Decoupled • KTH : Book 1✔

Chapter 36

Taehyung

"Yeah, please coordinate with Mr. Lee and e-mail me the final draft by noon," I speak on my phone that's on loudspeaker while fastening my necktie and fixing the collar of my shirt as I stand facing the dresser mirror in the bedroom.

"Sure, Mr. Kim, we will do it," the reply comes crackling from the other end of the call.

"Alright," I end the call and glance at the screen, only to discover that the battery is at 7%, which means it wouldn't last me until I leave for work because my phone's battery exhibits this strange behavior of instantly going down from 5% to 0% in ten seconds.

After scolding myself for falling asleep last night without even remembering to charge my phone, I plug my phone to the charger and head outside to have breakfast.

Areum joins me, and together we eat a simple breakfast with gimbap and some sides.

"Appa, I have learned how to solve the middle layer. Can I show you?" My daughter asks, sounding ecstatic, holding out the Rubik's cube in one hand.

"Areum, you haven't eaten even half of your breakfast, and you'll have to leave in five more minutes. So eat now. You can play later," her mother informs her in a stern tone, and I softly pat Areum's hand when I notice how her excited expression fades off in a flash.

"Let's talk about this on the way to school, okay?" I ask, and she nods with a smile, quickly gobbling up the remaining few slices of gimbap that are left on her plate.

Picking up my bag, the car keys and Areum's backpack, I head out first followed by my daughter. After making sure that she's seated and buckled in safely, I get into the driver's seat, and we proceed to school.

"Appa, look. The white face is mixed up now," Areum lifts the cube and shows it to me, and I 'okay' her after taking a glance at the cube through the rear-view mirror.

She then begins rotating the layers, and in a few more seconds she calls out to me once again.

"Look, I solved it," she flashes the solved white face proudly and smiles brightly at me.

"That's amazing, bubba. You've picked up speed. Keep going," I encourage her, and she begins twisting the faces of the cube once again with a concentrated pout, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Look, appa! I've done the middle layer!" Areum screams ecstatically, holding up the cube in her hand.

"Wow, bubba, great job. That was real quick. I told you you'll be amazing at this," I appreciate her genuinely, and she giggles excitedly.

"What to do next, appa?" Her eyes are gleaming with eagerness.

"Next is the yellow cross on top. Just like you did for the middle layer, you need to place the solved white face at the bottom and then fix the yellow cross. There are three possible sets of moves for it, and I'll teach you those tonight, okay?"

"Okay, appa. Are they also easy like this one?" She quizzes me curiously in a cute pout.

"Everything is easy when you practise it," I wink at her as I pull over close to the curb in front of her school.

I help her wear her backpack and walk her up to the school building where her teacher is welcoming the kids inside.

I give her a parting hug and a kiss on the cheek, and she does the same to me.

"Bye, appa," she waves to me before a teacher ushers her inside.

"Bye, Areum," I stand back up on my feet and wait for her to disappear from my line of sight.