"Why...?"

I do not even know why. "Hajoon, you're seventeen. Putting your face on this spot could make her feel uncomfortable, and you know she wouldn't tell you even if it does."

He does not get upset but rather pensive. "But...she never pushes me away or seems annoyed...and I feel good like this..."

"I know, but she's a woman, you're almost her age, Hajoon," my excuses do not even make sense, but if I do not try to drift him apart from her, this will only worsen everything on the day I will have to tell him the truth. "Hm...okay..." he moves away from her, and he sits down properly to open his bag of banana kicks as slowly and quietly as he can.

I do not like to do this, but I have to.

I pull my hair back and step behind her to bend over the back of the sofa and cup her jawline in a gentle manner to hold it still, making sure she does not wake up in a startle and hurt her neck. "Hey," I softly bring her back to consciousness, and she leaves her dreams, slowly.

"Hm?" an instinctive response escapes her, and she turns her head to gaze up at me. I look into her eyes and smile. "Lie down to sleep, your neck is going to be sore," I take my hand off her out of obligation, but she keeps her eyes fixed on mine, breathing a bit too hard to not cause some questioning to my mind. "I'm sorry if I scared you," I grin, but she licks her lips and shakes her head, before directing her gaze to the floor.

She rubs her eyes and moves forth on the sofa as I cannot help but wonder what she was dreaming about to be in such a state. "Rest some more. I can tell that you're tired."

"No...I'm fine...I just—"

"Y/n," I pronounce her name to make myself clear, and she sets her eyes on me again. "Rest," I repeat, in a soft voice, and I take my jacket off to hang it on the coat rack and go back to the kitchen.

I take care of getting everything out of the bags and lay them on the counter. Once they're empty, I put them in the cubicle where I always keep them to have my own shopping bags, and I now put everything on its place.

I grab a few bottles of the strawberry flavored water that y/n likes to drink, hearing her talk with Hajoon, and I step towards the fridge with everything in my arms.

Not a single step made, I do not even have any control over what is happening but feel all the bottles I had in my right hand end on the floor. An acute current of pain runs through my hand and forearm, I put the other bottles down to try to take a moment and handle this.

I close my eyes but cannot do anything other than wait for it to pass, witnessing my hand shake all by itself as the tension in it is awfully difficult to stand.

"What's wrong?" y/n already stands by me and touches my arm, but I do not look at her, I bite my lips and attempt to hide my trembling hand from her. "Nothing. I just...I didn't hold them properly," I turn around to pick up the bottles on the floor, but she grabs my left hand and prevents me from doing it.

She does not even tell me that she does not believe this falsehood, and she inches closer to look down at my hand. I close it into a fist, and I reassure her about this before she could even start to be worried. "It's okay. It just needs time to heal."

"Go to the doctor or hospital, please. This is not okay," she does what I feared her to do, and I sigh. I cannot tell her that the reason why I avoid this issue is only because I am scared that I might not be able to work anymore for a few months, and even if I do not have a job anymore at this right moment, this does not mean that I would not get an opportunity in a few weeks.

I avert my eyes from her and bend over to grab the bottles. "Mister Jeon," she says, her voice exuding some distress. I straighten my back and gaze down into her eyes but perceive the concern and grief I cause. "Why don't you do it already? It's not as swollen as it was, you can go to the doctor now."

"I need to take care of too many things to allow myself to take time for myself," I put the bottle down. "Have you already forgotten about the 'I will take care of myself now'? Are those already empty words?" her reaction freezes me. I know I am in the wrong, and this young girl is the one telling me about it.

"Mister Jeon...please...Take care of yourself..." she almost begs when this is only about me and my health. "Stop believing that you don't matter."

I breathe out, but she moves to the side to pick up all the bottles and put them down. "Hajoon is feeling better, so I'm going to go to the doctor with you," she decides, nearly ordering me. She puts all the drinks in the fridge, doing it instead of me. My eyes follow her body and actions, and once she comes back in front of me, we both make eye contact.

"Okay?" she tilts her head to the side, staring into my eyes, aware of the way this will influence my answer. "Can I even say no anyway?"

"No," she asserts, and I smile. "Then, let's go," I heave a sigh but do this for her, and she softly reacts with relief. She does not show it or express it but only leads me to the front door.

