Thy Art | Park Seonghwa

7.8

( 🎵 Nick Wilson – Miles Apart )

Yunhee had always thought of Eunbyul as the biggest gift of her life. That she exists to prevent her from feeling lonely, and to love her when no one else will. But that day, as she stood with the little girl in her arms, in the middle of the hospital room and on her birthday, for the first time, she thought of how lucky the younger would be if she was born into a different family. One of a complete set, one that can be with her at any moment, play with her each time she calls for them, celebrate her birthday the right way.

Jiwon was awake a couple hours into dawn, and as the doctor and nurses ensured the two who fell asleep on the couch that she was indeed, alright, the lad had decided to go check up on the others while the lass went back home to pick up her daughter and aunt—and maybe a cake so they could at least blow some candles.

She recalled the mess she made in the kitchen once she stepped inside her apartment. Quickly going to check on it but much to her expectations, it was all cleaned up. And that doubled how bad she felt for those around her. "Yunhee?" she could hear her aunt calling for her from inside and as she walked out of her room, the brown-haired girl could see how the older looked like she was badly deficient of sleep.

"Aunt Minju," she greeted back, "she's awake but like what I said in the call last night, with a broken arm. Did you catch any sleep?"

"About an hour, I guess," Minju replied, "are you going back there?"

"Yeah, I actually came back to pick you and Eunbyul up."

"I'll go change," the latter disappeared into her room and Yunhee went into her own. It was not-so bright but still early and her little moon was still asleep. Her size looked like she was already too big for the crib but the mother knew she needed a couple more months to save up for a new bed.

She smiles upon seeing how peaceful the little girl was, "happy birthday, baby," she softly cooed before lifting the then still asleep girl into her arms, kissing her against her hair. Eunbyul stirred slightly as she was brought out of her room and was awake by the time they were inside the cab.

Office hours has yet to start so they drop by a cake shop as planned, quickly buying a simple cake to be brought along to the hospital. To her surprise, a blue and red hair stood amidst the plain white wall of the room when she got back. She didn't expect to see Yunho and Mingi to visit so early in the morning. The laughter slowly dies down once the three made an entrance but the smile on their faces remain intacted.

"You're back," Jiwon exclaimed slightly, still a little out of energy as supposed to how she looked then, "oh, hello there, dearest Aunty." She smiled hesistantly upon seeing her aunt, knowing just how many questions she was going to be bombarded with the moment she opens her mouth.

And it really happened, Minju rushed to her niece's side almost immediately, asking how everything happened, where did it hurt, did she need anything fixed, how did she feel after waking up. Truly, she never lose that side of her that always sound like a mother to them. Yunhee could only chuckle from behind as she watched the two.

"Hey," Yunho said as she closed the door behind her, "I see you got something there."

"It's Eunbyul's birthday," she informed the two, exciting them as they almost immediately stole the younger from her mother's hold, bringing her high up the air.

"Oh my! This little girl is turning one!" Eunbyul looked like she didn't know what was going on but getting carried that high up by a man who was six feet to begin with, seemed to be fun for her. Even when Yunhee begin smacking Mingi's arm, in worry of him dropping her.

"Yah! Song Mingi, put her down!" Jiwon and their aunt turn their head, keeping an eye on the three as they suppress a laugh.

Mingi eventually landed Eunbyul by his hips and Yunhee could finally loosen her muscle that tensed when she saw her daughter lifted so high. She opened the box of cake on the small table by the couch as Yunho went out to call for the others who came to visit but situated themselves in the two other rooms.

It wasn't the biggest room, Jiwon wasn't placed inside a VIP room but all of them managed to fit in there, only leaving a small space to move around. They knew if they didn't make it quick, a nurse is going to barge in and tell them to tone it down. So as soon as everyone gathered, Yunhee picked her daughter, asking for help from someone else to hold the cake.

"You should hold the cake," Wooyoung suggested, "one of us will carry her. Let her choose who she wants."

"You want Mommy to hold the cake for you?" Yunhee asked her daughter, as if she understood what she said. Someone as young as her would just nod even when they had no idea what the words uttered to them meant. "Okay well, choose one of these uncles from here then."

A-handsome-guy-privilege, that was what they always said to Seonghwa. That he always had that privilege for all the times he was chosen to do something and none of them were surprise when Eunbyul stretched her arms towards him. But it might've been because the said man had always been gentle to the little girl, how he was more reserved and she liked that more.

A wide smile made their way to tug onto Seonghwa's lips as he made his way forward, taking the girl into his arms as Yunhee pull the cake board to carry it up. The number one stood up tall on top of the icing with the candle light up.

Yunhee may not be able to give her daughter a birthday party, with confetti but she was glad the 8 of them were there despite Jongho and Hongjoong still stuck inside their rooms. They sang the little girl the traditional happy birthday song, a more chaotic yet slight whisper twist as they didn't want to interrupt anyone at the other side of the walls.

"You may blow the candle now, baby," Yunhee told her and as they knew how the younger was still slightly confuse by the concept of that, they all blew them together. Jiwon was on camera duty and though with only one hand, she was able to capture them all, chuckling slightly at how adorable they all were being.

As soon as the candle was out, a series of claps and cheers filled the room but the sound of Seonghwa's phone ringing inside his pocket cut through the noise. Making all of them silent. He gently positioned Eunbyul so he could hold her with only one arm and fish out his phone, face turning sour in an instant. Yeosang and Wooyoung who were able to peek at who the caller was, had also altered their expression.

The man pondered for a second, debating whether or not he should take the call but after a couple of seconds, he handed the girl in his arms to Wooyoung who was beside him as the mother still had the cake on her palm. "Sorry, I need to take this," he said before leaving the room, all their eyes fixated on him.

"Who was that?" Yunho questioned. Yeosang could only emit an exasperated sigh before rolling his eyes.

"Son Eunji."