Chapter Text
The knockings came first before the scent and Euihyun wasn’t prepared for the sight before him. There, at his doorstep, is an alpha with a familiar mop of blonde hair that keeps haunting his dreams for most nights, ending with him sobbing alone in his bed. It’s been a year since they saw each other and Taeju doesn’t change much except for his blonde hair that grows longer than Euihyun last remembers.
“Euihyun…”
It’s that voice — the voice he once unconsciously found soothing his mind and soul. The voice that once assured him nothing but protection from any harm of the world. But right now, all Euihyun feels is tremor as his mind shouts to him how this person before him is nothing like protection and more like harm himself. His palm around the doorknob of the house begins to sweat and he feels weak in his legs.
“G-go away.” Euihyun grits his teeth as sweat begins trickling down the back of his neck.
Taeju doesn’t move. Instead, his eyes dart towards the small bundle in Euihyun’s arms. He can’t see the face clearly, but the shade of the baby’s hair is far way too similar to his. The baby yawns before snuggling closer to Euihyun and the sight before him sends a pang to Taeju’s heart. From the size of the baby, it seems like it’s only a few months old.
“Euihyun, is that…?”
“No, it’s not! Now, go away!” Euihyun says as he tightens his hold on the baby and before Taeju can retaliate, the omega already shuts the door right to his face.
After locking the door, Euihyun takes a few steps back from the door and stands still as he stares at the door, half expecting the alpha on the other side to break it down and half wishing that the alpha will get the sign and walk away as he asked. There’s nothing happens afterwards, but Taeju’s scent still lingers and slowly inching away from the door, Euihyun quickly makes his way to his bedroom.
As if it can sense Euihyun’s distress, his baby starts to whine before breaking into tears. Sitting himself in the corner of the room, Euihyun holds his baby close as he rocks his body — not sure if it’s to calm the baby or himself. After a few silent moments, he hears shuffling from outside the house and Taeju’s scent slowly dissipates as the alpha’s voice startles him.
“I’ll be back, Euihyun. Take care.”
It’s ironic to think that Taeju wishes him safety now when his very own presence makes Euihyun feel threatened. A small voice in his head whispers to him to run away from that place and once again escape the alpha, but the sniffling sounds so close to his ears halt all of his movement. Looking at his little sunshine, Euihyun doesn’t have the heart to make the drastic decision. Plus, it will affect Euiyoung’s studies and moving away requires a lot of money and time and Euihyun is in no position to waste them.
The next morning, Euiyoung notices changes in his brother. His older guy looks troubled and it seems like his mind is everywhere. The young boy notices how Euihyun keeps staring into the void, his hand stops feeding Taehyun before he is startled by Taehyun’s hands thumping the table. Realising his baby is hungry, Euihyun shakes out of his stupor and begins to pay attention to his son.
“Hyung, are you okay?” Euiyoung asks as he puts on his shoes before walking out of the house to stop at the doorstep.
“Huh? Yeah… I’m fine, Euiyoung-ah. Don’t worry.” the omega says as he pats Euiyoung’s head, sending him off as the young boy walks to the school bus.
Once the school bus is out of his sight, Euihyun quickly gets into the house, afraid that if he’s late by one second, an uninvited blonde alpha will make his appearance at his door again today.
A few days after Taeju made his appearance, Euihyun has been living on the edge. Every small noise startles him and it takes him a little longer to open the door to anyone even Euiyoung. It was on the third day after Taeju’s appearance that the omega finally feels at ease, thinking that the alpha won’t come again and his words were nothing but lie. It was on the same day that he was walking from Granny Shim’s house to pick up Euiyoung and Taehyun when he feels like someone was watching them and his instinct was right when he saw Taeju from across the road.
He walked faster as he pulled Euiyoung’s hand, ushering him to move quickly. The young boy seemed clueless and he didn’t know what was happening, but from the corner of his eyes, he saw the blonde alpha. Looking at Euihyun, he realised that his brother looked anxious and his scent became pungent by the time they arrived at their house. Placing his baby on his bed after locking the door, Euihyun kneeled before Euiyoung, his hands were shaking as he cupped Euiyoung’s cheeks.
