21 — It’s Between The Lines…

Eun Ha's POV:

The sound of cutlery clinking against the plates rang out. Breakfast was in full swing, and the whole family was at the table.

It was a rare occurrence.

"It's good to see you in the morning, Su Ah." Yeong Gu flashed a smile towards his youngest daughter. "Why don't you wake up early from now on?"

The suggestion was immediately brushed off.

"I didn't wake up early. I stayed up all night." Su Ah replied in a monotone.

Eun Ha sighed internally as she tucked a chopstickful of food into her mouth. She had tried many times to curb that unhealthy habit of hers, but Su Ah was unyielding.

Well, she consoled herself that, once school recommenced, she'd go back to normal. Hm. Hopefully.

"Oh…" Yeong Gu scratched the back of his head, his smile turning a little flustered. As usual, he didn't attempt to correct that behavior. "I see haha… you must be tired."

She ignored him.

A beat of silence ensued.

"Honey."

Eun Ha turned to her husband. "Yes?"

He didn't even spare her a glance. "I have to go to the city today. I have a meeting with Mr. Kim, and I'll be back tomorrow."

"Oh… all right…"

It was an emotionless transaction of words. Yeong Gu continued speaking between one chopstickful and another. "They really want to talk to me in person. He said he would—"

Eun Ha tuned him out, his voice an annoying white static in her mind. At this point, they were just going through the motions. The passage of time diluted her anxiety over his secret trysts.

In a natural, almost instinctive sweep of her eyes, her gaze was drawn to Dae Ho.

His shoulders had broadened, straining against his shirt. The continuous morning runs, under the scorching sun, thawed off what little baby fat he had on his face.

Now his features were sharper, more prominent, like a sculpted slab of stone perfectly hammered and chiseled by an artist. 'I wonder if he's taking care of himself properly…'

It was a mother's prerogative to be concerned over her son's — even if he was adopted — health.

'He's probably doing fine.'

He didn't give her any reasons to be worried, after all. His sudden maturity dispelled the clouds of doubt. There was no need for her to interfere anymore.

Just as Eun Ha was about to tear her gaze away, Dae Ho tilted his head up, his eyes hooking hers before they could scamper away, like a fish caught in a net.

His eyes were very expressive at the moment, prodding hers with a silent question and a smile of encouragement. She returned the smile with one of her own.

And then he twisted his face, scrunching it up into this goofy expression that caught her off guard. A laugh broke through her lips. She immediately raised a hand up, hoping to contain the bursts.

He smiled victoriously.

Eun Ha's eyes sparkled.

A fair, slender arm suddenly wrapped around Dae Ho's shoulder, pulling him. Eun Ha's eyes veered to the right, where Mia had this huge, suggestive grin splattered across her face. She tightened her hold on Dae Ho, making him crook all over her side of the table.

Naturally, Dae Ho took everything in stride and only offered Mia an easygoing smile. "You shouldn't bully your little brother." He said in an attempt to quell his sister's sudden hyperactivity.

"And what'cha gonna about it?" Mia's voice bordered on a growl.

Eun Ha would have been seriously concerned if it wasn't for the glimmering, teasing light in her oldest's eyes. 'They're just messing around…'

"Something like this." Dae Ho whispered, his lips arching into an innocent smile. Eun Ha noticed some movement under the table. Mia's eyes went wide open. Her chair scraped back as she uttered a strained squeal.

All eyes were on her.

Mia's face was beet red as she glared at Dae Ho resentfully.

'Huh… what was that?'

The table was not long — or wide, for that matter. In fact, it was just big enough for the five of them to squeeze in with a narrow gap between each chair. Therefore, Eun Ha had seen Dae Ho's arm extended down, towards Mia, moments before her outburst.

"Mia, what's wrong?" Yeong Gu frowned.

Su Ah was also staring at her, in a silent, almost non-caring sort of way.

"N-Nothing…" Mia cleared her throat.

On the other hand, Dae Ho was blissfully ignoring the ongoings at the table and continued eating.

"..."

Something was afoot…

Eun Ha alternated her gaze between Dae Ho and Mia.

…And, for some reason, she was not a fan of it.

Not at all.

…

Eventually, Yeong Gu left for work. His absence eased Eun Ha's mind.

"Mom." Su Ah called out, donning a sleeveless, pink and white, one-piece dress. "I'm going to the library."

She didn't wait for a reply.

The faint click and bang of the door closing announced her departure.

Not soon after, Mia, clothed in a sleeveless turtleneck and waist-high jeans walked down. "I'm seeing my friends." She stated. And as she did so, she swept her eyes over Dae Ho, who was quietly making his way upstairs.

