⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

A sweet smile formed on my lips. My body against the door frame, I watched as my son took two toy trucks and ran them to the floor. An expression of bewilder crossed his face, then laughter as he watched the tiny wheels spin. Once the spinning ceased, he repeated the same moves and expressions.

The light green walls perfectly complimented all the baby blue in the room. It gave me flashbacks to when the room was completely empty. White walls, boxes, and all. Now, fun stickers, colorful toys, and an ambitious shade of bright blue painted on the race car bed that laid idle in the middle of the room.

A sense of dread washed over me just at the recollection of my old thoughts. That day I found out I was pregnant with my son, I didn't even know it'd be a boy. I was possibly two or three weeks pregnant, and my first thought was to get an abortion. What would become of my life if I went through with my intention that day? I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

I thought he was a curse. But now that I finally have my precious angel in my life, he's nothing but a blessing. It's been almost a year now. My mind couldn't help but wander to his father. He looks so much like his father. His hair is so curly now, which caused me to wonder for a minute how that could be until I remembered he's only half Korean. His skin is pale, nonetheless. His eyes are big and doe-like. So innocent. I admired it a lot.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Hwichan was home. He didn't live here, but he visited often. Not for me, of course, but for his son. Ever since I got pregnant, I've resented him. It messed up my life. I had plans to go to college and become a doctor. Those dreams became impossible at the age of 20 with a baby on the way. If Hwichan never convinced me, I would've never given birth to JunHui. My life would be boring, no light. That doesn't excuse his actions though. It never will. And as much as he'll try to use JunHui as his excuse, he won't change my mind.

"I'm home~!" He called out, wandering over to where I stood. The apartment wasn't that big, only 800 square feet. Hwichan stopped in his tracks as his eyes fell upon me once again. I scoffed aloud. "As if he didn't see me a few hours ago," I thought, but didn't say anything. His eyes later shifted to baby Junnie, who was now rolling on the floor like a cat.

"Junnie-Ya~!" He cooed to the baby, making his way to the floor. He sat down now, picking up the little angel in his arms. "Did you miss Appa?" Hwichan asked Junnie. Junnie let out a sweet giggle. A small smile spread across my face at his cuteness, but the smile soon faded when Hwican looked my way.

I looked away, walking to the kitchen to escape this awkward situation. The tension between Hwichan and I was too much for me to deal with. All it did was remind me of my regret. But part of me still questioned: Would it still be regretful if I loved JunHui so much? Would it still be regretful if I wasn't upset with Hwichan?

No. I don't want to admit I'm wrong. If I do, I'll feel helpless. Just like how I did when I first found out about Junnie. I lost my friends, my family, and my future because of his actions. The whole situation was scandalous. Word broke out too quickly. Before I knew it, my whole family had found out before I was able to tell them. I wouldn't even have an apartment to raise Junnie if Hwichan's parents weren't so generous to me. I'd have nothing without Hwichan's family.

Preparing some food for the three of us, I grabbed some stuff from the fridge. It wasn't long before I stopped moving. The sound of drums and conversation came from my room. Well, it was both Hwichan and my room, but because he didn't come overnight, it was considered mine. Hwichan sleeping over here was a rare occasion, and during that time, he'd sleep in bed and I'd sleep on the couch. As much as I hated his guts, I would never disrespect him for it.

My feet unconsciously walked towards the room. Secretly, I spied as Hwichan held Junnie in his arms, pretending to teach the less-than-one-year-old how to play the drums.

"See Junnie-Ya~? Easy!" The twenty two year old coached the baby in a hushed, soft voice. I didn't even mean to smile, but it was so sweet- I couldn't help it. With a drumstick in Junnie's hand, Hwichan helped him guide it to the symbol before hitting it gently. The baby let out a sound of joy, speaking gibberish as he tried to explain his excitement in baby-talk.

