FIFTY ONE

Seohyun was fidgety as she watched him pack his luggage. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she pondered over the weeks that he would be away. Although he promised to call as often as he can, and she herself planned to stealthily attend one of their concerts to wherever on earth it would be, she couldn’t brush off the weird feeling of not having him around. She had been used to it, besides it wasn’t the first time he would be away for a tour.

Suddenly, Yonghwa met her squarely and scowled, “Go away, Seo Joohyun, do something else and stop watching me pack.”

“Just making sure you’re not putting anything unnecessary,” she shrugged nonchalantly ignoring her wariness.

That elicited a chuckle as he moved closer and knelt in front of her, “Are you sad? We’ve been through this for what? A hundred times before?”

“Not me, I’m not sad,” she frowned and crossed her hands on her waist, “She is…”

“Oh… my little boy is sad?” Yonghwa pouted fighting back the need to laugh. “Or is it the mother?”

“You’re making fun of me!” She grumbled, “Just you wait when I get appointments far, far away from you.”

He finally laughed and leaned forward to peck a small kiss on her cheek. His hand travelled down on her little bump and spoke rather softly, “Appa will be back before you know it.”

Seohyun sighed and stood suddenly that he found himself stumbling on the floor. She stomped out of the bedroom with her chin lifted high. Without meaning to, he ended up laughing but beneath all that he had this ominous feeling gnawing in his gut. He could only hope it was because of their apparent separation especially on her condition.

The lone kitchen light glimmered as she sat by the counter drinking a glass of milk. She could see him by her periphery as she left the bedroom door wide open when she walked out. The last press appearance she had for a lingerie line caused a bit of panic to her and especially to Taeyeon. Her bump showed despite the loose top she wore for the event and there was no time to change. Some reporters made a joking reference to it but they ignored it with a laugh and a ‘no comment’.

Taeyeon thought it would spark a controversy but so far there was nothing major except the fact that some wrote about it more of a rhetoric inquiry. Because of that, her unnie decided to push through with the plans of sending her abroad as soon as possible but she asked for a month extension. Aside from the earlier commitments in Korea, she wanted to stay for a while closer to where Yonghwa would be touring. If she went to Europe this early, it would be hard to sneak away from work since she couldn’t just travel so much in her condition.

Thinking about it, she realized they haven’t discussed her impending sojourn to France and as if she conjured it, Yonghwa came in sight with a slow smile aimed at her. She pointed the chair across her, “Sit.”

“Whenever you do that, I get nervous…” the smile he was wearing faded, “Should I be nervous?”

She laughed and watched him pull out the chair and sat, “I don’t know, should you be?”

“Stop teasing, Seohyun umma…”

She shrieked a little stretching her arms in front of her and laughed, “Don’t call me that!”

“Why?” he chuckled amused because she was genuinely looking terrified.

“I’m still trying to wrap the idea around my head, okay?” Since her baby was small, she could still pass for a woman just gaining weight. “I can’t believe I’m nearing my fifth month.”

Yonghwa stood and moved behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the crown of her head, “Yeah, let’s take things slowly… sometimes I just find myself smiling silly with the thought of meeting our baby soon.”

“It’s going to be hard,” she sighed and closed her eyes the moment Yonghwa rested his lips on the crook of her neck, “Tough almost… they say first pregnancies are hard.”

“I just want you to be okay,” he whispered, “It’s terrifying for me to think of you in labor. I’ve seen a few movies. I’m honestly scared for you and very very apologetic… not the babymaking part though.”

Seohyun smiled shaking her head by his naughtiness then shifted to look at him, “I can’t say I will be okay just to put you at ease but Hyo Unnie got a good doctor and hospital for me so I’d be well taken care of, as well as our princess.”

“Our little prince,” he chuckled pressing a kiss on her lips.

“You don’t give up, do you?”

“No, not yet…” Yonghwa sat beside her, “Why don’t we go together to see who’d win with this gender war thing?”

“We agreed to surprise ourselves, Oppa,” she retorted with a slight glare but shrugged, “But you really want to know?”

“Yes,” Yonghwa nodded determinedly, “Besides, I didn’t agree with you, remember?”

Seohyun laughed remembering that night they were on that discussion. They ended up in a big silly old fight since she was insisting it would be more special if they will wait until her delivery. Yonghwa wanted to know soon so it would be easier to buy things and start thinking of names but she was adamant. That night ended with her crying and him running to the mart to buy her a tub of chocolate ice cream and a jar of peanut butter.

The next day too, she threw a plate at his direction for her bloated face.

Thus, her current laughter eruption and his resigned expression. She bit her lips and nodded, “Fine! I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow and find out!”

However, Yonghwa frowned, “I’m gone before you even wake up tomorrow, Seo Joohyun!”

“Then when? Your tour ends next month, Oppa. Are we going to wait till then?”

“Go to Japan next week…” he tugged her hand, “We’ll see a doctor there.”

Seohyun looked at him for a moment then nodded, “Okay…”

With all honesty, she really did want to know sooner but the hormone thing just got to her more than she wanted it to. Her Unnie scolded her one time and said that it’s not the hormone that makes her act all weirdly but was only taking advantage of the fact that she was pregnant and she could get things her way. Lately, people around her have been extra accommodating, extra nice and extra sweet.

Taeyeon had a very good point there and she was happy that Yonghwa was not there to hear it.

Seohyun loved the attention—most especially the fact that she could throw tantrums at the father of her child when she feels like it.

So yes, she was shamelessly taking extra advantage of her pregnancy.

She grinned to herself and Yonghwa glared that she giggled. Clearing , she decided to get on with the reason she wanted to talk to him. “I have something to tell you.”

“Oh, okay…” Yonghwa’s expression turned grim knowing that very