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1 day turns into 1 week. Weeks to months, and in the blink of an eye years pass by. Seokhyeong watches these balls of joy unlock each and every milestone. From crawling to running, milk to kimchi, and babbling to long storytelling. He acknowledged that he fell for their charms and thought of them as more than just someone's children.
Their grandparents also trust him to take their grandkids under his care, especially during the high peak season in the guesthouse. They are grateful for his kindness despite knowing there's no blood related to him.
"I’m very sorry Ajushi, Ajumma. I took Minha with me today" Seokhyeong on his knees finally confesses after accompanying their daughter almost the entire day.
"It's Ok Seokhyeong ah, I'm sure you took care of her very well today" Mr.Chu replied after sighing so loudly.
"Did you ask her when she will return home?" Mrs.Chu asked with the softest voice, feeling the yearning to see her daughter.
"No I didn't, I don't know if it's my right to ask her that. I even couldn't ask her number as well" Seokhyeong replied back with the same calm voice.
"Oh, I can give her number-"
"Aniyo Ajushi, I prefer asking her by myself." Seokhyeong almost jumps toward Mr.Chu to prevent him from getting his phone. The elders look at each other for a second and nod lightly. Seokhyeong then carefully watches the twins sleeping soundly and the letter Minha wrote a letter to her parents she left with. He reads them over and over again and sighs heavily, worried so much about her.
"Yejin ah, Seojin ah… Samchon is here!"
"Samchoooon!!" Seokhyeong kneels down as he watches the two cutest people in this village running toward him.
"Aigoo… your power is getting stronger now. By any time you guys can beat me easily" Seokhyeong hugs them tightly and meticulously picks them up at the same time.
"Eeii, how can we win over Samchon? You even pick us up at the same time" Yejin shyly said to him.
"That's right. I'm sure Samchon has big and strong muscles in his arms" Seojin started to fold his arms, which Seokhyeong was unable to hold from laughing at it.
"I'm sure when you guys get older, you will be stronger than me" All of them giggle as Seokhyeong begins to wiggle their bodies and be playful.
"Ya get down there, why are you always bothering him? Aigoo these kids" Mrs.Chu half runs towards them with her worried face on display.
"Aniyo, they are still lighter than ever," Seokhyeong smiles widely at the older one.
"See… Samchon is the strongest man in the world" Yejin remarks with her arms spread out wide, earning a nod from Seojin and a chuckle from Seokhyeong and her Grandma.
"Do you guys have any plans where to go?" Seokhyeong carefully checks their safety in their own car seat before heading towards the driving seat.
"That ice cream shop near the beach" Both of them replied at the same time. Seokhyeong narrows his eyes playfully toward them.
"Seems you guys already plan this. Arraseo, some sweetness in this summertime won't give us a rotten tooth." All of them lightly giggle. After sitting in the driving seat, he looked at the mirror above to see the twins behind him with a faint smile. If only Minha can see how her kids are growing beautifully each day.
"Kajja?"
"Kajjaa!!"
After spending playful time under the sun, Seokhyeong drives them home and places them in their bedroom as they tire themselves out. He quietly closes the door and walks towards his car when suddenly being called by Mr. Chu. "Come and have some sashimi with me, adeul"
It's quite sometimes Mr. Chu calls him that way, which at first is uncomfortable for Seokhyeong. But in the end, he lets it be as he assumes that he misses his own children. Seokhyeong also admits that he misses being adored by a father figure, and Mr. Chu can be the closest one he can get. "Nae Abeoji''
But at least, he addressed him when there was no one beside them.
Seokhyeong didn't realize he spent the rest of the afternoon hanging around at Chu's guesthouse as guests came back one by one or people checked in and out. Yejin and Seojin also awake from their afternoon sleep, and he knows the drill to give Seojin a shower.
"Samchon, do you know who my father is?" Seokhyeong pauses drying Seojin's hair after hearing his question. It's about time for them to ask their parents, and every time Seokhyeong always replies the same thing. "I have no clue. But I know that he will meet you very soon."
"Seokhyeong ah, have a dinner with us before heading back" Mrs. Chu calls him after watching him hanging around with her grandkids.
"Nae Omonim, thank you" Seokhyeong smiled widely at her, but then pulled by Yejin to show her new drawing.
"Wow.. just as I thought. Our painter is truly a genius" He smiled softly while patting her head as Yejin explained the meaning of her drawing.
"This is Samchon, Omma, Yejin, and Seojin playing on the beach while eating ice cream" Seokhyeong can only smile at her, trying to hide his sadness from her yearning for her parents’ affection. Just before he can say anything their grandpa calls them to eat.
Just like regular dinners, the atmosphere is so alive thanks to their wit. Seokhyeong watches how they eat deliciously, just like their mother. He bitterly smiles, still remembering precisely how Minha ate in front of him, although it was almost four years ago. But then he peeved of it, on how she never returned here just to visit them.
