Unexpectedly Falling For You

forty-seven

[ a few months later ]

Daeun placed a bouquet of white roses next to her father's gravestone. It was his favourite type of flower. She smiled softly and imagined him looking at her with a proud grin. She saw her mother's framed letter next to the gravestone. It was the confession letter she first sent him when they both were in high school.

She squatted down to pick it up before reading it.

Please don't ignore me as I'm about to tell you this. I have liked you for five years now but I was too afraid to tell you about my feelings because you seem to be way out of my league.

Tomorrow is the last day of school and I believe we won't meet again after this. I'm not forcing you to like me. I just want to let out all of the things I've been hiding. I hope your dreams of becoming the best president of the country come true.

— Jeong Yejin

Daeun put back the framed letter and breathed out. She turned around and saw Sunghoon waiting for her. He grinned back before approaching back. He placed another bouquet of white roses next to hers, "He will be so proud of you, Daeun."

"I know."

He rolled his eyes and linked his arm with hers, leading her back to his car. They both got in and left the cemetery. She glanced at him continuously as her mind started filling with all types of questions.

"If you want to kiss me, you might as well just say so. I'll stop the car," he said as he stepped on the brake. She frowned and faced the window, "I'm not even thinking about kissing you."

"Then? What is it?" He kept his hands firm around the steering wheel. "What do you think of marriages?" She asked out of the blue. He was taken aback by the question and slowed down the car.

Edlyn's words started filling her head continuously, making her worried and sad.

"He loves dating. But he told me once that he doesn't see himself in marriage. I think something happened but I don't want to jump to conclusions. He just told me he feels that marriage is a bit of a burden to him,"

"I think marriages are okay."

"Just okay?"

"A bit troublesome. I can't imagine what would happen in the future. I don't want something like my parents had."

She nodded, "I understand."

"Why are you asking me this?" He asked curiously, his eyes still fixed on the view in front of him. She forced out a smile, "Just curious."

•

"Sorry to bother you, Daeun," Jake apologised again as he brought Jihoon into her house. Jiah then followed him after and plopped herself on the couch. Edlyn soon came in and placed all her children's things on a table, "These are all the things you need. Thank you for offering to help us babysit the kids, Daeun."

"Hey, it's fine. You all have work outside of Seoul and I don't even have anything to do at home. Besides, I love kids."

Do I really?

"Have fun, guys. Jiah, be nice and don't ask too many questions," the mother warned as she narrowed her eyes at her daughter. Jake let out a small laugh before kissing his daughter on the cheeks, "I'll be back soon. You're gonna have so much fun with Aunty Daeun."

The parents finally left the house. Daeun awkwardly looked at the kids back and forth. "So what do you want to do now?"

"I want my dad," Jiah pouted. Daeun sighed and sat next to her, "He'll be back tonight. Don't worry, I'll make today the best day you ever had."

She held Jihoon in her arms and sang him a soft lullaby. She admired him for a while and felt something strange in her chest.

She wanted a baby. Her own baby. To achieve that, she needed to get married.

But Sunghoon doesn't want a marriage. And she realised her relationship wasn't going anywhere.

"Jihoon likes it when people stroke his bald head."

"Hey!" She was taken aback by Jiah's remark, "He's not bald. He has thin hair."

"Yes but if you look at him from afar, he looks bald."

"You were bald once when you were a baby."

"And am I bald now?" The girl snarkily said. Daeun narrowed her eyes at her before sighing, "Now I understand why Heeseung is scared of you."