Once More, Love 2

ii. Book 1 Recap

The news anchor's voice from the show began echoing all throughout the living room.

Son Chaeyoung, the Korean painter who has had his career blossom all over Europe for the past seven years, is temporarily back in the country for some museum guesting and volunteer programs. He is expected to be seen in—

There is a loud ringing in the woman's ears, making her be momentarily detached from her current environment. She was just brought back to reality when the phone beside her suddenly started vibrating. She gently shakes her head and clears her throat as she picks up her mobile device.

"Yeoboseyo?"

"Mina!" The person on the other line yells. "MINA, MINA, MINA. Chaeyoung! SON CHAEYOUNG. That guy is back! He is all over the news just now!"

"Yeah." Mina lethargically speaks. "I'm also watching television right now."

"Oh, my gosh. What's your plan now?"

"What do you mean? I— I don't have any plans with him. You know we didn't have any kind of communication for the past seven years. And it's not like—" Mina purses her lips to contemplate her next words. "It's not like there's a need for us to talk or see each other again."

"Are you— Are you sure that you two don't need to talk?" Nayeon's voice sounded with utter concern. "You never had someone else in your life after him, Mina. You never even tried going on dates and seeing other people. Are you sure you don't want to take this chance? I'm sure that I never saw you try moving on."

"We're over, Unnie. Chaeyoung and I are over."

*********

"DAEBAK. Really. Wow." The guest teacher chuckles in delight. "How could you paint like this?! This is so good!"

"My Dada is a very good painter."

Chaeyoung puts the canvas down on the kid's desk and smiles at him. He squats beside the kid's chair to be on eye level with him. "Your Dada?"

The child simply nods again.

"So you got it in your genes, huh?" The painter raises one of his eyebrows. "What's your name?"

The kid widely grins at him, revealing a lone dimple to his right cheek. "Chaemi."

*********

"MOMMY!" Chaemi abruptly springs from the bench to jump towards the direction behind the painter.

Chaeyoung was about to turn around but was immediately halted halfway when he heard a voice.

A voice that was so soft to his ears. "Hello, Chaemi! How was school today, huh?"

"You're a little late today, mommy!"

Chaemi's whiney voice is heard in background as Chaeyoung heaves in a deep breath. He slowly turns around to confirm the owner of the voice the kid is now calling mommy. Tears quickly brim on his eyes as soon as he sees the figure of the woman he clearly has been longing for all these years.

"I'm sorry." Chaemi's mommy ruffles his hair. "Traffic was a bit heavy today. Did you wait for mommy that long?"

"Not really." The child cheerfully answers. "Teacher Chaeyoung was with me so it's fine."

The woman scrunches her eyebrows. She is a hands-on mom so she knows all the names of Chaemi's teacher. "Who is teacher Chae—" Her arm that was previously on Chaemi's head falls off to her side like it was suddenly lifeless. Her next word came out like a whisper. "Chaeyoung?"

Chaeyoung, who is now standing to the side of the bench he and Chaemi were previously sitting on, wears a soft smile. "Mina."

*********