“Hyung, was that Taeju hyung?” Euiyoung asks.
“Euiyoung-ah, should we move out of here and go somewhere else?” Euihyun questioned without answering his brother.
“But what about Taehyun? Will he be okay? He’s still a baby.” Euiyoung’s questions made Euihyun doubt everything. Euiyoung was right. He can’t risk his child by running away again.
“Euiyoung-ah, if we move out, we can run away from that guy. What if he harms us?”
“How long are going to do this, hyung? What if he finds us again? Will we be on the run again every time Taeju hyung finds us?”
The omega went silent. No matter how he worked his brain to think of a solution, he can’t debate with Euiyoung. Everything that the young boy said was right, they can’t keep on running away every time Taeju finds them. He knew very well that one day they will have nowhere to run, but all he wanted at that moment was to keep the three of them safe.
“I want us to be safe. You and Taehyun are the reason why hyung is still here. I can’t afford to see any of you getting hurt.” Euihyun said as he pulled Euiyoung into a warm hug.
“It’s okay, hyung. I can be brave for us. If he tries to do anything, I’ll bite him, kick him in the shin and scream for help.” Euiyoung replied as he hugged his brother back. Those words seemed to calm him down a little although he thought that he is the one that should be brave to protect his family rather than his little brother.
Luckily, Taeju didn’t follow them to their home that day and Euihyun calmed down once the day ended. He didn’t get much sleep that night. Although he felt a little calm, he couldn’t stop being uneasy as he waited for the sun to rise. He wasn’t sure what would greet them when tomorrow comes.
The air in the confined space was too humid to Euihyun’s liking. Their scent mixed and it suffocated Euihyun’s lungs, making him wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. But he couldn’t move an inch as their limbs entangled to each other and Taeju’s knot hadn’t gone down yet.
Knot.
Euihyun felt his eyes teared up at the thought of being knotted by Taeju. He wasn’t the one with fuzzy mind thus he clearly recalled how the alpha fucked him without putting on any protection. He let out a strangled sob as his brain raked over the possibilities of getting pregnant with Taeju’s child.
‘What should I do?’
‘What if he doesn’t want the baby?’
‘What if he asked me to abort it?’
Euihyun tilted his head and glanced at Taeju who was sleeping as his rut calmed down a little. The omega couldn’t describe what he felt at that moment as he looked at Taeju’s face. All of the emotions that he felt at the moment mixed together forming one indescribable feeling that created a bitter taste in the back of his throat. His hands reached out for Taeju’s neck, wrapping them around the sweaty skin.
‘Just put some pressure and everything will end.’ Euihyun thought.
Instead, he retracted his hands and grabbed his pants before he got off Taeju’s lap once he realised that the knot had gone down. Euihyun struggled to put on his pants without wincing in pain or making any noise as every small move sent a jolt down his spine. He took a while before he clicked open the door of the car and made his way to the apartment he was staying with Euiyoung except there was a hand stopping him.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
It was Taeju.
“No! Let me go!” Euihyun yelled as he was dragged back to the car.
Euihyun wakes up in sweats as he looks around his surroundings. He is still at their house and his baby and Euiyoung are still with him. He steadies his breath as he realises that they are safe right now and Taeju isn’t around to harm them. It was that dream — the dream that always haunts his nights. On nights when he is at ease, the dream always ends with him managed to run away, but on nights like this, in that dream, he couldn’t escape Taeju’s grasp.
Euihyun seems to learn Taeju’s pattern now. He notices how Taeju always makes an appearance once every three days and it has been going on like this for almost three weeks now. The alpha only looked at them from afar and never made any move which Euihyun is thankful for. But he can’t ignore the anxiety he feels whenever he senses Taeju is around. By hook or by crook, they need to settle everything now and hopefully, Taeju will leave them alone.
If he is correct, Taeju will come today and as usual, he’ll just observe them before driving away. Right after he picked up Euiyoung and Taehyun at Granny Shim’s place, Euihyun quickly makes his way to the spot where Taeju usually waits and watches them. He was right, Taeju was there, in a grey shirt, hair slightly shorter than the first time they met after a year. He will make it clear and make sure everything ends today. He can’t have Taeju keeps doing this.
