“Appa… when are you and omma going to wake up?”

 

What? Appa and omma? Jong kook was startled. He was suddenly aware of the soft body pressed against him. He felt dazed at the realization of the situation he is in. He peeked at her face and he felt thankful that Ji hyo is still sleeping soundly. Hyo Jong started hitting his back and Jong kook worried that the woman in his arms would wake up. “Baby girl… can you let omma sleep a bit more? I’ll follow you out later okay?” she pouted but then slowly nodded her head. Jong kook smiled as sweetly as he can but he knew Hyo Jong felt bad as she silently walked away.

 

Jong kook tried to move away from Ji hyo quietly. She is a heavy sleeper, unlike her, but Ji hyo tightened her grip on him making Jong kook groan. He gently touched her hand and slowly he pushed it away. He looked at her face, wishing she wouldn’t wake up. She looks so peaceful. So different from her tired appearance… her face. She is really beautiful.  She momentarily mesmerized Jong kook, as he never really had the chance to look at her, except in the pictures. Having her face just inches away from his made him see her vulnerability and her delicateness, making him feel bad. With all that my future self had done, it was a miracle she is still here and not insane. And Hyo Jong, my poor baby, she is so kind and sweet. This family is beautiful so why… Ji hyo opened her eyes. Without realizing it, Jong kook was caressing her face thus waking her. He looked shocked at what he did and Ji hyo’s eyes mirrored the same shock in her face. Then there was anger there, pain. Her peaceful face was gone and Jong kook wondered why he felt so sorry again, when he already told himself it is not his fault, that he was willing to make everything right again. She silently turned her back to him. Jong kook can only sigh. Patience…you are friends now. Need patience Jong kook. “I am sorry. Hyo Jong is waiting for us to have breakfast together.” Jong kook stood up and silently left the room.

 

Ji hyo can feel the hot tears racing down her face.  ‘I’m sorry… if it’s too hard to trust me then we can try being friends…’ what is he thinking? He crushed my heart, I tried to understand but he took away everything already. I am nothing, the pain… does he expect everything to be silently forgiven? I am tired… it’s just a show. Ji hyo curled up in fetal position, hugging herself. She pressed her face close to her knees. Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed. She felt so easy, so helpless against him. His sorry is melting her, and it sounded so true that she wanted to accept it right away. More tears fell when she realized she couldn’t really leave him, not now or in the coming days.

 

____________________

 

“Appa, do you love omma?” Jong kook froze, his spoon hanging in midair. He slowly swallowed his food while the three year old stared at him intently. Her eyes are threatening to pop out again from her head. She looked so hopeful, that Jong kook felt so bad that he did not love her mom. “Of course baby.”

“Then say it!” she stopped eating and again her eyes. It made Jong kook squirm but he is under Hyo Jong’s spell. “I love your omma…” Jong kook wished his voice didn’t crack or sounded so weak. He didn’t even hear himself say it. His heart raced as if he just did something bad, like when he lied to his mother years ago. It felt bitter, lying like that especially because he was a person who can’t easily use the word love. “See omma, appa loves you.” Jong kook turned around his heart beating like crazy. She just stood there with that unreadable expression on her face. Jong kook fell silent, waiting for her reaction, but there was nothing. She took a seat besides Hyo Jong and fed her. Ji hyo’s face became suddenly animated, so full of love and affection. It looked beautiful to him, like a movie. I am an outsider, which is true, literally. Jong kook watched her as he pretended to be engrossed with his food, when in fact all sorts of things are running in his mind. Images of her from last night haunted him. Her peaceful face this morning unnerved him, and now he knows why Hyo Jong is such a good kid despite him. The unexpected sides of Miss Song… he smiled at the thought and continued eating.

 

____________________

 

“Let’s play Running man!” Jong kook tried to hide his frown. He wanted to go to the gym but Hyo Jong doesn’t have to go to school and she wants to play Running man, a game he is supposed to know but doesn't. He took another note to watch the show when he gets some time. Ji hyo must have sensed his hesitance and interfered. “Let your appa go. I’ll play it with you.”

