Spitting Image | Jeong Jaehyun

6

"I-I mean sir..." She said, eyes shaking slightly as he stood a few feet away from her. She bowed, tearing her eyes away from his, very nervous now under his scrutinising gaze.

"I didn't think they would hire a student... Like i was saying-"

"I'm sorry, I completely overstepped my boundaries. I'll delete them straight away i-i didn't mean to cause any disruption it's just..." she bit her lip, wondering whether she could continue to finish what she was going to say or not. He took another dangerously large step towards her body, close enough that she was praying he couldn't hear her shaky breaths and her rapid heard beats pounding against the walls of her chest.

"It's just..?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow, holding up the phone with the picture of the painting to her face, challenging her to justify her actions. At this moment, the fact that he was an A list celebrity was irrelevant, her job that she literally got yesterday was on the line.

"I-it's mine." she blurted out and pure confusion was laced onto his face as he looking away to try and make sense of what she was saying. This time she raised her head a bit higher, showing that she was being genuine with him. Of course she was freaking out inside that the man who would literally pop up on her TV was now standing right in front of her.

"What?" He asked, a little dumbfounded, looking back into her eyes, somewhat a bit softer now as she squeaked out her reasoning.

"The painting...its mine. I painted it" she said, biting her lower lip as she saw him scrunch his eyebrows into a confused glance, eyes flickering between hers and the big canvas behind her.

"See, my name is here, Kira Lee...I'm Kira Lee, I painted this for my High School senior year art project" she explained and Jaehyun met her eyes again as she sighed in relief, seeing him less tense about the situation after seeing her name that was painted on the corner of the painting he would look at nearly every day.

"I took a picture because I didn't see it since it was auctioned. It got sold as soon as it went up and I guess i...never got to say goodbye. I just wanted to send the picture to my brother I'm sorry i-i didn't mean to-" He cut off her extremely fast (mark should worry type of fast) rambling.

"It's okay...I..." Jaehyun looked down at her somewhat shaking hands and nervous lip biting habit before realising that maybe he was being a bit too intimidating and out of line. He took one step back from her, no longer towering over her and at a more reasonable distance.

"I'm sorry... you should send it to your brother, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions" he said, handing the phone back to her, and she took it with both hands, showing respect before bowing to him again.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot...sorry if i scared you its just...i need to do anything and everything to protect my daughter" he said and she stared at him blankly for a second or two before her mouth parted a little, finally understanding the situation they were in. And the reality of it all came crashing down on her as Jihye skipped into the room straight to her father, tugging on his shirt to make him instinctively lift her up onto his hip. Jaehyun noticed the shock and decided to change the topic, knowing that he didn't feel comfortable having to explain the situation he was in to someone he just met, especially with Jihye in the room.

"Jihye, Kira painted this, did you know that?" Jaehyun said and the shock on Jihye's face made him smile widely, she surely did bring out the bright side of him. Kira soon picked up on the change of subject and tried to calm herself down, making a better impression than the first one.

"Did you really?" Jihye asked and Kira nodded sheepishly

"See? Thats my signature" Kira said trying not to seem too proud as Jihye acknowledged her masterpiece.

"That's so cool that you have a sign, my dad has to sign things all the time...i wish my autograph looked like that" Jihye said with a pout

"Why? Do you not like your handwriting?" Kira asked and Jihye shook her head

"Maybe after dinner we can go practice... if that's okay with you of course. You probably want to spend some time alone with her" Kira said and Jaehyun hesitantly looked at Jihye, but the excitement on the little girl's face already made his answer clear

"Im sure an hour or so isn't too bad, but you still gotta stay awake for that movie night okay, you promised daddy you would watch it with him before he goes away" Jaehyun said and Kira almost wanted to coo at the sight. She still couldn't believe that THE Jung Jaehyun, her bias, the guy that was the face of every single nature republic skin product she owned, the guy from the relay cams she would watch during lockdown, a literal Prada model, was standing right in front of her, cuddling his CHILD.

"So dinner?" Jaehyun said, perking his head up to meet Kira's eyes and she nodded, still in a trance which Jaehyun just smiled at, knowing how awkward the situation was for everyone at the beginning.

"Dad, Kira doesn't eat her vegetables" Jihye said with surprise laced in her voice and Kira almost kicked herself for not chowing down those cucumbers during the Eat Like a Champ programme back when she was a kid in London.  (a/n: did every country have this type of programme? I got food dudes)

"Oh really?" Jaehyun asked, glancing back at the girl who was timidly following them.

"Kira make sure you eat your vegetables today or else you're in big trouble" Jaehyun playfully scolded, a small smile playing on his lips since he could tell the girl was embarrassed already.

"Yeah or else you'll grow ugly green hair" Jihye said as she sat down on her chain beside Jaehyun's, while Kira opted for the chair across the table from Jihye.

"What?" Kira asked taken back by the statement

"Daddy said if you don't eat your veggies your hair will turn green" Jihye said with a giggle, but her eyes were wide and fully believing the statement that had left her mouth

Kira's eyes flickered between the flustered look on Jaehyun's face, like a deer caught in red lights with his ears turning a little pink, and his daughter who look dead serious.

"Oh did he now?" Kira said with an amused voice, raising her eyebrows.

"Okay that's enough, let's eat" Jaehyun said, trying to change topics but Kira's lips curved upwards at what Jihye had said

"Jihye, do you know what the word guilt trip means?" She asked jokingly and Jaehyun let out the infamous dad laugh at her statement, shaking his head playfully at the accusation against him.

"I guess all parents are the same huh" Kira said with a smile before digging into the noodle dish that the cook had prepared for the three of them.