Chapter Three: Sung Joon

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I have a daughter.

She has been alive in this world for a whole year and I didn't even know it.

I watched Lani sitting on the floor of the kitchen with Hana in her lap. She was entertaining her by simply banging two spoons together and singing. Hana laughed and watched Lani like she was the most fascinating thing in the world.

I know that feeling.

I don't know what I expected tonight to be. But I figured if nothing else I would spend time with Lani and be reminded that she is a child. That there could never be anything between us. Her mom would probably kill me. Then she showed up looking like she does and I was mindblown.
I felt intense jealousy watching Kang Seung Yoon ogling her. He would be the better choice for her, he isn't so much older than her like me. But I always find myself trying to keep them apart. I don't like watching them, how easily and casually they get along with each other. I envied their easy banter. I know that she has a little crush on me and that I should discourage it, but I never did.
I like knowing that her eyes are on me. That she rather sit in a noisy hot kitchen after school just so she could be near me. I had to keep reminding myself that she is a minor. That what I wanted is actually against the law. Sometimes though even that didn't work.

Now more than ever though it could never be possible. What seventeen year old girl wants a boyfriend who has a kid? She'd have a ready made family before even graduating high school.
"What are you going to do?" She asked looking up at me from where she sat on the floor.
That was a very good question. What was I going to do?
I barely had time to take care of myself so how would I be able to take care of a baby? Who would watch her while I'm working?
"You can't abandon her. Her mom's already done that." Lani said fiercely looking at me disapprovingly. My self doubt must have been showing all over my face. I wouldn't abandon my own flesh and blood, I just wasn't sure if I could handle this. Handle being a dad. My own father was a horrible father. I took care of myself the majority of the time before I left Korea. What if I wasn't a good dad? What if I took after my own father?
"I know. I wouldn't do that."

"You're going to have to buy her milk, and diapers, and clothes." Lani started saying before she trailed off. "Wow. I just can't believe this." she said.

"I feel exacty the same." I said laughing even though there was nothing funny about this situation.

"And you had no idea about Hana? About her mom being pregnant?" She asked.

I shrugged. It was embarrassing to say that I had been with a lot of women and I couldn't remember most of them. I started settling down and not going out and hooking up with random women anymore. Now that I think about it, I stopped around the time Lani's mom got hired and Lani started coming in everyday. From the beginning I was intrigued by her. Then I stopped the random hookups feeling unworthy of Lani's admiration.
The truth is I don't know who Hana's mom is. She left her name on the letter but I still couldn't recall her face.

"I should get you home." I told Lani. I needed to start figuring out how I was going to start living my new life, with a baby.
Lani laughed and shook her head at me. "No way. You need me. You don't know what you're doing. I'd fear for her safety if I just left." She stood up from the floor hoisting Hana along with her before dropping her into my lap. She then took out her cell phone and started dialing.
"Hey mom there is an emergency and Joon needs my help. He has a baby and there is no way he can stay with her alone tonight." She said.
She then listened to whatever her mom was saying to her on the phone. "Yes. That's what I want." She replied after a while. Listening to a one sided conversation is always frustrating. "Thanks mom. I love you. Yes i'll call you every hour. Bye."
I sighed in relief as she hung up. Even though I said I would take her home I didn't want to be left alone. I am the adult but in this situation Lani was the one in charge.
"Ok my mom said I could stay the night. Now we need to make it to a grocery store to get milk and baby food. They should have diapers and bottles there as well. We'll have to take care of clothes tomorrow."
That sounded like a good plan. Maybe I should just let Lani make all the decisions.
I handed Hana to Lani so the I could put everything away and lock up the restaurant.

When we got outside to my car we encountered our first problem. "We don't have a car seat." I said stating the obvious. "Put that on the list of things we have to get tomorrow." She said as she got into the back seat of my car. She sat Hana in her lap and then strapped the seat belt around them both. "This will have to do. You better drive safe." She warned.

