T H I R T Y – F I V E

Word of the Day – “Agrodolce”

Kyungsoo had spent the rest of the night half-working and half-waiting for any progress regarding their big problem. A Friday night at their bar wasn’t necessarily the best time for Baekhyun to be focusing on contacting these people that could apparently help them. And right now, they were relying solely on that phone call. Kyungsoo had also received a few phone calls from Wonsuk himself inquiring for updates that didn’t exist yet.

But the worst part of it all was that Doh Kyungsoo had no other choice but to prioritize his leadership within the matter and put his personal problem aside—aka his girlfriend who apparently didn’t love him that much anyway. In fact, he wasn’t very sure anymore if  girlfriend was still the right term to use.

Kyungsoo held his breath as Baekhyun walked into the office for the fifth time tonight. However, this time, he had a faint smile on his face. “Uh, Chef. I talked to my mother’s manager and he wants to discuss this personally tomorrow with me. I think they’re gonna help us.” The man explained, grabbing Soobin’s office chair across from Kyungsoo and sitting right in front of him.

“You mean … wait so that technically means you had to tell your mother about your other job? Or, her manager at least?” Kyungsoo asked, quite frantically puzzled of his question.

Baekhyun shrugged. “Yeah, it actually helped my case even better to convince them to help.” He replied casually. “They had to help or else if that goes out then … it’s even more secrets to protect and more problems.”

Kyungsoo looked at the guy, shaking his head in amusement. “Obviously, I kind of get it now … your mother’s a public figure, right? Don’t worry, I won’t ask who but, am I right?” He asked hesitantly. The head bartended gave him a faint nod before looking away. “I just don’t understand, if she was … why wouldn’t she help you and your brother? I mean, whatever her job is—she should help her kids, secretly or not.” Kyungsoo heard himself say and automatically regretted it, realizing that he might be going way too deep with his question.

“No, my brother’s not her kid. It’s just me. I was an accident many years ago and she was originally gonna get me aborted but my dad begged her to keep me and he’ll take me and we’ll never bother her ever. She’d help me from time to time and his staff would send me nice gifts on my birthdays but she’s not really fond of my brother … or my dad, even. She always thought my brother was weird or whatever, the few times she met him. My brother’s really shy and doesn’t really talk that well and—you know, just a bit different. But for me, he’s just a normal teenager, really.” Baekhyun sighed. “I never really talked to anyone about this, this is so weird.” He laughed while squinting a glare at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo sighed. “Don’t worry about it. At least, it convinces me even more that it’s worth helping you.” He briefly replied while nodding.

“I guess we’re even now,” Baekhyun replied while wiggling his eyebrows.

With that said, Kyungsoo’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. Right, this man helped and pushed him to man up and be honest with his feelings for Miyoung. But was it worth it? Was it the right thing to do in the end? Right now … it didn’t seem like it.

Baekhyun seemed to have read the air and lost his smile. “I know you two argued because of me but I mean, you two always argue anyway. You’ll fix it eventually.” He assured, like a friend. Was that even a good thing? Always arguing? Always having an issue? If anything, it was very unhealthy for the relationship.

It almost felt like … they were forcing something that wasn’t meant to fit.

Kyungsoo twisted away and stood up from his chair to reach for his bag on the corner of the office. “Well, just be careful from now on. Tomorrow, hopefully, the meeting with the manager goes well because we don’t know when or how this person’s going to attack next. Are we clear?” He looked at Baekhyun as he draped the bag strap on his shoulder.

“Are you leaving or are you going to Boss?” Baekhyun asked, also standing up.

Kyungsoo looked down to his watch before nodding. “No, I’m just going home. Wonsuk’s probably already tired by now so I’ll just—”

His phone buzzing his pocket broke his words apart. He gave Baekhyun a simple nod before fishing his phone out of his pocket and turning to the door to leave. He frowned upon seeing the Caller I.D. on the screen. It was Sera. His ex-wife. What the ?

“Uh, hello?” He answered with uncertainty as he stepped out of the door.

“Kyungsoo? Hey—” She groaned in between words. “Sorry, I’m so sorry but I just didn’t know who else to call. Mina went overseas for a seminar for her work and her flight back to Korea was postponed due to the storm in Thailand and I’m already at the hospital, all alone right now. It wasn’t supposed to be today. My family’s now driving here from Daegu but it’s gonna take them a while, I don’t—”

“Do you need me?” Kyungsoo asked, going straight to the point.

“I … I do—don’t know—I’m just scared to be alone while I go through this, I’m having the contractions right now and they’re just waiting for my—” She groaned in pain again until her voice was monotone and in high-pitch.

Kyungsoo felt his own footsteps speeding up as he got to the exit. “What hospital are you at?”

When Kyungsoo arrived at the hospital, he quickly asked the front desk for information and he was led to the private rooms on the second floor. He wasn’t thinking at the moment, in fact, he didn’t really know how to think at all. The only thing that ran through his mind was that … there was a baby—no, scratch that—there were babies about to be born tonight. Or tomorrow. Or who knows.

Life. Two lives.

When the door of the room opened, he peeked in and saw his ex-wife pacing slowly around the hospital bed, her hands pressed on her lower back while he hummed and groaned at the same time, as if trying to comfort herself. She was all alone.

He made the right choice of coming.

Kyungsoo smoothed his chest as he stepped into the room, briefly bowing at the nurse who quickly closed the door to leave them both. “Oh, my go—you actually came. I’m so sorry, Kyungsoo, I’m so embarrassed.” Sera immediately apologized once she saw him.

Surprisingly, Kyungsoo found himself smiling. “No, it’s fine. I was just done work anyway.” He approached the bed and hesitantly eyed her from head to toe. “So, uh—I don’t know what I—is there anything, uh, I don’t know. What do you need?” He stuttered.

Sera rolled her eyes and chuckled. “No, I just—it’s more like … for moral support? I just hate being alone right now.” She panted unsurely, her eyebrows meeting at the center.

Kyungsoo made himself comfortable on an armchair near the bed and awkwardly watched the woman pace back and forth while groaning in pain. “Uh, so how’s life?” Sera suddenly started a topic of conversation that Kyungsoo wasn’t entirely thrilled of. Were they supposed to do small talks while she contracted the crap out of herself? He wasn’t sure if it was going to help her.

“Uh, well—” He moved his gaze around the room as if he’d find the right answer somewhere. “Just, you know, stuff. I don’t—”

“Oh, my god, just shut up—ouch ouch ouch!” Sera yelped in pain after shutting him up. “Oh … okay? Sorry?” Kyungsoo scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what he did wrong this time. “No! Just—I don’t know what to do with myself. This is—oh god—Hooooh.” Sera leaned against the edge of the bed and started rocking back and forth.

Jesus, did all mothers go through this? Kyungsoo watched in awe and frankly, in terror for the most part. Was this the reason his mother left him? Because it was too painful? He quickly shook the dumb thought away and cleared his throat.

“Uhh—” He tried to think of another topic to talk about, hoping to distract her from the discomfort and pain. “Can’t you just … get cut open or something? Wouldn’t that make things easier for you?” He suggested only earning a glare from the labouring woman. “Or, I guess—that’s not up to me to decide, huh? I didn’t say anything.” He smiled nervously and looked away.

Raking a hand across his hair, Kyungsoo settled against the headrest of the couch and cautiously watched his ex-wife. Maybe … tonight was the perfect time to do something he’d just recently realized he had to do.