Her eyes inched wider, her gaze heavy on him.

“Mommy! Look!” Soo Ae called out, forcing her to turn and give her a smile. After a few seconds she turned back to Sehun.

A boisterous laugh erupted from her lips. A dire need to deflect his feelings from getting to her became an urgent need. “Have your friends been saying weird stuff to you?”

“Namjoo…”

She shook her head, “Come on, Sehun. Don’t do this. Why would you? I haven’t done anything for you…and we…this isn’t real.”

“Then what part of it is fake?” He asked. “Everything’s been pretty real so far.” She watched him press his lips together to gather more determination. “I’m just telling you how I feel. If you think about it, you never needed to do anything to get my attention.”

This, Namjoo had been afraid of this. She never wanted to confront this kind of madness. Since the very beginning, maybe she’d been afraid that Sehun would do this to her if she let him get close. Namjoo never could tell if Sehun was the type to be easily swayed. It probably wasn’t that, since he inherited his mother’s stubborn streak. If at this point, with Soo Ae so in love with him she wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye and shut him out. And she couldn’t forget that he’d been good, real good to her so far.

Namjoo was fearful that history would repeat itself. His goodness always twisted her up in ways she never understood. That was why she never turned him away.

Somewhere at the back of her head she could hear the echo of his innocent laugh. There was one time in her life he’d been so naïve with her, but now he’d totally grown up. He towered over her and he wasn’t just someone she used to know anymore. He was her husband and her daughter’s father.

“Daddy! The kite’s stuck!” Soo Ae shouted toward them. Turning away from her Sehun got up to help her daughter untangle to strings of the kite. She watched them closely interact, Sehun guiding Soo Ae along with patience and her daughter listening intently.

They were her family, but she was scared. If this all turned out to be some kind of disappointment in the end, not only would she be hurt, but Soo Ae would carry the pain with her for the rest of her life.

As they prepared for bed later that evening Namjoo found herself locked away in her thoughts. Yes, at the very beginning she had been against Sehun’s involvement in her and Soo Ae’s life. They’d been completely happy where they were in Muju before he came along. Neither would she have expected that Soo Ae would become so attached to him or that Sehun would want to father her. Where did that revelation ever come from?

Sehun was supposed to be better off with someone who had the ability to devote herself to him, but out of all the women who had lined up for him, he’d chosen her. That was one thing Namjoo decided she would never be able to understand. She never went to college nor had she completed high school. Everyone knew her as a young teenage whom they thought gave birth to the girl she raised. For all she was sure, Sehun should be with someone in his league.

Was he dumb or something? To always be choosing the worst, even when he had the chance not to. Yet, here he was…with her again. Now as her husband, he was granted the privilege to do all he wanted. That made her afraid too.

The lights were out when she returned to the room after making sure Soo Ae was well asleep. She slightly hoped Soo Ae would wake up from another nightmare and plead to sleep with them. As she to her side that night she knew that her daughter was having good dreams after playing so well with her daddy that day. Sehun had called it a ‘date’ – their date.

Maybe she was nervous too, she decided. If there was one thing she was weak to in this whole world – it was a person’s kindness. It was one thing she rarely had when she was younger and one thing she ultimately cherished upon receiving. That heartwarming touch that would spread through her body upon receiving it was like magic. One of her life’s biggest treasures in no physical form.

Namjoo immediately clamped her eyes shut when she felt Sehun shift beside her. For a moment she feigned sleep when he moved. If he realized she was awake he might say something and she didn’t want to listen to what he might have to say. Instead, after a few silent seconds she felt him move closer before bravely slipping his arm around her.

Holding her breath she listened to his breathing ease as he fell back asleep. Sehun always had his ways with her. From when they were young teenagers he always had her wrapped around his hands.

*****

“Mother,” Eun Bi spoke that morning by the stove. “I never thought of it before, but So Min said something that caught my attention yesterday.”

“So Min?” Sehun’s mother repeated. “Is she one of your friends? There were so many the other night I couldn’t keep track. What did she say?”

“It’s about Soo Ae, Sehun’s daughter.”

