Note: as i have mentioned in the 'note', time skip will be a common thing to skip irrelevant stuff. sorry for the boring stuff. will be getting better soon.
--
"You know each other?"
"Yes. She's a friend of mine."
Seungkwan's sudden English surprised her. She knew Joshua and Hansol can speak the language, but she never knew Seungkwan can.
She felt a pull on her hand making her look at Seongyoon. "Mommy? Friend?"
That immediately threw everything away. Seungkwan's surprised look didn't help either. His gaze was shifted from her boss to her son, and seeing how familiar the boy's features are, he must have got it all together.
Her secret was no longer a secret anymore.
"N-noona.. He's.."
This was going to happen eventually, she knew that, but she didn't expect it to happen too soon. Why not when she arrived in Korea? She was already planning on telling Soonyoung anyway. Why now?
-
Her thoughts were all over the place.
When the party ended, they went back home to pack for their flight the next day. Seongyoon was ecstatic as he missed his grandparents but had not helped her at all when he had a tantrum about bringing all of his toys with them. It took her a while to calm him down and make him understand that it was not necessary.
She also did not end up telling Seungkwan the whole truth. Seungkwan didn't ask her, too. He must have figured out himself, after all, he was there when the whole incident happened in the restaurant. They exchanged greetings and just basic questions before parting.
Her mind was never in peace because of that. Nervous that Soonyoung might barge in her house and take her baby away from her. But she knows Soonyoung isn't like that. Or at least, she hopes so.
"Dinosaur?"
"Of course, baby. As long as you carry that on your own."
Seongyoon was asking if he can take his dinosaur stuffed toy. It was half his height and he loves it so much. She bought it for him as soon as he was born, it was the same length as him back then but look at him now! A big boy who beats up the thing for no reason sometimes.
"Mommy, can you play music?" The baby boy rests his head on her shoulder when she picked him up.
"Sure."
The day ended with her swaying slow to the song as her son falls asleep, unaware of what's waiting for him when they come back to Korea.
"Seongyoon!" Her mother was jumping when they arrived. The flight was faster than she thought because of the great weather, and she wasted no time to get to her parents. They were impatient. Very impatient.
"I missed you, dear." They kissed her cheek and they did the same with Seongyoon who's now in her father's arms.
After a few minutes playing and catching up with their grandson who's now a bit of a skilled speaker in their mother tongue, she was pulled in the kitchen counter to drink coffee served by the maids.
"So, you're telling him?" Her mother asked.
She smiled faintly, gently tracing her finger on the warm mug. "I want to."
"Darling, you need to. It's been two years. Seongyoon will look for him eventually."
"He just did a few days ago. He..uhm..not exactly asked for Soonyoung, but he asked what a father was."
That saddens her mother. Poor child, not even aware what a father is. She understood where her daughter was coming from when she decided to move to Japan for the meantime. Her mother was there with her in Japan during the first months of Seongyoon, but had to return for some projects under contract. Her mother saw how happy she was and respected her decision to leave. It was for the best. Away from the media. Away from everything.
"Both Seongyoon and Soonyoung deserves to know. Those two look almost identical! I got a bit sad that he almost got nothing from you."
"Mommy!" She frowned and her mother laughed.
"I'm just making you laugh. I know you're sad, baby, but this is for the best. I'm not forcing you to get back with him, that's completely up to you. You, okay? Think of yourself, too. Don't be like my character in one drama that got together with the baby daddy because of the baby even if the baby daddy was..er..bad. No. No. I'm sure Seongyoon won't like it if that happens."
Well, that made her laugh.
"You're so passionate, mommy." She joked but of course, she made a mental note to do that. "I'll take care of myself. You know me. It's always been me before others, except now it's me and Seongyoon first before others."
-
At a very young age, she's been to multiple countries with her parents because of their work, and she remember being so excited to go home after a long stay in a foreign country.
South Korea is her home.
But it doesn't feel the same anymore.
Every place reminds her of something she wants to forget.
The pain..
The love..
