“Yah... you’re getting ice cream on your face” Heechul commented as CheulRi ravages the ice cream. HeeYun just watched her daughter eating the ice cream.

          The three of them were in some ice cream parlour near the hospital. There’s not much customers though since it was a week day. Heechul doesn’t need to cover his face that much, all he have were the hat, the scarf and the fashionable glasses.

                “Do you like it?” HeeYun asked and Heechul looked at her. CheulRi’s eyes brightened and smiled at her mother.

                “NEH! I LOOOOOOVVVEE ICE CREAM SO MUCH!” CheulRi said expressively, Heechul just grimaced.

                “Aww that’s cute” HeeYun said as she patiently wipes off CheulRi’s face. “Let me take you to the powder room, we should get you cleaned up”

                “Ani!” CheulRi said firmly. “I know how to clean myself! I’m a big girl now eomma!” HeeYun frowned at her daughter and then smiled excitingly. She went and grasps CheulRi’s little hands.

                “Jinjja? Then prove to Eomma, get back here well cleaned and if you did, I’m going to buy you a new toy” HeeYun said, CheulRi’s face brightened.

                “Arassso~~~” CheulRi said and happily skipped off.

                HeeChul on the other hand was still wondering how HeeYun raised the kid. It seemed different from all the mothers he had seen. Other mothers would scold their children if they eat messily, but HeeYun just let her.

                “Yah... shouldn’t you tell off your kid if she’s eating messily?” Heechul asked. Heeyun sighed.

                “She’ll learn it eventually... every kid has experienced getting messed up by food” HeeYun said. “But right now, let the kid have some fun”

                Heechul sighed.

                “No wonder your kid is quite different” Heechul said.

                “You’re quite different yourself” Heeyun spats back. “And that’s beyond normal way”

                “Yah! I can be what I want to be!” Heechul responded.

                “Yeah and CheulRi can’t be what she want to be? Is that it?” HeeYun asked testily and caught HeeCHul off guard.

                “She—” HeeChul stopped and thought for a second. “She’s different...” HeeYun stopped momentously.

                “You’re... you’re different”

                That voice that HeeYun heard years ago from the very man in front of her. She couldn’t believe, after all these years it seemed like nothing happened. But then, like they said... change is what constant in this world.

                “Can you tell me something?” Heechul asked. HeeYun looked at him, he was wearing this serious expression that means business.

                “Hmm?” Heeyun hummed in reply.

                “What happened to us back then?” HeeChul asked. “I can’t recall to why you stopped seeing me” HeeYun smirked a little and she placed her elbows on the table and lets her hands fisted together and her chin rested on it.

                “If I recall it perfectly... it was your fault” HeeYun frowned, not looking at Heechul. HeeChul scoffed.

                “How was it MY fault?!” Heechul asked.

                “You were not listening” Heeyun said and smirked. “I told you to listen to me, instead you want to watch that Lion cartoon die”

                “It was like the !” Heechul said remembering the lion king movie incident. “SimBa’s father died because of betrayal!”

(A/N: Well... does anyone knew this Heechul fact? Well... let me explain it to you... this is a fact, a real thing happened before Heechul debuted. The Lion King story: He and his girlfriend decided to watch a movie in their house. Of course, the girl wanted to watch a romantic one. But Heechul wants Lion King so he said to the girl… “Okay, you watch that, and I’ll watch this…”. So, of course, they just end up watching Lion King. When they were watching it, Heechul was really concentrated, he was just silent. But the girl already showed some interest. She kissed him… Heechul said on an interview “It was the , Mufasa was like that… then suddenly she kissed me, I just wiped out the saliva, and continued watching…” After the movie, they broke-up.)

                “You were not listening to me” HeeYun huffed.

                “Yah! And because of that you ditched me?!” Heechul said. “That was such a lowly reason! Even the ants would disagree with you!”

                “The ants won’t care, because they don’t even talk!” HeeYun snapped back.

                “Of course they do!” Heechul hissed. “Ants talk to me when we’re alone!”

