Chapter Eight

Minah arrived at the guy’s dorm in a hurry, ringing the doorbell multiple times before she was let in by none other than Chen. They stared at each other for a while, awkwardness filling the air before he finally went back to reality, letting you in.

“Ohh! Noona’s here.” Sehun beamed, hugging the petite girl into his embrace. “Joohyun’s still crying and it’s really bad. She won’t listen to us and keeps on sobbing. Hyung over there,” he looked up, pointing with his eyes towards Jongdae in a blaming manner, “probably scared her with his yelling and all.” the maknae dished out to the older woman.

“You guys are hopeless.” she sighed, shaking her head as she moved past Sehun to see her godchild.

After a few moments of the guys saying their apologetic greetings, Minah found Suho’s room, witnessing Joohyun cry to her dad’s chest, clutching onto her small ladybug doll that she had kept for years.

“Aunt Minah!” Joohyun sniffled, quickly leaving Suho’s arm to run towards her aunt.

“Shh, I know  baby. I know.” Minah shushed, wrapping her arms around the girl, rubbing her back softly to comfort her.

The rest of the guys watched, Chen having more interest than the rest, seeing his ex-girlfriend finally in front of him after five long years engage with the little girl, bringing her comfort.

It only took Minah a couple of minutes to bring Joohyun back to bed, tucking her back in bed, then placing a soft kiss on her forehead before heading down to meet the guys and possibly even scold them.

“Minah, I can explain.” said the leader right away, seeing the girl walk towards them in the living room.

The rest of Exo listened carefully, guilty of being childish and not being responsible adults.

Chen stood up, all eyes turning towards him as he sighed. “No, hyung, it was my fault.” he said, while the rest nodded childishly. Jongdae cleared his throat, putting his hands to both his pockets before saying, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Minah was quite surprised, still unsure if she wanted to hear his excuses, but she had to start somewhere. Maybe now was that only chance.

The two walked out to the balcony to get some privacy, intriguing some of the guys’ interest. “Is the balcony like the new conference room or something?” asked Chanyeol, scratching his head.

Outside, Minah refused to look at Jongdae directly, looking out to the scenery of the city.

“If you have something to say, just say it now. Let’s just get this over with.” Minah coldly attacked.

Chen understood why she was being like this, but he was still curious about what he saw tonight back at the airport that he just couldn’t let it go.

“Who was that man at the airport?”

After getting all their luggage, Jongdae spotted Minah hugging a tall and attractive man, bidding him a farewell as he we waved before moving on to the gates.

“Excuse me?” Minah scoffed in a surprise, thinking back about how she had dropped Min Guk earlier on.

Jongdae let out a throaty groan, getting more frustrated at why he was acting this way. “That guy. I saw you at the airport earlier before heading back here. Is he your boyfriend?”

“Wah! Kim Jongdae.” Minah softly almost whispered. “The fact that you would even ask that after everything we went through is just priceless.” she smiled mockingly. “And it doesn’t concern you the least bit who I go out with. At least that guy from earlier told me he was leaving. Did you even bother telling me you were leaving for China?” she asked like a threat, already knowing the answer.

“If that’s all you wanted to talk about, I’m just wasting my time here.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Yah, why are you here?”you asked Minah as you washed your hands after visiting a patient.

It seemed Minah visited you at work, telling you everything that happened with the guys and with Joohyun, not leaving out her conversation with Jongdae.

“But it’s all okay now, so don’t you dare do anything rash.” Minah finished explaining, following you around the white hallways, stopping at one of the offices, which you went into to talk to the head nurse.

You asked if you could leave early for some family emergency. Luckily, with the head nurse understanding your situation as a single mother, she let you off quickly, letting you take care of some problems.

Minah sighed, following you yet again, changing back into your normal clothes, not being able to control your hot-headed mind.

“Kaja.” you said willingly, getting out of the hospital quickly and into your car as Minah rode on the passenger’s side.

“When I tell you not to do anything rash, what do you do?” your best friend lecture, shaking her head.

The two of you arrived quickly, giving the Exo members surprises after another as you walked in after the door was opened, not even bothering to greet anyone.

“Where’s Joohyun?” you asked in concern, the members starting to show up one by one to the living room.

“She’s sleeping..” Baekhyun informed confusedly. “Noona, why are you here?” daring to ask what everyone seemed to want to know.

You could only laugh at his question, agitated that no one seemed to know how worried you felt after hearing such a childish incident happen. “I’m here to take my daughter back if that isn’t obvious enough.” you snapped, getting everyone’s attention.

Joonmyun walked over to you, looking at you with such desperation before speaking. “Hyunji-yah, don’t do this. I’m really sorry, it was my fault. I was wrong and irresponsible.” he said, looking down at the ground.

“I know..” you trailed on. “And that’s exactly why you’re not ready for this. Especially her, Joonmyun.” you blurted out, getting everyone’s eyes to widen at such a statement.

Suho snapped his head up, offended by your words. If he had more patience left in him, it was surely gone after the many events that caused him to lose his patience. “And who’s to blame for that?” he asked loudly. “If you had told me in the beginning, maybe I would be ready for all of this. You’re blaming me after only finding out yesterday that I had an amazing daughter, I didn’t even know about. My own members even knew she existed!” he said all in one breath. “Why do they get to know and not me?”

“This isn’t the time and place for this.” you replied to everything he had said, looking around at all the quiet audience, not knowing what to say.

The leader walked out to the balcony and you followed along for more privacy and to be more quiet so your daughter wouldn’t wake up from your fight.

“Why the hell was Chanyeol even at her first birthday party?” Joonmyun continued on, surprising you at his statement. “Do you think that’s fair to me? I wasn’t there for almost all of her existence and now I get to know how one of my closest members that I treat like a brother betray me.” he yelled once more.

Everything was all shocking to you. From his words at how he wasn’t ready because of you, up until how he knew Chanyeol was there at Joohyun’s party. His words got you even more mad. Was everything your fault. If only Jae-In—- You shook your head, throwing away your thoughts as you looked straight into Joonmyun’s eyes.

“You think everything was easy for me?” she asked in a demanding manner. “It was hell having to keep her away from you, did you know that? Every time she asked me who her father was, broke my heart, Joonmyun. It wasn’t easy at all, so don’t think you’re the only victim here!” you sighed, telling yourself to calm down before you said some more things that you would regret.

“Now really isn’t the time, Joonmyun. You and I need to calm down before Joohyun wakes up again.” you said more softly this time, breathing in the cold winter air. You looked inside from the balcony, all eyes quickly moving their gazes away, afraid of meeting yours. “Since I don’t want to wake her up, I’ll trust that you’ll take care of her until tomorrow.” you breathed out, guilt building up inside. “I’ll explain everything you need to know and answer the questions that you have tomorrow.” you finished with a gentle smile, walking slowly towards Joonmyun and giving him a small kiss on the cheek as an apology for tonight’s episode before leaving their dorm along with Minah without even saying goodbye.