The Arrangement

Chapter 6

"Papa, where's Wawisa?" Eunseo's voice was tinged with a blend of curiosity and concern as she gazed up at Mingyu, her small fingers clutching at his sleeve. It was her first morning waking up without her beloved pink bear plushie. Normally, she couldn't sleep without it, but last night had been different—she'd been so captivated by Lisa's presence that she hadn't noticed the absence of her usual comfort.

"She's at her home, Eunseo," Mingyu replied gently, brushing a stray curl from her forehead. He then bent down to lift her into his arms, setting her down gently in her seat at the breakfast table.

"Can we invite her for breakfast?" Eunseo's eyes sparkled with hope, her gaze fixed intently on Mingyu's face.

"I don't think that's a good idea, sweetie," Mingyu said softly. He settled Eunseo into her seat, his tone warm but firm.

"But she'll be my new mama..." Eunseo's voice dropped to a whisper, as if saying it out loud would somehow make it more real. Mingyu glanced at his daughter, remembering how last night Eunseo had asked Lisa to be her mom, and Lisa had deftly avoided the topic by reading her a bedtime story.

"You don't like Mama Somi anymore?" Mingyu inquired, remaining at her eye level, his concern evident.

"She's not here, Papa. I want her here, but she will never come back, right?" Eunseo's small shoulders drooped, her lips jutted into a pout. She does miss her mother, even though her memories were limited to vague sensations and old photographs. The warmth of Mama Somi's embrace had been more a feeling than a memory, now gone before she could fully grasp it.

"You're a smart girl, Eunseo," Mingyu said gently, his voice steady, "but we can't just ask Lalisa like that."

"Why not? She saved me from that bad person who tried to take me away," Eunseo argued, her voice filled with a child's resolute conviction. To her, Lisa would be perfect as her new mama, she's pretty, likes playing with her, she read her bedtime story, saved her from that scary man, and she could make her papa very talkative!

"I like her more than Teacher Ningning. Papa does too, right?" Eunseo's tone was a mix of defiance and hope, believing that her father's feelings would mirror her own.

Before Mingyu could respond, the doorbell rang, slicing through the conversation. Mingyu patted Eunseo's head affectionately before heading to answer it. The insistent ringing was followed by a series of impatient knocks, leaving Mingyu no time to check the peephole. With a sigh, he opened the door.

"Oh, hey!" Lisa squeaked, her face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and awkwardness as she stood on the doorstep.

Mingyu studied her silently, waiting. Lisa fidgeted under his gaze, her mind racing for something to say. Say something! she mentally urged herself. "Ha-ha-ha, Buen día!" she stammered, her laugh coming out as a nervous squeak.

Mingyu gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable. Okay, what's next, Lisa? THINK! Her eyes darted around the doorway until she remembered the tupperware she was holding. "Oh! Here!" she exclaimed, presenting the container filled with sweet treats. "Mama asked me to give this to you. She was very apologetic about last night."

Mingyu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that all?" His voice was cool, his gaze steady as he looked at the tupperware.

Lisa's cheeks flushed with frustration as she met his gaze. She could feel his annoyance, and it only made her more exasperated. "Don't get me wrong," she retorted sharply. "My Mama only likes you because you're a doctor."

Mingyu's lips curled into a smirk as he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "Great at snooping, by the way."

"It wasn't my fault!" Lisa gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. "Eunseo told me and even showed me your medical license when I refused to believe it. Damn, your kid is smart."

Lisa could still remember the exact moment everything spiraled out of control. When Mingyu casually confirmed he was her boyfriend—which was absolutely NOT true—her mama's eyes had nearly bulged out of their sockets. Lisa shot him her deadliest glare, a silent warning that she'd make him pay for this later. But in a split second, she'd pivoted to her mother, her voice suddenly sweet and a little too enthusiastic. "He's a doctor at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona! W-we met there actually. You know Nicha, my best friend, goes there sometimes? That's when we met—through my friend—and we've been dating for a while now."

In hindsight, it was all her fault. Who in their right mind throws more fuel onto a fire, especially when they know how badly it could burn them later? But how on earth was she supposed to explain to her mother that she got drunk, this man helped her—and worse, that she'd practically begged to sleep with him? Now here she was, babysitting his child, the neighbors gossiping up a storm, and this man casually saying "yes," probably to save her dignity. He wasn't entirely wrong, was he? She was a twenty-five-year-old woman inside a thirty-two-year-old man's apartment, who also happened to have a child. How could she explain that to her mama without getting whacked over the head with chorizos and threatened with a shotgun? The lie had been her easiest escape.

What she didn't know was how much Mingyu's face had twisted into a frown when she mentioned where he worked, confusion mixed with something else—annoyance, perhaps? Why the hell did she know that? But when her mama pressed him to confirm, he had no choice but to nod and go along with her hastily concocted story.

