Soo Young was on his way to the studio when he stumbled upon a box filled with litter of kittens. They were so small and fragile. He noticed the mother cat was lying still on the side of the box. She was sick. He lifted her up gently in his arms.

“Are you sick, Mommy cat?

He caressed her fur carefully. He was worried for the cat and her kittens. So Soo Young decided to bring them to the vet. And he could only think of one person – Dr Kim Taeyeon. He put the cat back into the box with her kittens. He then picked up the box carefully and made his way to Taeyeon’s clinic.

“Hey Soo Young, you’re here!”

Sunmi saw him from far. He smiled and nodded. He then put the box in front of Sunmi.

“What’s this?”

“I saw this mother cat and her kittens. I think the mother is sick.”

“Oh?”

Sunmi removed the top cover and there were 8 kittens mewing hungrily. The mother cat looked lifeless. Sunmi checked on the cat and realized that she needed urgent medical attention.

“I’ll bring the cat in. We’ll check on the kittens later.”

“Okay, I’ll stay with them.”

“Don’t you want to come in as well?”

“It’s okay; I’ll wait here.”

Soo Young took the box and sat on the sofa. He placed the box next to his feet. He took out one kitten and it was mewing. He was playing with it when Taeyeon appeared at his door step. He looked up – he misses that smile of hers. The lady was smiling at him.

“Soo Young, is the cat yours?”

“No, I saw her at the bus stop. Is she alright?”

“She is malnutrition but I’ve given her some drip. She should be fine after few hours. Can I see the kittens as well?”

“I’ll carry the kittens inside.”

Soo Young stood up and picked up the box. Taeyeon helped him with the door and Sunmi was already busy putting the drip on the mother cat. She then disappeared into the inner room so that the mother could rest better.

Taeyeon took out the kittens one by one. There were 8 of them.

“Okay, there are 6 males and 2 females.”

“Oh? How do you know?”

Taeyeon looked up in amusement.

“You can check for such things you know?”

“I know but teach me how.”

Soo Young rolled his eyes when Taeyeon was grinning at him; probably thinking how stupid he was.

“Here, turn it over.”

She put one kitten in Soo Young’s hands gently. He held the kitten gently in his palm as Taeyeon gently pressed on the tummy. Soo Young then saw something.

“Ah, this is a male! Wow, that’s really small.”

“Are you mocking at the little fella now?”

Soo Young stuck his tongue out. Taeyeon chuckled softly. They were being friendly and Soo Young missed this so much. They used to hang out together until recently. Taeyeon was giving the kittens injection to protect them against diseases. They started mewing so loudly and Sunmi came out with 8 milk bottles. Taeyeon took four of them.

The two ladies started feeding the kittens; 4 kittens at the same time. Soo Young looked on and he wanted to try as well. He took one bottle from Taeyeon.

“How do I feed him?”

Taeyeon showed him how and her body was in a close proximity with his. His heart was beating faster and harder.

“Hold the bottle like this and put your hand out. He needs support. Cats normally do this as a form of endearment.”

“Oh?”

Soo Young did what Taeyeon asked him to. And the kitten was drinking hastily. It was obvious to them that the kittens were hungry. Sunmi was already done with hers. So she took two more bottles and fed the other hungry kittens.

Soo Young was staring at Taeyeon. She was soft and gentle towards the kitten in her care. She cuddled; caressed and even hugged the little fella like as though it was her baby. Soo Young’s mind started to imagine how Taeyeon would be towards their baby.

Soo Young was stunned when that image came into his mind. He shook his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Nothing, there was a fly buzzing near to my ear.”

Of course he was lying. He had to lie.

“Oh, is that so?”

Taeyeon walked over to his side and stood closely with him. She leaned closer and touched the side of his face. Soo Young’s face was turning red.

“I don’t see it.”

“I think it might have flown away.”

“Oh, okay.”

Sunmi was watching them and Soo Young caught her smile. She stuck her tongue out and winked at him. He was helpless when Sunmi decided to leave the couple alone.

“I’m done with the bottles. I need to tend to the reception in case we have other patients. I’ll see you later.”

Sunmi left them alone and there was an awkward silence between them. Taeyeon was calm and composed as she put the kittens back inside the box. Soo Young was still feeding his.

“He’s not drinking?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Let me see him.”

Taeyeon took the kitten from Soo Young and realized that the kitten’s eyes were still close. She then swiftly took out some cotton wool and poured some liquid on it. She held the kitten gently but firmly as she wiped the cotton wool gently on the kitten’s eyes. Her careful and gentle touch somehow got the kitten to calm down and relax completely in her hands unlike when Soo Young handled him.

“He has some pus around his eyes.”

“Oh, is it dangerous?”

“Nah, it’s common in kittens. They will dry off after awhile. I just need to apply antiseptic so that it won’t cause infection.”

“Are you going to keep the kittens here?”

“The mother is not capable of taking care of them.”

