The following day passed without any hiccups for the group. Time seemed to fly by, and before they knew it, their five-day vacation in Jeju had come to an end. Seokmin had organized the trip, and Seungcheol was amazed at how quickly they had managed to spend their time on the island.
"Daddy, I don't want to go back!" Hanuel whines loudly, gripping the railing of the airport walkway. Seungcheol grows increasingly frustrated with Hanuel's resistance. Sensing Seungcheol's frustration, Jeonghan quickly intervenes, rushing towards Hanuel and gathering him in his arms.
"Baby, the vacation is over. You, me, and Daddy need to go back to work and school," Jeonghan tries to convince Hanuel, who continues to whine and flail his arms wildly.
"No! I don't want to!" he protests, accidentally hitting Jeonghan's soft cheek with his left hand.
"HANUEL!" Seungcheol's voice thunders, causing everyone nearby to turn their attention to the commotion. Seungcheol takes long strides, standing in front of Hanuel and firmly gripping his shoulder.
"That's enough! Why did you hit Jeonghan?" Hanuel's eyes well up with tears as his lips quiver.
"D-daddy--"
"No, stop! Be a good boy and apologize to Jeonghan," Seungcheol's voice is stern, which only frightens the little boy further.
"Seungcheol, it's okay--" Jeonghan tries to interject, but Seungcheol raises his hand to silence him. Hanuel trembles in Seungcheol's grasp, sensing the fear in the child. Joshua quickly steps in, grabbing Hanuel from Seungcheol's arms.
"Aww, my sweetheart. It's okay, Hannie," Joshua soothes the boy, who finally breaks down in the gentle male's embrace.
Joshua walks away from them near the small store present at the airport, and Seungcheol turns to Jeonghan with guilty eyes. "Jeonghan, I'm sorry about that. Hanuel shouldn't have hit you---"
"Seungcheol, he didn't hit me. It was an accident," Jeonghan's voice is soft as he caresses Seungcheol's arms. Seungcheol groans and rubs his temples in frustration. "But still, he needs to learn when to stop---"
"He will, eventually he will. Trust me, they are just kids. Don't be so harsh on them," Jeonghan says, and Seungcheol looks at him with grateful eyes.
"Hey, it's okay, man. Cheer up!" Seokmin pats Seungcheol's back, and Seungcheol nods at him. Chan tugs on his father's leg, and Seokmin bends to pick up his son before walking away from the couple to give them space.
"Cheol, hey! Look at me, are you crying?" Jeonghan places his fingers under Seungcheol's chin and tries to meet his eyes. His heart aches when he sees the tears gathering at the corner of Seungcheol's eyes.
"I-I shouldn't have yelled at him, my b-baby--" Seungcheol's voice trembles, and Jeonghan sighs before pulling Seungcheol into a hug.
"Cheol, it's okay," Jeonghan's soothing voice filled the room, his gentle hand resting on Seungcheol's tense shoulder. The weight of his words carried a deep understanding, as if he had experienced the same turmoil before. "Parents can get frustrated and yell at their kids sometimes. It doesn't mean they don't love their kids."
Seungcheol's gaze shifted, his eyes meeting Jeonghan's compassionate gaze. The softness in Jeonghan's expression was like a balm to his wounded soul, offering solace in the midst of his guilt. Jeonghan's presence alone was a comforting embrace, a safe haven where he could unburden his heart.
With a trembling breath, Seungcheol allowed himself to lean into Jeonghan's comforting touch, feeling the warmth of his friend's hand seep into his very being. It was as if Jeonghan's touch had the power to heal, to mend the broken pieces of his own shattered emotions.
YOU ARE READING
Enlighten | JC
Romance"I think Daddy hates me," Jeonghan frowns looking at the ten-year-old child sitting beside him on the swing. The child tightly held a crumpled white paper in his hand, trying to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Why?" Jeonghan asked. "...