"Papa, is that Wawisa?!" Eunseo's excited voice broke the tension in the room, pulling both of their gazes toward the little girl.

Mingyu turned back to Lisa, his tone a little more grounded now. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"I had an iced coffee?" she replied with a weak shrug, her eyes darting away.

"Come, I'll make you a bagel sandwich," he offered, his voice firm but not unkind.

"Why?" Lisa asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

He stared at her, his expression neutral. "Eunseo wants you to join us for breakfast."

"Can I get your contact number?" Mingyu's voice was casual, but there was a glint of something playful in his eyes.

Lisa blinked, caught off guard. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Is it bad to take my girlfriend's phone number?" he asked, his smirk deepening as he leaned back slightly, clearly enjoying the reaction he was provoking.

Lisa nearly choked on her matcha, feeling the liquid sting as some of it shot up her nose. She glared at him, noticing the amused grin playing on his lips. This asshole. "Aren't you getting a bit touchy?" she retorted, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

He shrugged, his expression unreadable. "I need it in case of an emergency."

Lisa wasn't buying it. She narrowed her eyes, searching his face for any hint of what he was really after. "This is about Eunseo, right?"

Before Mingyu could respond, Eunseo's cheerful voice chimed in. "What about me, Wawisa?" Her tone was full of enthusiasm, her eyes twinkling with delight. Ever since Lisa had joined them for breakfast, Eunseo had been watching the two of them with fascination. To her, their bickering was just another sign that they got along well—perhaps too well.

"Lalisa here will fetch you, Eunseoyah, when Papa can't make it," Mingyu declared, his tone matter-of-fact as he reached for his coffee.

Lisa's jaw dropped. She turned to him with a mixture of disbelief and irritation. "Hey, I thought you'll do me a favor?! Why am I the one doing you a favor instead?"

Mingyu didn't even flinch. He met her glare with a smug smile, his voice smooth as silk. "I did already—by agreeing to be your fake boyfriend."

"You were the first one to agree!" Lisa argued, her voice rising slightly as she pointed an accusatory finger at him. Mingyu's gaze flicked to her hand, then back to her face, a silent reminder that Eunseo was right there. Realizing her mistake, Lisa quickly composed herself, sitting up straighter and gritting her teeth in frustration. "I don't find the situation benefiting me at all," she added, her voice saccharine as she smiled down at Eunseo, though the annoyance in her tone was unmistakable.

Mingyu leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping just enough to let Lisa know he was enjoying this. "Your mom sees you in a different light now, yeah?"

Lisa paused, her mind flashing back to how her mother had been unusually affectionate behavior that morning. She glared at Mingyu, realizing what he was implying. "You bewitched my mama!" she mouthed at him, trying to maintain her composure for Eunseo's sake.

Mingyu laughed, the sound deep and rich, clearly enjoying himself. Seeing her papa so happy made Eunseo's hopes soar even higher. Not to Lisa though―His amusement only fueled her frustration, but before she could retort, Eunseo chimed in with a question that made Lisa's blood run cold.

"Can I call Wawisa eonnie, Mama now?" Eunseo asked, her voice dripping with innocent hope.

Lisa froze, her brain short-circuiting like a computer that just had water dumped on it. Her heart raced, She threw Mingyu a look that screamed desperation, practically begging him to step in and rescue her from this awkward position. But no—of course not. he leaned back comfortably, a sly smirk playing on his lips, eyes twinkling with amusement, as if this whole mess was the most entertaining thing he'd seen all day. What was that look? Was he enjoying this?

Oh great, here we go again with the "will you be my new mama" saga. Sorry, sweet little Eunseo, but Lisa is barely adulting herself. Motherhood? Ha! She could hardly keep her houseplants alive, let alone take on a mini-human. It felt like a teenage pregnancy scare, even though she was well into her silver year. For Pete's sake Lisa could barely survive law school, let alone a new title as "Mommy."

Too much stress, and now she was about to add "accidental baby mama" to her list of anxieties. But hey, being your daddy's baby mama wouldn't be the worst― SHUT. UP. Just pass the bar exam first, you idiot!

Mingyu finally put his phone down with an exasperated sigh, leveling them all with a deadpan stare. His friends were biting their lips, struggling to hold in their laughter, eyes twinkling with mischief. "What, are you all gay now?" he asked, his tone flat, but the sarcasm dripping.

That was it. The three of them exploded into laughter, cackling like they'd just heard the best joke of the century. Mingyu rolled his eyes and took a long swig of his beer, flipping them off without missing a beat. Seriously, they were supposed to be grown men in their thirties, yet here they were, acting like a pack of teenage jerks.