Mrs. Original Visual (Irene x Fem Reader)

Chapter Twenty-Three

"What do you mean you can't meet us today?" you ask Irene.

"I'm sorry," she answers from the other line. "I didn't expect for the meeting to last this long."

You glance at your son's reflection on the rearview mirror, feeling sorry for him. Both you and Irene promised that he'd get to spend the whole day with his parents but it looks like it will no longer be the case.

You clutch the steering wheel. "What should I tell Kai?"

"Please tell him how sorry I am." She does sound sincere. "And that I will make it up to him tomorrow. You are free tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," you answer with a sigh.

"Great. Then we can take him out tomorrow."

"He'll be disappointed," you say in a low voice, making sure he doesn't hear you.

"I know. I'm so sorry."

It's not like you're in the position to disagree or anything. Irene just got casted in a new project and you know that this meeting is very important to her and her career.

"Take care of yourself. I'll see you at home." You brace yourself for the next line; after she found out about you and Rosé, it doesn't sound natural anymore because of this tension. "I love you, Joohyun."

It takes her a moment to respond. "I love you, too." She hangs up almost immediately.

"Was that Eomeoni?" Kai asks from the backseat.

You glance at him for a moment; he is pouting and his brows are furrowed. He really does look like Irene, you think to yourself.

You quickly avert your gaze back on the road. "Yes," you answer.

"She's not coming, right?"

"I'm sorry, darling, it looks like she can't make it. But she'll make it up to you tomorrow," you promise him. "Let's go out again tomorrow. All three of us."

"So we can't go to the big aquarium today?" His voice is shaking and you know that it's only a matter of time until he starts to cry.

"We'll go. We're on our way there right now, son."

"But where will we go tomorrow with Eomeoni?"

"We can go to the pizza place," you suggest enthusiastically. "Then let's see a movie."

After about 15 minutes, you arrive at Aqua Planet Ilsan where you've promised to take Kai to see the sea creatures. He always talks about how it's his dream to come here with both his parents but since Irene isn't available today, he doesn't seem to be as excited about it.

You help him get out of the car and hold his tiny hand as you walk to the ticket booth. Just as you are about to fall in line, he squeezes your hand; you look at him and smile but he doesn't smile back.

"Can we please go home?" he asks. "I don't want to go there without Eomeoni."

You crouch so that you'll be eye-level with him. "Are you sure? We're already here."

"But it's not the same without Eomeoni! She promised she'd meet us here!"

"Look, son, it's not that your eomeoni did not want to be here," you coo. "She did want to be with us. But she has a very important meeting to attend to. We can go home if you want to, Kai, but I'm sure your eomeoni still wants you to enjoy today."

"Okay," he answers. "But I want two new toys tomorrow."

You stand up straight and ruffle his curly hair. He reminds you so much of how Irene was like before you two got married; she would always negotiate with you if there was something that she wanted but she couldn't have.