"Seokhyeong ah, is the food not to your liking?" Mrs. Chu asks worriedly as she sees Seokhyeong goes quiet.
"Aniyo Omonim, I just thinking about something"
"What are you thinking about, Samchon?" Yejin asked in her curious way. There are times when Seokhyeong goes nervous, one of them being the main attention for Chu's family.
"I'm thinking about what kind of milk flavor I will give to you guys next" The kids sigh in disappointment.
"We aren't little anymore, we don't need milk" Seojin protested.
"Ehm, that's right. We are too old for that" Yejin continued.
"Arraseo, I guess you guys don't want to be strong like me then" Seokhyeong begins flexing his arm, which amazes the kids. The elders can only laugh watching the interaction between Seokhyeong and their grandkids. Just then, a phone call came in from Mrs. Chu's device. The twins quickly get up and move to the bedroom to talk with the caller, Minha.
“Omma!!" The older ones chuckle hearing how bright their voices are calling Minha.
"Seokhyeong ah, are you sure you don't want her phone number?" Mrs. Chu asks softly to the younger one amongst them.
"It's fine Omonim, I think it's better for them to communicate through their grandparent’s phone than mine," Seokhyeong replied calmly.
"She said that so you can talk to her privately" Seokhyeong looks at his right after hearing Mr. Chu's words. Isn't a secret that they try to help him by talking with Minha, and grasp a hint of their blessing if he really wants to court her. But there's a huge missing link if he really wants to know first. The real father of the twins is still a question mark for him.
"Woah… that's a beautiful drawing there" Minha's motherly smile exudes after Yejin shows her newest creation.
"Of course, since I draw Omma like an angel here" Minha was touched by her daughter’s words.
“Omma, when can we see you? I miss you so much” Seojin asks with a hint of sadness. Minha sighs lightly, feeling guilty for not returning back to them.
“Omma is currently working hard now, so I can gather a lot of money and we can live together forever” Minha brightly explains to them. Seokhyeong just stares at the little ones lying on their bellies while talking to Minha. He can’t help but smile at the scene. Without their knowing, he left silently back to his house.
Months later, things around the village aren’t like usual. From Kangho's sudden visit to his mother while bringing his future wife and turns out to have a car accident in the evening. In the end, he fully rested in the village with his mother. The twins start to become fussier and sometimes Seokhyeong is overwhelmed by their unusual requests, most of them are inviting Kangho to play. Unrecognized vehicles pass by at night when Seokhyeong arrives home. From cars to motorcycles, he senses fishy things these days.
But the no.1 that surprised him is seeing Minha standing in front of the bus station with all sorts of things around her.
“Need a ride?” That was the first thing he said to her. Seokhyeong stares at Minha which radiates fatigue from her. But nevertheless, her beauty always takes his breath away with more maturity and her shorter hairstyle compared to the last time he saw her. He takes her home without much talking, letting her rest peacefully. Just like the last time, he drives with the minimum speed so she can sleep much longer or be able to stay close to her as long as he can.
“Minha ya, we’re here” Seokhyeong carefully shakes her arm to wake her. Minha groans softly and blinks a couple of times.
“Omo! I’m sorry for sleeping the entire ride” Minha quickly gathers her consciousness as she looks at her family guesthouse right in front of her. Seokhyeong only smiles back and prepares to unload his truck. He hears Yejin and Seojin’s voice squeak, surprised to see their mother in the flesh after a long time. He watches how her parents also hug her tightly, greeting their daughter warmly.
“How did Samchon bring Omma here? Are you a magician?” Yejin runs towards Seokhyeong, followed by Seojin. He chuckles at the question and squats down.
“Ani, I found your mother at the bus station, so I drove her here” Seokhyeong rubs their arms with care. He can sense their sadness from feeling someone isn’t here, and Seokhyeong tries to cheer them up.
“Aigoo, let’s go inside quickly. It’s so cold at night. Kajja” Yejin and Seojin laugh at Seokhyeong lifting them up again at the same time. Minha watches her children comfortably with Seokhyeong picking them up and goofing around, and she has no idea they were this close to him.
A few days after Minha’s return, Seokhyeong rarely comes by. Since she’s returned, Seokhyeong has no reason to meet them regularly. Although he misses them dearly, he somehow can’t meet Minha at the moment. Meanwhile, Minha spends so much time with her kids after a heart-to-heart talk with her parents on the night of her return.
“Seokhyeong really took care of them since they were babies. So don’t be too hard on him for not seeing them.”
Seokhyeong walks around the village when he sees Yejin and Seojin on Kangho’s lap chasing a piglet up the hill. He starts to pace up his feet and suddenly sees Minha coming out from the gate of her home.
“Omma! Catch him”
“Catch Saja!”