Shopping with a baby in hand was a whole new experience. There were dozens of different brands of baby diapers. "Which ones should we get?" I asked Lani.
She shrugged looking just as lost as me. Then she pulled down Hana's pants and looked at the label on the pampers she was already wearing.
"Good thinking." I said.
She smirked and batted her eyes at me. "I'm a genius, obviously."
We both laughed loud.
Once we had everything we needed loaded into the carriage we walked to the front of the store to wait in line. Lani sighed. "Who the heck goes grocery shopping ten at night." She grumbled.
"These people obviously." I said.
She smacked my arm with the free hand she wasn't using to hold Hana. "How about we go to the car and leave your daddy to wait in line?" Lani said looking at Hana.
"Oh no. This is your stuff. You aren't leaving me alone in line." I said reaching out for Hana. Lani smiled as she handed her over to me. "Fine. We'll stay I guess."
"You are such a beautiful family." A older lady standing in line behind us said.
"Uh. Thank you." I automatically said.
She had assumed that me and Lani where Hana's parents. I am Hana's dad but Lani has no relation to her. I glanced at her to see how she was taking the mistake but she seemed ok. She was smiling politely at the older woman who was asking her. "What's her name?"


"Hana." Lani answered.

After making the purchases we got back into my car and drove to the condo. Through this time I hadn't stopped to think about how the guys were going to react to this. Lani took Hana while I gathered all the bags. "This is where you live?" She asked looking up at my building.
I nodded. "With Soo Hyuk and Jonghyun." I told her. As we got into the elevator I told her. "Woo Bin moved out about a month ago."
"Why?"
"He wanted to get his own place with his girlfriend."

We got to the top floor and got out. I unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in. There in the living room sat Soo Hyunk, Woo bin and Arielle and Jong Hyun. It was a full house.
"Lani you're here...and you have a baby." Soo Hyuk said.
We came further into the house and I locked the door behind us. Lani waved awkwardly at everyone. "Hay." She said. I ushered her in and led her to a empty spot on the couch and then I turned to my friends. "I've got some surprising news."
"Oh god please tell me you didn't have a baby with her and never told anyone!" Jong Hyun said.
Lani laughed aloud. "Look how old she is. He wouldn't have even known me then dummy."
I smirked as Jong Hyun shot her a resentful glare and she shrugged unrepentant. "It was a stupid question." She said.
"Yes it was." Woo Bin said. "Now tell us the news."

"Hana is my daughter. And she'll be living here with us for now on." I said. Everyone was quiet looking between me and Hana without saying anything. The first one to break the silence was Arielle.
"Congratulations Sung Joon." She said smiling and looking genuinely happy for me.

"Thanks Arie." I said.

"Where is the mother?" Asked Woo Bin.

"On her way to California. She left Hana to me. I didn't know I had a kid but now that I do. I'm going to take care of her." I said.

"But how do you know shes is actually yours? You need to get a DNA test done." Soo Hyuk said.

I know that my friends are just worried about me but I was starting to get upset. She's mine. I know she's mine. And they couldn't even be happy for me. The only ones to show any type of joy about this are two girl's I haven't known as long as the guys I thought of as brothers.
Soo Hyuk stood and walked over to where Lani sat. He knelt down beside her and peered into Hana's face. She grinned up at him and raised her arms like she wanted to be picked up. "She does have you're smile." He said. "Can I?" He asked looking at me. I nodded and he picked Hana up.
"Well aren't you just a beautiful little thing." He said as she smiled adoringly at him.
"Uh oh. I think she has a crush." Arielle said laughing.
"I make all the girl's fall for me no matter how young or old." Soo Hyuk said cockily.
I chuckled as I walked over and took Hana from him. "Give me my daughter perv."
Everyone burst out laughing, the quiet tension in the room seeming to disappear.
"I'll go make her a bottle she must be hungry. If someone will point me in the direction of the kitchen." Lani said.
"I can show you." Arielle replied standing up.

"You're convinced she's yours." Woo Bin said.
"Yes." I said even though he hadn't asked a question. He already knew the answer. These three guys know me better than anyone else in the world.
Woo Bin nodded and stood arms outreached to receive Hana. They all passed her around hugging her and giving her kisses.

She was officially apart of the family.

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