“But omma, I really, really want to play with appa!” then her eyes got big again, threatening to pop out from her head. She pouted and she tapped the floor with her foot. Jong kook sighed, her sweet kid is really demanding but he can’t say no. “Okay, we will play. But you have to teach appa, neh?” she ceased her ‘demanding stance’ and smiled as she threw her small frame to her father. “Assa! Now I will be the Pd so you have to do my missions. Omma is the ace, and appa is the commander.” Jong kook nodded his head, but he is unsure of the whole commander thing. He threw a quick glance at Ji hyo but she is so hard to read. At least she isn’t running away yet from me. The running pun made him chuckle but Hyo Jong is giving out the ‘mission’ already. “Okay running men, the mission for today is a snack race.”

“Snack race again Hyo Jong-ah?”

“Omma this is different, because appa is here I changed the rules.” Jong kook can only watch them. He still doesn’t know how the game works. “Okay Hyo Jong… so what do we need to do?” asked Jong kook. The little girl giggled before speaking in a very important tone. “I hid snacks and your mission is to find them. You can get clues on where is it but... you have to catch me first!” She screamed and suddenly ran away, leaving Jong kook open mouthed with Ji hyo. “Yah Jong kook, if you don’t want to play it is fine.”

“No, I really want to. I just… I mean I don’t know what to do.” Ji hyo gave him a doubtful look. Jong kook felt nervous, he knows he is acting weird and that eventually she will know he is not really the Jong kook she knows. “Okay, since it is your first time playing this with her, just do what she says.” Ji hyo ran after Hyo Jong and Jong kook smiled with relief.

 

Ji hyo and Jong started to look for Hyo Jong who quickly hid herself. Ji hyo looked like she had done it many times with Hyo Jong as she quickly went to find the three year old. Jong kook only followed her nonchalantly. “Jong kook, why do you keep on following me?”

“I am not following you… I am looking for my baby.” she furrowed her brows, giving Jong kook a displeased look. She went to Hyo Jong’s room and Jong kook also followed. “Hyo Jong-ah! And you mister quit following me!” at that time they almost combed the whole house but they can’t find Hyo Jong. Jong kook can only think of one place they haven’t searched yet and went there.

 

Jong kook went to the garage and opened the cabinets to look for Hyo Jong. Shortly, Ji hyo also arrived. “Oh, Ji hyo… why are you following me?” he chuckled at his little joke but Ji hyo looks ready to launch at him. “Hey… I am just joking. Don’t be mad.” There was a faint smile on her face and Jong kook felt relieved. He only wanted to make the atmosphere between them better and not to make her annoyed. Ji hyo’s faint smile evolved to a grin and Jong kook looked at the direction she is looking at. He saw some biscuit crumbs near the closet and he realized it was the reason Ji hyo was smiling and not because of his stalking joke.

 

She slowly approached the door and opened it. Hyo Jong looked up at her mother, her cute face smudged with chocolate. “Gotcha!” Ji hyo swiftly hugged Hyo Jong and gave her a tickling session. Jong kook watched them with a smile. He was suddenly aware of someone beside him. He turned to his side and there was Jade, with a stupid grin in his face. “Enjoying the show kid?” Jong kook nodded. He was wondering where Jade had been and now he appeared where he can’t talk to him. “Hey I am not really gone, remember I am time. I just didn’t want to disturb your family but sometimes I can’t help but watch live when you guys are being like this, hahaha. You are doing a good job here kid, keep it up!” Jong kook only smiled and as suddenly as he appeared, in a flash Jade was gone.

 

“Appa! The Ace won the clue! Now running men find the snacks!” Hyo Jong whispered the ‘hints’ to her mother and Ji hyo grinned. Jong kook also wanted to hear the hints as the competitive streak in him woke up. He tried eavesdropping but Hyo Jong gave him a look which made him back off. The game didn’t really make sense to Jong kook but he was enjoying playing with the family. Hyo Jong kept on giggling on Jong kook’s lost look. He doesn’t even like snacks and he has no idea what to look for. “Hyo Jong, how many did you hide?”

