Replica of You

:1

    "Mr. Park? Are you listening?" Mrs. Lee waved her hand at the dazed young man sitting cross-legged in front of her.

  Jimin quickly snapped out of his trance and looked apologetically over at her.

  "Sorry. Jihyun's block tower looked ready to fall on him," Jimin said, laughing awkwardly when he saw her disapproving stare.

Jimin pursed his lips and sat up straighter. Mrs. Lee always seemed to have that look plastered on whenever she looked at him. It made him feel like he was a bad parent. Like most of the world made him feel.

  "Mr. Park, I'm worried about Jihyun. All the other children have found friends, but Jihyun....isolates himself. It's very troubling," Mrs. Lee says in a cautious voice.

  She looks apprehensively at the man in front of her, expecting an offended expression but she's surprised when all he does is sighs and rubs his eyes tiredly.

  "I know Mrs. Lee. But it's not his fault, he's just very shy and doesn't trust people easily. It's my fault, really." Jimin mutters as he looks down at the ring on his pinkie.

  Its carvings stare back at him as well as the tiny pale blue jewels around them. They glint almost mockingly up at him. Jimin glares back at them.

   "Don't blame yourself, Mr.Park. He's a very smart and sweet boy. He'll probably come out of his shell when he enters kindergarten," Mrs. Lee reassured him with a small pat on the hand and an old, faded out smile.

Jimin breathes out and barely manages to give one back. They say their goodbyes and Jimin silently stalks up behind Jihyuns small form near the boxes of blocks.

"Rawr!" He springs out, wrapping his arms around Jihyuns shoulders and attacking him with slobbery kisses.

   Jihyuns squeals in surprise and tries to squirm out of his tight clutches.

  "Appa!" The little toddler groans in annoyance and attempts to crawl back to his wobbling tower of blocks.

  Jimin watches him as he lays down on the rug next to him. Jihyuns little brow frowns in concentration as he puts the last block on the tower he's created, but it comes crashing down as he finishes putting it on and falls on his butt with a soft whine.

  Jimin bursts out laughing at the angry face he makes and crawls over to him.

  "Okay, Bun, that's enough. Let's go get some ice cream!" Jimin says in exaggerated excitement and swings the hazelnut brown haired boy up into his arms.

  "Yay!" Jihyun claps his little hands together and then wraps his arms around Jimin's neck.

   They exit the little daycare and walk together along the busy streets of Seoul, stopping every time Jihyun points at a statue. As they near the plaza, Jimin spots an ice cream cart a few feet from them and pulls gently on Jihyuns small hand.

  Jimin smiles brightly at the woman behind the cart and orders.

  "One strawberry ice cream and....what would you like, Bun?" Jimin asks sweetly to his munchkin. The ice cream cart lady looks down at Jihyun and smiles warmly.

"What do you want darling?" She coos at him, crooked teeth on full display.

Jihyun quickly hides behind Jimin's leg and peers up at the lady with a strangely cold expression. Too cold to be on a face of an innocent four-year-old.

   Jimin frowns down at him and swiftly picks him up, settling him on his hip with an expectant look. Jihyun's big russet eyes stare at him intensely.  Jimin grins and complies to his silent request by leaning his head down near his lips. The ice cream cart lady watches in amusement as the cute toddler covers his ear and whispers into it.