“Quickly Omma”
Minha freezes on the spot and quickly gains her thoughts and rapidly picks up the piglet that is hanging around her foot. Seokhyeong watches the interaction between the four of them, and can’t help with his weird feelings looking at them. Just then, a familiar ringtone comes on from his left and he immediately knows who the person is.
“Choi Kangho!!”
The twins and Kangho start running away from Kangho’s mother, which causes him to chuckle at their cheekiness. His laugh dies out when he watches Youngsoon talking to Minha, and from her gestures inviting Kangho’s mother, Youngsoon to come over. Minha looks around for a moment and sees Seokhyeong standing not far away. He bravely walks toward her and lets out a smile.
“I’ll go get them for you” Minha only nods her head and watches him start jogging at the path where the kids run off.
“Kajja, let your Omma scold you guys” Seokhyeong accompanies them toward their home after searching for them for a while.
“Samchon, why don't you come to our house anymore?”
“You don’t like Omma, right?”
Seokhyeong stops walking and lowers himself to their eyesight level. “Ani, I try to give you guys some time to play with your Omma. Didn’t you guys say that you miss her so much?” He smiles softly and watches their expression trying to digest what he just said.
“But still, we miss playing with Samchon”
“Or going to the ice cream, public bath, or even eating together” Seokhyeong smiles widely and warm-heartedly at how they miss him just as he misses them.
“I also miss you guys. If your Omma is busy, I’m sure she will call me to play with you guys. So go and have some adventure with your Omma, ok?”
“Nae Samchon” Yejin and Seojin nod their head slowly, and Seokhyeong softly pats their hair.
“Come on, before your mother worries about you”
Minha walks her way in high spirits toward the bus stop, while talking to the gadget in her hand. She runs hurriedly as the bus she was supposed to hop on stops. Unfortunately, Minha misses it. Just as her luck runs out, she sees Seokhyeong riding his truck from her left.
“Heading towards the town?” Seokhyeong asks casually, after stopping at the roadside.
“Yep, wanting to head somewhere there” Minha replies happily, which earns a smile on Seokhyeong’s face as well.
“Hop in then. It’s free of charge”
“It has been 3 times Oppa driving me now. Funny all those times is when I needed it the most” Minha starts their conversation. With her tone, Seokhyeong can only assume things are going well for her.
“Really? I rarely count them” Seokhyeong lied about it, he really put his luck driving around the town just in case meeting Minha along the way.
“Well if you really want to count them, at least beat the highest score from my dearest passenger then” Minha turns at Seokhyeong and begins to guess the person.
“Yejin nie and Seojin nie?”
“Ding dong deng. How do you know?” Seokhyeong takes a quick glance at Minha and continues to focus on the road.
“Those kids always tell me that you take them to different shops”
“Ah, Jinjja?” Seokhyeong was unable to hold his chuckles after imagining the twins telling Minha about their day outs. She chuckles as well seeing him talking so brightly about her kids, knowing that her parents’ words are true and that Seokhyeong is indeed taking care of them just as he promised her.
After leaving Minha in the town, they once again didn’t meet each other for a while. They see each other again when Seokhyeong takes a night stroll and Minha comes down from the food store. He invites her to take a stroll together and to his surprise Minha accepts it. They walk around the neighborhood for a while until finally sitting down to rest.
“Oppa” Minha softly calls him, after a few minutes of quietness between them. He started to feel his heartbeat raise just by a simple call. He tries to act cool by looking at her softly.
“Why didn’t you see the twins anymore?”
He breathes in a large amount of air, to compose himself calmly and tries to cough lightly as his nervousness kicks in out of the blue. “Since you are here, I feel like my roles all these years are fully returned to yours. I wanted them to catch up and spend more time with you rather than me. Besides, I need your permission as well to meet them”
“You sort of like a godfather to them, I don’t see why you need my permission now. Haven’t I given that since the beginning?” Minha continues to give her reasons for his nonsense.
“You should know that I’m a Buddhist, so the godfather thing isn’t my thing” Seokhyeong leans closer to her as if giving a secret about himself.
“Ahh…” Minha nods her head slowly.
“But I will be there for them if you need a guardian for them. Just call me” Seokhyeong then swiftly takes out his phone and hands it to her. Minha furrows her brows for a moment but then giggles afterward, realizing what just happened.
“Is this how Oppa gets someone’s phone number? How smooth” Seokhyeong grins while scratching his not itchy head. Minha dials her contact number and saves it. Seokhyeong look at the new addition to his contact list and sighs.
“Really? Yejin and Seojin Omma? You truly have that old soul now. Aigoo''
“Ya!”
“Ahh… that scares me. Mian mian” Seokhyeong rubs his hand roughly in front of her face, and Minha quickly stops it with her hands. The unexpected skin contact between them startled both of them and quickly breaks away.
