehyun would deliver flowers or homemade food randomly to her workplace or her apartment.
He learned that she decided to stay in her apartment permanently because she had a fight with her father. She didn't elaborate, but she promised she'd tell him soon and he was grateful enough that she's comfortable enough of sharing her feelings and thoughts to him. It's okay, he thought. Baby steps.
He knew the passcode to her unit after that one time he brought her home when she was sick, but he decided to be polite and pressed the bell.
He heard her voice through the intercom and decided to show Sungchan's face to the camera.
"It's me, Sungchanie!"
He heard her laugh before the door opened, revealing her smiling brightly.
"Imo! I missed you!" Jeno jumped into her embrace immediately and Yerim grinned as she hugged him tighter.
"I missed you too, buddy. How are you?"
"Great!"
"And you, little man?" Yerim grinned to Sungchan as all of them entered her apartment and Jaehyun laid Sungchan down on the couch.
She attacked the baby with tickles and Sungchan giggled happily.
"No welcome hug for me?"
Yerim rolled her eyes but she pulled Jaehyun in for a hug anyways.
"That was the first hug I got from you voluntarily in ten years," Jaehyun mused as he hugged her back tightly.
"Me too! Me too!"
"Alright, come in, family hug!" Yerim beamed as she opened her arm and let Jeno joined them.
"Well, we shall get going now, right?" Jaehyun said as he reluctantly pulled back. He took his time to look at her appearance as she walked to grab her purse and take Jeno's hand on hers. It's his first time in years to see her in a dress and she looked gorgeous. She was wearing a light blue dress that complimented her hair color well, and a navy-colored cardigan to keep her warm.
The drive to the restaurant was cheerful with Yerim and Jeno talking about random things accompanied by Sungchan's excited shrieks and Jaehyun’s random commentaries. They arrived shortly and Yerim took Sungchan into her arms while Jaehyun held Jeno's hand as they walk to enter the restaurant.
"Mind you, I have to bathe and dress up these two kids and pick Yerim up first!" Jaehyun grumbled
Mark and Lucas approached Jeno immediately, pulling him aside and engaging the kid in a talk about toys and stuff.
"For the birthday boy. I baked the cake myself!" Yerim grinned as she handed Dejun a box. The guy beamed immediately, "We'll put the candles on this one, then. Is this… matcha cheesecake? My favorite! Thank you, noona!"
Yerim patted his back before sitting down with Sungchan on her lap as Jaehyun asked the waiter for a high chair.
"Sungchan is growing bigger and bigger each day," Yiyang commented as she watched the kid in awe.
"Well, you're about to pop soon and you will get to watch your own kid grow up in no time, noona," Mark grinned.
"I know. I can't wait for the baby to come out. It's tiring having to carry a watermelon on your front every day," she whined. Sicheng rubbed her tummy comfortingly, a fond smile on his face.
Yerim stared at the lovely couple before her.
"It's amazing to see the woman-hating Sicheng becoming a doting husband," she commented.
Yiyang laughed, "I like that one more of Sicheng's friends is here. I've heard stories from Jaehyun and Ten, but now I can't wait to hear more embarrassing stories from you, Yerim!"
"Oh, don't worry. I got loads of it!"
Sicheng rolled his eyes, "You know, babe, she was the one who ruined the friendship dynamic! It was originally just me and Jaehyun ag—"
"Hey, I was there too!" Ten protested.
"Well, yeah, there's you."
"If I'm not mistaken, you guys were the traitors here! Look, Yiyang, I'll let you be the judge," Ten sighed as he brought his chair closer. Even the younger ones were curious on how Yerim joined the weird bunch. They always thought she had always been part of the gang.
"It was Chemistry class. We all know your husband was the tiest at Chemistry. We were told to form a group, and then the two of them here," Ten pointed at Jaehyun and Sicheng in a scandalous manner,
"Were like, attached at the hip! And they didn't even stand up to invite me to join their group! Hello, I mean, I was already their friend at the time! And then there's this lady who suddenly came and was like, ‘Hi can I join’, and I was like, who are you?!?! But these two ers welcomed her immediately, and ditched me! Their own friend! For a girl! God, the audacity!"
Yerim laughed at Ten dramatic reenactment.
"Look, I just don't like some of the kids in our class and at that time I knew Jaehyun was one of the smartest so I want to join his group. Never mind, there were actually two leeches—"
"Hey, who do you call leeches?!"
"Ya! Yerim and I did all the work! And you're asking how we got close? Well thanks to you, two useless bums, we became the greatest friends!" Jaehyun retorted as he received a high five from Yerim.
"I can't believe it! Wow," Mark sighed dramatically.