Her dream..
Everything reminds her of the way she gave up fighting for what she have worked hard for for the sake of Seongyoon's life. Although it breaks her heart, she would still do it all over again if she had the chance.
Seongyoon has became her new dream. A dream she fulfilled and will forever fulfill for as long as she live.
The love she has for the son blossoms every day. It only gets deeper and deeper as they both get older.
'I hope he knows that..' She thought. Wanting her son to feel loved all the time.
"Coco's a fighter." The vet said with enthusiasm when he saw the results of the dog's checkup. "He's going strong. Good boy!"
They're in an animal clinic she was very familiar to. She drove there the first thing in the morning to check how Coco was doing.
She smiled and began petting Coco's head upon hearing the news. Despite having Seongyoon already, she still sees her pet as a child of her own. When she moved to Japan, she made sure that Coco was coming with her no matter what.
Seeing him fight for his life is seriously overwhelming. She wants him to stay longer if he can.
"Good boy.." She praised. Then she turned to the vet. "So, how much?"
"I told you that it's free. Don't be stubborn."
"But Jin--"
"Shh! Now leave peasant. Make sure to take care of Coco."
'P-Peasant?!'
Jin never changed. He only got more brutal.
"Let's hang out."
"If hanging out if the gym again then no thanks."
"Oh, c'mon! I'm only here for a week."
Seokjin sighed as he was always defeated when she brings up the sad fact that she's rarely in the country.
"Fine fine."
__
She believes that everything happens for a reason. The universe has always planned what will happen next, because they know what's best.
So, when Seungkwan contacted her when she got home from the clinic thinking that she's still in Japan, she wasn't surprised.
"Wait. You're in Korea?" The younger one asked in surprise. He just said that he was leaving Japan in a few hours and that he wanted to meet the girl to catch up before he leaves the country.
She drew a faint smile on her face, "I guess we can meet here."
Her eyes trailed on the child on her lap, asleep after a tiring morning in the pool with his grandparents. Two years ago, he was a secret she wanted for herself, but now she understood that Seongyoon wasn't only hers. The child has a father that's probably unaware that he was capable of creating something so beautiful.
The call dropped with plans of the two meeting.
Now she drew small circles on Seongyoon's face. She remembering all the memories she had with her baby. His first smile that made her panic and ended up snapping multiple pictures of it, his first word being the name he calls her now, his first steps that made her feel like she was doing everything right, and the first time she saw him.
'You were so small back then and now you barely even fit on my lap.' She smiled at that thought.
Seongyoon growing is inevitable, but if she could do it, she wants to slow the growing and keep him as he is forever.
Her baby.
"Look at my grandson~! My baby.." Her father cooed quietly, not wanting to wake the boy up.
"Which baby? I was you and mommy's baby first, though." She pretends to be sad earning a giggle from the father.
"Nonsense. When you gave birth to Seongyoon, the title immediately left you."
She frowned, "Not really."
"A baby with a baby?" He gave her a teasing look.
She nods in agreement, "I'm always your baby."
"Of course." He gave up knowing how she won't drop it. He sat on the couch with her, Seongyoon's legs now transfered to his lap. "I heard your conversation with your mom."
"Which--" She was about to ask, but the memory of her talking about Soonyoung with her mom pops in her head. "Oh, that talk."
"So, you're finally telling him, huh? I was thinking about just hiding Seongyoon from him." He joked to make the atmosphere lighter. He knows it was a sensitive topic for her daughter.
She caught the joke but still shook her head while chuckling, "You know we can't do that, dad. He needs to know and Seongyoon..needs a father."
"Mm-hm. I guess two years in enough for him to change and learn from what he did to you."
She bit her bottom lip to keep calm. As much as possible she doesn't want to think about what happened two years ago. "Let's not talk about that."
Her father understood, "Okay. Okay, but did his lawyer call you after you sent him the divorce papers?"
"No, but considering his relationship with--ah, let's not remember." She dismissed.