“Hey, I heard that you will open a nail shop soon” Seokhyeong tries to save their alone moment for a while longer. By her reaction, he knows that will put them together much longer.
“How do you know? I haven’t told a lot of people yet” Minha with her eyes widened in shock, clearly that she just dealt with the rental fund a while ago.
“The owner of the pesticide shop told me, a shop in a shop concept? I never heard that before” Seokhyeong tilted his head slightly in confusion.
“But anyway, good thing you open a shop there. The owner looks pleased talking about it. Good job Minha ya” Seokhyeong softly smiles at Minha, feeling proud of her achievement. All she can do is smile back and nod her head at the compliment.
Just as he hoped that he would meet Minha quicker, he didn’t expect to be this soon. Hearing how Seojin misses going to the public bathroom, he couldn’t help but chuckle at it. But his giddiness fades when Minha also invites Samsik and Kangho along with him. He has no problem at all, at least she relies on more people to take care of her son. He watches carefully how Kangho takes care of Seojin really well despite it being his first time. Seokhyeong sighed harshly as Samsik somehow ruined the moment.
“You really have to do that?” Seokhyeong whispers near Samsik’s ears.
“Ai hyung… just let me do it” Samsik whispered back while hair drying Seojin’s hair. He then switches his gaze somewhere else and catches Kangho’s eyes change as he sees the news about Oh Taesoo. He was even more curious when Kangho suddenly rambled on something that Seokhyeong couldn’t catch.
“Kajja, let Samchon drive you home” After sending Kangho and his mother off first, Seokhyeong unlocked his car and helped Seojin sit on the car seat. He watches Minha struggle to strap Yejin, so he swiftly moves closer to her.
"Hop on comfortably, let me do it"
"Ahh arraseo" Minha swiftly walks her way to the front, slightly avoiding being close to him.
Things go better each day at the village, especially witnessing Kangho able to walk on his foot again although all of the villagers help funded an advanced wheelchair for him. He watches how Yejin and Seojin get along with Kangho well, which somehow warms his heart yet jealous at the same time. He can see that Yejin might fall to Kangho, just as her mother is, which is quite a coincidence. Minha’s nail shop is also the talk of the town with not only nail arts but also pedicures. He occasionally meets Yejin and Seojin from time to time in his free time, which their grandparents appreciate. He sometimes takes a night stroll together with Minha, listening to her stories and gossip in town, her concern about how male patients come in which makes him worried about her. Good thing that he knows the main shop owner very well and teams up if anything happens to her.
Except for tonight, Seokhyeong walks toward Chu’s residence after knowing Minha’s incident with a male customer earlier today. She should’ve told him about it, and he can’t let this slide off quietly. Just remembering what he had heard from the shop owner fuels his anger even more. But he watches Chu’s family minus the twins gather on the upper porch, a good timing for him. Seokhyeong fastens his pace and stops after hearing their voices. He doesn’t mean to eavesdrop on what they are talking about, but her words catch his attention quickly.
“I should’ve told him that I was pregnant. Even though he left, I should’ve told Kangho about it. I’m the one who makes the wrong decision. To Kangho, Ajumma… Yejin and Seojin, and also Omma and Appa”
“What did you say?” Mrs. Chu asks again in disbelief.
“You mean that… Kangho is the father of those kids?” Mr. Chu stammered asking his daughter.
“Choi Kangho from the pig farm? Choi Kangho that we knew?” Mr. Chu continues asking while pointing away from his back. Minha’s vision started to blur from her tears forming and couldn’t answer her parents’ questions.
“Andwae andwae Minha ya. This can’t be true right?” Both of her parents kneel in front of her, but all Minha can do is lay her head low and let the tears fall down.
“Who else knows? Ajumma? Kangho? Seokhyeong?” Mr. Chu asks again while looking at his daughter, starting to cry.
Minha shakes her head and hugs her parents tightly. She knew her life was a mess, but since knowing Kangho’s mother's condition worsened today, she had no choice but to tell them before it was too late. Minha mentally noted that she will inform Youngsoon about it tomorrow. On the other hand, Seokhyeong, who's still standing on the lower porch of the house, is stunned in silence. He is really uncomfortable knowing this hidden truth like this, but his body freezes to run away and his heart is already stuffed with these unknown emotions that he can’t identify clearly after he hears that Kangho is the father.
But Seokhyeong left it aside for now, after receiving a call from Mrs. Chu to take care of the twins in the middle of the day. He quickly runs to the guesthouse and frowns his brows seeing them in more formal clothes and neat hairstyles.
“The pig owner Ajumma fainted when we get there Samchon”
“So Omma and Kangho Oppa going to the hospital”
“Ehh? Who’s driving the car?”
