"I am fine with a cab...", Sooji says coldly. She hopes he stop forcing her. "Thank you for picking him up...Sorry to bother you...", she forces a smile and walks away. But Shian suddenly stops. And runs to Shihyun hugs him. Shihyun freezes on the spot.
"Thank you for picking me up...and for the ice cream...", Shian grins. "See you again uncle Shihyun...", he yells then runs back to her Mom.
Shihyun is standing still watching Shian leave with Sooji. And he feels like crying. The moment Shian hugs him, he feels something he never felt before. Like a longing, but for what? It's warm but painful at the same time. What the hell is happening to him?
"Hey...", Sejoo nudges Shihyun.
"Huh?"
"You spaced out...are you okay?"
"Yeah...", no he's not. He really is confused. During 29 years of his life, he never felt like this. Ever.
"I know Sooji was a little bit harsh...but you should understand her..."
"I know...", Shihyun smiles bitterly. "Honestly, I should be grateful she wants to talk with me again..."
"You should help her...", Sejoo says seriously. "To forgive herself...to be happy..."
"I'll try...", Shihyun is not even sure how to help Sooji. He checks his watch. It's almost 5 pm. "Shit...", the meeting must be over already. He's going to get scolded by his Dad. "I should go...", he should head back to the office.
================
Sooji puts down the letter from Shian's school on the bedside table. Oh God, how much she hates this kind of event. Not because of how all that Dads were staring at her, but because she knew it must be hard for Shian. She just hopes that tomorrow there'll be another single mom or at least someone's Dad is too busy to come so it's replaced by their Mom or if she's lucky usually both of the parents came. So Sooji won't be looking too standout as the only mom that comes.
"See you again uncle Shihyun..."
Sooji can't stop thinking about how happy Shian looked when he was with Shihyun. They only meet three times but how could they get so close already? Shian seems to really like Shihyun. He just can't stop talking about how great uncle Shihyun is. Shihyun just picked him u and bought him an ice cream. But the way Shian told the story, people might think Shihyun just saved the world.
Sooji sighs, remembered Shihyun's stunned face when Shian hugged him. He must feel uncomfortable. She should stop Shian from meeting Shihyun again. Before it's too late. Shihyun might be nice and treated Shian like that because he pitied him. She doesn't want Shian to misunderstand that as some kind of affection.
Sooji's phone is ringing suddenly. Stopping her train of thought. She checks the caller ID. It's Sejoo.
"Hi...are you asleep already?", Sejoo from the other side of the line asks.
"Do you think I'll pick up your call if I was asleep??", Sooji says sarcastically.
"Yaaa...why are you so salty..."
"Is late...what is it?", Sooji chuckles. "Why did you call?"
"Are you okay?"
"Huh? Why wouldn't I?"
"You were kinda harsh with Shihyun today...", Sejoo says carefully.
"Sejoo...why are you talking like I and Shihyun are still best friends like 8 years ago...", why did he even bring that up.
"You two were always more than a best friend... besides what's so wrong with being a best friend again...I can see that Shian like Shihyun...a lot..."
