After about an hour of bouncing slightly up and down, his back softly, Jae Hee fell asleep from the tire of crying. I wiped his tears from his chubby cheeks and walked back into the hospital. My face was expressionless. I don’t know if my mind had already accepted the fact that Hyuna is no longer with us.

I continued bouncing up and down with Jae Hee in my arms, patting his back gently. Yoseob came to me with a cup of hot coffee from the vending machine. I refused it with a simple shake of the head.

“Junhyung, let Yaeshin take him for awhile. You need to fill in some papers,” he said softly. Yaeshin offered her hand and I passed Jae Hee to her carefully. I went to see Jihye by the windows of the room where the newborn babies were. I just stared at her innocent face, placing my hand on the glass window as though I’m touching her. Slowly I felt my tears streaming down again.

“Junhyung-ah.. the doctor told me that you have to send them to the orphanage. Hyuna didn’t leave any will that states you will be their legal guardian..” Yoseob said worriedly.

“I will adopt them.”

“Are you sure?” I nodded firmly. I will not let the children be in the hands of strangers. Hyuna wouldn’t even let Jae Hee be in a childcare when she had to work.

Yoseob placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m here to help in any way I can. Remember that. Be strong Junhyung..”

I went to fill in some papers like the hospitality and also Jihye’s birth certificate. I couldn’t let my sorrow engulf me as I need to take care of what is more important now- Jae Hee and Jihye. The receptionist asked me twice if Jihye’s name is really Park Jihye and not Yong Jihye. I just corrected her. I didn’t bother to explain the whole situation.

I stayed up the whole night to settle Hyuna’s funeral and Jae Hee and Jihye’s appointment with the orphanage center the next day. I’m like a soulless zombie, walking around doing the errands without any feelings. No tire, no sorrow. Just.. emptiness.

I had asked the one in-charge in the orphanage how do I get a mother’s milk since Jihye is still a newborn and I don’t think she is able to accept formulas. She said some mothers with newborn babies had offered to so called ‘donate’ their milk to the orphanage center to help with the newborn babies at the orphanage. I’m glad that she said I can bring take some bottles for Jihye.

I know people had been giving me the sympathetic look everytime they know about my situation but like I said, the whole time I was completing the errands, I have no feelings at all. I do not even have the energy to feel angry at them.

Yoseob took a few days off from his work to help me and I was lucky enough that Yaeshin was on study break and volunteered to help me to take care of Jihye. Jae Hee changed a lot. He did not talk much anymore. He grew quite skinnier in a few days since he refuses to eat. He often cries so suddenly when I picked him up and kept on asking for Hyuna. It already pains me to lose Hyuna but it hurts me more to see a 5 year old being like this. He’s too young to be experiencing all of this.

After the funeral and all the guardian issues have been legalized and settle, I can finally rest. Jae Hee is slowly being his normal self but only at home. Sometimes his preschool teacher would call me and told me that Jae Hee would not participate in class and he’s not the cheerful kid he used to be. She advised me to talk to him and I did. But everytime I did it, he would cry and would just ask for Hyuna again.

“Jae Hee-ah.. You know that omma and appa are up there right? What would they feel if they see you like this? If you’re sad, they would be sad too. You want to be a good son and not make omma and appa sad right?” I said softly, his back as he hugged me, crying.

He nodded on my chest. “But Uncle Junhyung… I miss omma and appa..” his voice muffled in my shirt.

“I know.. I miss them too.. But you can’t be like this Jae Hee.”

He lifted his body up slowly from mine and looked at me. I wiped his tears and waited for his response.

“Uncle Junhyung… can I call you.. appa?” he asked innocently. I was caught off guard. I didn’t expect him to ask me that.

“I don’t have anyone else Uncle Junhyung. Please don’t leave me too..” he said, tears already forming in his eyes.

I nodded. “Yes you can call me appa. I promise I won’t leave you. I will take care of you and Jihye until my very last breath,” I promised him.