“Omma did”
Seokhyeong is completely dumbfounded by the news, but he tries to help the kids to forget today’s incident. After playing around at the wide land up on the hill, Seokhyeong takes them home and by surprise sees other shoes on the front porch. Hearing the loud voices between Minha and her parents, Seokhyeong quickly changes their course to continue playing outside near the garden. But after some time, he hears another shout, and this time between Kangho’s mother with Minha and Mrs. Chu. Seokhyeong swiftly picks them up and takes them inside the house.
“Oh, Seokhyeong ah'' Mr. Chu's voice greets him with a surprised voice. Perhaps Mr. Chu has completely forgotten about his grandkids’ missing existence, maybe that’s why he’s startled to see Seokhyeong holding his grandchildren.
“Aboeji, I took care of them. I should head back home”
“Oh Seokhyeong ah, wait a minute…” Seokhyeong quickly left the front door without looking at Mr. Chu. But as he opens the door, he sees Mrs. Chu and Minha standing in front of him.
“I… hmmm… take care of them Oemonim, they also already ate with me. I should head back now Oemonim” Seokhyeong rapidly bid his farewell and bowed to the elder. Just before he can take another step, he feels a hand holding his wrist firmly.
“Oppa, let’s talk for a minute”
Here they are, in the swinging chair that provides from her guesthouse. Seokhyeong is reluctant to begin the talk, as he has no idea what to say in the first place. He purposely let the time tick off between them, as some part of him still enjoys being near her. On the other hand, Minha keeps on swinging the chair back and forth, still building her courage to talk to him.
“Oppa”
“Hmm… say it Minha ya”
“About what?”
“I’m sure you want to talk about something right? If not, I should get going” Lie, he will never want to leave her side, for now.
“There’s something I want to tell you, Oppa…” Hearing her hesitation really kills his patience, but it’s Minha he’s talking to. If waiting for her to return is already accomplished then just waiting for her to explain isn't a big deal.
“Last night, I talked with Kangho’s mother that she will make Kangho marry someone-” This part really took him aback, and made him want to continue hearing her.
“And she told me to step away from their path to achieve her goal-”
“That doesn't feel so foreign to me” Seokhyeong cuts her words. He bites his lips, worried that he crossed the line and luckily Minha chuckles at his comment.
“To make me help her, I ask her to tell me the reason why-” A long silence afterward. Seokhyeong was barely able to look at her face and decided to stare at the scenery in front of them. He hears several sighs and sniffs indicating that something isn’t going to end well.
“Ahjumma is sick, Oppa. Very sick. She has cancer in the final stage.” Seokhyeong holds his breath, unexpectedly hearing the news of a person that he sees as a strong, disciplined woman. His mind rewinds to the times when she teaches him some basic farming after his parents run away. Now, he understands why she goes to him the other day and asks him to take care of Kangho and her farming.
“I know that Oppa heard our conversation last night” This time Seokhyeong turns his head at Minha whose eyes shedding in tears and her nose reddened.
“Oppa always wears that light reflector hand wrist every night. Of course, I can see it reflected with our lights” Seokhyeong was embarrassed at being caught red-handed.
"Ahh, mianhae. I didn't mean to hear all of it like that" Seokhyeong apologized with his soft voice to Minha.
"Ani, it should be me who apologizes. Knowing how Oppa has a deep connection with the kids, I couldn't let myself tell to you earlier. Ahh… another stupid decision I made, right Oppa?" Seokhyeong sighs heavily, feeling disappointed for the first time towards Minha. She could've just told him in the beginning, how that bastard left her all alone in a big city. Carrying the burden of two fragile lives by herself, until running out of options and giving up. But on the other hand, without her going back to the village secretly, he wouldn't have so much joy and warmth that he is eager to have.
"You did what you thought would be the best one. It's good that you evaluate yourself and try to make things up now." Seokhyeong pauses for a moment, feeling something stuck in his throat.
"As I said, just call me when you need help, ok?" Minha just stared at Seokhyeong with her moist eyes, and couldn't believe how considerate and understanding this person is.
After the fire incident at the pig farm last night, Seokhyeong is called again by Minha to take care of the twins, while she tries to take care of Kangho and tell Youngsoon Ajumma about the twins' identity at the hospital. After knowing the truth of the missing link, he can't help himself seeing the similarities between their father and the twins. Mrs. Chu watches how Seokhyeong's eyes are different from previous ones, unlike adoring and loveable stares every time he sees them.
"Yejin ah, Seojin ah… let's have some fruits" The little ones start running toward their grandma, followed by Seokhyeong. He stands near them and bids his farewell.
"Samchon, come and have a fruit so you can feel better" Yejin's words surprise him as well as Mrs. Chu. Seokhyeong faintly smiles and pats her hair, deciding to spend more time with them.
"I assume Minha already told you" Seokhyeong takes a peek at Mrs. Chu and lets out a soft sigh.
