02 | The Parents

***

Upon pulling over the car near the school kindergarten, Yoona was about to head out to unbuckle his son's seat belt when he realized he is doing it on his own. 

"Go help him, Yoona." Seohyun also noticed but she can see he was struggling.

"I was about to." Stepping out of the car, Yoona hurriedly heads to the right side of the car and opens the backseat. "I got it, honey." he said as he leaned into and unbuckle his seat belt easily.

"Thank you." Said Chanyoung, taking his backpack to the side but his father got it for him. He just stepped out of the car casually and bowed to him.

"Aren't you taking your headphone off?" Seohyun creased her eyebrows.

Chanyoung shakes his head. "No, Chanyoung needs it." he explains. "My bag." He asks shifting his eyes back to his father.

"Ah yeah." Yoona immediately helps him carry his bag on his back, smiling brightly at his son.

"Does the teacher doesn't scold you with that?" Seohyun worriedly asked again.

"My teacher doesn't care." 

"I see. Let's get going." Yoona holds his son's right hand and his wife quickly holds his left. Together, they walk to the school for the first time, along with the other families. 

Seohyun felt like she was really now a mother, smiling proudly to the other parents that they were passing. Yoona on the other hand keeps checking on their son and smiles when he would look up to him. He feels like staring at his childhood, he really resembles him.

One by one parent is sending their child to the entrance of the small school, giving kisses and hugs and waves of hands, until when it's the Im-Seo family's turn, the teacher smiled at them to meet them for the first time.

"You guys must be Mr. and Mrs. Im." The young teacher greeted. "I'm Teacher Kwon." and she introduced herself, stretching her hand out to the young mother first.

"Oh, Uh, nice to meet you, Ms. Kwon." Seohyun didn't hesitate and shake hands with her, flashing a friendly smile. "I'm Seohyun."

"I'm Yoona." Yoona introduced himself as well. But he quickly let go of the teacher's hand as he crouched down to face his son back. He fixes his bowl-cut hair and smiles brightly. "Enjoy your day, Chanyoung." he said and give him a light hug.

Chanyoung just smiled a little, still shy towards his father.

"Will fetch you too, okay?" Seohyun informed as she lowered herself and hugs her son. "Don't forget you have a lunch box there. Appa prepared it for you." she said and kissed his cheek before she pulled back.

"Yes." Chanyoung just simply replied and bowed deeply to his parents before he stepped inside. He waves back at them as he jogs toward his classroom. 

Yoona and Seohyun were about to follow when the teacher block them.

"You guys can just see them from the outside. Our walls are glass but only before the class starts, Mr. and Mrs. Im." The teacher explained.

The couple understands. They followed the other few parents that went to the right side of the building. 

"Omo there he is." And Seohyun immediately spotted their son sitting in the middle of the room. She tried to wave at him but he took his book and was busy with himself. "Our son seems a reserved person in school." she noticed he was the only one sitting on his seat while the others are playing around.

"Look at him, so adorable." Yoona took his phone out and took some photos. But he and Seohyun gasp when a boy that had just arrived smacks their son's head. "What the heck is that boy doing?" He got pissed immediately but his wife hold her arm before he could go back to the entrance.

"I told you to keep your temper. The teacher has already scolded the boy." Seohyun said as her eyes are inside the room. Yoona turned and sighs in relief.

"Are you guys the parents of Chanyoung?" One of the parents approaches them suddenly.

"Y-yes. Do you know that kid, Ma'am?" Yoona asked right away.

"He is Jaehyun, the third son of the Kim Corp. He's a bully, even my daughter, he hurt him." The young mother shared sadly.

"What is the school doing?" Seohyun is curious.

"Just a scold and that's it. I mean, the father of that boy is such a powerful person. He owns half of the shares to this school that the president can't do anything."

"Isn't that unfair?" Yoona felt bad for the boys' victims.

"I know right? But he goes to detention after class, so the parents are fine with it." Another mother shares the information. 

"What do they punish him there?" Seohyun wanted to make sure the boy will be punished for real.

