*****

"This is nice," Tao complimented tilting his head back to observe her apartment. "You're able to afford this?" 

"Uncle Se-Se got it for us!" Soo Ae chimed in and pointed toward her little shelf filled with books and her coloring pads. "He got all these for me too! He's mommy's good friend and he comes everyday! I like playing with him." 

"He sounds like a nice person," Tao commented sitting down. "Is he the one who visited you a while back?" 

"Oh, yea," Namjoo replied while digging through the fridge. 

"You don't have to make anything special. Some noodles would be fine." He called out. 

"You sure?" 

"My favorite." 

Closing the fridge Namjoo pulled her cupboard open, "If you say so." 

"Sorry Soo Ae, your favorite Uncle wants to eat noodles. We'll eat your soup and fried eggs next time." Tao turned to her daughter. 

"It's ok," the young girl replied digging through her coloring books, "you're not my number one Uncle anymore anyway." 

"I'm not?" Tao questioned. 

"Mm!" She nodded. "Number one is Uncle Se-Se."

"Don't tell me you're going to battle for that spot," Namjoo questioned turning the stove on. 

"Why not?" Tao asked light heartedly. 

Soo Ae jumped onto the empty spot beside him with her book and whispered to him, "At the daycare they call Uncle Se-Se my dad." She giggled amused, "But mommy doesn't know. Isn't it funny?" 

Tao frowned a little and turned to peer at the busy Namjoo, "So, who is this Se-Se?" 

"Sehun," Namjoo replied, her eyes elsewhere. 

"You know him well?" 

Tao glanced around the apartment and wondered how close they were that he'd even provide a place for them to stay. 

"Well...how do I say it..." Namjoo muttered leaning against the counter to look at him. 

"What do you mean by that? Is it a complicated relationship?" 

Namjoo laughed as if he'd said something silly, "Not like that. We used to...well, I dated him a while back in high school. We're just staying here until I can pay him back and find some other place. To be honest, I feel really bad staying here like this but there's nothing I can do about it. Sehun's just giving us a helping hand and I appreciate it, there's nothing more to it. He's really kind to Soo Ae, so I don't mind. That's all." 

Tao glanced around the apartment. From first glance anyone could tell that this apartment was freshly new and well kept. It also looked really expensive since it was wide and spacious, and the rooms weren't just simply small. 

Would anyone just simply give away a place like this to a woman and a child?

Tao was confused and maybe a little worried. Namjoo was a good person and Soo Ae a good girl. He'd grown up under a single mother and he knew how difficult it was to make a living. It must be even harder in the city and he was glad that Namjoo was living like this, but he couldn't help to look out for them. There was no one to protect them and Namjoo had no one to go to or lean on during difficult times. With a little girl like Soo Ae it must be tough. The stress on Namjoo's back must be two times more than what his mother had gone through. 

They deserved the best and he really wanted Namjoo to live simply without any burdens, but to hear about Sehun really got him wondering. If he and Namjoo used to be lovers, was Soo Ae his daughter?

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" Namjoo questioned bringing the noodles over. 

"I'm sleeping at Il Kyeong's." Tao replied while watching her set down the pot and hurry to grab some bowls and utensils. 

Il Kyeong was the son of the man who owned the wheat mill in their village. He'd been sent up with a scholarship to study at the city university and Tao had come to help him settle in.                   

"How long are you going to be staying?" Sitting down Namjoo grabbed her chopsticks and stirred the noodles before handing Soo Ae a bowl. 

"Not sure. Maybe until the semester starts," Tao answered. "You know, he's not good with new surroundings." 

"Ahh...I didn't know."

"Il Kyeong must still be a kid if he's that scared." Soo Ae added and Tao laughed.

"Where do you work now, Namjoo?" 

"At a hair salon," she replied. "Stop by some time." 

"Do you cut hair?" He questioned and tilted his head toward her. "Do you think I need a trim?" 

"Grow your hair some more and I'll decide."

Tao chuckled and ate a mouthful of the noodles before the doorbell rang. They all turned to glance at the door surprised.

"I'll get it. Keep eating." Namjoo stood. 

"I bet it's Uncle Se-Se!" Soo Ae exclaimed happily. 

The excitement in her voice got Tao curious. He also wanted to see this person. 

"You're here?" he heard Namjoo at the doorway before Soo Ae jumped up to run toward Sehun.

"Uncle Se-Se!" 

"I brought some things." Sehun said as he walked in. 

"My candy?!" Soo Ae questioned. 

"I got you something too," Sehun replied and heard Soo Ae shout happily. 

"Go sit back down and eat," Namjoo told Soo Ae. 

