Chapter Text
Yoo Joonghyuk was about to cook himself a breakfast when he hears the insistent knock on his front door.
He frowns,
‘Did I forget another order?’
He knows it could not be one of his work colleagues, since it is currently- he glances at the clock- a quarter past 7 in the morning, too early for most people to even wake up.
Before he could put down the apple he is peeling and washes his hand, his unknown visitor has now switched to ringing his doorbell.
Unable to stand the noise, Yoo Joonghyuk briskly walks to greet and maybe scolds the impatient guest.
When he opens his door, he expects a tired delivery man delivering yet another packet he did not remember ever ordering or his desperate manager trying to remind him of a forgotten schedule.
He definitely does not expect to see a little girl, who could not be older than 6, gazing up at him with a blank face but curious eyes.
Her face eerily reminds Yoo Joonghyuk of someone he could not tell who.
The girl is small, as expected from her young age, and she barely stands above his waist, but she carries herself with such confidence that could rival many adults Yoo Joonghyuk has met.
She has a short hair with see-through bangs framing her childish face that is still adorned with baby fat. But Yoo Joonghyuk has to admit that she is rather a beautiful child, she looks like she could be one of the child models he had worked with before.
Her large and round brown eyes glittered with what looks like interest at him, even when her face remained impassive, quite an odd expression to see in such a young face.
She really does look familiar, but somehow Yoo Joonghyuk could not think of who she resembles with…
“Papa?”
Huh.
Yoo Jonghuk blinks once in surprised at her word. Then, he blinks again, before he stares at the tiny face that is now gazing with amusement at him.
Ah… that explains why she had looked so familiar.
…
Wait – what?
The gear in his head turns, last time he checked he is not married, and the only time he ever slept with someone was... six years ago...
Yoo Joonghyuk glances at the young child in front of him again.
Oh shit.
In a panic he tried to recall any information about the omega from that night in his brain, only to return with nothing but a headache.
He shook off the throbbing in his head before he squats down to level his eyes with the little girl’s.
“Who is your name? And how do you find me?” he asked her gently, this close he was almost sure that she is his daughter, with how she resembles him more than him with his sister.
She tilted her head in a thinking gesture, but her face remains neutral. Yoo Joonghyuk has just realized how unnerving and hard to read is his expressionless face when he saw it on his daughter’s face.
“My name is Kim Eun-Ae” she answered one of the questions, before pausing.
‘Grace with love’
What a beautiful name, her mother must love her a lot.
Unconsciously, his heart twists uncomfortably at the thought of someone he could not even remember.
“My godmother’s boyfriend is also your friend, so I asked him. I told him that I want to matchmake you with my mum, so don’t worry I did not tell anyone about our true relationship,” she continued her answer, and he is surprised at how fluent her reply is.
“Which friend?” Yoo Joonghyuk did not ask her who her mother is, he is still unsure about how he would feel if he knows the identity of the omega he accidentally impregnated and abandoned a few years ago.
“The tall muscular ajhussi,” she told him.
‘Lee Hyunsung’ his mind supplies.
“Does your mother know you’re here?” he asked her cautiously, now that he thinks about it, it is weird that a child her age is left free to roam on her own.
The little girl shook her head, “no, mama must think that I’m at school right now” she answers honestly.
Her words made him looked at her in surprised, “what time did your school start?” he asked her in a hurry.
“8, why?” she was now gazing at him with confusion.
Yoo Joonghyuk looks at the clock, it is 7 30 now, they still have half an hour to get her to school.
“Eun-Ae,” he calls her to get her attention.
“Yes?”
“I’ll drive you to school, wait here while I’ll get my keys,” he let his daughter entered his house.
“But I want to talk to you,” the little girl protests as she follows him inside, there is a pout on her lips to show how upset she is. Her expression triggered a memory in his mind.
‘You promised to help me’ the blurry face said to him with the same pout on their lips. Yoo Joonghyuk squeezed his eyes and searched his brain harder about the identity of the blurry face.
He must have been silent for a bit too long as Kim Eun-Ae was now poking at his waist with concern in her eyes.
“Hey, are you okay?”
‘Hey, are you okay?’ as if a censor had been lifted from his mind suddenly the blurred face became clear. The image of the omega’s delicate face that had gazed at his drunk self on the bar six years ago, with the same concerned eyes as the one his daughter is giving him, flashes in his mind. Although those eyes were hazy from alcohol.
And then Yoo Jonghyuk remembers him.
But God, now he knows why his mind had temporarily put a barrier over the memory.
He feels like the air has been punch out of his lungs as his chest aches painfully from the onslaught of feelings that he had long forgotten.
The unlocked memories remind him of an omega who had opened his arm in a protective embrace for him, who he then in return bared his heart to. Yoo Joonghyuk had loved him, had worshipped his body, and praised his heart, and planned a future with him after that night of dream. Only to wake up sober but hungover the next day, to an empty bed and an emptier heart.
Oh, he had searched for him, had desperately looked for the man that had left with a part of his soul. When he could not find him, then he had drowned in his work until his heart became numb as his mind forgot of the existence of the omega he had thought as his fated partner.
