Love Next Door

the I need a child and I need your help chapter

"And if he does hate me?"

"Just send me an SOS."

By the third ride, Seri has more than enough proof that the child harbors a deep hatred for her that cannot be fathomed. Whenever Jeong Hyeok stays away, Seon-woo will go into a fit of loud crying that makes heads turn towards their direction. Whenever they are talking and not giving him enough attention, he will pinch the back of her knee and happily giggle whenever she yelps.

When Jeong Hyeok tries to talk to him about his behavior, the devil child turns into the sweetest angel. So, Seri stays back, allowing herself the pleasure of peace and watching them bond. Watching him interact with kids has always been a sight to behold. She knows for a fact that he will be the best father in the future, and the way Seon-woo's so in love with him speaks volumes.

But then, Jeong Hyeok suddenly announces that he needs to go to the bathroom, and panic jolts her system like her hand had accidentally touched a live wire. "Don't worry about it. I won't be long," he assures her, leaving his nephew to stand beside her. "Just keep him occupied for five minutes. Just five... Oh, come on, don't give me that look. Seri, my bladder is killing me."

"Okay, okay. Go," she relents with anxiety knotting in her stomach. "We will be here."

Jeong Hyeok tells Seon-woo to be good while waiting before jogging towards the nearest restrooms. Steeling her resolve, she puts on her bravest smile and lowers herself down to his height. The kid looks at her like she had killed his whole family. She spots a vendor behind him and asks him kindly, "Seon-woo, do you want a snack? Have you tried cotton candy before?"

A spark of interest brightens up his expression and Seri grabs the opportunity to please him. She offers him her hand and swoons when he actually takes it. The vendor hands her a stick with a pink cloud of cotton candy on the end after she pays. Seon-woo's eyes are wide as saucers as he tries to eat them, and she watches how giggly he is with the way the candy melts on his tongue.

"Wow, you have the cutest son," a middle-aged woman suddenly shows up beside her with her own cotton candy in her hand. Seon-woo grins toothily up at her, understanding what she meant, before returning back to his treat. "Hello! What's his name?"

"Seon-woo, say hello," Seri answers her with a smile, feeling grateful that she chose that time to approach her and not when the little boy was in the middle of a temper tantrum. "He's not my son, actually. He's the nephew of my friend. He just went for a bathroom break."

The woman chats with her for a few more minutes before Seon-woo begins to pull on her shorts. Seri lowers herself down to talk to him only to feel someone behind her holding onto her bag. She whirls around in shock, barely catching a glimpse of the robber, and sees the woman fleeing the scene as well. She quickly takes off her backpack and finds her wallet, keys, and phone gone.

"Oh, God," she whispers, frightened, feeling her entire body shaking when the situation dawns on her. Seon-woo begins to cry as if he had sensed the shift in her mood and her skyrocketing anxiety. She returns the backpack behind her and checks to see if they got to him without her knowing, berating herself for being so careless. "What's wrong? Did they hurt you? Look at me."

That is how Jeong Hyeok finds them a few moments later. Her, shaking and pale, trying to console his wailing nephew. Recognizing the look on his face, she knew that a comment about her parental skills was about to get thrown at her, but it died on his lips when he saw the tears pooling in her eyes. He spots the open backpack and the cotton candy lying on the ground.

"Give me a minute, love," he tells her before dropping a kiss on her head. "Just give me a minute, okay?"

He gathers Seon-woo into his arms, murmuring consoling words in his ear and rubbing his back. When he's able to carry his nephew with one hand, he immediately takes Seri's hand in his free one. He leads her to an empty bench under the shade of a tree. It only takes a few more minutes before his nephew falls asleep on his shoulder, passing out from the excitement of the day.

Showing him her almost empty backpack, she tells him how the robbery happened and begins to cry. He assures her that her belongings can be replaced when she interrupts him to explain her tears. "It's not that," she says, shooting him a tearful glare. "You trusted me to take care of him for five minutes, and I put him in danger. What if they had a knife? What if they hurt him?"

"Don't tell me that you're blaming yourself for what happened," he says. When she doesn't say anything and proceeds to hide her face with her hands, he sighs and scoots closer to wrap his arm around her. "Hey. Seri, please stop crying. I won't have you taking the blame for this. This is not your fault, do you hear me? Look, Seon-woo's okay. You're okay. That's all that matters."

With teary eyes, she looks up at him and says with all sincerity, "I'm really sorry, Jeong Hyeok."

His expression softens. "Tsk, come here," he sighs, pulling her into a half-hug. "Stop it. It's okay."

They sit there for a long time with her letting out her emotions and him patiently comforting her. He tries to cheer her up by saying he now knows what to get her for Christmas and laughs when she lands a soft punch on his stomach. When Seon-woo begins to stir and ask for his mother, they decide that it is time to take the little boy home.

Dan opens the door to see them standing on the other side looking like the perfect little family. She shoots them a knowing smile, prompting Jeong Hyeok to stop her from saying what she was about to say. "I didn't say anything!" she says in defense, gently taking her son from him. "Do you guys want to come in? I can call up your brother and tell him to add more to our takeout."

Jeong Hyeok turns to look at Seri for a moment and decides, "No, it's okay. Maybe next time."

Later that evening, he finds himself walking towards his front door due to someone knocking. It baffles him because the people who still knock before entering his apartment usually don't come over this late at night. Surprisingly, Seri stands there on the other side, dressed in her pajamas, and asks him a bit shyly, "Is it okay if I stay over tonight?"

They end up watching some romantic comedy playing on the tv in the living room under shared blankets and a bowl of microwave popcorn. He surreptitiously checks on her and bites back a smile at the sight of her fighting to keep her eyes open. Subtly scooting over, he sits just near enough for her head to land on his shoulder and continues to enjoy the movie and popcorn.

"Jeong Hyeok?"

"Hmm?"

"When I said I wanted a child... and you took off your shirt... Did you mean it?"

He quietly chuckles, looking down to see her fast asleep, and answers her with a simple, "Yes."