The first few weeks were hard; taking care of a baby and a toddler wasn’t easy, especially when you’re alone. Yoseob had gone back to work and Yaeshin needs to study for her year end exams. Sometimes my mum would stop by to help out but she needs to look after her own house too. I had to put my business on hiatus for a year since I can’t balance taking care of the kids and work at the same time. Not when Jihye is still very young. Fortunately I have savings in my bank from years of working in the business industry that I can use for a whole year off work.

When Jihye and Jae Hee got a little older and starting school, I started back on my business again. I would take them back to my studio to complete their homework or just wait for me to finish working and we would go home together. Life wasn’t easy, but I didn’t regret one bit of taking them as my own children.

When Jihye was about 4 years old, I told her that I’m not her biological father. She has to know that. I cannot raise them living a life, forgetting who their parents are. She accept it willingly but said that she still loves me no matter what.

There were hard times when Jihye or Jae Hee was teased in school by some of their friends for not having a mother. They cried when I pick them up. I had to talk to the teacher to be more aware of the kids feelings and although the other kids were just playing around, but it was a sensitive issue to them.

I heard a knock on the door on a Sunday morning and my two angels were still sleeping. I opened the door and saw Yoseob standing infront of me.

“Oh Seobbie-ah! Come in!” I said, opening the door wider for him to step in.

“Erm.. Junhyung-ah.. I come to.. umm..” Yoseob said as we sat in the living room.

“You want to borrow money?” He shook his head vigorously.

“Borrow bathroom?” I teased.

“Aniya.. I come to give you this.” He handed me an envelope hesitantly and I took it before he could even think of taking it back. Trust me, he will.

“Let me see.. what is this..” I said as I unfolded the card inside.

MR & MRS YANG

Cordially invites you to their son’s wedding

YANG YOSEOB & JUNG MYUNGHEE

On the

17^th August 2019

“Woah!! Congrats man! You’re getting married!!” I cheered happily, giving him a brotherly hug. He just smiled shyly.

“Why are you so scared to give me this?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Erm.. nothing.. I just was,” he said, hiding something. I know him very well that he don’t even need to say it.

“You pity me don’t you?” I said.

“Ahni Junhyung..” he said, not meeting my gaze.

“Yoseob-ah.. you don’t have to pity me.. I know I’m never going to get married. I don’t want to anyway. I love my life right now; with Jihye and Jae Hee. My heart can’t open up to anyone else other than Hyuna. And now that she’s no longer around, I can only give my love to my two angels,” I said sincerely. He just nodded.

After he got married, he moved out but Yaeshin took over his apartment beside mine. Her college was nearby and it was easy for her to go back and forth from that apartment than her old house. That is when we become neighbours and she would sometimes stop by to look after Jihye and Jae Hee.

14 years later

“Where are we going today appa?” Jae Hee asked as he stepped into the car.

“How do you know we’re going somewhere?” I said, smirking.

“Aish.. Whenever you take me from school it means we’re going somewhere! So tell me! tell me!” he pleaded with puppy dog eyes, blinking it a few times. I chuckled. This boy is already 18 and can still do a perfect aegyo.

“We’re going to omma and Jay appa,” I said simply, starting the car. I saw him forming an ‘o’ with his mouth and he smiled afterwards.

I picked Jihye from school also and we went to the cemetery.

We are not fated to be together in this life. In my whole ‘journey’ of loving her, I only get to spend one year as her friend, one week as her boyfriend, 9 months as her close friend. But yet my undying love for her leads me to have these two angels with me. I will love her forever.

~END~

thank you so much for those who have readed this fanfiction till this very end! I really love and appreciate every single one of you no matter silent reader or not. :) my apologies for some chapters that made you tear up. but I'm a very fair person. even before i posted it up, i have to imagine in my mind the situation first. and yea i did cry so hard. coz my imagination is just too strong. :P so its fair right? hehe ^^ hope you will support me with my author fics too! love you all <3

~eyenazz94

p.s: there will be no update for WPH this week since its ending next week. but im sure, you will LOVVEE next week. keep a heads up! :)