Once More, Love 2

02. Catching Up

A younger looking Nayeon was waiting for a car in the taxi bay when she noticed a loud baby crying in the arms of a woman who had just walked out of the store. The mother and child stopped on the sidewalk right outside the exit of the supermarket, struggling to pull with her a huge push cart with bags full of grocery items.

"Hey." The woman with a gentle voice tries to calm down the kid in her arms. "Hey, baby. Please calm down."

Nayeon can't help but leave the short line on the taxi bay and walk towards the woman. "Miss? Umm... Do you... do you need help?"

"Ah—" The woman, who turns out to be Mina in her late twenties, stares at the girl who is flashing her bunny teeth. "Ahh. Umm... I— He—"

"Heyyy babyyyyy." Nayeon takes the liberty to peek in front of the baby and makes funny faces. "Annyyyeonggg."

Surprisingly, the little kid suddenly stops his tantrums and just blinks at Nayeon with a curious expression. A minute more passes and the baby starts cooing at the stranger.

"Oh. That's new to me." Mina utters in wonder. "Chaemi usually doesn't buy these kinds of entertainment acts from people he is not familiar with."

"So, Chaemi's the name of this adorable kid, huh?" Nayeon proudly smirks as she gently pinches one of the baby's cheeks. "Maybe Chaemi never met someone as pretty as me, that's why."

Mina promptly chuckles. "I guess I'll be driving away hot chicks from our house in the future then if that's really the case."

"I'm Nayeon." Nayeon turns to the other girl and flashes a wide grin. "Where is your car parked? I don't mind taking a trip there. I will carry the bags for you while you tend to him."

Mina then relaxes her face as she sincerely smiles back. "Thanks. That will help me a lot here. My name's Mina. I can offer a handshake later though since obviously my hands are full right now with this baby boy."

*********

"You didn't have to carry the grocery bags all the way here to my kitchen, Nayeon-ssi." Mina gives an unamused look at the girl who just put the bags on top of the kitchen counter.

"It's fine!" Nayeon smirks. "Plus, I got a free ride going back. Who would've known you just live in the building near where my apartment is?!"

"Yeah. What a coincidence." Mina softly chuckles. "But, really. Thank you for helping. Sometimes, Chaemi just acts up like that out of the blue. He might have been irritated by the sudden change in the air temperature when we got out of the store."

"Uh uh." Nayeon waves her pointy finger in the air. Then, she rummages her purse from her small backpack. "Here. You can thank me by dropping by here instead."

Mina squints at the calling card that was just handed over to her. "Bunny... Bunny... Cafe?"

"Yep! I just started the shop three months ago. I would really like it if you and Chaemi visit me when you have time."

"Okay." Mina playfully giggles. "I don't think my boy would mind going to the shop of the girl he has a huge crush on."

"I know, right?!" Nayeon loudly laughs in satisfaction. "I have to get going now, Mina-ssi. See you around!"

*********

"So that's how you and Nayeon Noona got acquainted, huh?" Chaeyoung innocently utters while his eyes are glued to Mina's face. His head is comfortably placed over the dancer's lap.

"Yep. It was merely an accident but, oh well. We got closer and closer as time passed by. Also..." Mina softly explains further with her right hand mindlessly playing with the hair on top of the painter's head. "Chaemi was really fond of her that you could basically name her his second mom. I really tried my best in correcting with how he calls her without honorifics though. That kid." She faintly scoffs. "I guess Chaemi thinks of the word 'Nayeonie' the same way he calls me 'mommy'. Hence just a plain name like that."