He did not know he had left a farewell present and that present is now looking at him with worry inside the now-familiar eyes.
‘So, this is our daughter’ he thought while he gazed at her fondly, the tightening squeeze in his chest loosened up slightly when he sees her.
But then sadness fills the void in his heart,
‘I had left you both for 5 years, what rights do I have to call you mine’ he thought as regret filled his heart.
He should have looked harder at that time, he should have not given up so quickly.
“Papa are you really okay? Are we still going to my school because I don’t mind staying and talking,” the little girl’s question snapped Yoo Joonghyuk out of his depressing internal monologue.
Right, there is something more pressing that he must do right now.
“We’re going to your school, but when you’re done I will pick you up then we can talk,” he promised the young child and his lips quirked into a small smile as he watches her nodded with enthusiasm.
.
The ride has started rather awkwardly as neither tries to begin a conversation. Yoo Joonghyuk has always been a man of few words and his daughter has also apparently inherited this trait.
“How is your mother?” he cringes at how he sounds like a husband after a bad divorce who is trying to reconcile with his daughter.
“Aren’t you supposed to ask who my mama is first?” Yoo Joonghyuk could not see her face but he could hear the amusement in her voice.
“What is your mama’s name?” Yoo Joonghyuk tries again, he feels a bit nervous at the prospect of finally knowing the name of his mystery partner.
“… mama’s name is Kim Dokja” she answered after a few long seconds.
‘Kim Dokja’ he ran the name in his brain.
“Kim Dokja” he silently mouthed the name, testing the name on his tongue.
Reader or only child, he wonders if Kim Dokja likes to read.
“You’re silent again,” the child beside him notes, Yoo Joonghyuk has just noticed how unfriendly her tone is.
“Do you hate me?” he decides to just bluntly asked the little girl, he figures it would be less painful to pluck out the needle this way.
She peers at him with her analytical gaze, an unusual look for someone her age. Yoo Joonghyuk wonders how his daughter is raised, that she could be this intelligent and mature.
“Is this because of my voice? This is how I always speak to people I’m not familiar with,” she reassures him.
Her guess is spot on, of course, still, the reply makes the hands he unconsciously tightened on the steering wheel relaxes a little. He stays silent as he waits for her to continue.
“I don’t know you and mama said you cannot like or hate someone you don’t know” was her answer to his question.
Yoo Joonghyuk thinks her mother is an amazing role model.
“Besides when I ask mama about you, he told me that you are a nice person,” she continues with a carefree voice, without realizing the impact of her words on him.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart skips a beat, ‘Kim Dokja still thinks of him as a good person despite what he had done… does that mean he still has a chance?’
But before he could talk more with his daughter, they have arrived at her school.
‘A private school’ relief fills his mind at the knowledge that they are living a comfortable life even without him.
‘That means they do not need you’ the dark part of his mind reminds him.
‘Yeah I know, it’s enough if I can meet them some time’ he tells himself.
“Bye-bye” Eun-Ae waves at him with both of her hands as she gets off from his car, even though her face remains expressionless he could clearly see the excited gleam in her eyes and gesture.
She looks adorable and Yoo Joonghyuk found a smile sneaked pass his lips, as he waves back at her.
“Enjoy your class, I will see you later,” he sees her nodding her head in enthusiasm before she turns towards the school gate.
He watches how her excited steps walked further away from him and her small back slowly disappears from his vision. When he could not see her anymore, only then he starts his car again and drives back home.
Yoo Joonghyuk would have never thought that he would be this happy to have a daughter.
.
It is useless to do anything as his mind could only think about the meeting with his daughter later in the afternoon.
Three more hours, Yoo Joonghyuk clicks his tongue in displeasure as his phone screen displays a glaring 12 at him.
He opens the device and goes into his chat log with Lee Hyunsung
‘Did you give my address to a little girl’
‘I’m sorry captain!!! She looked so cute when she told me she wants to match you and her mum TT’
‘I cannot refuse her TT’
His typing speed has improved, Yoo Joonghyuk notes approvingly, before typing his reply.
‘I see.’
‘Good job Hyunsung’
He does not bother clarifying his text.
‘!!!’
‘Captain???’
‘Then are you… with Dokja-ssi?!’
‘Captain I can see you reading this’
‘Please reply to me TT’
Yoo Joonghyuk eyes linger at Kim Dokja’s name for a moment before he closes his phone, no longer inclined to give anymore reply to his teammate.
He opens his laptop and tries to play one round on a new game he was recommended. He not even 10 minutes after he started, so Yoo Joonghyuk gives up and instead he chooses to lie on the bed and closes his eyes.
He wakes up with a jolt as he heard his alarm echoes loudly in his room.
2 40 pm, the clock reminds him, and he quickly stands up and grabs his coat. He cannot be late to pick up his daughter for the first time.
When he arrives at the school gate, he rolls down his window then sounds his horn to alert the little girl.
