20 | A Reason To Live

***

"Omma, Appa is back!" Said Jaehyun as he smile brightly like his father.

Jessica, however, didn't even blink or smile as she hastily grabs her son's hand and pull him away from Taeyeon. "Please leave while I'm still kind enough." she warned Taeyeon sternly.

"I'm... I'm just here to play with Jaehyun... I miss him... and you." Taeyeon gets up to face her. "Don't you... miss me too?" he's hurt by the way Jessica is talking to him. As if he wasn't a good husband and father to their son.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Jessica scoffed in disbelief.

"Omma why? Why are you asking Appa to leave?" Jaehyun is confused looking back and forth with his parents.

"Your father has something to do, Jaehyun-ah." She smiled at her son and caressed his cheeks.

"It's not true, Jaehyun. Didn't I promise we are going to see the stars later?" Taeyeon didn't even miss a beat and talked to his son too. He flashed him a sweet smile in the process.

Jaehyun tried to let go of his mother's hand and did it successfully. He hastily went to his father's side. "Can we go up there and see the stars, Omma? I heard there are meteors tonight." he said and pouted cutely.

"But Jae-"

"Just for tonight, Sica. Please." Taeyeon interrupted his wife, desperate to spend more time with his family after the long flight he had.

Jessica looked at Jaehyun and back to Taeyeon. She wanted to decline but their son would be more confused if she push him away. And she's not ready yet to tell her son about them. "Fine. Just for tonight." She sarcastically added before she approach their son and take his hand. "Let's change you to more comfortable clothes first, honey."

"Yes!" Jaehyun jumps for joy. "Appa, see you later." He then waves his hand to his father earning his smile before he walks with his mother to the room.

Sighing in relief, Taeyeon decided to pick up the drinks and the box of donuts on the floor even if it has spilled some of it. He placed it on the coffee table and takes his seat on the sofa with a smile. 'I'll get you back no matter what... I'll do everything to make you forgive me, Jessica.' He thought at the back of his head.

—

While Taeyeon and Jaehyun are enjoying the night together on the hotel's rooftop, Jessica is sitting not far from them, wondering when will the night end. She just wishes it was a dream so she will wake up later and won't deal with Taeyeon's return.

After a while, meteors are indeed falling from the sky. 

"Omma they're heereee!!!" Jaehyun shouted in celebration. He runs to his mother's side and pulls her close to his father. "Let's wish together." he said as he grins and take his seat between them.

Jessica had no choice but to close her eyes and clasped her hands together. Taeyeon smiled at her before he also clasped his both hands and close his eyes.

Jaehyun giggles and immediately followed his parents.

'I wish Appa will finally stay for good.' He wished while smiling from ear to ear as the meteor showers continue to fall from the sky.

When everyone's finished, Taeyeon grabs his phone out of his pocket and scooted closer to open the camera on it. "Let's take a selfie." He said and Jaehyun smiled brightly while nodding his head.

Jessica couldn't help and roll his eyes in annoyance but she remained quiet and smile at the camera together with her family. 

"Jaehyun-ah, how about you take a photo of Omma and Appa?" ask Taeyeon the moment he captured their family selfie.

"What?" Jessica literally sent him glares. Taeyeon just smiled sweetly at her which is making her more annoyed but she keep it in, not wanting their son to see them fight.

"Yes." Jaehyun however didn't hesitate as he excitedly took his father's phone and stepped forward before them. "Omma moves closer to Appa." however, he finds it awkward when he realized they're not that close to each other.

"What? I'm okay here." Jessica insisted.

"I'll just move, Jaehyun-ah." Taeyeon flashed his son a sweet smile as he moved closer to his wife. He can feel how uncomfortable he is and he somehow understands her. What he did was unforgivable but he is hopeful she would still forgive him, maybe not too soon.

"Smile, Omma." Jaehyun instructed again because his mother is frowning.

Jessica sighed in defeat as she smiled at the camera with her hands on her knees. Sitting with someone she despised feels like she's in a hot seat. "Just click the button already." she impatiently told her son.

"Yes." Jaehyun giggles as he holds the phone in both hands. Both of his parents are smiling and he can't but smile giddily. He then tapped it once but couldn't resist and tapped the capture for a few times. "Done!" Before he announced. He hastily returns to his parents and handed his phone back to his father.

"Now it's time to return to the hotel room." Jessica said as she stands on her feet.

"Chincha?" Jaehyun immediately pouted sadly. "But Appa is staying-"

"No, he isn't, Jaehyun. Right, Kim Taeyeon?" Jessica looked at her husband with a fake yet sarcastic smile.

"Yeah, I need to go somewhere, Jaehyun-ah. You know, Appa is a businessman and does trips often. Next time, hmm? Give me a hug." ask Taeyeon as he spread his arms.

Sighing, Jaehyun hugged his father. "I'll miss you again, Appa." he softly said. "Please hurry and come back."

"I will, don't worry." Taeyeon replied as he positively hugs his son. "I'm going to miss you too." he added, gently giving him kisses on his forehead. "For now, look after Omma, Okay?"

"Yes, Appa." Jaehyun instantly replied, flashing a small smile.