Sehun’s mother immediately muttered something incomprehensible, but Eun Bi didn’t pay attention. “Have you ever wondered if she has any resemblance to Sehun at all?”

“Oh, what are you speaking about?” His mother sounded irritated with the mention of Namjoo’s daughter.  

“I’m just saying,” Eun Bi went on, her eyes darting toward the living room to see if Namjoo was there. She didn’t want her overhearing her. “Doesn’t a child usually take after his or her parents?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“So Min said Soo Ae looks nothing like Sehun,” Eun Bi finished her theory. “Have you noticed that, mother?”

“Well…” Sehun's mother hesitated. She didn’t want to admit it might be true, even after her son declared that Soo Ae was his. There would be no shame on his family if Soo Ae wasn’t Sehun’s, then on the other hand, she wasn’t willing to keep a child that wasn’t from her son. “I’ve never really looked at her, but Sehun already gave his word for it.”

“What if it’s because Sehun pities her? That she has no father?” Eun Bi kept the doubts rolling off her tongue. If, she thought, they could prove that Soo Ae had nothing to do with Sehun they’d be able to make Namjoo and Soo Ae leave the house faster. Then she’d be able to have Sehun all to herself. If that didn’t sound like a splendid idea, she didn’t know what else to do if that woman wouldn’t leave her man. And she knew Sehun’s mother would listen to her, because when didn’t she?

She kept her eyes trained on Sehun’s mother, whose eyes were clearly now leveled with doubt. It wouldn’t take much to make her suspect the truth. Something would eventually be done about it.

“But that wouldn’t make sense…” Eun Bi was almost annoyed how now Sehun’s mother seemed to be on the defensive. “Sehun has a soft heart, doesn’t he mother?” Eun Bi asked. “What if Namjoo was once his girlfriend and she wanted help? He would have done it within an earshot.”

“Let me think.” Sehun’s mother glanced up from the floor she’d been carefully observing.

“I’m sure Sehun wouldn’t lie about such a thing, but if So Min is right, we have to do a DNA test.”

*****

Namjoo was still there. He could feel her lying beside him, her body still under his arm. This felt perfect. Opening his eyes he peered into her silky hair, wishing how he could press his face into the soft of them, smell the scent of the shampoo she used – whether it was her own or his.

There had always been this thing about her. Captivating, he’d called it. He loved how she always played cold with him when really, it was the other way around. Namjoo always had a soft spot for him. Even from back then, she’d make sure he had his homework done on time so she wouldn’t be blamed for his missing assignments. Now, she still looked after him and even made it seem effortless.

He felt her stir and wished she would sleep longer. Forget his mom, he thought, she can prepare breakfast by herself. A tired moan came from Namjoo when her alarm went off. Turning it off she reached a hand up to brush her hair back. Sehun edged strength into his arm to keep her pinned down when she tried getting up.

“Stay in for five minutes,” he said. Namjoo tensed, but didn’t glance back at him.

“Unless you want to see her throwing a fit,” Namjoo muttered, throwing his arm off and got up. Without looking at him she started out the door. Sighing, he let his arm plop against her now empty spot and dug his face into the pillow.

*****

Both Sehun’s mother and Eun Bi shot her one glance when she walked in that morning.

“Late like usual,” his mother uttered under her breath. Then louder, “You can at least set the table since Eun Bi is cooking. And you have the nerve to call yourself my son’s wife.”

Namjoo nodded then moved toward the cupboard for plates.

“I’ll be right back. I need to make sure your father is up,” Sehun’s mother spoke to Eun Bi before disappearing from the kitchen.

While Namjoo busied herself with bringing plates over to the table and setting them in front of the chairs, Eun Bi walked over with the wooden spoon in her hand.

“I was curious,” Eun Bi started, “about whether Sehun would have really slept with you back in high school. For all I know, his parents were really strict with him and he’s always been self-conscious against doing something he isn’t supposed to be doing.”

Namjoo refused to give her delight by looking at her. “What do you want?”

