Redamancy

19

"It's something I couldn't help thinking."

At the speech left Sunwoo's mouth, Haechan glanced over at him - a frown on his face. He was in the middle of washing the used cups and glasses when the lover boy voiced out his concern.

Haechan sighed, putting down the unwashed glass and pulling his hands out of the rubber gloves before wiping his wet hands against his apron.

"Sunwoo, I honestly think that you shouldn't have been concerned over that thing. It's her problem." The boy said in a grumpy way, however, judging from Sunwoo's face, he knew, his friend disagreed. "But, if you're still curious, then you should ask her directly. You're close to her now."

At that, Sunwoo glared, his eyes darkened. The idea was completely insane that he couldn't comprehend how Haechan could have it roaming inside his head.

"Do you expect me to walk to her and ask 'How is your relationship with your stepmother?'" He scoffed. "Are you insane?"

"That's my point!" Haechan swung a playful fist at Sunwoo's chest.

It was already three days after the party but Sunwoo's soul was left behind on that certain day, not even moving forward with his body.

It was bittersweet.

He wouldn't lie that he almost shed tears after unveiling that the surprise Jacob had planned to make Soobin happy wasn't the party itself. The surprise he wanted to give was when he brought her father back to celebrate her birthday.

Sunwoo's little head seemingly was still stuck to the sight he witnessed. The sight which her reunited with her family on her birthday was precious, Sunwoo even helped to take some pictures of them - Soobin and Jacob with their parents. He smiled along when she smiled in the pictures.

Nonetheless, thanks to that moment, he noticed that.

Maybe people's saying about love from a stepmother would never be the same as our own mother was true. It was proven from a few minutes he saw them together. It almost seemed like Soobin was seeking the love she couldn't get.

For, Jacob's mother was cold to her.

"Why do you care anyway?" Haechan snapped him back to reality while resuming his chore.

And Sunwoo couldn't simply answer. How could he say that he saw Soobin yearning for love through his mother? Nobody knew that she'd met his mother, even Eric didn't know. That was supposed to be a secret for no reason.

"Why is she not coming today?" Sunwoo shifted the atmosphere by asking back, clearly proving that he would avoid answering Haechan's query.

To say that his friend didn't notice was a lie. When Sunwoo walked away leaving the area, he already could tell but had no plan to retaliate or confront. He just let Sunwoo slip away this time.

Sunwoo exhaled as soon as he victoriously escaped. But his breath hitched as he ran into his grumpy boss who was skimming him from head to toe, a scary squirrel guy was smirking not so far from them.

"Kim Sunwoo, what did I hear?"

Another report submitted, he thought.

"What did you hear?" He dumbly asked back and forced a smile on his face.

"What is your motive for wanting to be close to Soobin?" Chanhee crossed his arms while Changmin at the back had them pocketed. "You're very suspicious since the first day you came here. How come she trusted you so easily?"

Still smiling, Sunwoo clasped his hands together. "Maybe you can ask her? Because I don't know either."

"What an attitude!" It was Changmin, sprinting toward him to throw a hand. But, Chanhee managed to hold him, and Sunwoo unknowingly took a step back.