"Me too. I always thought Yerim noona were always part of your gang," Jungwoo spoke up.
"It was originally just me and Sicheng since we're friends since we're practically in diapers. On the first day of high school, we met Ten who sat in front of us in class and we sort of form a little group. Mid semester, Yerim joined us after that Chemistry project," Jaehyun explained.
"So, Yerim doesn't have any girl cliques whatsoever?" Yiyang asked curiously.
"Not really. I mean, I mingled with them, but mostly I was with these three airheads. Maybe because they were chill? I mean, girls like to gossip and I've seen a great deal of girl dramas in middle school. So, I sticked to Jaehyun and his friends to avoid… conflicts."
"Our group is very weird you know. 1 girl surrounded by a bunch of guys. And then there's Lucas who always glue himself to Ten in highschool and even drag Dejun with him. People were always curious why there were two underclassmen who always hung out with us," Sicheng smiled as he remembered the past.
"Yeah, and my house would be the basecamp, then Jungwoo who was the still in middle school will join us, bringing along Mark with him. And once he's in high school and we've graduated, the two babies were instantly under Lucas and Dejun's wings," Jaehyun added.
"It was a very weird composition," Yiyang shook her head.
"But it was fun though. I was the only child, and after hanging out with all these guys I feel like had so many brothers so I was really happy," Yerim beamed.
"Yeah, brothers, huh? Brother my . Now you're dating one of them," Ten jutted his lips towards Jaehyun which caused both Jaehyun and Yerim to choke on their drinks.
"See? My prediction was correct. These two are definitely dating! Hey, you owe me thirty bucks!" Dejun beamed at Lucas.
"What? Seriously guys?!" Jaehyun looked at his friend in disbelief.
"You two looked more like a married couple than Sicheng and Y—"
"Hey!"
"Whatever. Anyways, are you sure you're not dating?" Ten raised his brows.
"We're not in that part yet."
"Yet! Yet! That's the keyword!" Jungwoo exclaimed happily.
"Make it official fast!" Mark clapped his hands.
Jaehyun sighed and looked at Yerim who was blushing.
"Oh, not this again…"
Yerim dabbed Sungchan's messy face with a tissue as the little boy giggled like nothing has happened.
"Messy, messy, little man," she clucked her tongue and Sungchan shrieked happily.
Jaehyun smiled at the heartwarming sight. They were in Yerim's apartment, enjoying dinner together.
His cell phone buzzed and he saw his mother calling.
"It's eomma," he told her before taking the call.
"Son! Are you at home?"
"Oh, no, I'm at Yerim's place with the kids. Why?"
"I was just checking. Anyways, you're with Yerim, right? Can you invite her for dinner then? Is she free this weekend? I haven't seen her in years and you've been hogging her all the time!"
Jaehyun sighed, "Eomma… I'll have to ask her first."
"What's wrong?" Yerim asked as she fed another spoonful of porridge to Sungchan.
"Oh, it's eomma. She asked whether you would like to come for dinner this weekend."
"Oh, sure. I'll come by. I missed your mom," she smiled.
"Ma?"
"Yes? What did she say?"
Jaehyun chuckled at his mother's excitement, "She said she will come."
"Nice! Did she still like sundubu jjigae?"
"Huh? Yerim? You liked sundubu jjigae?"
Yerim blinked in surprise, "Your mother asked that? Well, that was one of my favorite foods!"
"Eomma, she said she liked it."
"Good! I'll cook some then! I remembered her liking it so much in the past! Send my regards to her alright? I'll see the two of you soon. Bye, son! I love you!"
"Uh uh. Love you too, Ma."
Yerim smiled, "Your Eomma made us sundubu jjigae on my birthday every time we celebrated it in your place. Come to think about it, she always makes something that the birthday kid like. It was always grilled meat for Sicheng, and Tom Yum flavored noodles for Ten. It was like... roasted duck for your birthday, right?"
"Ah, right. I just remembered it now."
"What's your mother's favorite flavor? I want to bake her something," she asked.
"I think my mom likes strawberries the most. Oh, and pecan pie for me?"
"Oh, you and your pecan pies! Alright, alright. I'll bake them. Maybe some cookies for Jeno too," she smiled fondly at the kid who's eating his noodles well.
"Do you like it, Jen?"
Jeno nodded, "You make the best soy noodles, imo!"
"I'm glad you like it. And oh, I have some silky pudding for dessert!" She beamed.
Jaehyun shook his head, "You spoil my kids too much, Rim. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not."
"Well, the puddings are made from real fresh juice! I don't even add extra sugar! Well, maybe a tablespoon of honey but that's all. It has agar agar too, so it's healthy," she shrugged before launching into a full on speech on how her desserts are a good excuse to feed the kids more fibers.