“Yeo Taeju, wait!” Euihyun calls the alpha out.
Taeju, who is getting ready to drive away, stops his car and looks at the omega who just called him. It seems unreal to him that today Euihyun wants to see him. There is nervousness creeping into him as he thinks about what Euihyun wants to see him for. While stepping out of his car, Taeju notices how Euihyun flinches at every small action he does. The sight before him wraps him in guilt as he realises he is the one to be blamed for making Euihyun become like this.
“Euihyun…”
“S-stop. Please stop everything that you’re doing.” Euihyun says without looking into Taeju’s eyes.
Taeju can’t read the expression on Euihyun’s face as he mutters those words to him. The omega has his head lowered and all Taeju can see his soft black hair. He misses ruffling those soft strands as they cuddled together with Euihyun sleeping soundly in his arms. He misses those days, but he knows well enough that it’s all over now and he probably doesn’t have any second chance to redeem himself.
He doesn’t say anything to Euihyun’s plea. Instead, he takes his time to look at the omega as if he’s carving the image in his mind lest this is the last time he’ll see him. That silent moment doesn’t stay long as Euihyun huffs before he moves and all of a sudden he’s kneeling on the pavement — head still lowered, eyes avoiding Taeju’s face.
“Please, I’m begging you. L-leave us alone. If what you want is the money for the debt I didn’t finish paying, I will pay you monthly. S-so please stop coming here.” Euihyun begs and from the way his voice strains and his shoulders shake, Taeju knows that he is crying.
“Don’t cry, Euihyun-ah. It’s not about the money that I come here. Fuck, all of your debt has been settled so you don’t have to worry about it.”
Taeju now also kneels before Euihyun. He raises his hands, wanting to pull Euihyun into his arms, but he’s afraid that Euihyun might doesn’t want it. Instead, he puts his hand on Euihyun’s head, patting it softly while hushing the omega not to cry.
“I come here to know the truth and apologize. But seeing how you trembled whenever you see me, I guess I can stay unaware and unforgiven. There must be a reason why you want to avoid me so much. As for your request, I can’t promise you that I will stop coming here.”
‘I might come here whenever I miss you badly.’
“T-there’s nothing you need to know here, so please go.” Euihyun says as he removes Taeju’s hand from his head.
The omega then gets on his feet before making his way back to his house whilst Taeju can only watch the small back of Euihyun slowly disappears from his sight. Just like last time, Euihyun slips away through his fingers and Taeju is left alone. He gets into his car, eyes still looking at the alley Euihyun just walked into. He can feel his vision blurs before he rests his head on the steering wheel and for the first time in his life, Taeju cries his heart out as he yearns for Euihyun.
“Granny Shim! Euiyoung is here!” the little alpha says as he gets down from the school bus.
The granny is waiting for him with Taehyun in her arms. The baby is sleeping while suckling his thumb. Like his usual routine, Euiyoung leaves a kiss on Taehyun’s forehead before they walk to Granny Shim’s house. Every day, Euihyun will leave Taehyun at Granny Shim’s house while he’s working. As for Euiyoung, he only comes to the granny’s house after he comes back from school. In a few hours, Euihyun will come and pick them up.
It has been a month since the day his brother came home with swollen eyes, looking more dishevelled than ever. Euihyun looks much better now; like when they just arrived at this small neighbourhood. Euiyoung isn’t sure if he’s right, but his guess is that this has to do with Taeju. Not only does his brother look better, but he also notices how there’s no longer a familiar sleek black car parked by the roadside on their way home. His brother’s scent no longer smells sharp, but it gets softer especially when he gazes at both Euiyoung and Taehyun.
They were a few steps away from Granny Shim’s house when suddenly there was a deep familiar voice that Euiyoung seems to recognize greeting them. As Euiyoung turns to look at the person, his eyes widen as he takes in the sight before him. Taeju still has this mischievous smile on his face, the one Euiyoung always saw when Taeju was looking at him.