“About that kid of yours,” Eun Bi started. Namjoo’s grip tightened on the plate she was setting down. Bad aura overflowed from the woman. “I know Sehun has always been a good person. He can’t stand seeing a person be mistreated, but I can’t say the same about you. It’s just, well, I’ve noticed Soo Ae doesn’t really look like him.”

Namjoo immediately glanced up, her heart quickly thumping while constricted. Eun Bi’s confident smile etched itself into the depth of her eyes. She was like a growing shadow, taunting her.

“What about my daughter?” Sehun suddenly appeared by the doorway with an amused smile on his face. Whether it had double meaning or not, Namjoo could only wonder. “Thought I heard you speaking about my Soo Ae.”

Namjoo averted her eyes, relieved by his appearance. Walking over to stand beside her he took the plate she’d been gripping onto out of her hand, set it down across from her.

“If you’re curious about Namjoo and Soo Ae, why didn’t you ask me about them?” Sehun wondered. “You know Namjoo’s a bit of a liar, but since I’m honest I would have told you all you wanted to hear.”

Namjoo turned to glance at him then back to look at Eun Bi, who sneered at her. How much had he heard? “Well, it was just a thought. Didn’t mean to make her upset. Sorry, Namjoo.”

Turning around to move toward the stove where her attention lay the following minutes, Namjoo became wary. Feeling bewildered and aroused by an unwelcoming sense of insecurity she couldn’t find it in her to move. She was sure then, that Eun Bi had noticed something about Soo Ae. Her little girl’s happiness meant more to her than anything. Namjoo couldn’t let such a trivial person like Eun Bi take it from her.

All throughout breakfast she kept her eyes on Soo Ae, simultaneously swinging it back and forth between Eun Bi and her daughter. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she also believed there was nothing against taking extra caution.

Once dishes were done, Namjoo made her way up the stairs to check in on Soo Ae who was busy playing with her dolls. The outfit Sehun had chosen for her for the day lay strewn out on the bed.

“Soo Ae,” she called from the doorway. “You’re not getting ready? You’re going to make daddy late for work.”

“I know, mommy. I just wanted to say bye to Donny and his Sammy.”

“Ok, but hurry,” Namjoo urged from the doorway before heading toward her bedroom. Sehun was sitting on the bed and immediately held out the tie for her to see when she stepped in. She wasn’t going to sigh, but she still felt the urge to do it silently.

Closing the door she headed toward him to take the tie out of his hand. “You’ve been quiet all morning.”

Namjoo glanced back toward the closed door as if to affirm that no one was eavesdropping. Pulling the tie around his neck and propping it underneath his collar she linked it together.

“Do you think she noticed?” Namjoo asked. She needed assurance and the only person she could get it from was him. It was lame, she felt, that she needed Sehun to secure an answer for her but she really needed to hear it.

“Noticed what?” Sehun asked quite innocently.

“About Soo Ae…” her words got cut off when he pulled at her hands then immediately went to aiding her with tying the tie correctly.

“She’s my kid, don’t worry about it,” he promised her. “I won’t let anything uncalled for happen.”

Namjoo gazed down into his eyes, seeking for something to tell her that nothing bad would happen. There was nothing, but his shiny brown eyes meeting hers. Then he smiled and gripped her hand.

“You know what you could do for me?” He stood up. She took a step back so they wouldn’t be too close. The last thing she needed right now was for their bodies to be brushing. “Bring me lunch.”

A frown tensed over her face and her eyes slightly widened.

“You know where I work, right? If you get lost on your way, just call me,” Sehun gave her a last smile before leaving the room.

*****

“Eun Bi,” Sehun’s mother turned to whisper to her when Namjoo went up the stairs and her husband into his office. “Tell me again what your friend said about Soo Ae.”

“That she doesn’t look like him.” Eun Bi repeated what she feared might actually be true. During breakfast while everyone joyously ate away at Eun Bi’s delicious meal, she’d been observing Soo Ae.

Sehun had never been so talkative. Even as a child, he always remained polite and reserved in front of his elders and his parents, never speaking a word of disrespect. Soo Ae, though, spoke a lot and she couldn’t tell if it was because she was brought up with Namjoo or not but she figured, Namjoo wasn’t someone who talked a lot either. She only talked when spoken to.