‘tin tin’
She looks up from her phone, before giving him a bright smile. Her smile looks exactly like Kim Dokja’s smile from his memory.
“Did you wait long?” he asks the young girl, as he watches her wearing her seatbelt.
“No, I just get out from my class,” Eun-Ae turns towards him and he could see how her small body practically radiates excitement.
“That’s good, where do you want to go?” he asks her while calling the car’s AI to open map.
“There is this newly opened café… let me just type the name” she tries to bend her body forward to type on the touch-screen panel, only to find her arms too short to reach the display.
He stifles back his laugh and turns his head at the adorable attempt, but she has already heard him.
“Don’t make fun of me,” she complaints at him while giving a cute imitation of a glare at him, she looks like an angry kitten, not intimidating at all.
“Forgive me, your highness, let me help you,” he jokes while bending his own body forward.
“You’re forgiven,” she humours him with a faux-haughty tone, before telling him the shop name.
Yoo Joonghyuk is glad that she is more relaxed around him now, this way he could see her real character behind her indifference mask. Unguarded and at ease like this, his daughter finally looks like the young child that she is.
Eun-Ae enthusiasm lasts throughout the car rides and is still there when she practically drags him inside the café. He sees her eyes glittered at the sight of the colourful array of desserts behind the glass display.
“Let’s grab a seat, then you can order anything you want,” he tells the little girl, and Yoo Joonghyuk feels a paternal pride in his heart when her starry eyes are directed towards him.
They have barely sat down when someone barreled through the store automatic door before shouting, “Eun-Ae-ah!”
Both Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Eun-Ae turn their head at the source of the loud call, and his eyes fall on an attractive male who is looking around wildly with panic in his captivating brown eyes.
He could feel his eyes widened when he recognizes the person.
“Kim Dokja,” the name slips from his lips at the same time as his daughter’s squeal of “mama!”
Kim Dokja eyes finally spot them and Yoo Joonghyuk watches him rushes to hold his daughter.
“Thank God, you are safe” Yoo Joonghyuk hears him mutters. Then Kim Dokja turns to glare fiercely at him, right next to Eun-Ae like this, he could see how similar their expressions are.
"You-"
He sees the blaze inside Kim Dokja’s eyes extinguishes as soon as the omega’s eyes landed on his face, and. Yoo Joonghyuk thinks their disbelief expressions must have mirrored each other.
“Kim Dokja?” he asks, unsure.
“That’s me… and you are?” Kim Dokja sounds hesitant.
“Yoo Joonghyuk, my name is Yoo Joonghyuk” he repeats his name twice as if he could leave a more lasting memory this way.
‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ he sees Kim Dokja repeat his name silently, before the omega sighs and take a seat on one of the plush chairs, his hands gently guide his… their? daughter to sit on his laps.
“I was about to ask what you want to do with my daughter, but I think you already know that she is also your daughter, right?” Kim Dokja asks him while he absentmindedly pets Eun-Ae’s hair. Said little girl is currently looking at him with attentiveness.
She must have seen him looking as she then gives him a discreet thumbs-up as an encouragement, her intelligent eyes glint with triumph. He belatedly realises that everything that happened since this morning is all part of her plan.
‘My genius daughter’ he praises her in his mind.
“Yes, our faces look alike”
Kim Dokja eyes flicker toward his face before looking down to look at his daughter, there is amusement in his eyes when he looked back at Yoo Joonghyuk.
“You’re right, she looks like a feminine child version of you,” there is a wonder in his voice as if the omega has just discovered the secret of the universe.
“But she has your eyes and your smile,” Yoo Joonghyuk adds, they are two of his most favourite parts of the omega if he really has to choose, but he likes everything about Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja face softens, as a gentle smile grace his lips, making him more radiant and enchanting than he already does. Yoo Joonghyuk feels his breath caught in his throat at the ethereal sight of the mother-daughter duo that seems to glow in his vision.
Kim Dokja and Eun-Ae just need to say the words and Yoo Joonghyuk would follow them and fulfil any of their wishes. He will worship Kim Dokja if he asks him, would gladly serve Eun-Ae if she demands… but of course, he would back away from their lives too if that is what they want.
He waits with bated breath for Kim Dokja’s next words and as if the omega is not mesmerizing enough, he somehow manages to look even more dazzling when he lets out a small giggle.
Yoo Joonghyuk is enthralled by the tinkling sound.
“Come join us here! Don’t stand awkwardly like that,” Kim Dokja tells him while pointing at the empty seat across from him.
Yoo Joonghyuk hesitates,
“Am I allowed?”
Kim Dokja merely shakes his head like his questions is foolish, he doesn’t know that Yoo Jonghyuk has always been a fool when it comes to him.
“Of course silly, you’re a part of us now,” he tells him.
“Papa quick, I want to order,” Eun-Ae then commands.
Yoo Jonghyuk has never been happier to accept their request.
He thinks that today is a good day. He gets to meet the man that has been carrying his heart for a long time, the same omega who bears their lovely princess. And neither of them dislikes him.
‘For now, this is enough’ he thinks as he gazes at his family with affection.