Soo Young looked at the kittens; most of them were falling asleep because of their full stomachs. He smiled as he caressed their fur gently; one of them was purring.

“I can take care of them.”

Taeyeon turned to look at him.

“Are you sure? They can be quite a handful.”

“They’re so cute. I just hope the guys won’t mind.”

“I can help if you need me to.”

Soo Young was hopeful. Taeyeon managed a soft smile and it set Soo Young’s heart at ease. There was a sense of tranquillity in her smile that was really putting Soo Young’s mind at peace.

“I need help definitely. How do I feed 8 kittens with just two hands?”

Taeyeon chuckled softly. She nodded.

“I’ll help then. Do you need to bring them back later?”

Soo Young looked at the box.

“I need more kitty stuff. They can’t be staying in that box all the time.”

“There’s a pet shop nearby. I can go with you.”

Soo Young looked at the time. They still have 2 more hours before the lunch break and he knew Taeyeon would close her clinic at 2pm. He smiled widely.

“I’ll come by later at 2pm. We can have lunch and buy the kitty stuff.”

“Sure, I’ll see you later then.”

Soo Young’s smile was reaching his ears. He was excited about lunch time – he was going to have a short lunch date with Dr Kim Taeyeon.

-

Yul was waiting for Tiffany at the lift lobby. He made lunch for his girlfriend. He saw her after awhile; coming out from the lift. Yul waved happily and his girlfriend was already smiling so widely that her eye smiles were so prominent. Yul loves her eye-smiles. He told her; those eye-smiles were his. And she could only give those eye smiles to him.

She approached him quickly; practically running up to him. She was more excited to see the packed lunch in his hands.

“You made lunch?”

“Yup, just for you.”

“Awesome!”

“Let’s go to the nearest park. We can have a romantic lunch date under the trees.”

“Sure!”

Yul put out his arm and Tiffany hooked her arm with his. They were so perfect together and nobody could deny that. They had small talks and Tiffany was smiling so widely. She has never had such perfect boyfriend like Yul.

They settled down at the bench under a huge tree. It was shadier and Yul took out his lunch box. He opened up the lid and showed Yul what he had made for her.

“Sushi?”

“Yup, I made them with Yoong earlier on. He’s on the way to meet Jessica now.”

“With cucumbers?”

“What cucumbers?”

“You know Jessica’s allergic to cucumbers, right?”

“I think Yoong’s aware of that. Hers are cucumbers and salmon free.”

“Okay, can I have my lunch now?”

Yul nodded and took the liberty to feed her. Tiffany was clearly enjoying her moments with Yul. He even brought hot coffee in a tumbler. The coffee was still steaming hot and Yul carefully placed the mug in front of Tiffany.

“You drink this. Later on, I’ll give you some juices. I was at home; squeezing the fruits for you. It’s good for health. You bring back to office later and put them in the fridge. When you want to drink, at least it’s cold.”

“Yes baby.”

Yul smiled and continued to feed her. Tiffany looked on with her heart swelling with love. She never thought she could find someone like Yul. Someone who gives his everything to him and sometimes Tiffany imagined her life with him as her husband. Tiffany was certain that she would be the happiest woman on Earth.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Yul, I’m so blessed to have met you.”

“Oh? Do you think I’m the best boyfriend in the world?”

“Of course you are!”

Yul grinned widely.

“Kwon Yul, you have no idea how much you mean to me. Sometimes I wished I’ve met you earlier.”

“Well, you have met me now. And I’ll never let you go, Tiffany.”

Tiffany nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. Yul was reliable and dependable. Tiffany has never felt like this before – she turned into a little girl when Yul was with her. Suddenly her phone rang and her face brightened up immediately. Mason was calling her.

“Baby, you wanna meet Mason?”

“Huh? Now?”

“Yes, I’ll introduce him to you.”

Tiffany answered her phone and her son’s face appeared on her phone screen. He was so gorgeous; like a doll and Yul was taken aback at the strong resemblance between Mason and his father, Nichkun.

“Mommy!”

“Mason! What are you still awake? It’s late now.”

“I miss Mommy! Papi told me you’re going to bring me to Korea soon?”

“Yes, baby. Mommy’s going to bring you home and stay with me.”

“Yay!”

Yul waited for Tiffany’s introduction. Yul was always considerate like that. He was busy with the food in his hands. He didn’t want to disturb Tiffany’s precious moment with her son.

“Mason, Mommy’s going to introduce you to someone.”

She nudged Yul in his arm; pulling him closer to her. Yul was looking at her first before turning to the phone. Mason was already staring at him; with a curious look in his eyes.

“Who’s that, Mommy?”

Tiffany turned to look at Yul before smiling widely.

“This is your new Daddy, Mason.”

“My daddy?”

“Yes, he’s going to be your new Daddy. He’s going to bring you home to live with us.”

Yul was surprised when Tiffany said that. She was already referring him as her son’s father and it was a huge surprise for Yul. He was pleasantly surprised.

“Yul, do you want to say something to Mason?”