“What are you doing here? Are you going to disturb my hyung again? I can’t let you make my hyung suffer.” Euiyoung says as he looks Taeju straight in the eyes.
That makes Taeju smile. Maybe it’s because Euiyoung is growing up or maybe it’s because his alpha traits are developing, but that brat seems more mature than the last time he saw him. He has this protective side of him and Taeju is grateful that Euiyoung is there with Euihyun when he went through a lot, unlike him who was not there to even witness this brat growing up and the baby who he is sure is his being born.
“It’s not like that. I came here just to ask you something.”
“Excuse me. May I know who are you and what is your relationship with our Euihyun? I’ve always noticed you before you stopped coming.” Granny Shim asks the blonde alpha.
“Ah, I’m Yeo Taeju. Uhm. I’m Euihyun’s-”
‘What should I say? Friend? Are we even friends in the first place? Lovers? Can I even assume us as lovers?’
“He is hyung’s friend, granny. You can go first, granny. Euiyoung will be back after I’m done talking to Taeju hyung.” Euiyoung replies on behalf of Taeju as he notices how Taeju was hesitating before grabbing Taeju’s hand and pulling the alpha to his car.
“What is it that you wanna ask? You better make it quick. I need to help granny take care of Taehyun.” Euiyoung says as he grips his backpack straps.
“The baby’s name is Taehyun?” Taeju asks and Euiyoung nods which makes the alpha crouch down, holding his head in his hands.
“Euiyoung, can you tell me what happened to you guys after moving to this neighbourhood?”
Euiyoung doesn’t answer right away. Instead he fiddles with the hem of his school uniform.
“I promise I will stop coming here. This is the last time you guys will see me. After this, I will go far away and leave you guys to live in peace. So please tell me everything.” Taeju persuades the little boy.
“When we first arrived here, Granny Shim let us stay at her place since we didn’t have enough money to rent a place. The first few weeks of living here, I noticed hyung looked unwell and he threw up every day. At first, I didn’t get it, but when I saw hyung cried in the bathroom while rubbing his stomach the way he rubs my back, I thought I get it. And on the next day, Granny Shim took him to the nearest clinic for a checkup and when they came home, Granny Shim looked happy as she hugged me, telling me that we'll get a new family member.”
"Did Euihyun feel happy with the news?"
"At first he looked like he didn't want it. But as weeks went by, he started to pay attention to his and the baby's health."
“W-was the pregnancy tough on Euihyun?” Taeju stutters.
“From what I see, it was tough on him. He couldn’t eat much and he threw up even when he didn’t eat. B-but whenever I asked him if he’s alright, hyung would smile and tell me that everything is fine and I don’t have to worry about anything. He didn’t know that I sometimes caught him crying in the middle of the night when he thought I was sleeping. He kept on apologising to Taehyun saying he can’t give him a good life.”
‘Lord, I wish I was there with him.’
“Did Euihyun tell you who the father is?”
“It was after Taehyun was born that hyung told me. It didn’t surprise me much because I can see your resemblance in him.” Euihyun answers.
“So Taehyun is my child with Euihyun?” at that question, Euiyoung nods.
“You know, even though hyung said he couldn’t give a good life to Taehyun, he still works multiple jobs to support both of us. Granny Shim is always there too to help us. She didn’t even ask hyung to pay him back for the time we lived together with her. Even when hyung is working and he needs to leave Taehyun and me under Granny Shim’s care, she refused getting paid. We’re happy living like this with kind people like Granny Shim around us. So please, Taeju hyung. Don’t make hyung suffer anymore.”
Taeju feels numb. He can’t describe what he is feeling right now. He feels mad at himself for being an idiot. He feels sad knowing what Euihyun had to go through. He feels helpless realising that Euihyun is happy living with his brother and their child although he is not in the picture. Maybe this is a sign for him to stop pursuing Euihyun because from the way it is, there is no place for him in Euihyun’s life and he should be blamed for he was the one who brought it upon himself. With the tear-stained face, he looks at Euiyoung who is now grown taller before pulling the little guy into his arms. He strokes Euiyoung’s head as he sobs on Euiyoung’s shoulder.
