learning about love

Part 6

Kim Rok Soo stared blankly up at the ceiling.

A weight on his stomach cued him in that his bedroom had once again been invaded by munchkins. Really, what was the point of paying the extra money for an apartment that could room the children when they spent all their time in his room.

He looked down at Hong's cheerful face grinning at him as the child rested on his stomach. "So?" He asked mischievously.

Kim Rok Soo wasn't sure he wanted to know what the children were up to this time. He let out a long sigh and ruffled Hong's hair. "'So' what?" He asked dryly.

"Did you make up with Raon's teacher?" He asked urgently as though it were a matter of great importance to him.

The children had only been home for half a day and they were already asking such strange things... Kim Rok Soo raised a critical eyebrow at the question. "I was never at odds with him to begin with. We just had a conversation about Raon's progression at school." It was a lie but Kim Rok Soo didn't have a lot of intention to share that he'd gotten shit faced or shared a few meals with Choi Han.

Hong visibly deflated, pouting up at him with large disappointed golden eyes that were entirely unfair. What answer had he wanted? Kim Rok Soo sighed and amended his statement. Perhaps the children had also sensed the tension from when Choi Han used to glare at him. "Yes. We made up."

Hong brightened up considerably and Kim Rok Soo chuckled, sitting up from his 'nap' to begin preparing dinner for the children. Hong trailed after him cheerfully. "So when is he moving in?"

Kim Rok Soo paused in the act of heading towards the kitchen, looking down at Hong in confusion. "...what?"

"Noona said after you two made up, you're definitely going to kiss and then we'll have a second dad!" Hong declared with happy innocence just radiating off of him.

Kim Rok Soo choked. "...what?"

Hong gave him the look as though he were the slow one. "Because Choi Han likes you and you will definitely like Choi Han too, obviously."

...what the hell were these kids learning in school? Did he need to restrict TV time?

Kim Rok Soo ignored the burning sensation in his ears as he knelt down beside Hong to explain to him the facts of life. "Hong, that's not really how adult relationships work... I'm on friendly terms with Raon's teacher but we don't have any plans or intentions to become romantically involved."

Was that too complicated for him to grasp? Kim Rok Soo was just considering dumbing it down when Hong cut in.

"But you totally like him!" He complained, looking just as wronged as he had the time that Kim Rok Soo had lied about there being no cookies left in the jar. There had only been one and it was Kim Rok Soo's, dammit.

"I... what?"

...how the hell did this kid know? Kim Rok Soo had barely come to terms with it and it was new. Was he psychic? Was that how he knew about the cookie?

"Noona said you definitely like him and she's always right!" Hong huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and offering Kim Rok Soo some relief from the prospect of psychic children.

Truly, it would be the end-times.

But then there was the matter of On.

Kim Rok Soo's gaze lifted up towards the kids room where Raon and On had been suspiciously quiet for a time now. Kim Rok Soo normally liked to take a quick nap after getting home but he hardly ever managed a few minutes of laying down before all three of his children decided that he was neglecting them terribly and he absolutely needed to play with them now.