“Hi Mason, I’m Yul. I’m going to be your new Daddy.”

Mason was still staring at him. His eyes were full of curiosity and Yul feared that Mason might not accept him. He didn’t think of that. But it was totally unfounded. The boy smiled immediately at him.

“You’re Mommy’s new boyfriend?”

“Yes Mason, I am.”

“Do you love Mommy?”

“Of course I do.”

“That’s good. Mommy is no longer sad anymore!”

Tiffany was taken aback at her son’s revelation. Yul smiled widely and kissed Tiffany’s forehead.

“I’ll make her happy, Mason. And I’ll promise I’ll take good care of you too.”

Mason nodded. Then the little guy started yawning. He was probably getting sleepy as it was 3 am in the morning in US. Tiffany persuaded him to sleep and the boy listened obediently. He said his goodbyes and even made Tiffany kiss him through the phone. Tiffany was obliged to do so.

After Mason hung up, Tiffany took Yul’s hand and squeezed tightly. Yul smiled.

“Even Mason knows you have been unhappy all this while.”

“I never knew about that.”

“He’s your son. He knows how you feel. It’s just that he couldn’t put his feelings into words.”

Tiffany nodded; tears were forming in her eyes.

“You don’t have to worry anymore. And you will never have the chance to be sad anymore. I’ll make you happy for the rest of your life and we’ll be one happy family with Mason, okay?”

“Yul, I promise you. I’ll love you forever.”

The couple kissed to prove their eternal feelings for each other; ignoring the people walking about in the park. They only have each other.

-

Yoong stood in silence as his head hung low. Jessica was behind him; holding his hand tightly. They were standing in front of a grave – Yoong’s father. Jessica finally met his father – they have the same eyes. The photo on the tombstone was an exact carbon copy of Yoong.

It was his father’s death anniversary and as usual, Yoong would visit every year. He had always come here whenever he needed peaceful and quiet moment to think. But this year, it was different. He came with the woman of his choice – Jung Jessica.

“Daddy, it’s me again.”

Yoong’s voice was shaky. Jessica had never seen this side of Yoong. His eyes were completely red and there were sniffles. Yoong must have loved his father so much.

“I miss you, Daddy. It has been so long since I came to visit. I’m sorry. I have been busy with the competition and I’ve met someone.”

Yoong glanced to Jessica who blushed at his words.

“She changed me, Daddy. I’m no longer the same Yoong that you used to see every year. I think you can understand my heart and you can see me from where you are, right? I’m happy, Daddy.”

Jessica wiped his tears away as they rolled down from the corner of his eyes. He gave a quick smile and Jessica hugged him.

“But I’m still a failure, Daddy. Omma couldn’t forgive me just as yet.”

His voice softened. It was with at tinge of regret and sadness.

“I don’t know how I could convince her that I won’t leave her the way you did, Daddy. She hates boxing so much that she rather kicked me out.”

Jessica bit her lower lip. She knew the reason why his mother hates boxing. But she was sworn to secrecy with Mrs Im  - she couldn’t tell Yoong the truth about his father’s death.

“Sometimes I contemplated if I should give up on boxing and listen to her. All the time I wondered if I could make her happy and if giving up something that I love so much just to make her happy, I thought I could do it. But boxing has always been a legacy in our family. Why couldn’t she understand that, Daddy?”

Yoong then knelt down; Jessica followed her through. She was caressing his back as Yoong was tearing up. She couldn’t understand his pain because her parents are still with her. But nevertheless, she wanted to be there for her man.

“Daddy, should I give up boxing to make Omma happy? I know you wanted me to be the best professional boxer in Korea but Omma’s not getting any younger. I want to look after her, Daddy.”

Listening to Yoong’s confessions made Jessica felt worse by the minute. She never knew how much her happy-go-lucky boyfriend has been suffering all this while. He always appeared happy and dorky in front of her but deep down in his heart, he was miserable.

“Yoong, don’t be like this. Your mom knows how much you love her.”

“But I want her to be happy for me. I want to see her smile whenever I visit her. I haven’t seen her smile since Daddy’s death. It’s killing me, Jessica. It kills to know that my mother hates me and my job.”

Jessica’s eyes were watery. It hurt her so badly to see Yoong’s world crumbled slowly in front of her. She grew up in happy rich family. Her parents love her so much and they have always been protective of her.  But not Yoong; he grew up alone. His childhood wasn’t that perfect and he couldn’t understand why he couldn’t make his mother happy.

“Trust me, Yoong. Your mother will come around one day. No mother will hate their child.”

She pulled Yoong closer and hugged him tightly. She squeezed him tightly in her embrace and that prompted the guy to cry his heart out.

“Baby, I promise you. Things will change for the better. You have to trust your mother. She loves you, baby. She does.”

Yoong nodded like a little boy.

“And I’ll love you for the rest of my life. I’ll make you happy.”

Jessica promised on her life that she would – she would make Im Yoong happy for the rest of his life.

-