“Euiyoung, I’m sorry. I know I should apologise to Euihyun, but I don’t think he wants to see me anymore. You don’t have to worry, I won’t come here anymore.” he lets go of Euiyoung before looking at the little boy’s face.
“Can I ask you a favour, Euiyoung?”
Euiyoung nods, his eyes are glassy too.
“Please take care of Euihyun and Taehyun. Be with them just like you did for the past year. Make sure Euihyun takes care of himself well and please look after Taehyun like he’s your own little brother. I am sorry for not being with you guys when things were hard. I will leave so things won’t get worse.”
The atmosphere becomes silent before Euiyoung says something in return.
“Taeju hyung, there is still some time before hyung gets off work. Do you want to see our Taehyunie?”
“Granny, Euiyoung is back.” Euiyoung announces as he walks through the yard.
“Come in Euiyoung-ah. Granny is in the kitchen. Change your clothes and then we’ll have lunch together.
When there’s no answer coming from the young boy, Granny Shim hurriedly makes her way to the front door and outside, there is Euiyoung and the guy who they bumped into while she picked up Euiyoung. The blonde guy fidgets as if he fears that his presence is unwelcome. It doesn’t take a genius to know who this guy is. The way his hair colour is the same as Taehyun’s who she takes care of for the past few months tells Granny Shim that this guy is the father of the child.
“Come on in. Young man, have you eaten? Come, let’s have lunch together.” the old lady invites them inside and as if he can sense his father is near, Taehyun starts to stir in his sleep before he cries.
“Shh, granny is here. Is our Taehyunie hungry?”
Unknowingly, Taeju walks to where the baby is before taking a spot next to Granny Shim. He looks at the child and notices that his hair is curly with the same shade as his. He lifts his hand, wanting to touch the cherubic cheeks of the baby, but retracts it as he thinks that he doesn’t have the right to lay a finger on a child who Euihyun raises alone. Noticing how Taeju really wants to take a look at his child and hold him, Granny Shim carefully lifts Taehyun and puts the bundle of joy on Taeju’s lap.
“Here, you need to learn how to hold a baby.” the old lady says before excusing herself to the kitchen, leaving Taeju and his child alone.
“Hello, Taehyun-ah. This is your dad. I’m sorry I wasn’t with you and Euihyun when you were born.”
Taeju can feel his tears forming.
“Taehyun-ah, you might forget me when you grow up, but I hope you’ll grow up healthily. Be a good son to Euihyun and always makes him happy.”
A sob escapes his lips before he continues.
“My son, I am sorry for everything. Please know that I am happy that you’re here with Euihyun. Be a great guy when you grow up, Taehyun-ah. Don't be like me.”
More tears roll down his cheeks and some of them fall onto Taehyun’s clothes.
“I love you, my son.”
Taehyun just looks at him when Taeju talks to him. He doesn’t understand what Taeju was talking but when those calloused fingers stroke his cheeks, Taehyun giggles heartily and that tugs at Taeju’s heartstrings. Sobs and sniffles can be heard filling the room as Taeju cries harder while looking at his son’s actions. He holds Taehyun a little tighter before leaving a kiss on the baby’s forehead with tears still streaming down his cheeks.
After having lunch together and spending time with his child, Taeju decides to take his leave. He even gives Granny Shim some money even though the old lady refuses so many times. He keeps on insisting that in the end, the old lady can’t help but accept the money. The alpha says that the money is to repay her good deeds for helping Euihyun sincerely all this time. The old lady pats Taeju on his back while wishing Taeju well.
After so many times coming to the small neighbourhood, Taeju learns that there is a beach nearby and instead of immediately going back to Seoul, he drives his car to the beach. It’s funny to think that their first meeting was at a sea and their final goodbye would be at a sea too, but there is no Euihyun with him right now; only him and his messed up self. He walks closer to the shore, letting the waves hit his feet, wetting his shoes and pants.