"That's enough." Jessica grabs her son's arm to break their hug. Jaehyun waves his hand enthusiastically at Taeyeon, saying goodnight to him as he drags him with her to the door.

Sighing, Taeyeon smiled a little as he shifted his attention to his phone. At least they have good photos together and it gives him hope that Jessica will forgive him. 

Suddenly his phone changed into someone's caller ID making his smile drop as he answered it. "Where are they?" he automatically asked the private detective he hired to locate Minho and his group.

***

Chanyoung blinked and blink innocently as he looked at his father closely, who was sleeping on the sofa. He poke his cheek a few times and giggle when he saw his father's lips curve into a tiny smile.

"Chanyoung!"

He got startled when he heard his mother from behind. He smiled right away at her as he turns his head behind. "Appa sleeping here." 

"Yeah, I can see that." Seohyun said as she approach them. "And looked like he just got home or what?" she bends over to see her husband's face. "Can smell the alcohol, tsk."

"Appa stayed outside all night?"

"Obviously, honey. But looked like he looks fine so no worries about him." 

"Poor Appa." Chanyoung pouted sadly. "Has he eaten yet?"

"Of course, he hasn't." Seohyun chuckled lightly. "Come on, help me prepare breakfast."

"Okieee dokie." A big grin plastered Chanyoung's face as he animatedly followed his mother to the kitchen. 

—

"Where's your son?" ask Yoona as he finally takes his seat in their dining area. He let out a huge yawn in the process.

"Upstairs. He's playing." said Seohyun while washing the dishes. "Just help yourself there." 

Without a word, Yoona pick up his chopsticks and began his meal. He is having egg rolls, rice, and dumplings like usual but he felt gloomy to be eating alone. However, he understands since he wakes up late. 

"Where were you all night?" ask Seohyun after a couple of minutes between and once she finished washing the dishes. She turned and walk to the table with raising eyebrows.

Yoona briefly smiled before he took a small bite of his eggroll. "Went to find a solution." He shared.

"It's going to be tonight, we don't have a decision yet. I mean, a decision or a plan on how are we going to handle this."

"We have different opinions, don't we?"

"Yes, but we can come up with a plan. How about doing both together?" Seohyun suggested. Last night she had thought of it over and she suddenly had this idea that could succeed if they perform it carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, give Minho what he want while at the same time, we will capture. We will fight them."

Yoona slowly nodded. "I see. Honestly I have a new plan as well."

"Hmm?"

"You see, they have families too. They could be their weak spot if we find their families. It's like bait too."

"Can you do it for the whole day?" Seohyun remembers Minho giving them until 8 pm in the evening. There isn't plenty of time left.

"I asked Sunny Noona's help last night. She'll probably have their information now." Yoona replied with a determined smile.

"Are you going to bring their families to the location?"

"I could if we could persuade them."

Seohyun nodded as she ponders for a couple of seconds. "And then what?"

"Once we got what we wanted, we can steal the antidote without handing the money." Yoona further explained. 

"I... still don't like this idea." She shakes her head a little. 

"What? Why? I mean, our main priority is the antidote. We should get that no matter what." 

"Have you talked to your son if he likes to get the antidote? I doubt he would love that." Seohyun has come to accept the fate of her son. She may be experiencing those headaches but the fact that their son loves to help others somehow changed her stand on the issue. She wanted her son to freely do whatever he wants now. "I know we agreed about this before come to think of it... it's not harming him. We just have to always protect him from the people's eyes."

Yoona is agape and speechless. He thought he has succeeded in convincing his wife but looks like she always chooses what she believes is the right thing to do. "Okay, I get what you mean."

"We can just beat them without getting that antidote, Yoong. I don't know but I don't trust that antidote especially when the scientist only created it 2 weeks after they got a hold of our son. We can't guarantee it will help our son."

"I'm still doing what I am planning... I'll think about what you're trying to say." He said coldly as he finished his meal.

"Yoona, I hope you open your mind to-"

"I'm open-minded, okay? But... we never know what will happen." He shrugged his shoulders and get up abruptly before leaving the dining area.

"Aish." Seohyun hissed, couldn't believe they still couldn't agree with one thing. "I hope he doesn't do it rashly." she sighs as she looked outside the window.

***

"Yeah, whatever." Seohyun put her phone down on the sofa after reading Yoona's message that he was going to talk to the families and asked her only to stay at home with their son. She had no mood to go out either way and decided to stay in the living room while Chanyoung is asleep upstairs. She had fun teaching her son math and played with him around the house but was quite tired from all the activities. Being a hands-on mom has never been easy but she loves every moment of it.

Letting out a huge yawn, she turned off the tv after the movie ended and she get up to grab the vacuum nearby so she can have something to do while Chanyoung is still asleep. While busying herself, she plays her favorite songs on her phone and sings them loudly like she's the real singer of every song that plays. She's doing it for the next three hours and ended it with a big exhale as she plops back to the sofa exhaustedly.

She was just relaxing for the next couple of minutes when she suddenly started hearing footsteps from upstairs. She gently pulled herself up and finds her son walking downstairs carefully with a backpack he was carrying on his back.