"Yes Omonim" He replies softly while looking at the twins playing with themselves.
"Aigoo… Mianhae Seokhyeong ah"
"Aniyo Eomonim, I understand that she's in love with him. Isn't it obvious since her school years?" Both of them chuckle, reminiscing those moments when Minha truly gives her attention to Kangho.
"Isn't that what you did as well? In love with her all these years?" Seokhyeong turns his head amused by how calmly Mrs.Chu said it.
"How do Eomonim…"
"You were and still are very easy to read. Those eyes are always glued on her whenever you visit here, the gestures and responsibility of taking care of her. You also take care of her twins ever since they are here, although you have no connection with them." Mrs. Chu faintly smiles as he sees his eyes starting to get moist.
"You’re right Eomonim, I’m sorry" Seokhyeong started to shed some tears after a long time. He vividly remembers the last time he cried when knowing his parents abandoned him in this village after coming home from school. Seokhyeong, who was still a pre-teen, must support himself and manage the farming that was just started by his father. He is lucky enough that the neighbor here helped him throughout the years until he graduated high school. And at the same time, he spent so much time with Minha and these feelings started to develop over the years.
"Samchon, why are you crying?" Seojin asks after hearing someone crying.
"Samchon, what's wrong? Don't cry… you making me cry" Yejin started to bawl out in tears, feeling hurt seeing Seokhyeong cry. Seojin also cries, unable to hold the tears any longer.
"Aigoo these kids, come here" In the end, Mrs. Chu comforts three people crying their hearts out.
Minha finally arrives at night, feeling her body exhausted to the bone. But at least her heart feels lighter after a deep conversation with Youngsoon. Mrs. Chu watches her daughter limp her way to her room. “How did she take the news?”
Minha turns her body slightly toward her mother and smiles faintly. “She takes it well Omma”
Mrs. Chu nods lightly and orders her to sleep quickly. Minha just stands there, staring at her mother for a moment, and then sits in front of her. “Is Seokhyeong Oppa ok?”
“I suppose so, he is still trying to accept the truth though. I guess some part of his relief is that he knows who their father is, but he is still worried about them since he has no idea what will happen between you and Kangho afterward.” Minha sighs lightly upon hearing it.
“At least talk to him, ok?” Mrs. Chu holds her hand tightly, and Minha replies it tighter.
Seokhyeong cleans the chicken hen, after almost abandoning it for a while. He admits that it takes a lot of energy and emotion to deal with things outside his capacity, but then again his consideration and sympathy win over his logical sense. After he finishes filling the bowl of water, he catches a person in a black outfit standing not far from the gate. He sighs softly after knowing who the person is.
“Hyung, have you been well these days?” Kangho asks carefully as Seokhyeong remains unspoken. Seokhyeong look at him and stares away at the sky.
“Seems like you have returned” Seokhyeong begins to speak up and steals a glance at the younger one.
“That’s right hyung” Kangho hesitantly replies, which earns a long sigh from Seokhyeong.
“Hyung, I have something to say” Seokhyeong looks back at Kangho and stares sharply at him. “I want to say thank you for taking care of the kids these past few years. I know that Hyung must be surprised by the news” Seokhyeong continues to stare at Kangho who seems not to mind being looked at like that.
“But I still love Minha, if Hyung wants to ask about my feelings” His words left Seokhyeong to scoff lightly.
“And I understand that Hyung also loves her. Mianhaeyo Hyung” Kangho lowers his head down. Seokhyeong chuckles lightly at how Kangho is brave enough to inform his feelings. Seokhyeong shifts his position toward Kangho and stares directly into his eyes.
“You… whatever you do with Minha isn’t my problem. But at least make it clear to her. Don’t do it like the last time, especially now you have more people leaning on you” Seokhyeong firmly threatens Kangho, and for the first time he seems nervous.
“And for that Hyung, I have a request”
Seokhyeong walks his way to the village hall after being invited by Kangho’s mother. He rubs his stomach as he was told not to have dinner yet. He tilted his head several times along the way, wondering why with the sudden invitation. But after he arrived, he was finally able to connect the dots despite being denied by Youngsoon’s opening speech. Seokhyeong continues to watch at first but then joins along as the elders feast their way through the night.
“Aigoo you’re here? Omo”
“Omma!” Seokhyeong hears the twins hugging Minha tightly. He just realizes that she wasn’t at the party earlier, but his mind fades out as Mr. Chu’s body falls right beside him.
“Abeoji”
Minha turns her attention toward the front door and sees her parents, Kangho’s mother, and Seokhyeong almost stumbling on one another.
“Ahh uri Minha! My beautiful Minha” Seokhyeong watches how Kangho’s mother shows affection to Minha. He couldn’t hold his laugh at how Youngsoon kissed Minha deeply while Mrs. Chu tried to hold her body from falling. Hearing how drunk Kangho’s mother is, he can only smile bitterly. Maybe since she accepts the existence of her grandkids, that’s why she insists on sleeping over at Minha’s house.
