Don't Blame Me || Jeongcheol

Chapter 51

The quiet moment in the room was interrupted by a soft thud of a small footstep, followed by the creak of the door slowly swinging open. Jeonghan's attention was momentarily diverted, and his gaze shifted instinctively toward the source of the sound.

Haneul.

His small figure standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with confusion, stared at the scene before him. His little face, usually full of carefree joy, was now painted with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. In his hand, he clutched a small stuffed animal, his security blanket in the form of a soft, worn-out rabbit toy.

Jeonghan's heart clenched as he caught sight of his son. He'd been so wrapped up in the revelations, in the heavy truths about his past, that he hadn't noticed when Haneul had come looking for him. His expression softened, and he immediately motioned for Haneul to come closer. "Hey, buddy, what are you doing here?"

But Haneul didn't move. He stood frozen, still staring at the woman seated on the chair across from them, her presence unmistakable. His small brow furrowed, and he glanced between Jeonghan and the stranger, his little fingers clutching tighter to the stuffed rabbit.

"Uncle Cheol?" Haneul's soft voice rang out, almost timid, though his confusion was clear. He pointed at Seungcheol, who was still sitting in bed, looking frail but smiling at the child. His voice, though weak, held a warmth that seemed to reach Haneul even from a distance.

"Haneul, come here." Seungcheol called out gently, his smile softening further as he caught sight of the boy. He didn't want to scare the little one. Despite his own discomfort, Seungcheol didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Haneul had grown attached to him over the past few months, especially with the growing bond between the two of them. But there was a tension in the room, one that Haneul, even with his young mind, had picked up on immediately.

With some hesitation, Haneul slowly padded toward Seungcheol, his eyes never leaving Jeonghwa, who was still sitting in the chair, looking distant and contemplative. She watched the little boy closely, her expression unreadable, but there was something in her gaze, something softer that belied the cold walls she had built around herself for so long.

Jeonghan glanced at her too, a quick, subtle movement. He was still processing everything she had told him, but his focus snapped back to Haneul as the boy reached the side of the bed, peering up at Seungcheol.

Seungcheol gave him a small, affectionate smile. "Hey, you came to check on me?" he asked, his voice raspy but warm.

Haneul's eyes flicked from Seungcheol's smiling face to Jeonghwa's face, who was still watching him intently. His confusion deepened, and he stood there, unsure of how to react. "Who's that?" he asked softly, his voice small, unsure.

Jeonghwa's eyes softened, though she didn't respond immediately. Instead, it was Jeonghan who spoke, his voice gentle but firm, as he crouched down to Haneul's level.

"Haneul, this is... Jeonghwa. She's-" He hesitated. The words he had just learned from Jeonghwa were still fresh and raw in his mind, and explaining this to a child, his child, was not easy. He wasn't sure how to bridge this gap, or if he could at all. "She's someone I... I didn't know about before, but she's family."

Haneul tilted his head, still staring at Jeonghwa. "Family?" he repeated, his little face scrunching up in confusion. "She looks like Daddy."

Jeonghan froze. He hadn't considered that of course, Haneul would see the resemblance. Jeonghwa had their father's features, subtle but there. Her sharp cheekbones, the shape of her eyes. Haneul had inherited so many of his father's traits, and now, with Jeonghwa standing before him, the connection was clear.

Haneul's innocent observation left Jeonghan speechless for a moment. It was an odd feeling, to have a child pointing out the obvious truth, something that Jeonghan himself had only just begun to accept. His mind was still whirling, and now with the added pressure of explaining it all to his son, his sense of uncertainty deepened.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Haneul murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as he took a step back, suddenly aware of the tense atmosphere. He wasn't sure what he had said to make the room feel so heavy.

"No, it's okay." Jeonghan said quickly, smiling softly at his son. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Seungcheol, sensing the awkwardness, gave Haneul a reassuring pat on the head. "It's all right, little guy. Sometimes grown-ups don't know how to explain things either."

But the air in the room was still thick with confusion. Haneul shifted his weight uneasily, still uncertain about what to make of the situation. He looked back at Jeonghwa, who had yet to speak, and then at his father, who looked equally lost.

Jeonghwa finally spoke, her voice quiet but clear. "I'm sorry for causing confusion. I'm not here to make things harder for you," she said, her gaze landing on Haneul. "I know this is strange, and it's a lot to take in. But I'm here because I want you to know the truth."

Haneul continued to stare at her, his eyes big, still searching for some answer that made sense. His mind wasn't quite able to process everything, but the words "family" and "Daddy" seemed to float in the air around him.

"Why are you here?" Haneul asked bluntly, his five-year-old curiosity untamed by the gravity of the conversation. "You look like Daddy's family, but you're not in our house... are you our family?"

Jeonghan's heart broke at the simplicity of the question. He had to look away for a moment, his mind still trying to piece everything together. His son had no way of knowing how much this moment would change their lives, how this simple exchange would ripple through their family in ways they couldn't predict.

"I am your family," Jeonghwa answered gently, offering a tentative smile that was full of sorrow. "I'm your... aunt."

Haneul blinked, the word seeming foreign to him. He tilted his head again, looking to Jeonghan for confirmation, but the uncertainty in his father's eyes gave him no answers. His gaze then shifted back to Jeonghwa, who seemed to expect nothing more than a stare.

"But..." Haneul's voice wavered as he clutched his rabbit toy tighter. "You're not... staying with us?"

The question caught Jeonghwa off-guard, and she opened her mouth, only to close it again. The weight of the situation, of the years of isolation, of the truth she had long carried, made her words hard to form. There was so much to say, but Haneul's innocent question cut through it all, a reminder of how much was lost.

"No, I'm not staying with you," she answered after a long pause. "But that's something I'd like to talk to your father about. For now... I just wanted to meet you."

Haneul seemed to accept that for the moment. His attention shifted back to Seungcheol, who was still watching the scene with a faint smile. He didn't seem to be as caught up in the heavy emotions as the rest of them. Maybe, for Haneul, it was enough that his Uncle Cheol was still here, still smiling.

The little boy took a few steps closer to Seungcheol, pulling himself up onto the edge of the bed. "Uncle Cheol, you're okay, right?" Haneul asked, his voice soft, a hint of worry creeping in.

Seungcheol's smile deepened, his expression turning playful despite his condition. "I'm okay, Haneul. Don't worry about me."

The warmth in Seungcheol's voice seemed to comfort the little boy, who gave a small, satisfied nod. His small hands clutched the edges of the bed as he peered up at the two adults, still unsure of the unfamiliar situation but feeling some sense of reassurance in the presence of his uncle.

Jeonghan stood up slowly, turning his attention back to Jeonghwa. He could see how much she longed for something, something she had been deprived of for so long. But now, in this room, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and an overwhelming truth, Jeonghan wasn't sure what the future would hold. There were too many questions, too many unknowns.

But he had his son, and he had Seungcheol. He would start there, and perhaps, eventually, he would learn to understand everything else.

For now, he simply needed to take it one step at a time.

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