“Appa, I only hid 3. If omma finds them all you will be in trouble.” The word trouble made Jong kook curious but not worried. Then Ji hyo let out a small scream. The father and daughter pair rushed to her. They both found Ji hyo standing in the middle of Hyo Jong’s room looking blank while she held a box of peppero. Hyo Jong giggled but Jong kook didn’t get the big deal about the snack. “Omma, appa you have to do the mission together! Like Jae suk samchon  and appa.” Jong kook was puzzled. He wondered what he and Jae suk did with the peppero, and then it dawned on him. Of course, it was that! The peppero game! He realized that he must have done it with Jae suk and the thought made him shudder. His thoughts trailed off when he glanced at Ji hyo. She was silent and he remembered the events at the school yesterday. It was like yesterday when Hyo Jong forced them to the kissing booth. He looked helplessly at the expectant Hyo Jong. She was only three but she did the weirdest stuff.

 

“Jong kook you agreed to play so just do it.” Hyo Jong clapped her hands in anticipation. Ji hyo gave him a piece of peppero with her still blank face. Jong kook bit the side with no chocolate and lowered his head to her face. He placed his hands on his back and tried to look at the ceiling. He got a whiff of her scent. It was not strong, not too feminine but he liked it. He tried to shake off her peaceful image this morning but he can’t deny the racing of his heart. He can feel her moving towards him. Jong kook flinched when he felt her hand on her shoulder, he looked at her eyes and he realized what he had done. She looked hurt. ‘If you don’t want to play it is fine’, her words echoed in his head. She must be thinking that he didn’t want to be near her. She must be thinking that he hates her, that her husband can’t even bear to look at her. Jong kook felt sick at the thought. He remembered how she looked in her sleep, her face last night. He feels so sorry towards her. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. It was his fault.

 

Ji hyo can feel her heart wanting to burst out from her chest. She feels confused at the way he was acting and the looks he was giving her made her feel somehow giddy. The events yesterday  are eating at her, blurring her hatred. The way Jong kook treated her daughter looked so genuine. It didn’t feel or looked like a show at all. He was so sincere, so different with the man she lived with for four years. Living for four years isn’t even true, since he spent half or more being away. She doesn’t know whether to believe and trust her heart again. She told herself not to fall for it but it was so hard. She gave him the peppero. He looked so nervous, she stepped towards him but he averted his gaze. She touched him and he flinched. Ji hyo tried to stop her tears from falling, but they didn’t listen. She wanted to know. Her pride demanded if it was worth staying, and she got a painful answer. She wondered why. Was it because of those women? Or maybe Eun hye? How can she continue being by his side if he can’t even look at her?

 

Jong kook knows he has to do something. It was not anymore just because of the mission Jade gave him. He cares for this family, his family. Hyo Jong and Ji hyo, it was not even a week but like how a human would pity another, he doesn’t want them hurt. Without thinking anymore, he grabbed Ji hyo’s wrist, stopping her from running away. Hyo Jong silently ate the snack, Jade is beside her, of course unseen. Jong kook forgot about them, the pain in Ji hyo’s eyes scared him. He wanted to erase them, he wants her to smile, not the smile she always has for Hyo Jong, but a real one. He must be mirroring the same pain in his eyes when her eyes registered some confusion in them and he realized they are just the same. He was left by Eun hye, he left her in another sense and they are both nursing their broken hearts. He wanted to comfort her, them. He pulled her closely to him. Her small frame felt familiar against his. He wrapped his arms around her. He lowered his head and fully enveloped her in a tight embrace. “Ji hyo-yah… it’s not what you think. I… I mean… d-don’t leave, please.”

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 Thanks for reading and do let me know how you find this chapter, I am really nervous about it because I haven't written for a while.

And hey guys I'm really grateful for all the comments you left last time, it became the caffeine of my sleepless nights XD urg why am I so cheesy... but I really mean it ^~^