I fell in love twice / lee hongbin (#6)

❤22❤

Youngji

I sent Taewoon off to kindergarten before making my way to the cafe. It is already filled with customers as it is the morning peak hour and people are getting coffee before going to work.

I quickly put on my apron and took over one of Unnie's part time worker for the counter.

"Thanks a lot, unnie. I thought I was dying." She said to me before going to the back to restock the supplies.

She was trained by unnie to make coffees when she first came in so it has only been a few weeks since she worked. Maybe a little more before she officially takes over the counter.

The number of customers only decreased at around 9 am, before that I had to serve 5 customers at a time. I originally thought that this was the only cafe on the whole street but there was actually 4 cafes and I noticed that most people visit this cafe than the other three. This cafe is really that popular indeed.

The part timer took over from me again as Unnie taught her how to collect money from the customer and to give them back change while smiling most of the time. It is all part of quality service.

People expect to be served as well as the food itself so we have to be nice to avoid customers complaining about our service. The service industry is indeed hard to get a job in.

I got to my phone and checked all my notifications because I heard my phone ring the whole time while I was working. There was indeed a phone call, it is from the kindergarten that Taewoon goes to.

"Yeoboseyo?? I am Heo Tae Woon's mother. May I know why are you calling me??"

"Tae Woon's mother, I am Tae Woon's homeroom teacher and I am calling you to pick Taewoon up. He has a very high fever and was vomiting the whole time while in school."

"He's sick??" He was fine a moment ago, he was still playing with me before going to school.

"Yes, Mrs. Nam--"

"I would prefer if you call me Ms. Heo. I am not married to anyone now."

I can't believe that people are still calling me his wife when we already divorced a few months ago. It is almost a year since I first found out that he had an affair and TaeNa is approaching her first birthday. Time truly flies.

"Yes, Ms. Heo. We urge you to pick your child up as I fear that he might spread the flu to the rest of the children."

"I know but I am working at the time being. Can I pick him up at noon??"

"By then, all the kids who are in the same class as him would have fallen sick as well. You do know how fast the flu gets spread from one person to the other, especially when there are kids, it is even faster."

How am I able to pick him up when I would be so busy??

"Mrs. Kwon, I will call you back later about picking up Taewoon. I really can't leave my job halfway, there aren't enough people in the store."

"Make sure to call me, I will put Taewoon in the lounge room, for now, to prevent him from spreading the flu to the other children." She hung up.

Who should I call to pick Taewoon up??

I have no close relatives and my parents won't even freaking care especially when I have already divorced that bastard. They called me a disgrace when they knew that I was filing for divorce a few months ago.

They gave me a good scolding about not keeping my eye on that bastard that he had an affair for so long. Please, you guys are the ones that urged us to get married when I got pregnant when we were still dating.

I also have no close friends except for that Han BitNa who is now considered as my enemy. Other than her, I really have no one except for one male friend that I had made when I was in a state of betrayal and confusion.

I hope that he picks up or I wouldn't know what to do.

"Yeoboseyo??"

"HongBin ssi, can you do me a favor??"

-----------

HongBin

I waited in the car with the car facing the kindergarten as the weather is very hot and humid. I wonder how did people even stand in this damn weather for the whole day.

Maybe I am too accustomed to the cool temperatures that I work in the hospital from morning to evening, sometimes till midnight as I take on another shift for a co-worker that couldn't make it.

I looked at the time. It is 10 am. Taewoon should be out by now. I got out of the car to stand in the open for a while in case if he couldn't see me.

As if on cue, a petite but not skinny young boy carrying a blue school bag walked out of the kindergarten trying to find his mother by slightly stretching his neck out.

"Taewoon-ah, here!!" I called for him and he looked at me running to me with some quick sprints.

"Ahjusshi, why are you here?? Where is my mother??"

"She couldn't leave the store so I am here to pick you up. I heard that you had a high fever." I said squatting down so that I can feel his temperature. It is cold.

"Why is it so cold??"

"I lied, I didn't have a fever."

What?? How can he lie about such a thing??

"What??"

"I did that to skip school. I didn't want to be in school." He said looking at the ground.

This kid...

"Come with me, it is better to talk in the car while I drive. The weather is hot as hell." I said and we went into the car. I buckled his seatbelt after I'm done with mine.

I drove off to the hospital since Youngji wants me to take care of him for the whole day anyway.

"Tell me the whole story from the start to the end."

"DaeHwan said that I shouldn't even belong in this world as I was a mistake." He explained.

Who is DaeHwan?? Ah, that bastard's son.

"Go on."

"I said that I wasn't and he even said that my mother was the one that was the third party, the mistress and we are the ones that should go and die."

I punched on the steering wheel and it honked. What kind of mother teaches her child to be so mean to others??

"Sorry about that." I apologized and he was crying.

"Why are you crying?? I didn't hit you or something like that!!"

He wiped his tears with his hands. "I know. I'm just mad."

"But I'm not mad at you."

He stopped crying. "But I skipped school, why aren't you angry at me??"

"I wished that I could but I won't. Just don't do that again."

He nodded. "Will you tell my mom about it??"

I shook my head. "Why should I?? Your secret's safe with me. Just be a good boy to your mom. That's the least you can do to the person that gave birth to you."

He reminded me so much of me when I was younger. I skipped school because I didn't want to hear anything about YeBin being an outsider and being adopted because her parents abandoned her.

Now it is all better and I don't want Taewoon to feel the same. I want to protect him.