Chapter 16

“Hello Oppa!?” My sister’s voice is squealing on the other line. “Are you here already?” 

I smiled while struggling to stick my phone between my ear and my shoulder while getting my baggages. 

“Yes. The plane has just landed. I’m at the conveyor, waiting for my other luggage.” I answered. 

“Omma!” 

I can hear my nephew annoying his mom again. I can’t help but laugh at Krystal’s voice changing every time she talks to her son. 

“Wait for a while, Kevin, Omma is still talking to Yonghwa Samchon, okay?” Krystal told her son. 

I chuckled. “Let’s hang up now, Krys and your son might cry again. I’m coming already.” 

“Ahrasseo. We’re already here as well outside, waiting for you.” 

Then we hang up. LAX is still as busy as ever. There are so many people here in the airport. But as much as I hate being on a jampacked place, I'm still more than excited to be here. After getting my luggage,  I can cleary see Krystal waving her hand high on me.

“Oppa!” She called out.

I smiled at her. And she carried her son, Kevin, right away to wave his tiny hand on me. My nephew ran immediately when he saw me. 

“Uncle Yonghwa!” Little Kevin called out as he wraps his tiny arms around me. And despite the heavy bags I'm carrying, I carried him still.

“Did you miss me?” I asked the little boy. 

And he nodded cutely and gave me his famous grin, showing his dimples. 

I hugged my sister when she came near us. “Sorry for bothering you. Minjung said she couldn’t fetch me so I asked you.” I said.

Krystal rolled her eyes. “Of course I don’t mind fetching you. I missed you, Oppa.” She said. “Welcome back to California.” She said then broke the hug and gets Kevin from me. "How's London?" She asked.

“Still London.” I answered and she rolled her eyes again.

I stayed in London for a month after mentoring new photographers of Vogue models. Every now and then, I go to different places, having photo shoots and all. Life has been tough when we transferred in the States especially when our mother died five years ago. Krystal and I struggled so much but we survived.

“I’ve seen the photos Oppa. Everyone on the net loves it. You’re really amazing.” Krystal commented as she buckles up her seatbelt and starts to drive.

Kevin sat on my lap, playing with the robot toy that I bought for him. I smiled looking at him. He looks like Krystal’s male version. They're both whiny and cute.

Krystal talked endlessly when we were in the car. She used to be this brat but now, she’s a successful ballerina, working in a world class dance studio. But above all, she's a great mom to her son, Kevin, and the best wife to Woobi who she met during college years here in California.

Living for ten years here in California is not easy. But there’s one person that makes my life worth living for here. 

“How’s Youngjae?” I asked. 

Krystal smiled. “As usual, she cried during the first week when you went to London.” She chuckled. “She misses you a lot. Good thing Minjung Unnie was able to calm her down after a few days."

“I miss her more.” I said.

“I wonder what she’ll react when she finds out that you’re home.” Krystal said with a chuckle.

“I’m sure she’ll be very surprised.” I answered with a big smile, oozing with excitement. 

My sister happily nodded in agreement. She drove directly to the village where we live. We're just neighbors. We decided to be that way so we can check up on each other from time to time despite living different lives already.

“Are we going to have early dinner in your house or mine?” Krystal asked me when she parked the car on their garage.

“Yours.” I answered with a sheepish smile.

Krystal pouted her lips, “I knew it!” She said. “Of course you don’t want to prepare.. Ahrasseo. I’ll prepare our dinner. Is Minjung Unnie having dinner with us?"

“I don’t think so. She said on the phone that she’s busy until tonight.” I answered.

After placing my luggages in my house. I changed to comfortable clothes and directly went to Krystal's house. I can smell baked lasagna and garlic bread when I opened the door. My sister is busy moving in the kitchen already when I came in.

“Yonghwa Samchon!” Kevin ran to me when he saw me. “Come on. I’ll show you my new Pororo show.” He told me, pulling my hand.

Kevin is three years old. He grew up to be a very smart boy. He can speak English and Korean at the same time. I guess that's what Pororo can do to him. He learns Korean words by watching.

“Oppa!” Krystal suddenly called me. “Woobin called and he said he’s picking up Youngjae at school now. They're probably here within ten minutes." She said loud enough for me to hear.

“Ahra! Gomawo..” I responded. 

“Samchon...so many alligators...” Kevin caught my attention again. Then he endlessly talks like how he does. He's mumbling words that sometimes, can only be understood by him. He loves to talk like his mother.

Exactly ten minutes after that, true enough, I heard someone entering the door’s code. Woobin saw me immediately and bowed slightly at me. I waved my hand on him silentlly.

“Aunt Krys!” Youngjae turned to Krystal right away. “Look...I got five stars today.” She said, showing her hand with star markings from the school.

“Wow! That’s very good Youngjae-ah...” Krystal complimented her. 

“Aren’t you going to show them to me, too?” I interrupted.

Youngjae abruptly turned her head on my direction. Her eyes grew bigger in shocked and gaped cutely, like she has seen a movie star. It took her exactly five seconds just looking at me and not moving at all. She's cuter when she's like that.

“Appa!” She called out and ran immediately to me. 

I grinned widely as I open my arms to get an embrace from my daughter. 

She hugged me so tight. And I miss carrying her this way after being away for a month. 

“When did you return?” She asked innocently when she pulled out from her embrace while I carry her. 

“Just a while ago. I purposely didn’t tell you that I’m coming home...to give you this!” 

I pointed my hand on an unwrapped gift. 

She immediately opened it after I put her down. “Wow! Thanks Appa!” She exclaimed happily. It’s a music box that I bought in London. Youngjae loves music. She's been having piano lessons since she was four.

Now as young as six, she can play piano already and that makes me more than proud of her as a father. 

We had a happy dinner. It was fun as always, especially seeing Kevin with full of lasagna on his face and trying so hard to use chopsticks. After dinner, Woobin played with the kids and I stayed to help my sister with the dishes.

“Oppa...I can manage. Just play with the kids.” Krystal commented when I was wearing gloves and stood beside her by the sink. 

I chuckled. “Aish... I miss the kids but I miss my little sister too.” 

“But you’re tired.” 

“I can do it, Krys. Don’t worry about me. I really want to help you.” 

Krystal rests her head on my shoulder and smiled like how she does when she was little. We were tag team. I only realized that when we moved to California. We became closer when we transferred here that I feel like I can't hide anything from her anymore. She knows me too much. 

She started talking about what happened within the past month while I was in London. I knew all these things already because Minjung would tell me when we talk on the phone. But I listened anyway.

“So, what’s your next trip?” My sister asked me while she was meticulously washing glasses we used. “Are you going to Europe again next month? Or is your next project just around the US?"

I was drying up the plates that are washed. 

“I’m going back to Korea.” I answered, my eyes are on the plates. 

In my peripheral vision, I can see that Krystal was surprised. She stopped washing and she turned the faucet off and then looked at me. I took me a few seconds before I look back at her.

She gave me a smile. That smile that I need; that kind of support Krystal never failed to give me. She rested her head again on my shoulder again. We were silent and stayed like that for a while. No words were needed. 

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“Peter Pan and Tinkerbell went to a....” Youngjae reads slowly, her face closed to the book while we both tuck ourselves under the blanket wit