                “Ridiculous!” HeeYun rolled her eyes.

                “Aish jinjja this girl!” HeeChul grits his teeth.

                “I was actually trying to tell you something!” HeeYun spats. “I couldn’t get your attention so I kissed you so you’d talk to me!”

                “You could have done that in the other part of the movie! You could have done that when that pig and that skinny thing singing Coconut potatoes—whatever it was called!” HeeChul was palming his face with annoyance.

                “Ani!” HeeYun shook her head. “I really don’t have that much time!, you know was in a tight spot with my father, right?”

                “No” Heechul said stubbornly. “I don’t remember such thing”

                “Aish, here you go again, you never listen!” HeeYun said “Even then before, you never listen!”

                “What were you trying to say... huh? That you got pregnant and banged someone behind my back? Is that it?” Heechul was getting angrier and HeeYun could feel it.

                “No—”

                “Who is that guy?” Heechul hissed.

                “For just once, why can’t you listen?!” HeeYun asked.

                “Is it one of the members?!” Heechul gone on both of their blood boiled for some reason.

                “Eomma?” a soft voice called, CheulRi came out with a very sulky face. HeeYun and Heechul surveyed her... CheulRi was a mess. Her face was clean, but her clothes were dirty. It seemed she stumbled.

                “Omo, what happened, baby?” HeeYun pulled CheulRi and tried to fix her up. Heechul just watched the two of them.

                “ I slid” Cheulri pouted and was about to cry.

                “Omo... mianhe” HeeYun pulled CheulRi in a tight hug... Heechul was surprised. Heeyun’s tears brimmed off her eyes and let her tears fall. “I should have gotten with you... I’m sorry...” HeeYun lets it all out...

                 I promised not to let anything happen to my baby... I always promised that...

                “Positive” The word that made HeeYun shiver.

                “Eh?” HeeYun must have misheard it.

                “You are pregnant, confirmed” The doctor was not impressed. He has this stiff expression like of that disgust.

                HeeYun felt her world began to crumble in pieces. He walked towards along the streets of Seoul... staring into nothingness. She was pregnant and everything meant to be fallen. She placed a hand on her abdomen... she had never felt this way before.

                A mixture of sadness, guilt, humiliation, fright, and deprivation is building inside her... but there’s one kind of emotion she’s focusing on right now. It was the joy that a life is building inside of her... the joy of a soon to be mother.

                How to tell him? And the others?

                “Abort it” A stern voice said.

                “Mwoh?” HeeYun looked at her future manager.

                “I said abort it” He said stiffly. “You can’t debut in your condition and to think you’re supposed to debut in a few weeks, but look what happened to you!”

                “I’m sorry” HeeYun bowed her head.

                “SORRY?! DO YOU THINK SORRY WOULD SUFFICE EVERYTHING!!!” He yelled, HeeYun cowered. “HeeYun-ah, take my advise... abort it”

                “B-but I haven’t told my boyfriend about it yet...” Heeyun said.

                “I told you before, HeeYun... I told you. You are not supposed to have a boy friend... now look at you, you’re pregnant and you’re not even married!” The manager said. “There will be a lot of trouble and the company won’t accept this!”

                “But then... my baby...” Heeyun trailed off her words.

                “Gone!” The manager answered rather harshly.

                “B-but can’t I keep it and come back after I give birth?” HeeYun asked hopefully.

                “NO! You can’t do that! What about the future of your child?” The manager yelled. “If you gone absent, we’re going to leave you behind, we’re not going to wait for you!”

                “Otteoke...” HeeYun frowned, sighing.

                “Abort it” The manager again said, HeeYun flinched. “HeeYun-ah... you’ve come this far! You’ve trained so hard for this and your efforts will go to waste!”

                “But I want to keep this child...” HeeYun said truthfully.

                “Then you choose, that foetus or your dream?”

                What should I choose?