He stands there, eyes looking empty. The dampness at his feet doesn’t disturb him even a bit. His mind is a mess as he remembers the little smile Taehyun flashed to him when they spent their time together just a while ago. More other memories flash inside his head, but one that completely breaks him into tears is the memory of Euihyun laughing happily with his brother when Euiyoung lost his teeth and how his laughter died down when he noticed Taeju’s presence. That makes Taeju realise that all this time, Euihyun is happy whenever he is with Euiyoung, but things change when he steps into their life.
“You really messed everything up, Yeo Taeju.” he mutters to himself before he takes one step forward.
Euihyun gets off work a little early today and the first thing he notices once he arrives at Granny Shim's house is that lingering scent that he would recognise amidst a sea of humans. It's Taeju's and that makes him feel dread at the thought that Taeju was here and near to his family. Hastily, he steps inside Granny Shim's house, and the first person he looks out for is his son. When his vision is greeted with a sight of his little brother sleeping next to his child, he feels relief washes over him.
"Oh, Euihyun! You're here. Did you meet Taeju on your way here?"
"I got off work early today. That guy… did he do anything to Euiyoung and Taehyun?" Euihyun asks with wariness laced in his tone.
"He didn't do any harm. He just spent some time with Taehyun. Euihyun-ah, I'm sorry for asking this, but is that Taehyun's father?" the old lady questions.
The omega nods his head, admitting that Taeju is indeed the father of his child.
"He is but I don't think he wants to be Taehyun's father." Euihyun answers, which surprises Granny Shim.
"Really? But the way he held Taehyun and talked to that child seemed otherwise."
"What do you mean, granny?"
Granny Shim told him everything that she heard when Taeju was talking with Taehyun. It sounds surreal to Euihyun because the last time he checked, Taeju didn't want to have a kid with him. The old lady told him how Taeju apologised to Taehyun and what he wished for Taehyun. It feels like there is so much for Euihyun to digest at the moment. He remembers that Taeju said he wanted to know the truth, but now that he knows, what will he do? Will he take Taehyun away from him? Euihyun won't let that happen and he will fight for Taehyun with every fibre in his body.
"You're home, hyung?" Euihyun rubs his eyes before sitting next to Euihyun. He's still feeling sleepy.
"I am. Euiyoung-ah, did you bump into Taeju hyung?"
"I did. Are you mad at me, hyung?"
Euihyun shakes his head.
"Taeju hyung came and talked to me. He asked me about Taehyun and I told him everything. I'm sorry, hyung. I should've kept my mouth shut." Euiyoung says and the older guy can see guilt written all over his face.
"It's okay. I'm not mad at you. Did he say anything else?"
"He said he won't come here anymore and he will go far away and leave us to live in peace."
What Euiyoung just said sends shivers down his spine. It sounds ominous to him when those words came from Taeju.
"How long has it been since Taeju left?"
"It wasn't long. I think it was around fifteen to twenty minutes ago that he left. I saw him drive his car to the beach. What's wrong, Euihyun-ah?"
He doesn't say anything except promising that he’ll be back whilst asking Granny Shim to look after Euiyoung and Taehyun for a while. Euihyun then runs with all his might to the beach which feels a lot farther today than any other day. He can hear his heart beating in his ears as he dashes to the beach, silently praying that Taeju is still there and he won't do anything out of his mind.
As he gets closer to the beach, he notices Taeju's car being parked by the road and Euihyun feels a little relieved as he picks up his pace and runs to the car. But Taeju isn't there inside the car and Euihyun is growing anxious. His eyes scan the beach, trying to find the alpha with a mop of blonde hair before his eyes catch a glimpse of a familiar figure standing with half of his body submerged into the water. His blood runs cold when he sees that sight and Euihyun quickly runs towards Taeju hoping that he can make it in time to prevent that guy from drowning.
"Yeo Taeju! Stop! What do you think you're doing?!" Euihyun says as he grabs Taeju by the shoulders.
The alpha looks surprised when he sees who is the one that stops him.
"Am I… Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming." Taeju says as he brings his hand to his face.
The alpha glances at the omega he yearns for again just to be sure. When he sees that Euihyun is still before him, Taeju tries to distance himself and he almost slips before Euihyun catches him and pulls him out of the water. Both of them sit down at the shore before Euihyun grabs him by the collar and shakes him.