A not-so-quiet chuckle came from me, causing Hwichan to whip his head around. His eyes were wide. I hadn't smiled since the pregnancy, so this was the first time in almost two years he had seen a joyous expression. I stopped smiling. That's when something unexpected happened.

Hwichan gestured over to me. "Say 'Annyeonghaseyo Umma'!" he told the child. Then, he lifted Junnie's arm, moving it in a waving-like motion. "Annyeonghaseyo Umma~!" He said in a baby voice. I was frozen. The sudden interaction with Hwichan caught me off guard.

Tears jerked in my eyes, but I refused to let them escape. Instead a sniffle escaped. The realization then hit me: This whole time, all Hwichan wanted to do was apologize. He never meant to cause me such grief. Was I really just an asshole to him this whole time?

⊱ ────── {𝐇𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕} ────── ⊰

I was shocked. Y/N never tried, not once. The sudden tear from her eyes caused me to fall into a state of distress and worry. Life's been so hard on her. Ever since I got her pregnant- No... even before that. It was an accident! It was a mistake....

The memories flashed in my head. How she got drunk that one night we went out with the rest of our friends. We were celebrating our graduation, that's it. But... I knew she liked me. And I liked her too. I should've never taken advantage of it. We should've stopped- I should've stopped. It wasn't her fault, she was under the influence. It was my fault for being sober and letting my emotions take over. I've loved her since the day we first met. I was in 5th grade when I first met her. We were on the bus. She had two braids in her hair, perfectly tied up with a yellow ribbon to match her sweater. An excited, innocent smile covered up her anxiousness on her face.

We sat together. Later, we became friends. Years passed, and our friendship only became stronger. Yes, there were fights and arguments but we always made up. That day she found out about the pregnancy, I did everything I could to apologize. But we both wanted two different things. She wanted an abortion, to get rid of the child so she could live out her life the way she planned it. However, I wanted her to keep the baby. I wanted a future with her. I wanted to start a family with her, to get married and live together.

Thankfully, I convinced her successfully. The stuff she had to endure was so tough, she's so strong for putting up with it all. I don't blame her. It's my fault, she has every reason to hate me. Even going through pregnancy, birth, being shunned and out-casted by our friends and her family- she never once cried. Suddenly, time seemed to stop around us.

"Y/N... " I whispered softly to her. Getting up, I sat JunHui down on the bed, placing a toy in his hand so he had something to do.

"H-Hwichan..." My heart stopped, then skipped a couple thousand beats. The way she said my name was like no other. It filled me with emotions I never experienced. She sounded so broke... I wanted to cry and scream. Simultaneously, I wanted to hug her, hold her tight and tell her everything is okay. I know she'd push me away though. She had every right to. Might as well try anyways.

I moved closer to her, pulling her to me, my arms wrapping around her. I was stunned at her reaction. She didn't fight me. She wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. The sound of her sniffling and cries was the only sound for a while. Then, the muffled sound of her voice cut the silence in half.

"I'm sorry," She whispered to me, her voice audibly exhausted. I pulled away a little so I could see her face. A sincere smile crossed it, my eyes stared deep into her soul. "Shhh," I hushed her, attempting to calm her down. I wiped away a tear that remorsefully rolled down her cheek. Before she could speak further, I softly pressed my lips against hers. Years of her regret and emotions she had been bottling up was now all out in the open. I could feel her emotions as she passionately dug deeper, pressing herself against me.

The kiss lasted only a few minutes, but to me it felt like forever. Yet, it still wasn't long enough. I pulled away once more. Y/N's eyes now staring into my soul. That's when I whispered three words I never thought I'd be able to say.

"I love you,"

She smiled. After all these years, I had almost forgotten how beautiful she looks with a smile on her face. Her eyes lit up with a sense of hope, I could feel it. My heart began to beat quicker, her mouth opening to speak once more.

"I love you too, Hwichan," 

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!! 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐉𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬!!

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟏𝟔𝟗𝟕 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