It Ain't Easy

열

QUICK CODE

Apostrophe - main spoken language is Korean.

Single Dashes - English

Some poorly translated Korean.

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A very puffy faced, ugly Taeseok sat across from me as he held Joonwoo, who sucked like his life depended upon it - like I starved him for weeks. Taeseok must've believed it too because I could have died from the daggers shooting from his eyes.

- Joonie Woonie, where were you? All night I didn't get to see my precious nephew - he cooed.

I snorted rolling my eyes. 'Uncle Tae was up to his eyeballs in alcohol and probably brought someone home. No way was he thinking about you..'

Tae covered the baby's ears. -Don't talk shit in front of MY nephew. Got me?!-

I sat back, scoffed, holding back laughter. Tae was nothing but a kitten in a tiger suit. The boy had never really had to fight for.. anything. He'd be the first to cry if someone shoulder checked him.

"그래, 남동생," I teased and watched him get sick in the face. It warmed my soul on fire to see that expression - I'm so jealous of people with siblings. I might have turned out worse if I did. [Yeah, little brother]

'Woah.. woah! Why are you laughing so evilly?'

He shrunk back, placing Joonie over his shoulder. I leaned forward and tossed him a burp cloth. As he patted the baby's back, I watched them and relaxed.

'No reason,' I shook my head and changed the subject. 'What are you going to do today?'

-Fucking suffer- 'I've got family dinner tonight.. You are coming.'

I rolled my eyes. 'I can't crash your wedd-- I mean your very uncoordinated family attempt to sell you -- I mean meal. -I got a kid now and value our lives- plus your grandmother hates me!'

'That's a stupid ass -- WOAH!! That was a big one, Joonie!' Tae laughed at the baby and cradled him back in his arms. 'Just stupid. You're coming or I'm holding him hostage.'

'Yeah? Okay. Bet.' I snickered and stabbed at my bowl of now cold ramen, wiggling my eyebrows. 'First shit.. you're gonna hand him back.'

*** a few hours later ***

I ate my earlier words. Taeseok was holding fast to his word to hold Joon-bug hostage. He even got peed on without complaint. I could see Tae was going to be a good Dad in the future, if he wanted.

'How do I look?'

I slowly gave him a once over and crossed my arm over my chest while cradling my chin in hand. 'Constipated.'

'Be serious!' he yelled tossing his free hand in the air. Joonwoo was again being carried by his kidnapping uncle.

'I thought I was. There is plenty of -TP-. Go crap and feel better. I'll hol--'

Taeseok narrowed his eyes, his manicured eyebrows furrowed. 'Hell no! You aren't getting out of this!'

I chuckled. 'Fine, but don't crap with my kid in your arms. I'll have to toss the whole baby out.'

*** an hour and a half later ***

To say that Kim Taeseok came from money was a gross understatement. This boy's family had money spewing out their asses from nearly a 1000 years ago. His father was some medicinal guru (pharmaceutical processing or some shit) while his mother was a famous actress in the 90s. She's made a recent comeback, but she didn't need to. Her family was money, too - food and film.

Their house is a lavish mansion built on the original ground of the first pharmacy all those ancient years ago. Though his grandmother hates me, I loved listening to the deep history of their family. It made me jealous I didn't have something like that for myself. Being raised in a single parent home where Mom was too busy to really teach traditions, my brother and I had to fend for ourselves alot.

With Joonie and his two adopted uncles, I wasn't going to let him go without.

The driver pulled up and stopped behind another car after rolling through the metal gate. I had met the man before but couldn't remember his name. He was always nice and was surprised to see the young master with a baby in his arms.

I took the baby from the backseat and chuckled with the older driver as Tae insisted he be the one to set up the stroller. After a few minutes of struggle, I bumped him out of the way and twisted the central handle. It unfolded and I lifed the seat to place Joonie like the Jeonha he was. His little gray eyes were open. He seemed to grimace at the jostling to which his two jesters apologized profusely and made noises to keep his more precious than gold tears at bay.

At the main door, a couple maids greeted the young master as he made his way in while I followed after. Both of us were presented with slippers.

Tae wasn't the youngest of the Kim clan, but he was the youngest son. That alone made him very spoiled. When we entered the sitting room, his mother was already there with his younger sister and older brother.

The eldest son and father were in another room, presumably, and this was proven right when they both rushed into the room when the matriarch squealed at the sight of the baby. Her many bangles clanked and clattered as she clapped her hands.

'Waahhh.. Waaahhh.. Wahhhhhwahhh!' Joonwoo threw out his orders as large tears ran down his face and collected in his bear suit.

I swooped in, moving around the matriarch. His cries did not lessen in my arms. - Bottle.-

Tae nodded and whispered hushed orders to a maid. She quickly returned with what was needed.

'Whose baby is this?' asked a smirking Minseo, Tae's little sister and baby of the family. She was 17 and ready made a name for herself both on screen and musically.

Both Tae and I looked at each other, smiling. 'It's my baby, but Kim Tae is the father..'

Her eyes went wide then narrowed before the words sank in and she snorted with laugher. Tae kicked at my leg, grumbling about being embarrassed and banning me from the house. Hobbling back over to the stroller, I took out the hungry guy's binky and gave it to him. Minseo peeked over my shoulder and gasped.

-Oh my god! He is so adorable -

'Shhhhh!' Tae buzzed her off, thumping her forehead. He reached his arms out to me. 'I want to feed my nephew.'

'Pffft! Lookie, I didn't think you were so desperate for babysitters,' Minseo poked at Tae following him as he took a seat on the couch. His mother looking longingly at her son. To my knowledge, none of the children were married or had children - there are four of them total.

I placed the fussy baby in his arms and wrapped a thick bib around his neck. Joonie knew what that mean and spat out the binky.

'Quickly!' He ushered the maid, who handed him the warm bottle. Before giving Joonie the bottle, which I was proud of him, he checked the temp. Greedy sucking sounds filled the now silent room.

'Are his eyes going to stay that color?'

'Where is the mother?'

'Who is the mother?'

'Are you married, now, Lookie?'

Question after question filled the air. I wanted nothing to do with them. The more they asked the more I dodged. It wasn't their fault they were curious. The last time I was here, I was a depressed mess.

'Look at my Taeseok! He is a natural!' comments Seokbin, Tae's father, chuckling. Despite being the head of a huge conglomerate, he was very down to earth and silly.

I nodded, happy to have the focus off me. 'Kim Taeseok takes his uncle duties very seriously'

'Joon-bug,' Tae cooed in a baby voice, 'is the cutest baby ever.'

'Don't you think you are using my grandson too much?' asked the meanest woman alive who I secretly, not so secretly, loved.

'Granny!' I greeted, bowing in respect. She humph'd me and pushed past to see the infant in Tae's arms. But something softened in her face as she stared into my son's face.

'Give me the child,' she commanded and stuck her arms out, but I blocked the way.

'Granny Sang.. I will not all any harm to come to my son. I know you--' My words died at the look she gave me.

'Do not disobey your elders. Give me the child. I won't say it again.'

Tae and I looked at each other, I nodded, and he handed the baby over to her. She held him, looking him in the eye, smiling. It was the strangest thing to watch this old woman smile, when she did nothing but scowl at me.

Yoon, Tae's older brother, mouthed at me. "You have tamed the dragon." But I didn't get my hopes up.