BOOK 2 of 'Bubblegum Gucci Punk & Gangster Model Hunk'
•Be it night or be it day, the voices in his head, always mange to stay•
Ex-underground fighter and overnight sensational idol Park Dae Ho, dropped out of sight, making the people of South Korea...
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"Sh-she remembered me...even in her last moments," Haneul sniffs, turning his head away from Dae Ho, gritting his teeth together. He couldn't let his emotions show, not when the younger is the one who needed his support.
Dae Ho nods, a lone tear escaping his eye. "You were important to her, Haneul." He lifts his head to make contact with two curious eyes watching them from the door.
Soomin steps to where they are seated, in her pajamas, squinting. "Uncle Dae Dae, are you cwying?" She doesn't wait for an answer, coming up and crawling into Dae Ho's lap. "Where does it hwurt?"
The fighter stares at her and points to his heart after a pause. "Here."
Soomin brings her palms flat on Dae Ho's chest and murmurs incoherent words, dropping a soft kiss on his chest at the end. "I pwayed for you to be alwight. My pain goes away when appa does this."
And Dae Ho chokes a sob at the little girl's innocence and genuineness, wrapping his arms around her and letting his tears free, the heavy burden placed on his chest for years lifting. He feels Haneul's hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. He's been stuck in a wormhole, disregarding the little things that helped a person heal. And maybe, it was worth the wait. Dae Ho is sure, Kim Soomin is an angel in disguise.
"Uncle Dae Dae, are you hwurting more?" Soomin's voice is unsure and muffled.
Dae Ho moves her so he can face her. "No, uncle Dae Dae is happy because of you. Thank you."
The girl gives him a blinding smile, a curve similar to her father's, and yawns with half-lidded eyes. "Can I slweep here?"
Dae Ho nods, letting Soomin's head fall on his shoulder, her hands curling around his neck. A comfortable silence engulfs the room.
"The next time I opened my eyes, I was wrapped in bandages and a cast on my hand." Dae Ho starts after Soomin falls asleep. "That's when I met ChangMin-ssi. He helped me nurse back to health, even though I was suspicious of him for months. But I had no choice, there's wasn't any place I could turn to. My mind was so distraught, mind replaying the scene in the basement over and over again. He was so patient with me even when I tried jumping him and accused him of manipulating me. But somehow, I started trusting him and now I wouldn't mind taking a bullet for him." He takes a deep breath and turns to Haneul. "Three months after I went into hiding, I mustered up the courage to go outside, to let you know somehow I was alive. But..."
The fighter's eyes dart to his thighs. "I saw you outside your apartment, you had your ear pressed against your wife's growing bump. You were laughing, fussing over how you couldn't wait to meet them. And I...I couldn't take that from you because of my presence. Couldn't risk your happiness to share my grief. You were building a family of your own and I didn't have the heart to face you. The thought of you losing a loved one too was overwhelming. It was hard but I had to let go. That's why I sprinted away the moment you caught a glimpse of me."