                HeeYun was kept in detention, she could not tell anyone about this. But how long could she still keep it from the people? The women in her dormitory were getting suspicious. HeeYun was getting anxious... either she quits her dream or to abort the baby. The manager demands to abort it.

                Until a month’s worth of time... an unexpected visit came...

                “A-abeoji...” HeeYun dropped the cup of tea she was holding when she went towards the dorm’s living room. A man in his mid 40’s wearing a high-class tuxedo and a sullen0firm expression was looking at her.

                “HeeYun” The man said and took a seat... he gestured for her to take a seat too. HeeYun sat on the seat that was opposite of him.

                “How’s your condition?” The man asked stiffly. HeeYun widened her eyes.

                “H-how did you know...” HeeYun asked.

                “I have my sources” The man responded. “Abort it” HeeYun can’t believe her ears... even her father doesn’t want the child to live.

                Why does everyone want to abort it...

                HeeYun was experiencing emotional breakdown. People were already talking behind her back and she never had the face to talk to anyone about problem. HeeRae was the only one that HeeYun could talk to... but HeeRae was still recovering from her accident. Everyone from the company were looking at her in disgust...

                Abort it... Abort it...

                Those Were the words that kept on playing in her mind. Should she abort the child?

                HeeYun kept herself in the dark. Her mind was kind of unclear; she’s confused, hurt, and tired. She has no one to lean on... everyone becomes her enemy in an instant. Her pains were their source of delight, as though her miseries were a fountain of bliss to them.

                Then she decided... if they want the child to die, then she might as well die with it.

                KNOCK KNOCK!

                Someone’s knocking on her room... she refused to go out since her abdomen had already increased. It was a shame...

                “Heeyun-eonnie” An unfamiliar voice called her. HeeYun looked up from where she was sitting. A young lady stood before her... her face was unclear.

                “Who are you...” HeeYun asked, she felt that young lady rushed onto her and hugged her.

                “Eonnie... it’s me!” The voice said. “It’s me... HeeRae-ah...”

                “H-heeRae?” HeeYun looked at the lady whose face suddenly became clear. HeeYun could see the fresh scar on HeeRae’s throat. “HeeRae-ah!” HeeYun pulled HEeRae into a hug weakly.

                “What happened to you, Eonnie...” HeeRae was crying. “Let me take you to the hospital!”

                HeeYun never felt that she was in the hospital, since when, she had not the slightest idea. She opened her eyes to be greeted by the plain white ceiling. She looked on her side where HeeRae peacefully sleeps while holding her hand. HeeRae felt HeeYun moving, she raised her head to see her sister finally awake.

                “Eonnie...” HeeRae spoke. HeeYun sits up and take a closer look on her sister. Her abdomen already had a small bump on it.

                “HeeRae...” HeeYun smiled softly. “What am I doing here... you should have left me to rot in that place so we could die together...” For a while, HeeYun saw a tinge of anger in her eyes. HeeRae raised her hand—

*SLAP!*

                “H-heeRae-ah!” HeeYun got angry.

                “Mwoyah?!” HeeRae was angrier. “What is wrong with you???”

                “I should be asking, what is wrong with you!” HeeYun answered back.

                “You want to kill that child?!” HeeRae said in a small dangerous tone. “Wae?!” HeeYun smiled bitterly.

                “Everyone wants to have it aborted... if it dies, I want to die with it” HeeYun said then—

*SLAP*

                “Eonnie! Are you them?! Do you want to kill the child?! Are you willing to kill the child just to please them?” HeeRae said.

                “You don’t understand!” HeeYun yelled.

                “Mwoh? I don’t understand?” HeeRae asked “Even though I’m just 15, I understand it completely! No matter how you see it, you’re still going to kill the child!”

                “It’s not wanted anyway” HeeRae scoffed.

                “YAH!!!” HeeRae yelled “Eomma didn’t abort any of us! She didn’t even abort our baby brother even thought it costs her life! Eomma... what would she think of you?”