Jaehyun sighed, "No wonder you're Jeno's most favorite person aside from me. You made him all things delicious!"
Yerim stared at her reflection in the mirror after the umpteenth time of outfit change. She finally settled on a cream-colored linen dress that reached her knees and a nice brown cardigan to keep her warm. She put on her moccasins and rushed downstairs. Her car is still on the repair shop for its annual service so she had to take the cab today.
She went down the elevator to the lobby and sat down as she dialed the number to the cab provider company.
"Hello? Yes, I want to order a cab to—"
"Hello? Ma'am? Excuse me? Where should we send the cab to?"
"Uh, you know what, never mind. I'm sorry," she hastily turned off her phone and ran to the commotion.
"Help! My wife is giving birth!"
Yerim rushed and turned to the security officer.
"Sir, please call 119! I'm a vet and I'll see what can I help!"
Yerim bent down and calmed down the panicked guy.
"Sir, my name is Kim Yerim and I am a licensed vet. I've assisted animal births before and I'll see what I can do to help your wife until the ambulance comes, okay?"
The male nodded in panic and Yerim looked under the woman's skirt to see that the cervix had dilated prominently and she could already see the baby's head.
The woman groaned and accidentally pushed, causing the head to protrude further. Yerim had no choice but to assist this delivery.
"Ma'am, I could already see your baby's head. Can you do another push please?" Yerim said as she reached for her purse. She always had her emergency kit with her, the reason why her purses are never small sized. She reached inside for some gloves.
The woman pushed and after two more pushes, a loud cry could be heard from the whole lobby.
"Ma'am, it's a beautiful baby boy," Yerim sighed happily. A security came with a towel and Yerim wrapped the baby with it before reaching back to clamp the cord between her fingers since she didn't have a sterile scissor to cut it yet.
"Good evening, ma'am. Are you the one who assisted the birth?"
"Yes, sir. I haven't cut the cord because I don't bring any sterile equipment. My name is Dr. Kim Yerim and I'm a licensed veterinarian," she explained.
"Thank you, Dr. Kim, the officers are going to take care of the woman here. Thank you so much for your assistance."
Yerim bowed to the officer and the father of the baby scrambled up immediately.
"Ma'am, thank you so much for helping my wife!"
"It's okay, sir. Congratulations on your son. The kid and the mother are in good hands now," Yerim shook his hands.
She watched as the couple and the newborn being loaded into the ambulance and the apartment's cleaning service coming to clean the mess. She glanced at her dirty dress and glanced at her wristwatch.
, she's late!
"She didn't pick up?"
"No, it's weird. I'm worried that something had happened to her," Jaehyun sighed.
"She's usually punctual?" Her mother asked sympathetically.
"Yes. Or if she'll be late, she wil—wait, she called! Hello! Yerim? Are you okay?"
"Jaehyun! Jaehyun! Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I'm on the cab now! Something came up! Oh my god, I want to cry, I felt bad to your family! Jaehyun! Oh my—"
"Hey, hey, calm down, calm down. It's okay, it's okay. Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah. A woman gave birth at the lobby, I couldn't just stay there and watch so I helped. I'm sorry…"
Jaehyun heard her sniffles and sighed.
"Rim… it's okay, don't cry, please. I thought something bad happened to you. At least you're fine. We're all waiting, okay?"
Jaehyun turned and saw his family's worried face.
"Is she okay? What happened?"
"A woman gave birth in the lobby of her apartment so she had to help. She's okay, she's on the way here," Jaehyun calmed them down.
"Rim!"
She ran and hugged him and apologized countless times. He laughed and patted her back, "Hey, it's okay, it's okay. Everyone's inside. Let's go," Jaehyun put an arm on her back and led her to the dining room.
Jeno jumped from his seat and ran to her immediately.
"Imo!"
"Oh, hey, baby. Sorry imo was late," she apologized as she returned his hug. Yerim stood up and met eyes with Jaehyun's mother. She immediately wants to cry looking at the kind lady and the delicious food spread on the table waiting for her.
"Oh, my dear Yerim!" Mrs. Jung pulled the younger female into her arms immediately.
"How have you been, darling? Look at you, all grown up!"
Yerim smiled, "I’m doing good and I missed you, imo… uhm, Jaehyun said you like strawberries so I made strawberry mille crepes for you!"
Jaehyun's mother beamed as she received the box from her.
"And, yes, your pecan pie, Jaehyun," she added as she glanced to Jaehyun who was smiling brightly.
"Alright, alright, let's sit down. The jjigae is getting cold!"
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