"Do you want to eat with us?" Soo Ae questioned. 

Tao watched the man glance over at the pot of noodles on the table before their eyes met. Sehun was handsome, but Tao couldn't judge him from his blank eyes. So pulling on a smile he greeted the man. 

"Hey," Tao greeted, "I'm Tao. Namjoo and Soo Ae were my neighbors. I heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Sehun asked and glanced at Namjoo then turned back to him. "It's nice to meet you too." 

"Come eat with us," Soo Ae pulled onto Sehun's hand. 

"Soo Ae," Namjoo called and Tao watched Sehun turn to look at her as if to ask for permission.

She sighed before nodding. With a yelp of victory Soo Ae pulled him over to the table to sit down beside her. 

"Here," Soo Ae handed Sehun Namjoo's chopsticks and bowl before smiling happily. 

There was a glint in her eyes that told Tao she was serious about favoring this person, but as long as she was happy he wouldn't say anything. In the end, Tao ended up pulling on a smile. 

"Our Soo Ae's really changed, huh?" Tao commented. 

"Isn't he tall, Tao Tao?" Soo Ae asked. 

"Yea," Tao agreed, "your Uncle Se-Se is indeed tall." 

Soo Ae smiled proudly at him before turning to look at Sehun with what Tao thought was a kind of admiration. 

"Why'd you buy such expensive stuff?" Namjoo called from the counter with a scolding tone. "I told you not to buy these kind of things a hundred of times already." 

"I'm the one who bought them," Sehun called back. "Using money on food shouldn't be considered a regret. They're food you like, aren't they? Why are you upset about getting to eat the good stuff? You should consider all the nutrients and proteins I bought."

There was a long sigh from Namjoo this time, "Then buy the cheaper things. Do you know how much you could have saved?" 

She held up to the receipt for him to see and immediately getting up Sehun snatched it from her.

"It wasn't even that much," he muttered. "Did I spend over a hundred dollars?"

"That's not the point here," Namjoo retaliated. 

Tao turned when Soo Ae giggled. 

"Is it funny?" He asked. 

Soo Ae nodded, "Mommy's having fun. I like Uncle Se-Se. He makes mom have fun."

Was that it? Even more curious, Tao turned to watch Namjoo and Sehun go at it. Perhaps, Soo Ae was right. He'd never seen Namjoo talk or show such a lively side of herself. It was a refreshing thing to see.   

Maybe Sehun did deserve that number one Uncle position. 

*****

Tao finally left later in the evening and when the door finally closed Sehun relaxed back into the couch. Soo Ae plopped down beside him with a broad smile. 

"Don't worry, you're still number one."

"Number one?" Sehun repeated with an eyebrow raised. 

Nodding she went on, "Number one Uncle. You're still the best." 

Smiling, he leaned over to tickle her. In return she let out a round of laughter before Namjoo eventually stepped into the room. 

"Go take a bath, Soo Ae," Namjoo ordered. "Come on," pulling the girl up she patted her affectionately before leading her to the bedroom to grab her pajamas then into the bathroom. 

Soo Ae made a face and waved to him before walking off obediently with her mother. Sehun listened to the water in the bath run and heard Soo Ae laughing. A chuckle unknowingly spread through him and he got up to walk into the kitchen. Reaching for the crackers on the top of the fridge he set himself to eating them while waiting for Namjoo to walk out. 

"What are you doing?" Namjoo asked closing the door behind her. 

Turning around he held out the crackers to her. Namjoo pushed them away when she walked over, but he held them out to her again. This time she took one from him, but instead of eating it held onto it. 

"Let me ask you a question," Namjoo started, "don't you eat at home or something? Your mom doesn't call after you? Or don't you have a girlfriend you have to eat with?" 

"Uncle Se-Se has a girlfriend?!" Soo Ae called out from the bathroom. 

They turned to see the little girl peeping out of the door with water dripping from her hair. 

"Soo Ae," Namjoo called walking toward her and into the bathroom before walking back out a second later. 

Sehun laughed at the cute girl before turning his attention to Namjoo. 

"I don't and even if my mom calls, she has no authority over me now that I'm an adult," he replied. "Anyway, I like Soo Ae. The best part of my day is seeing her. Why? Do you have something against that?" 

"I like you too!" Soo Ae screamed from the bathroom and Sehun laughed happily. 

Namjoo twisted back to the bathroom with a slightly annoyed expression that they were getting eavesdropped on. He shrugged when she turned back to him.     

"Anyway," Sehun started, "are you close with him? That Tao guy." 

"Yes," she replied. "As he told you, we used to be neighbors."

"Why is he here? Is he visiting or something?"

"He's here to help someone move in." Namjoo replied. 