"Can you take care of Hyejoon until we come back, please?" she asks to Hajoon, who is eating his snack and watching TV. He chews on them but has a glimpse of me. "Sure, but why?"

"We're going to the doctor for his hand," she puts her shoes on as I am doing so, and she grabs her jacket. "Ah okay."

"Thank you," she shows her gratitude and looks up at me, telling me she is ready. I open the door, and I let her go out. "See you later," she tells him goodbye, and I say the same, getting him to answer with those words too. I close the door once we are both outside, and I unlock my car to let her enter it, and I join her.

I sit on the driver's seat, and I start the car, peeking at y/n to make sure she put her seat belt on, and I do so before driving backwards to leave the front yard once the gate is open.

20 minutes later...

We both step inside the waiting room, and y/n sits down on one of the empty chairs, so I join her and get on her right, all the people in here remaining quiet. I set my eyes on y/n, but she does the same and makes us get into eye contact.

"Does it hurt a lot?" she peeks down at my hand that I left on my thigh, and I shake my head, no matter how painful it is. "Do you know what he is going to do?" she whispers as much as she can close to my face, and I unwittingly peek down at her lips. "He will make me do an exam to scan it and see what it is exactly, then I'll wear a cast."

"Okay, I hope this won't take too long," she nods and glances away. I fidget on my chair, fixing my jacket but feeling uncomfortable on my seat. I put my left elbow on the armrest and hold my jawline, but y/n leans towards me again and says something indistinctly, causing me to not understand. I tilt my head closer to hers and ask her to repeat as my eyes just landed their focus on her glossy lips again. I want to punch myself.

"Is it going to hurt you?" she concerns herself about it, despite what I told her. "It won't," I pass my thumb over my bottom lip and glance at a person who just came in, but I quickly set all my attention back on her.

My eyes go down to her thighs once she leans in and approaches her lips from my ear while I am fiddling with mine, but I notice that she seems to be cold, her hands clutching onto each other. "You better listen to me from now on, otherwise I'll get angry again," she does not miss a chance to mention the fact that I did what she told me, and I chuckle but bring my hand to her face to skim my thumb over her lips. "Shh," I hush her, playfully and look up into her eyes, and she smiles at me, but I maintain eye contact.

"I listened because I do this for you and my sons," I disappoint her with the truth, and she leans closer again, but I do not move back, I let the space shrink between our faces. "You could make me believe that it was because you got scared of the authoritative me..."

I grin and draw my lips closer to her ear. "I thought it was the soft and caring you, I'm sorry," I tease her, loving how cute she acts when this was obvious that if she was authoritative earlier, then this was the cutest thing I have ever seen. "You're mean," she pouts at me and turns on her chair to sit properly, but my hand reaches out for both of hers that she is keeping over her lap, and I cover them with mine.

Her skin is ice-cold. I do not take my hand off of her but warm her up, and I rub my thumb over her skin. Not talking to each other again, I peek at her, noticing that she is staring into space. I smile and caress her fingers with mine. "You should have stayed home. You're cold."

"I'm fine," she lies to me, but I do not point it out. "You should do a check-up too since you're here."

"Me?" she raises her eyebrows as if the idea was not pleasing her. "No, I don't need it. I'm okay. We're here for you."

"But you can do it after I am done," I insist a little, willing to make her go through this and make sure her health is good. "No. We're here for you." she refuses again, and I give up since I cannot force her to do anything. "I'll do it at home then."

This time, she does not complain. I knew she would not say a thing if I am the one doing it.

— Next day —

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020.

7 am.

'YOUR P.O.V'

"Good morning, Mister Jeon," I greet him with a smile, and he comes closer while buttoning his white shirt up, a black fabric hanging on his arm. "Good morning, sweetheart. Did you have a good night?"

"I did, and you?" I carefully cook the eggs the way he likes them, and he puts a black sweater on to have a second layer. "I did too," he runs his fingers through his hair to put it back properly, and he walks up to the coffee machine where the drink is ready to be consumed and not hot.

"Is Hajoon now on holiday?" I ask him since this boy has not woken up, and he confirms with a nod of his head. "Yes," he pours some milk to merge it into the coffee, and he steps aside to get a few ice cubes and finish his drink that he loves so much.