He turned around to look back at her.

There was a brief, meaningful eye contact.

And then she was gone as well.

Eun Ha's gaze trailed the shadow of Dae Ho. 'I wonder… is he going to masturbate?' She had done laundry earlier in the day, and, naturally, his underwear was in the heap of dirty clothes. She studied it intently, and noticed no stains in the white fabric.

Which meant that he must have been doing it regularly.

Since he was so young and healthy, it would not be odd if he masturbated on a daily basis — multiple times too.

Eun Ha's body moved on its own. Her long legs traipsed up the stairs, taking her to Dae Ho's room. She held a hand to her chest as she stood in front of the door. She needed an excuse of some sort, something to break the ice.

Ever since their 'talk' on that breezy night, Eun Ha didn't know what to think anymore. The feelings were shifting, but the 'wild' side of her was still caged, wardened by a fading measure of control.

It was the little angel on her shoulder, making sure she didn't stray off the good path of the heavenly lord.

Dae Ho was the only one that knew. He was her confidant, of sorts. A reliable shoulder she could cling to when she needed an outlet for her tears. Of course, Eun Ha would rather bottle everything up, but she learned that Dae Ho was sharp, and his intuition and observation would pick up on the clues.

She brought a hand up and lightly knocked.

"You can come in, Auntie, the door is open."

'So he's not masturbating… unless he is, and he's inviting me to… to…'

Eun Ha drew in a deep breath, cheeks rosy, and opened the door.

When the room was in full view, Dae Ho's bare-chested form was immediately locked in her eyes. 'He's… grown…' She admired, quietly, drinking in the glistering pearls of sweat falling down his chest.

'He's working out… he always does…'

And then, a weird thought came over her head.

'Is that what he's been doing all this time? Working out instead of masturbating?'

His elbows bent, chest slanting down.

Then he unbent them, bringing his body up, straight and taut.

"Am I disturbing you?" Eun Ha asked, not moving from her spot.

Dae Ho tilted his head to look at her. "You're always welcome here, and you know it." His face was radiant. Perhaps it was because of the sweat, but the little changes had not gone unnoticed.

He had never been bad-looking. In fact, one could say that he was quite cute.

Now, however, the childish cuteness had given way to manly lineaments. Prominent cheekbones, a slightly larger jaw, and a sharp chin. Overall, a perfectly structured, attractive face.

'And if he keeps working out like that…' Eun Ha gulped, releasing a shuddering breath. '... he'll have many women vying for his attention.'

"Why don't you sit down?" Dae Ho's question brought her back to reality.

Gingerly, she accepted the offer, and in a very lady-like fashion, Eun Ha lowered herself down on his bed. Her back was straight, knees touching, and hands tucked on her lap.

Dae Ho, upon completing his last rep, stood up and moved to his pull-up bar. "A penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh…" Eun Ha offered a flustered smile. Honestly, she didn't have much of a reason to seek him out. It was instinctive. "I…"

"Is it about Uncle Yeong Gu?" He stared at her while pulling himself.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

His muscles stretched and tensed. The ripples were such eye candy that, for a moment, Eun Ha forgot to answer.

"..."

"Auntie?"

Up. Down. Up. Down.

"Yes…"

Dae Ho stopped mid-pull, arms hanging and muscles flexing. His eyes were trained on her. Eun Ha's cheeks were cast in a rosy hue. "Would you like to go on a walk?"

It was his way of saying 'wanna talk about it?'

She easily read between the lines. "No… it's fine…" She shook her head. "It's just… suffocating, at times."

It was not as if Yeong Gu was the only one to blame for the infidelity. She had blown Dae Ho just the other night. Neither of them was innocent. However, Eun Ha was a creature of emotion, and Yeong Gu's secret rendezvous with prostitutes had been, in no small part, a catalyst for what she did with Dae Ho.

It was a very dysfunctional family.

Perfect on the outside. Rotten on the inside.

"I want to be free… I want to be a little selfish… but most of all, I want to be happy."

God, she hoped Mia and Su Ah would stay out of it. She might not have a shot at happiness anymore, but their daughters deserved the world.

"..."

Dae Ho stared at her.

She stared back at him, a wistful smile on her face.

Then, his hands released the overhead bar. His feet touched the ground, and he quietly made his way over.

"Tell me." His tone was serious, but not overbearing. His eyes told everything. There was compassion. Understanding. And a fire. A desire to truly reach a hand out, grab the moon, and give it to her. "What would it take for you to be happy?"

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Tell me, Auntie. What can I do to make you happy?"