His Unknown Wife ( a Jeon Jung Kook FF)

Chapter 64: Drawing

Jung Kook remembered the day he carried Starlight in his arms. Starlight spent weeks in the incubator because unlike Moonlight, she was underdeveloped.  He remembered looking at his daughter from a glass window while Starlight, tiny and feeble, remained sleeping while she struggled for life. Jung Kook was shattered everyday seeing Starlight and yet cannot do something to help her. Aiden and Dr. Yan already set his expectations that she may not make it, but he remembered how Minji put so much confidence in Starlight and thought how it is un-fatherly of him to give up on his own daughter, so he decided to claim that Starlight will be better and he acted on it. He bought her shoes fit for a four-month old and showed it to his sleeping daughter during his visit.

"Dad bought you shoes. I think pink suits you. The saleslady told me that this will fit you when you turn four months old." He told his daughter in between tears while showing a tiny pink shoes with white ribbons in the air.

He thought differently too. He looked to the future of Starlight and imagined her well. He thought what would Starlight become: a writer, a teacher, an artist or even a doctor. He prayed everyday that Starlight be better even if reality tells him her slim chance of survival. And after weeks of battling, Starlight won. Jung Kook's heart skipped looking at his daughter in his arms.

"You look like Minji. You look like your mom." Tears dropped from his face saying those. Starlight's small lips formed a smile and Jung Kook felt in an instant an extreme happiness seeing his daughter smile at him. He held her tiny right hand and stared at it.

"It's the way she was born, Jung Kook. We cannot correct it." Aiden explained.

"No, she's perfect." And tears just continue to flow as he admires his daughter's significantly small pinkie. Jung Kook thought that maybe the world may call it a deformation, but not for him.

"Nothing can hurt you, my Starlight." He promised his daughter and Starlight, at her stage, seemed to understand because she did nothing but to smile.

Six years later, Starlight is a healthy and beautiful child and Jung Kook couldn't be any happier.

Unlike her brother, however, she doesn't do well around people. She asked Jung Kook before why her pinkie is smaller compared to the other one and Jung Kook tells the story of how Moonlight tried saving her.

"Moonlight saw how you were so little so he tried his best to feed you. He took care of you, Starlight because Daddy couldn't get inside." He laughed while shampooing Starlight's hair. His daughter just had a fight with Moonlight over the last piece of fried chicken, their favorite, and whenever Starlight would get upset at her brother, he will tell the story what Moonlight unconsciously did when they were still inside Minji's womb.

"Dad...can I not go to school anymore? My classmates...they look at my pinkie..." Starlight sobbed.

Jung Kook felt heartbroken too. Moonlight is doing well in school and is quite even popular but Starlight, according to her teachers, is very introverted for her age, even when encouraged to play.

"I have informed her classmates that it's not polite to look at Starlight's pinkie, but they are kids, Mr. Jeon." Amy, Starlight's teacher told him.

Starlight prefers drawing and painting. Her artworks are always displayed on the school's bulletin board as her paintings are refined, as if they were not done by a six year old but whenever someone tries to compliment her, she would ran away. Her safe space is always at home.

Jung Kook remembered the time when he was called to the principal's office. Moonlight has beaten up two boys and one is badly injured. The school wanted to suspend Moonlight's activities with the Taekwondo club for the meantime. He went home, fuming. He unbuckled his belt and entered the twins' room and saw them at the edge of Starlight's bed, whispering to each other.

"Why did you beat your classmates?" He sternly asked. Moonlight, however was not looking at him.

"Stand up, Moonlight and look at me." He demanded. Moonlight followed but his eyes remained looking at the floor. His fists were clenched.

"You have to tell me what happened!" Jung Kook's voice raised and Starlight started crying.

"Daddy...I-"

"Starlight, no!" Moonlight's lips trembled, warning his sister. Jung Kook, consumed with anger, grabbed Moonlight and slammed the belt into his child's bottom. It was his first time doing so.

"Daddy...stop!" Starlight pleaded. But Jung Kook did not listen, he hit Moonlight again.

"Do you know that one of the boys' forehead's  needs to be stitched?!" And another spank.

"Is this what Taekwondo is teaching you?!!" His spanks got harder and Moonlight already cried.

He stopped when Moonlight cried loudly. Starlight hugged her brother and joined him in his tears. Moonlight turned to him. "T--They called her Nemo, dad! They called my sister, Nemo!" Starlight tried carrying her brother to the bed but Moonlight shook his head.

Jung Kook heart crumpled seeing the aftermath of what he did to Moonlight. He exited the room and asked Martha to look after the twins the whole day. He went out, disappointed at himself and sorry for hitting his child without hearing him out first.

"Fatherhood is hard." He muttered.

When he came back, he tiptoed to the twins' room and carefully placed a robot, almost to Moonlight's size, next to him. He ran his fingers across Moonlight's hair.

"Daddy is sorry..." He kissed his forehead. He was about to let go but Moonlight held his arm, not saying a word. He smiled and went to join his son on bed.

"Dad...I want the firetruck, too." Moonlight chuckled. He pinched his son's nose and patted him to sleep.

"Fatherhood is hard, but worth it."He thought to himself.

Jung Kook, after his reminisce, went outside the twins' bathroom to get Starlight clothes. Starlight followed him after.

"Dad, you think mommy will like my drawing?" She asked.

"Mommy will love it." He affirmed.

***
The twins rushed outside the car when it stopped, trying to out ran each other and the tombstone their finish line.

Starlight showed her drawing to the tombstone, as if there was really someone there while Moonlight made funny faces at his sister.

Starlight got frustrated and chased Moonlight around, dropping her drawing to the ground. Jung Kook picked it up and saw a family picture that Starlight drew. He placed it beside the tombstone, missing Minji more.