“Oi Seokhyeong ah… to my bedroom” Mr. Chu embraces Seokhyeong around his neck roughly, almost strangle leading him slightly to choke up.
“Nae Abeoji” He scans the scene in front of him, as the ladies handling Kangho’s mother, before heading to Mr. Chu’s bedroom by himself.
After dealing with Mr. Chu, Seokhyeong quietly left the room and headed downstairs. He sees Minha and her kids sitting together on the sofa, focusing on the phone. To his curiosity, Seokhyeong walks toward them and tries to watch a video as well. He was taken by surprise seeing the video and held himself from cursing out loud.
“Let’s go to sleep now” With her worried voice, Minha tries to get the kids to sleep.
“Let me help Minha ya” Seokhyeong picks up Seojin and heads towards the bathroom to wash him up.
After Seokhyeong helps Minha settle down with the kids, he bids his farewell. Minha accompanies him to the front gate. At that moment, they can only hear insects and the sound of their footsteps. Just before he walks away, he turns back after being called by Minha.
“Can we meet at Samsik’s house tomorrow?”
Seokhyeong only hears the conversation between Minha and Samsik analyzing the video that they watch several times now. He only responds to questions from both of them about the scene on that day, as Seokhyeong is their only witness amongst them.
“I can’t let this slide away. I must meet this woman”
“What? Ya! Andwae!”
“Ya! Are you crazy? Andwae!” Samsik and Seokhyeong simultaneously shout at Minha, leaving her to blankly stare at them. Seokhyeong roughly rubs his head not wanting to debate with Minha.
“Don’t worry. I won’t go there alone” Seokhyeong just stares at Minha, sees her mischievous smile, and looks toward Samsik.
“Minha ya, don’t you think it’s a bit dangerous?” Seokhyeong tries to persuade her, and clearly, he knows that Minha will be sturdy with her choice.
“Don’t worry Oppa, I’ll be fine with Samsik. We are here to help Kangho, right?” Seokhyeong looks away after she mentions Kangho. He has no options and can only nod in defeat.
Today went by so slowly for Seokhyeong’s liking. He hasn't heard any news from Minha or Samsik, which worries him even more. In the end, he tries to look for Yejin and Seojin as the night finally arrives. After knowing no one is at Chu’s house, he begins searching elsewhere. To his luck, he didn’t have to walk for long as he heard Mrs. Chu’s voice calling someone.
“Where are you? Why can’t you go home?” Seokhyeong halts his footsteps as he continues to eavesdrop on the conversation between Minha and her mother. He picks up on the word Samsik, which he slightly sighs in relief but it doesn't last long when Mrs. Chu raises her voice.
“Don’t say… you move on from Kangho to Samsik!?” Seokhyeong frowns his brows, having no idea why Mrs. Chu assumes it like that.
“Are you in danger?” Seokhyeong raises his eyebrows and tries to stay focused while listening to the conversation. Endless questions of worries flow fluently from Mrs. Chu’s mouth. He vividly hears Minha on the phone raising her voice to grab her mother's attention. After hearing the lengthy phone call between them, Seokhyeong leans back against the wall. He tries to digest what he just heard, and what they are talking about. But guessing what he assumed was right, Minha still loves Kangho. He goes on thinking about it and accidentally slipped to the ground.
“Who’s there? Is there anyone over there?” Mrs. Chu's voice breaks the silent night. Seokhyeong curse under his breath and has no choice but to show up in front of her.
“Omo! Seokhyeong ah” Seokhyeong bows his body and walks carefully toward her. He faintly smiles at first before worrying about Minha’s mother.
“Eomonim, isn’t it a bit too cold to spend outside here without a jacket? Shall we go inside?” Seokhyeong tries to escort her, but he stops when Mrs. Chu’s hand grabs his arm. “I assume you heard the phone call, right Seokhyeong ah?”
Once again, Seokhyeong is caught by Mrs. Chu, a person who he respects as a mother figure ever since she volunteered to take care of him. No wonder she was able to read him easily.
“Yes, you’re right, Eomonim” Seokhyeong bitterly smiles and places his hand gently above Mrs. Chu’s. Her eyes suddenly build up some tears, but she wipes them harshly and shakes her head aggressively. “Geurae Seokhyeong ah, it’s too chilly to be out right now. Let’s go inside”
Seokhyeong slowly walks beside Mrs. Chu and heads over to Yejin and Seojin to cheer them up and put them down to sleep. He settles between them and slowly sighs, today was a long day indeed.