"They make him sit in the office facing the wall for about an hour."

"But he keeps doing the same thing." Yoona glanced at Chanyoung and felt sorry for him.

"Well, he's really a spoiled son." Seohyun muttered sighing in the process. 'My baby must be afraid to make friends with that Jaehyun around in the class.' she thought while her heart is heavy. 'Aigoo, poor my baby.'

Chanyoung eventually tilt his head outside when he heard his mother's thoughts. It was the only voice that he heard around that caused his heart to skip a beat. 'So Omma and Appa haven't left.' He smiled at them and wave his hand.

The couple waves back, smiling brightly back at him. 

"I want to ask, why is your son wearing the headphone all the time?"

"Does he has trouble hearing?"

"Um, we too don't know." Yoona answered as her attention returned to the two mothers.

"I see. It's just weird." They smiled and bowed their heads as they left casually. 

"Should we leave now too? I think the teacher is now going to start the class." Seohyun noticed the teacher is erasing the writings on the board already.

"Yeah, we should." Yoona grabs her hand gently as they walk out of the school ground together with the other parents. 

As soon as they got inside the car back, Seohyun took her laptop from the compartment and quickly searched about the Kim Corp. But since the country has a lot of the same company names, she included Jaehyun's.

"Why are you searching for them?" Yoona noticed and she got curious as well.

"Want to know if this company isn't part of the agency's operation strix." Seohyun remembers the agency is keeping eyes on 10 companies around the world that may be involved in illegal activities.

"He's a powerful man as what they shared, he better be clean." Yoona muttered, waiting for his wife to finally find the person they were looking.

A couple of minutes later, Seohyun found the man called 'Kim Taeyeon' and immediately copied his photo and uploaded it to the agency's database. It only took a minute when the man appeared to be one of the pharmaceutical owners and is on the agency's radar as one of the country's big illegal drug dealers.

"Whoa, no wonder that boy is so spoiled." Yoona is surprised to learn. 

"Who is handling this mission right now?" Seohyun muttered as she scrolls down and didn't see any active mission on operation Strix at the moment. 

"They have these lists but there are no agent spies doing it?" 

"I just heard this months ago, probably they're still looking into it." Seohyun shrugs her shoulders.

"That makes sense. But damn, our son is close to a state enemy's son." 

"I know right? More reason to keep our eyes on him." 

Yoona turned off the engine. "Now we're staying until lunchtime." He announced with a determined smile.

"Ha! I thought you want to go to a gym after dropping him to school?" Seohyun scoffed in disbelief.

"Well, that changes the situation now. I'm so glad you are so quick to suspect the kid's family." Yoona smiled proudly. Having a wife that has strong sense made always their mission easy. 

"It's just the first day though."

"Exactly the first day. We should give Chanyoung immediately the reason to get comfortable with us. And also, meet this Jaehyun's father?" 

Seohyun rolled her eyes in annoyance. "We're on a vacation hon."

"I know. But you also agreed to me earlier that we should keep an eye on our son."

"I mean, let's not get involved with them, let's focus on our son. If there's something bad that will happen, then that's where we should protect our son." She explained further.

"Tsk, I'll stay." Yoona stubbornly says as she lowered her seat and leaned her back to it.

Seohyun shakes her head and smiles in amusement. "Well, I got nothing to do at home, either way, let's wait then together."

"I'll buy us some snacks, what do you want?" Yoona shot up and smile excitedly.

"You know my favorites, babo."

"Okie dokie." With a playful salute, he stepped out of the car immediately.

-

Just as their teacher leaves their room to have the class a snack break, Chanyoung her his classmates talking at the back while he is having his sandwich.

"Did you guys see Chanyoung's parents? They look like they just meet."

"I know right? Chanyoung looks so shy and awkward with them."

"He hasn't seen them indeed since he was born, poor him."

"What are you talking about? Chanyoung is not their son. I'm sure he's an orphan!"

"Jaehyun doesn't say things like that, he never told us like that. I know that's his parents!"

