WITH GRACE.

27장

"noona, sunghoon hyung is here," announced jungwon from outside my bedroom.

today, sunghoon and i are taking siho and liho out.

"yes, kindly tell him i'll be out in a moment," i requested.

when i went to the orphanage by myself yesterday, miss lee reminded me of siho's birthday which is today. while we played with the kids, miss lee asked little siho about what he wants for his birthday. the sweet shy boy immediately asked to go to the zoo, specifically mentioning his biological sibling liho, sunghoon and i to come with him. miss lee asked me for approval and i agreed. however, i couldn't guarantee sunghoon's presence because he didn't come with me. i figured it's better to go alone and give time for sunghoon and his mother to rekindle their bond. at first, i was a little unsure because i had no means to contact him immediately, but after noon had passed and he didn't appear by the door, i assumed he might've forgot about the orphanage visit.

i made sure to drop by sunghoon's place to tell him about siho's little wish and happened to find him outside their complex. apparently, he had just remembered that today was visiting day to the kids so he went to my place to check, but i wasn't there. he happily agreed to the boy's request after telling him so. it was arranged that we will be using sunghoon's car (or his family car? i don't know), pick me up before we go fetch the little boys.

i grabbed my things before i dashed out of my room.

"jungwon-ah, make sure to lock the house if you ever decide to go out, alright?" i told jungwon who was not sitting on the couch, watching pororo.

dongkyu went out today to play with his bestfriend euijoo.

"got it. you take care, noona!" he said, making me smile.

i spread my arms, urging him to come. he went to me and snuggled himself in my hug.

"i love you, noona,"

"dongkyu is really rubbing on you,"i chuckled before continuing, "i love you too, wonnie-ah,"

sunghoon met my gaze the moment i stepped out of my apartment.

"hi," he greeted.

"hi. why didn't you come inside?" i asked him and he just shrugged in response.

we made our way outside and into his car. after a few minutes of driving, we arrived at the orphanage. miss lee went out of the door, carrying liho in one arm and holding siho's hands in another. the two boys were well-dressed and looked absolutely adorable in their paired beige long-sleeved shirts.

"hello, miss lee!"

siho ran towards sunghoon upon seeing him, while liho reached out to me ㅡ wanting to be carried and so i did.

"good morning, dear. thank you for making this possible. siho has been excited since yesterday. it's the most active i have seen him ever since the two of them came into this orphanage," miss lee smiled.

"our pleasure, miss lee. besides, these two have pretty much carved a special place in our hearts,"

"i can see that. siho seems very attached to sunghoon the same way this little guy right here is attached to you," she commented, booping liho's nose and earning a fit of giggles from him.

"we'll take it here, miss lee. i suppose their things are inside siho's backpack?"

"yes, and here's the baby carrier ㅡ again ㅡ to help you with the baby,"

we bade our farewell to miss lee. both kids were seated at the back in the baby-friendly seats which, until this time, i still don't know how and when sunghoon acquired.

"sunghoon-ah?"

"yes?"

"where'd you get the baby seats?"

"i borrowed them from my aunt. they're the ones my cousins used to have but they've already outgrown them," he said.

"i see,"

we reached the zoo in no time. i didn't realize it earlier, but sunghoon and i wore similar clothes just like siho and liho did. sunghoon wore a striped black and white shirt topped in a dark blue cardigan with two band details on the elbows, black pants and  white shoes. i, on the other hand, wore a black top inside a striped black and white flannel, dark blue pants and also white shoes. the color coordination wasn't even a planned thing.

sunghoon hauled siho on the other side while i prepared to carry liho who excitedly reached out his arms for me to take. i made sure to wear the baby carrier first before settling the child in it.

"so, siho, where should we go first?" sunghoon kneeled down to siho's height and asked.

siho made a thinking gesture.

"PENGUINS!"

with that, we made our way to the antarctic section of the zoo, getting a little lost in the process due to the vastness if the place.

"wah!" siho exclaimed and ran towards the glass panel that separated the penguins from the spectating humans.

we followed the little guy who stuck his cheek on the glass, mesmerized by the view.

"the penguins look kinda familiar, don't they?" i asked sunghoon.

"what do you mean?"

"they remind me of you," i said, chuckling.

"do i look like a bird?"

"no, but i caught you waddling like penguins sometimes when you walk. not to mention you skate,"

"but penguins don't skateㅡ"

"don't they really?" i pouted, trying to recall the small zoology knowledge i had. "ehat do you think, liho-ah?" i asked liho despite knowing he would not understand what i'm saying.

shockingly, liho replied. he made a small noise resembling an 'ung' and i took that as a yes.

"oh my, what an impressive baby! see, sunghoon, even liho agrees to me," i said grinning wildly.

"cute," sunghoon blurted out of the blue.

"who? siho, liho or me?" i brazenly questioned.

"the three of you,"

"no fun. you're choosing the safest way out," i grumbled.

"don't worry, eunhye. after this day, you will receive all my compliments and affectionㅡ"

"that's so unnecessary, park sunghoon," i rolled my eyes and laughed.

we toured half of the zoo in the morning and ate lunch in a nearby restaurant. i found out that siho was such a big eater, much like liho who greedily consumed his milk. after that little lunch, sunghoon and i switched places. he put on the baby carrier and placed the baby in there while i carried siho in my arms.

"sunghoon-ah, you and liho look alike. it's as if you're really his dad," i commented at the adorable sight of sunghoom carrying liho.

"then, does that make you the mommy?" he interjected, inching his face close to mine.

"kiss!" siho suddenly blurted out, snapping me out of my surprise.

"siho! where did you learn that, you silly boy?" i said to siho who was now giggling.

we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the other half of the zoo. by four in the afternoon, we were already done. we went to grab ice cream for the three of us (because liho can't consume them yet) before we drove the kids back to the orphanage. when we got back, i pulled out a gift sunghoon and i got for the little boy while we were at the souvenir shop inside the zoo ㅡ it was a penguin plushie.

"my birthday is complete. thank you, hyung, noona," it was the lomgest sentence we have ever heard siho say.

sunghoon and i looked at each other, chuckling before we chorused a "you're welcome" to the little boy.

"tired?" sunghoon asked, patting my head as we stood outside his car and in front if my aoartment complex.

"a little, but it was worthwhile. thank you for coming with us, sunghoon-ah"

"anything for you," he answered, pinching my cheek.