Crescent // ATEEZ ✔

40 [apology]

The drive towards Treasure district is accompanied by Hwayoung singing and dancing excitedly at the back seat about having a ponytail. Yunho asks her where she learnt it from and apparently according to her, she had seen both her Uncle Yeosang and San dancing and singing like maniacs to that song at the living room, so she had picked that up.

Yunho shakes his head at her answer as she continues on and he gives a signal to cruise into the exit, mumbling to the person on the passenger seat, "Kids learn and pick up quick, don't they?"

"I don't have much experience with kids, but I guess they do," Byul chuckles. "She's so precious it's no wonder that her uncles love her so much; I'm glad to see that." As she says that she throws her view out the window, enjoying the scenery on a Saturday afternoon.

Yunho drums his fingers against the steering wheel as he throws a look to see his child at the seat, still happily singing and making the plushie she brings along dance with her. "I'm sorry you had to come together," he bites his lower lip, "because I know that you said you were uncomfortable about being pulled into the picture. And... for the DNA test, thank you. I just-" He looks at Hwayoung again, and it seems that the child is really oblivious to them chatting in the front seats. "Hwayoung's mother went away so suddenly and you reminded me a lot of her, so it's just me being stupid and hoping it was real. After you suggested the test, it made me realize how I shouldn't have made you feel uncomfortable. I'm sorry, truly."

She takes off her shoes and crosses her legs on the seat before shaking her head. "You don't have to apologize for anything. I can't imagine how life is like there..." she trails off as she sucks in a deep breath, "so to know that you're wishing Hwayoung will finally have her mother back is completely understandable." She takes one look at the rearview mirror and can't help but smile. "You take care of her so well."

"I wouldn't be able to manage if it weren't for the boys honestly," he admits. "Though some of them were really careful around her when she was just a baby. Yeosang didn't want to even touch or hold Hwayoung at first because he said she looked like raw chicken, but thankfully he warmed up to her." He finds it easy to talk to her that he starts sharing how it went on at the facility, "Seonghwa and Wooyoung were fighting because they wanted to name the baby, so I ended up giving her a name as a combination of both." He looks exhilarated as he keeps telling stories about his only daughter, "Oh and!" he exclaims, "Hwayoung meant a pretty flower so I thought it was fitting. I told her mother that our children would be the flowers-"

He presses his lips together and sighs, "I'm being stupid again, I'm sorry. I really should stop talking about her mother. Argh these days I tend to overthink a lot because Hwayoung is growing up so fast and I'm scared I'm not doing a good job at being her father. Sorry," he grimaces.

"Seonghwa told me to stop apologizing so much, so you should too," she utters, playing around with the string on her hoodie. She pulls them all the way until her face is all scrunched up under the hoodie, amusing herself as she takes sight of herself in the side mirror. "I can tell that you're trying your best to take care of her. I'm sure her mother would be proud seeing Hwayoung and you right now."

"Yeah, I really wish she could," he mumbles under his breath. "We're here."

The car pulls up in front of a boom barrier at the lane where visitors to the middleclass apartment can pass through, with the guard coming up to their car and asking for identification. He produces his identification and the guard jots down the car's plate number and his details, giving him a visitor's pass and letting him go under the barrier. They park at the visitors' parking bay; Hwayoung hops off the car, with Byul helping to unload her tiny luggage.

Hwayoung hops towards the direction of the lift, holding Byul's hand with one and hugging her plushie with one. She tiptoes to press the button to go up, humming again to the ponytail song.