"What do you think you're doing? Do you think that will solve everything? Yeo Taeju, look at me. Are you crazy?!"
Gazing at the omega before him, Taeju lifts his hands before tucking a stray strand behind Euihyun's ear. His hand moves slowly to Euihyun's face before using his thumb to stroke the omega's cheeks. There are tears rolling down Euihyun's cheeks. The omega must be so scared that he doesn't even realise that he's crying.
"I made you cry again. It seems like that's the only thing I'm good at." Taeju says, dejected.
"Stop it. Tell me why did you do that?" Euihyun asks as his hand catches Taeju's from touching him further.
They sit there for a while more that some people start to look in their direction. Feeling uncomfortable with the attention that they’re getting, Euihyun pulls Taeju to stand on his feet before dragging him to his car. They are in a more secluded area now and fewer people are around which makes it more appropriate to talk things out. Taeju just looks at him still as if there are thousands of words that he wants to say yet he can’t let it all out.
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself if that’s what you thought. I was just trying to clear my mind. But when I was standing at the shore, I had a flashback of the old time. It made me realise that things were better when I’m not around you guys. I was hoping the waves would wash away these miserable feelings.” Taeju lowers his head.
“Were you trying to gain my apology by doing that? Why did you come and see Euiyoung and Taehyun? Are you going to take him away from me? You really have the nerves for someone who refused to be a father in the first place.”
“I didn’t do that to gain your apology, I know I don't deserve it. And I never said I didn’t want to be a father. I just felt like I couldn't be a good one and you proved it right. You don’t have to worry, I won’t take him from you. I think you’ll raise him better than me. He’ll live happily with you, Euihyun-ah”
Euihyun's body starts to tremble. He clenches his fists before punching Taeju in his chest. There are waves of emotions raging inside him that he feels the need to lash out and a small part of him thinks that Taeju should be the one to be the victim of his rage. Stopping his punches, he looks Taeju straight in the eyes.
“That’s right, you don’t have to apologise. I hope you live as long as you can and atone for your sins to me for your whole life. I hope you’ll see me in every corner of your life and be reminded of your mistakes. I hope that you’ll be haunted by the past even in your sleep that you can’t help but live in anxiety. I hope you feel what I feel.” Euihyun says in a steady voice that somehow shakes Taeju to the core. The omega sounds like he loathes him so much and he has so many rights to do so.
Upon hearing that, Taeju gets down to his knees and holds Euihyun’s legs. He looks up at Euihyun whose eyes are still red-rimmed from crying. In this position, with Taeju kneeling at Euihyun’s feet and looking up at the omega, anyone can tell who is at fault here. The alpha tries to find any words to say to Euihyun, but every word seems like they do not fit. Instead, he remains silent with his grip still on Euihyun’s legs. His breath hitches before he snuggles closer to the omega's thighs.
“I will live as long as I can and you can hate me all you want, Euihyun-ah. I know that I said I won’t come here any longer, but I changed my mind. When I look at our Taehyun, I can’t help but feel that I want to be in every moment of his life. This is too much to ask and I know that, but please give me one last chance, Euihyun-ah. If you want, Taehyun doesn’t have to know that I am his father. I just want to be there for you guys.” Taeju begs and he knows he looks pathetic right now, but he doesn’t mind that as long as he gets to persuade Euihyun to give him this one and only chance.
"If you think it won't hurt your pride and you're shameless enough to come here again, then you may do it. But like you said, Taehyun doesn’t have to know that you're his father so be prepared to live as an outsider in his life."
The omega then walks back to Granny Shim's place, leaving behind Taeju and any lingering feelings. The alpha only watches Euihyun leave him before sitting by his car and his cries can only be heard by his own ears. He isn't sure if he cries because of Euihyun's way of treating him or if it's because Euihyun lets him come here and see their child. Although he's relieved that Euihyun inconspicuously allows him to see their child, he can't help but feel pain in between the cracks of his heart thinking about that he might never get the chance to fix the burnt bridges between Euihyun and him.
'Someday in the future, I hope I get to witness you smile with me in the picture.'