"Tsk, I know he's just lying. If they're his son then they shouldn't leave him, right?" Jaehyun is confident with his words. "You're just defending him woojin because you guys are friends."

"I'm not, I'm just telling the truth." Woojin pouted cutely as she glance at Chanyoung nearby. 'His father looks like him though.' He thought and smiled.

Chanyoung heard her thoughts and slowly tilt his head to his right as he smile quietly at her. Woojin smiled back brightly. 

"Yah, Im Chanyoung! Don't smile like that!" Jaehyun stands up and pointed at the mentioned boy.

Chanyoung stuck his tongue out toward him to . But it only made Jaehyun mad as he approach him and push him off of his seat. "Ah!" He grunted in pain when he head one of the desks. "Yah! That's mine!" But he had no time on easing the pain in his left arm when Jeahyun took his sandwich. He quickly snatched it back but the latter has taken a big bite already. He sends him glares as his eyes water. "That was my first sandwich Appa made for me!" He shouted and pushed him hard, the latter was thrown a little away and hit the wall from the back. 

"Uwaaaa!!!" Jaehyun burst into a tremendous cry as he held his right shoulder. "It hurts! Call an ambulance!" But he still manages to shout and ask his classmate.

Everyone is staring at Chanyoung weirdly as if he's the badest kid. They're all judging him. He felt like all their stares are hot that he might melt and disappear. It hurts. 

Lowering his head, he place the remaining of his sandwich in his lunch box and was about to leave when their teacher finally returns, quickly dashing to Jaehyun.

"Who did this to you, Jaehyun-ah?"

"Chanyoung. He pushes him, teacher." One of the female kids informed in an instant, pointing at him.

"Is that the truth, Chanyoung?" Teacher Kwon asks furiously.

Chanyoung is still hanging his head low as he nodded while clenching his fist and gritting his teeth.

"Aish. I need to speak to your parents later." Teacher Kwon said before he help Jaehyun up to his feet and guided him out of the classroom. 

"Cha-chanyoung-ah... where are you going?" Woojin tried to touch her friend but Chanyoung exited the classroom. She sighs in defeat, taking her seat casually. 

Meanwhile, Chanyoung entered the school's kitchen and hide under the table as he cries his heart out silently. But a figure came inside causing him to cover his mouth and tried his best to calm but the lady still found him.  

"Tsk, I knew it. Something happened again?" It's her friend Ji-eun and one of the school's chefs. "You want some?" She offered him an apple.

"Yes." Chanyoung replied simply and slowly took the apple. 

"Come out here." Ji-eun smiled sweetly, offering her hand.

Taking her hand, Chanyoung slowly come out and took a deep inhale and exhale as he sits on the floor next to Ji-eun. "I got angry again and I hurt Jaehyun this time, Noona." He informed sadly. "Because he took Appa's sandwich, I can't control my emotions."

"Jaehyun, again? Tsk, that kid will never stop bullying you, eh?" Ji-eun heavily sighs. She's so eager to hurt the kid as well but they're just kids and she has no right to discipline him when she's just a chef. "So your parents are really back, eh? That sandwich must really be special for you." she smiled as she the little boy's back to comfort him. Every time the latter is in trouble, he always goes to the kitchen and she always finds him. "It's okay, it'll be fine."

"No." Chanyoung shakes his head. "Teacher Kwon wanted to see my parents." He pouted sadly. "I don't want to worry them."

"You're really too different from the other kids, eh?" Ji-eun felt always like she was talking with a teenager or grown-up man. "It's okay, they have your back. They will believe your words, so don't be afraid, to tell the truth. If they won't, then you can call me and I will help you."

Chanyoung smiled a little. "Than you, Noona." He then took a big bite of the apple. Although he's anxious inside, he felt comfortable whenever he talks with Ji-eun. The red-haired chef is like his big sister. He is grateful he has her in school.

"Finish the apple and return to your classroom later, hmm?" Ji-eun leaned into his head for a kiss before she got up and returned to th