"Really? So he didn't come just to visit you two?" 

"Yes, why? You have a problem?"

Sehun slightly laughed suddenly feeling more laid back, "Of course not. I thought maybe you two were seeing each other." 

Namjoo frowned and ran her eyes over him, "He has a fiancée."

"Oh really?" Sehun asked surprised. "I guess that's exciting." 

"Why do you care?" Namjoo questioned. "When are you going to leave?" 

"Do you have to be so eager to kick me out?" Sehun asked. "This is practically my apartment."

Rolling her eyes she finally took a bite out of the cracker he'd handed her. He still couldn't understand why Namjoo seemed to have something against his daily visits. It wasn't like he had any bad intentions.  

"Lets go to the amusement park for Soo Ae's birthday." Sehun suggested. "It's a plan, all right?" 

"I didn't even say anything." Namjoo stated perplexed. 

They heard light footsteps hurrying toward them before Soo Ae who'd dressed herself in her pajamas clung onto Namjoo. She was still soaking wet, but her eyes were wide with excitement.     

"Lets go, mommy! I really want to visit the amusement park. Please!" She begged and grabbed Sehun's hand to hang off them. "Lets go, ok?" 

If Soo Ae was on his side he knew Namjoo would give in no matter what. Glancing at her he smiled victoriously. 

With a light heart he drove back home humming another round of songs. The orange glow from the back light shone a spotlight on a patch of grass and he could make out two large flies swirling around in the light. Quickly waving them off he stepped into the house. The kitchen was empty and he assumed dinner had been eaten without him.

Feeling relieved he stepped into the large white living room to find that it was barren of any souls. The TV was as dead as ever and the coffee table swept clean of dust and the early morning newspaper. His father wasn't lying asleep on the sofa nor was his mother there chatting into her phone. Only the family portrait on the wall above the TV stared back at him.  

It was more quiet than he'd expected, but it wasn't a bad thing either. Sehun started toward the brown stairwell that his mother mopped dutifully every weekend and jumped in fright when the office door swung open. 

"Mom!" He scolded. "You scared me!" 

"Where were you?!" Her eyes were wide and she didn't look very happy to see him. "I told you to come home for dinner! Do you know how disappointed Eun Bi was?! We waited over an hour for you! Is this how you're going to treat your wife?!"

"I said I was busy." 

"Excuses are excuses! I told you Eun Bi was making something for you and you had the guts not to come home?!" She walked over and slapped his arm. "You irresponsible brat! Is this how you're going to treat her after marrying her?!" 

"Mom!" He whined. "Who said I was getting married?! I'm only twenty-two!"

"Your age does not matter! Can't you see all the effort Eun Bi is putting in to make this work? Why can't you show her some respect? Do you know how hurt she is? I expect you to go upstairs and comfort her." Her eyes turned stern.        

"Mom!" He complained again. "Did you even hear me? I said I'm not getting married!"  

"What do you mean you're not getting married," she repeated through gritted teeth and slapped his arm again. "Eun Bi is the only girl I will allow you to marry. You better be home for dinner tomorrow or else I'm taking your car away from you. Now go upstairs and go see Eun Bi, tell her you're sorry."  

He helplessly rolled his eyes and felt his mother push him toward the stairs. He didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like he'd asked Eun Bi to prepare a sumptuous meal for him in the first place, so what was there to be disappointed about? Sehun was certain that she clearly knew he wasn't returning for dinner, so what was she looking forward to?  

Heaving a sigh he ended up dragging his feet past the guest room Eun Bi was using. He stared at the closed door for a few seconds and decided he'd apologize after taking a shower. ing his shirt he opened the door into his room and halted in his first step shocked. Eun Bi was sitting on his bed in her night gown. 

"Why are you in my room?" He interrogated.  

He hated people going through his personal space without permission. It was really irritating. 

"I wanted to see you before going to sleep." 

Sehun wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh because he was baffled or measly send her a stare to tell her he didn't like her coming into his room. 

"Get up," he ordered. "I don't like others in my room. Wait outside next time." 

"Where were you? I cooked your favorite tonight," Eun Bi got up and held her hands to her back. 

Ignoring her he started toward his dresser to pull out some clean clothes. 

"Business." He replied without looking at her. 

"Really?" From her tone he could tell that she didn't believe him. "Your room's more simple and plain than I thought. Your toys are gone."

"Can you go? I want to shower and change." 

"Should I do your laundry for you?" She questioned. 

He narrowed his brows at her. 

"Well it was just a suggestion. Who drew those pictures?" She turned to stare at the drawings Soo Ae had given him. "I didn't know you had that side to you. Is it from someone important?"