Eun Bi’s friend might be right about something. Soo Ae, her eyes, nose, lips, and face – nothing of it was like her son’s. At least there should even be the slightest of similarity, but there wasn’t. She felt like choking on air, but she wouldn’t believe words unless there was evidence. Sehun was all eyes for that mongrel and her pup. He’d become so protective and defensive of them, he seemed even willing to toss her aside for them. And to think she’d raised him so carefully only to be betrayed!

The anger it brought her was so superficial in form she couldn’t describe it. If she ever mentioned a DNA test to Sehun, he definitely wouldn’t go through with it. There needed to be some other way, but she wasn’t that smart of a woman. She didn’t know how to get evidence or work it. These days technology was so advanced that she felt the world had moved too fast for her to keep up with it.         

“Eun Bi, what should we do?” She wondered. “Sehun would never agree to it.”

“Don’t worry, mother. I think we only need to do a few things,” Eun Bi assured, “but I think it’s best to do it without Namjoo around. She might catch on.”

*****

Namjoo didn’t get it. She couldn’t comprehend why she still listened.

After a few hours in the kitchen by herself she was now standing in the lobby of Sehun’s workplace. As office goers came and went, everyone greeting her kindly, she felt as if their eyes were speaking otherwise. Awkwardly uncomfortable, she clutched onto the bag in her hand with her eyes low. She even assumed for a minute that Sehun was making her wait on purpose.

“Namjoo!” a voice called out from the corner a few moments later. Immediately turning, she watched Sehun hurry toward her and unexpectedly, sighed relieved.

“What took you so long?” she whispered having become impatient.

“Sorry,” he apologized then led her toward the lounge. “You didn’t get lost on your way here?”

“Did I grow up in the countryside or something?” She retaliated to which he snorted and sat down.

“What did you bring?” He excitedly wondered leaning with both arms on the table to watch closely as she pulled the lunch box out. “I’ve always eaten cafeteria food at work. Now I can eat your food.”

Namjoo only glanced at him, but said nothing. She took note of his excited tone. Then for some reason, asked, “Eun Bi also makes good food.”

“I guess,” he sounded monotone, then pointed out, “but mom’s her fan, I’m yours.”

She glanced at him again and turned upon hearing an excited voice. “What is this?!”

Carrying a plastic container of salad he’d grabbed from the cafeteria along with a bottle of water, Chanyeol walked toward their table. Inviting himself he sat down with them, his eyes awing her food.

“Wow,” he gasped, “would you look at that? Lets trade Sehun.”

“Just stay on your diet,” Sehun shot at him. Chanyeol made a face at him and feeling bad, Namjoo offered him a side dish she’d packed. When Chanyeol turned upon the tiny carton sliding toward him she felt their eyes quickly meet before he looked away, which made her feel confused and a little awkward.

“Sorry,” she apologized, “I only brought enough for Sehun, but you can have a little.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Chanyeol waved her off.

Her eyes lingered on him for a second too long before she turned when Sehun grabbed the carton from her. “You’re not supposed to give food away without the receiving person’s permission.”

As she sat there watching them eat it suddenly dawned on her that something strange could have happened during the time she got drunk. If Chanyeol caught her rift, what might he do? Or did nothing happen at all?

Namjoo really hoped it was the latter. Chanyeol was always a talkative person, but this time he was too focused on his salad without a word. It made her uneasy. She imagined he would have been going on about what a klutz Sehun was at work or how long their hours were, but he wasn’t talking at all. That was pretty strange.

“Here,” she turned when Sehun offered her some of the food, “have a little bit.”

“No, I’m fine…” she started, but he popped the food into anyway. She watched him smile satisfied and grab something else to eat.

“Food always tastes so much better when you eat it with someone,” Sehun told her through his full mouth and she found herself watching him down the food she’d brought for him, as if it was the most delicious thing he’d had all his life. 

***Oh shoot~~ Now Eun Bi and Sehun's mother are going to start something

***/hurriedly updates before I get another job and school starts/