Once More, Love 3

23. Family

"Yeobo." Chaeyoung holds onto Mina's wrist, stopping her from taking a step into the Yoo's beach house. "Could you— Umm..." He glances at Chaemi who is holding onto the woman's other hand, then back to the dancer's eyes. "Could you spare me a moment? I need to talk about something with you. Just— just the two of us."

Mina sighs and turns to her child. "Aduel."

"Ne, mommy?"

The dancer smiles at the kid. "Go inside and ask Nayeonie to get your change of clothes from our luggage. You will ruin the other folded clothes again if you do it. Also, you have to take a bath so she should also help you with that."

"A— andwae."

"Huh? What do you mean—'

"I don't want that, mommy."

"Huh?" Mina scrunches her eyebrows at the sudden retaliation of the little boy. "Chaemi, I just told you that Dada and I have to talk. You should go ahead and ask—"

"But—" Chaemi pouts and cuts his mommy off. "But, I don't want Nayeonie to assist me with that! I'm— I'm already a grown man!"

"YA, SON CHAE—"

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." Chaeyoung chuckles and steps right behind Mina. He uses each of his hands to rub both of the girl's upper arms as he whispers to her ear. "Let me handle this."

Mina raises an eyebrow. She crosses her arms in front of her and just gives the man a nod.

"Buddy." The painter walks to Chaemi and squats to be eye to eye with him. "I think you misunderstood mommy."

The kid tilts his head in curiosity. "Wae?"

"I think what mommy wants to say is..." Chaeyoung explains slowly. "You will only ask Nayeonie to make sure that the water from the heater is just right temperature for your skin. Why would mommy ask Nayeonie to be the one giving you a bath? We all know you can do that yourself, can you? Of course, mommy knows you're a big boy now!"

"Ji—" Chaemi looks to his mommy, then back to his father. "Jinjja?"

Chaeyoung chuckles and nods, playfully ruffling his son's hair. "Of course!"

The little boy slumps his shoulders and pins his eyes to the ground. "Mianhae."

"Uh uh." The painter replies with a taunting voice. "It is not me who needs that apology. Who should you say sorry for?"

Chaemi looks at Mina who is now wearing a soft smile. "I'm sorry."

The dancer just nods to him and grins. "Now, go. Your Dada and I will just talk here for a while. If you need us, we'll be right here, okay?"

The little boy giggles ands runs to the beach house's entrance. "Nayeoniiieee!"

Chaeyoung stands up from the sand and joins Mina in watching their son enter the door after bothering the neighbors with his yells.

When Chaemi was no longer out of sight, the two of them both prolonged a sigh and looked at each other. It didn't take another minute for them to burst into laughter.

Chaeyoung shakes his head in happiness. "I told you that you have to be careful with this puppy love thing!"

Mina replies in between chuckles. "I never knew though he is now taking that into account! He still lets me change all of his clothes when we're together!"

"Aigoo." The painter holds the dancer's right hands and pulls her to the side of the house. "I told you. He is a growing boy. He will change more as time goes by."