It’s been a day since Minha left the village, exactly 30 hours based on what Seokhyeong was tracking in. After overhearing a phone call from her mother last night, he knows that Minha is fine. But knowing the fact that Minha’s true feelings are bothering him and realizing that he might have a few hours left with the twins.
He watches the twins once again after being told by their grandparents that they will attend Kangho’s trial after a long explanation from Kangho’s mother. It’s not that he doesn’t want to attend as he trusts that the younger man will win the court, he just wants to spend some more time with the twins.
“Samchon, why are you so sad these days?” Yejin and Seojin sit beside Seokhyeong while enjoying their ice cream on the beach date.
“Is it visible for you guys?” Seokhyeong asks them while looking at the sunset displayed beautifully in front of him.
“Hmm… I thought that eating ice cream will cheer people up. But I guess that’s not true” Seojin sadly said.
“Ani, eating ice cream can also make people think about a lot of things. Like when will we be able to eat ice cream on the beach together” Seokhyeong slightly nudges Seojin’s body.
“I hope that we can eat ice cream with Samchon for a long time, even when we get older. Right, Seojin?” Yejin’s words hit Seokhyeong’s soft spot perfectly. He sees Seojin nod his head in agreement, which earns him a long sigh again.
“Aigoo… you guys. I do hope we can spend more time together like this” Eating ice cream with them helps him remember the time when him and their mother eating ice cream after school. Sitting in this exact place, talking about dreams and hope for the future. Although not with the same person, at least there's some part of Minha that runs inside Yejin and Seojin.
"Kajja, I bet everyone will be back"
Night finally arrived and the rest of the villagers made it home safely. Seokhyeong watches how Minha and Kangho hug the twins tightly, washing away those longing for each other. He couldn’t watch any longer and preferred to start busy helping set up the table for the celebration. Minha is aware of how quiet and self-distracted Seokhyeong is, giving no space for Minha to talk to him.
Later on, they begin the celebration with Youngsoon’s speech which gives Seokhyeong heartache hearing from it, watching the interaction between son and mother, and continuing feasting on the delicious food that Youngsoon provides at her own birthday party. Seokhyeong helps with the final cleaning when he sees Minha and Kangho coming out from inside, followed by their mothers. Seeing the reaction between them, something must be sacred earlier. Finally, he finished helping out and prepared to head back home.
“Oppa, care to take a walk tonight?”
They walk aimlessly around the village, savoring the quietness between them. Something caught his eye, a shiny item in her left hand and he faintly smiles knowing what it is. “I see you have additional weight on your hand there”
Minha quickly hides her hand away by putting her hand inside her jeans’ pocket “You don’t need to hide it you know, I’m not Samsik” Minha immediately giggles at his jokes, breaking the peaceful road with her voice.
“How does it feel?” Seokhyeong continues to ask after Minha calms down.
“Isn’t heavy as you may think, but I can feel the weight of responsibility from it” He nods his head and tries to imagine how it feels. Seokhyeong takes a peek at Minha’s face and catches how her face radiates happiness with those eyes sparkling from the light roads above them. He lets out a small smile, mesmerize by her beauty.
“Oppa, I just know how you feel towards me” Minha carefully informs him while looking at him. Seokhyeong can only chuckle and sigh softly. Probably she knows from her mother or Kangho. This is not how he wanted her to know his feelings, but it's too late to change this around.
“So what? You want me to snatch you from Kangho?” Seokhyeong playfully asks while nudging her lightly.
“Mianhae Oppa, you won’t be successful if you try” Minha nudges back at him with her playful tone. Seokhyeong can only chuckle and continue talking and taking her home safely.
“Send the twins my warm hugs for them” Minha only nods her head in approval after they arrive in front of Chu's home.
“Arraseo Oppa, thank you for the walk” Seokhyeong turned to nod his head. Another silence shadows them as neither of them moves from their spot.
“I should get going then” Seokhyeong slowly walks away from Minha and stops when her hand grabs his arm.
“You can also hug me too Oppa, if you like. I promise no one will be angry about it” Seokhyeong is a bit amused hearing her give him a chance to hold her in his arms. He slowly moves closer and carefully wraps his hands around Minha’s back and puts his chin on her shoulder. Minha also copies Seokhyeong’s movement with a little tiptoe. Seokhyeong sighs silently, able to feel her warm hug after a long time. He playful swayed their bodies which earned a light smack on his back.
“Now I know why those twins like hugging you, you are like a warm teddy bear” Minha slowly steps back after hugging him. Seokhyeong just chuckles upon hearing it.
“I get that a lot from them, I guess they are telling the truth.” Both of them laugh, feeling adored by Yejin and Seojin’s cute memories.
“I should really head back now.” Seokhyeong looked at the watch on his wrist. Minha nods and smiles at him, letting him go.
Seokhyeong turns back for a moment, reminiscing this moment deep in his memory, and walks again after saying goodbye to Minha in his heart.