Lost and Found

Lost

Tay thought he was going insane when he saw someone who looked just like the boy he'd been searching for months—someone he'd finally given up on—entering the dessert shop right in front of his parked car. His friend Off and his partner had just opened this new dessert shop, and they'd practically dragged him over to check it out and try their menu. He'd arrived a few minutes ago but got caught up in a work call, so he stayed in the car to finish the mini-meeting. But before he was even halfway through the call, he saw New pushing a stroller, accompanied by another man carrying a baby bag.

No, it must be a mistake, he thought. But the timing made too much sense. He had been keeping track of New's pregnancy and the timing of the baby's birth, calculating everything even though he wasn't there. By now, the baby would be around six months old—just the right age for a stroller.

Tay didn't waste another moment. He immediately ended the call and walked straight into the shop. His heart was pounding as he called out New's name, and just as he suspected, New turned around. The shock on both their faces was undeniable, and it felt like time stood still.

Tay had never thought about how he would react if he ever saw New again, but he hadn't expected to be overcome with rage. In the next instant, he grabbed New and dragged him out of the shop, drawing gasps from the people around them as Inn ran after them carrying Janhae in her stroller with him. Outside, he pushed a pleading New against his car and yelled at him.

"You...you..." Tay stammered, his rage making his eyes fill with tears. "You ruined my life. You robbed me of the chance to raise my baby, of being a father to my child." He continued, his hand tightening around New's neck.

"You're... you're choking me, T-Tay," New choked out, tears streaming down his face as he tried to pry Tay's hands off. But Tay seemed unable to hear him, too lost in his anger. Seeing everything unfold, Inn couldn't hold back any longer. He carefully placed the stroller with Janhae inside by the car and moved to Tay, punching him hard enough to make him stumble. New fell to the ground gasping for air and clutched his neck, trying to soothe the place Tay's hands had gripped.

While New was still disoriented, Tay got back up and charged toward Inn, pinning him against the car, ready to beat him to a pulp. "Who do you think you are?" he kept shouting as Inn tried to escape his grip. Just as Tay was about to throw a punch, New got up and grabbed him from behind. They were all screaming words of anger, pleas, and challenges, each man caught up in his own words. The only thing that broke the chaos was the crying of the baby lying right beside them in her stroller.

New immediately let go of Tay and tried to pacify Janhae, rocking the stroller while trying to pull himself together, but she cried even harder. Tay walked slowly beside New, looking at the crying baby. Oh was she beautiful. He gently moved New aside and bent down to pick up the baby, rocking her in his arms, tears welling up in his eyes. He and the baby locked eyes, and only then did she stop crying, snuggling into his hands, seeking warmth from his body.

"She's my daughter. She has my nose... beautiful," he managed to say, mostly talking to himself, tears flowing gently as he smiled. He had craved this for months. He had craved to hold his own child in his arms; though she was unplanned, he didn't love her any less.

"Her name is Janhae," New said, looking at both Tay and Janhae. "She's our daughter."

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