"Are you going somewhere?" I question him again, hoping for him to not be bothered since we are in the morning, and he turns around, with his cup in his hand. "Yes, I'm going to go shopping for Christmas."

"Oh, that's great. Are you taking Hyejoon or Hajoon with you?" I grab a dish to lay the eggs on it. "I will, and I was also hoping for you to join us."

"Really?" I put the pan down and look at him, and he smiles at me. "Yes, that'd be even more enjoyable."

"Well, I'll come then. I always enjoy shopping during winter holidays," I contain my joy, eager to go out with them all. "Great. We'll have a good time together," he claims, and I cross my fingers for him to be right.

I remain quiet and put two slices of bread on the dish, lay the eggs on one, add some salad, and I close it as Mister Jeon just stepped close to stand by my side. I cut this healthy sandwich in two pieces, and I then place the dish in front of him. "Here you are."

"Thank you very much, sweetheart. I'm starving, and this smells and looks so good," he leaves his drink on the counter to only have eyes for the food, and he picks one piece up to feed his stomach. Now, I have to wash the dishes.

I step before the sink and start to do this task. Once I am done, I will have to cook for Hajoon, then feed Hyejoon, take care of him, and then only have some time to eat something.

"When are we leaving?" I try to know, wondering if my schedule will be a bit different. "I don't know, whenever Hajoon and you are ready."

"Okay," it does not help me much, but I take it as an answer. "Stop doing that. Leave it there, I'll take care of it later," he tells me, but I do not obey. "It's fine, I want it to be done, and I don't have anything else to do."

"Have you eaten?" the question I always fear runs out of his mouth, and I bite on my inner cheek. "I will once I'm done."

"You're done. So come here and eat with me," he orders me, employing a stern tone of voice to make me understand he does not want to repeat himself. I listen and towel my hands.

I look up at him but see that his eyes are already fixed on me, and he steps towards me while holding the food in his veiny hand, he stops right before me, and he brings the sandwich to my mouth. "Open."

I do it but only for a small gap to separate my lips, and I take a tiny bite on purpose, getting him to click his tongue but laugh. "Are you kidding me? Way more than that."

I giggle but take another bite, and this time, a big one. "Good. That's better," he eats the rest of this one piece and puts the dish down. "I'm going to cook something for you, you'll be happy after eating it," he moves away, but I grab his forearm to stop him. "No, eat. This is going to be cold."

"I can eat and cook, I have two hands," he does not listen and continues his way to the fridge. "But one of them is injured," I remind him. "Keep quiet," he does not like my comeback, and I laugh.

"You don't have to, Mister Jeon. Really," I do my best to convince him to not waste his time on this, but he does not want to hear me. He takes some strawberries and bananas out, some cream, and he closes the door to put everything down on the counter.

"I could do better than that, but I want you to eat without waiting, so this is a good option," he explains while taking some bread out, and he cuts the crust as if he was doing it for a baby. "And what is this option?"

"You'll see," he does not want to reveal it. "Get in the living room and wait for it to be done, this is a surprise," he bites into the food I cooked for him, but I stand on my spot. "I want to stay with you."

"Stay with me, but far away," he giggles in a cute manner, but I pretend to be offended and gape at him. "You...You're so mean to me lately...I get it, I'm leaving," I walk away and leave the kitchen, but he does not even hold me back like I expected him to do.

I watch too many dramas.

I stop myself and whirl around but catch him staring with a curve in the corner of his lips. "You're not even holding me back?" I cross my arms, and his laughter slips out of his mouth. "You wanted to leave, so you're free to do so."

"Okay then..." I make a second attempt and move towards the sofa, but he still does not do anything, so I give up. I land on the cushions, heavily to show my frustration, even though no one is there to see it.

I guess I just have to wait.

•••

7:25 am.

The feeling of boredom spreading through my body, I turn around to sneak a peek at Mister Jeon but see him walk up to me, and he catches me red-handed. "Hey, I told you not to look," he hides what is on the dish with his big hand, and I giggle but put my eyes on something else to not ruin his surprise.

"I don't want it anyway...you hurt my feelings," I try as hard as I can to look pained, but once he stands in front of me, with his long legs sculpted in his tight pair of jeans, I regret it. "You don't want it?" he asks, knowing I will be unable to answer with a no.

"You can show me..."