"You're lucky that most of your clothes were here when you decided to move to Japan, but your other stuff are still in his place. I don't think he has plans on returning them." He said thinking about the time when she packed for her leave, but had to buy more clothes in the country because she left formal wear at Soonyoung's.
"He must have boxed them up or something. My vanity table was filled with products mommy gave me. I hope he used them instead of throwing them out." She chuckled, imagining Soonyoung using his ex-wife's moisturizer.
"That would a lovely."
The day didn't last without Seongyoon being constantly showered with love. Both her parents asked him what he wanted for dinner. She was about to say no when he said a Japanese dish, but her mom said it was fine.
"Mommy, can you do it?" Seongyoon asked with his puppy eyes.
"Okay, baby." She smiled then turned to her mother, "I'll lead the cooking."
Oh, how she missed cooking in this house.
__
Her grasp on Seongyoon never loosen. Even when she saw the familiar figure waiting for them, she calmed down.
"Mommy, up?" Seongyoon raised his free hand and the hand he had on her, asking to be carried.
She just bent down and fulfilled his desire to be in her arms, "Promise mommy that you'll be respectful to the uncle you'll meet?"
"Promise."
Soon they were facing the man. His hair now blonde unlike the color he has in Japan. Face covered with a mask and jacket thick to hide himself from the public's eyes.
The resto wasn't packed since it was a weekday, but he wasn't risking anything.
"Friend?" Seongyoon must have recognized the face when the man briefly pulled his mask down. "Uncle?"
She gluped, "Nice to see you, Seungkwan."
__
Food was served and her brows raised upon seeing the meal. She was sure she have seen and tasted it somewhere, she just can't remember.
"So, noona, I guess you didn't tell hyung?" Seungkwan can't help but ask. He thought of Soonyoung who was busy with something else instead of a child, and through those years he heard nothing about Seongyoon.
She took a sip from her drink, "I-I'm about to."
"That's great." He smiled, sending her to curiosity. His reaction is weird and totally unexpected, but she just shrug it off. Seungkwan turned to the little boy having a hard time eating on his own with chopsticks. "Hey, little boy, what's your name?"
And since Seongyoon was taught how to respond to questions like that, he did what he know. Bowing and introducing herself. "I'm Kwon Seongyoon--" But it was cut short when his forehead collided with the table.
"Oh my gosh!" Seungkwan exclaimed and helped the boy up. He tried not laughing and it was obvious that the mother was doing the same.
"Poor baby. Does it hurt?" She coughed a laugh and starts tending to her embarrassed son.
'He hit his head on the table for bowing. I know someone who's likely to do that.' Seungkwan looks away to keep himself from laughing.
"Nice to meet you, Seongyoon. I'm Boo Seungkwan." He introduced like nothing happened.
"He's uncle to you." She told the boy to which he nods to.
Seungkwan smiled. The boy looks exactly like Soonyoung. He never thought his hyung was already a father! He's far too excited to tell the boys--
"Seungkwan," She called, pulling Seungkwan out of his thoughts. "Can you keep this a secret for a little while?"
"What? Uhm, sure, noona. But please do tell Soonyoung-hyung. He'll be happy to see this cutie." Seungkwan pinched Seongyoon's cheek. "Do you want to buy toys with uncle?"
"Toys?!"
Oh, no. Seungkwan was too excited that he was going to spend a few on the kid.
"Seungkwan I--"
"Don't worry, noona. I just want to give him presents~!"
She had no choice but to just thank the younger one. With a small smile, she starts to dig in her food again.
But Seungkwan's look on her made her stop.
"Are you going to say something?"
Seungkwan shook his head, "Don't you recognize the taste?"
She did, but she doesn't know why. It's in the back of her mind. Nothing's coming to her.
"Nope."
The little boy pulled the man's sleeve and pointed at his garlic bread, "Uncle, why is that yellow?"
"It's garlic bread. Here. Taste it." Seungkwan gives his food to the kid then went back to his noona. "This restaurant.."
"Hm?"
"Soonyoung-hyung owns it."