                HeeYun stopped as she remembered their mother, screaming in pain just to save their baby brother. HeeYun’s tears fell rapidly and sobbed, she never knew what to do... HeeRae went and hugged her older sister.

                “HeeRae-ah...” HeeYun sobbed hard. “What s-should I-I do?” She sobbed and sniffed on HeeRae’s shoulder.

                “It’s alright, eonnie...” HeeRae said. “Keep the child...”

                “H-HeeRae...” HeeYun sobbed harder.

                “Keep the child, Eonnie... remember... the child loves you and will always do...” HeeRae pats her sister’s back.

                The child loves you and will always do...

                Those were the words that kept her holding on, it was as though her elixir to keep going on. HeeRae gave her a reason to keep the child... she was enlightened. By the time she gets out of the hospital, she submitted a letter to the company, letting them know that she quits even though she was at the stage of debuting as a drama artist. She needs to set aside her dream for the sake of her child.

                She approached the place in which she had not visited ever since their mother died. Some of the old security guards greeted her warmly, the old maids attended to her quickly. But she doesn’t need attention right now... all she needs... was the support of the man of this house hold.

                “What are you doing here” a familiar firm voice spoke as she entered the study room.

                “Abeoji...” Heeyun was gathering the courage. She could feel a warm feeling that embraced her. Her father looked at her from head to toe.

                “I see you still had not aborted that thing” The man said and continued reading some files.

                “I do not wish to” HeeYun said.

                “Then why are you here?” The man asked, his eyes narrowed.

                “I-I came here...” HeeYun stuttered. “Forgive me to ask this... I came here to ask for your support” The father just smirked.

                “What made you think I’d give my support?” The man asked coldly.

                “Abeoji... please... I already quitted being an artist...” HeeYun said.

                “Is that so?” The man said. “Then all you have to do now is to abort that child so I could welcome you wholly in this household”

                “I won’t” HeeYun said. The man stopped and looked at her, he was clearly ticked off.

                “Mwoyah?!” The old man stood and took off his eyeglasses. “You dare to come here and ask for my support and then won’t follow to what I say?!”

                “Abeoji... I want to keep this child” HeeYun cried and she got on her knees and knelt before her father. “I’ll do anything as you say, but I want to keep this child”

                “That child is an abomination!” The man said.

                “Abeoji, please!” HeeYun cried. “You are the grandfather of this child... please have a heart... Eomma is always against aborting... you knew exactly that Eomma didn’t even abort HeeRae... I know all about it, please... for the sake of Eomma...”

                The man stood there, pale and disconcertedly... he had loved his first wife. And here comes their daughter begging for the sake of their deceased mother...

                In the end, the father agreed to this. But in exchange... HeeYun has to go to Japan and work... not wanting to have a trace of shame in Korea. HeeYun had to say goodbye to everything... because a new life is awaiting her...

                No matter what happens... I won’t let anything happen to you, my angel...

                “Eomma... don’t worry, I’m alright...” CheulRi muttered.  HeeYun smiled at her daughter.

                “Kaja? Let’s get you changed?” HeeYun said.

                “Neh!” CheulRi smiled. HeeChul on the other hand got his heart warmed up by these 2.

                They went to a nearest department store and had CheulRi change her clothes. HeeYun was about to pay when HeeChul insisted to pay. CheulRi looked beautiful in her new clothes and he thinks that she deserved it.

                “Aigo~ my baby girl is really pretty!” HeeYun said as she held CheulRi’s left hand. CheulRi grabbed HeeChul’s hand. HeeChul looked at the happy CheulRi...

                “Thanks for everything... Appa!” CheulRi, HeeYun and Heechul stopped. “I-I mean... oppa!” Cheulri said, face red as a tomato.

                “You’re welcome...” Heechul said and continued walking. He held Cheulri’s right hand while HeeYun held the left hand.

                Heechul felt... that somehow... they are connected in some way he can’t even explain.

                For a moment there... I almost believed that CheulRi is my daughter...

                HeeChul thought and smiled but still feeling the bit of disappointment.