The Bonds Between Us

Chapter 18

"I'm packing."

'Are you sure you can take care of him there?'

"I'll try. I want to spend more time with him when I can."

'If you say so.'

"I'll pick him up right away from school."

'Ok, see you. Take care.'

"Thanks, love you." Jungkook hung up and finished packing up his bag before going to check on his laptop. He sent some files out before closing it and placed in it his bag.

Then the chief drove his car to son's school where Mr. Kim handed him Ppalgang.

"Appa!!!" The boy ran quickly into his father's arms as soon as he spotted his appa.

"How's class?" Jungkook asked wiping the boy's sweaty head. Looked like he played too much earlier.

"It was great. I learned to sing a new song." He excitedly showed off.

"Jjinja? Teach Appa later."

"Ne." Daehan happily hopped in the car and Jungkook helped him with the kid seat.

"Appa, where are we going?" The little boy asked looking at Ppalgang at the back seat in his cage.

"We're going fishing."

"Fishing? Appa and me?" He asked blinking his big eyes cutely.

"Of course."

"Omma?"

"She's working. It's Saturday tomorrow, we're going to sleep there in a tent tonight. And we will go back home in the morning." Jungkook explained to his son as the boy kept listening quietly.

"Can't Omma come too?" He asked wanting to have his mother with them.

"You have to ask her." Jungkook said handing his phone to his son and the boy took it to dial his mother's number.

"Omma, Appa and I are going to fish some fish. Will you come too?" He cutely asked after Hyerin picked up.

'Does Daehan want Omma to go or not?'

"Want, I want, Appa too." The father raised his eyebrow upon hearing his son's word.

'Appa too? Really?'

"Ne."

'Then Omma will go after work, arraseo?'

"Ne." The boy hung up and smiled at his father.

"Yay, Omma will come too." He danced cutely with his dimple smile. Jungkook couldn't help but smiled along.

"Appa, we'll catch many fish, Ne?"

"Sure."

"And we'll count stars together at night."

"Right."

"Wah, I'm so happy."

The father and son went into a quiet park where they could set up a tent. There were a few tents along the river, some people liked to spend their time in a quiet, peaceful place.

"Appa, I'll help you." Daehan said putting Ppalgang down and the little white puppy ran around happily.

"Han-ah, do you like camping with Appa?" Jungkook asked trying to set up the tent.

"Ne, and with Omma too." He innocently replied pulling out the father's smile. He liked it when the boy always brought up his mother in every events.

"When will Omma come, Appa?"

"I'm not sure."

They continued to prepare while chatting happily. The little always wanted to help but since he's small he could only hand his father something small.

After setting everything up, both of them had lunch together before getting a fishing gear in each hand.

Daehan had a small gear while his father had a big one. Both of them sat quietly while focusing on the water where the floats located. Meanwhile, Ppalgang was sleeping soundly in the tent.

Sometimes, the boy asked some questions and sometimes he exclaimed excitedly as the float sinked down a bit, and he would jump happily as he caught a small fish. But he got gloomy later when he found the fish died.

The relationship between the father and son bonded stronger than ever. Jungkook felt amazed to see how grown up his son was. His personality was developing in a right way as expected and he was proud.

With a basket of food, Hyerin walked out of the car as Mr. Kim bowed at her. She thanked him before walking down the path toward a tent. She smiled as she spotted her son on a mat playing with Ppalgang and his toys.

"Guess who is this?" She tiptoed toward him and covered his eyes from behind. His small hands cupped her hands smiling widely.

"Omma!!!" He yelled happily as she giggled along. Jungkook came out of the tent with two towels in his arms, grinning.

"Since you're here, let's take a bath together." He said walking toward them and Daehan got up.

"Yayyy, let's swim." He jumped excitedly.

"I don't bring any extra clothes, so I'll just watch." She said shaking her head.

"Ok."

And the family went to take a bath in a stream which the water as clear as mirror revealing the white rocks under the surface.

The father and son jumped in the water while the mother sat on a big rock with Ppalgang. She would smile at them as they slashed water at each other and she would frown in worries as Daehan went toward deeper place. Looked like the little had no fear at all, he really wanted to try the other place which was deeper.

"Omma, watch me swimming!" The boy shouted while acting like he was really swimming while his father held him in his strong arms.

"Aish, that boy." She chuckled to herself as Ppalgang jumped at his owner.

And before she noticed, the father and son made a mischievous plan. They approached her like nothing happened and quickly Jungkook lift her body up and ran into the water while Daehan followed behind, laughing at his struggling mother.

"Aish, you two...." She angrily wiped off the water from her face.

"Appa said you need to take a bath too."

"Daehan said if you don't take a bath he won't let you sleep in the tent."

"Aw, I didn't, Appa." The boy protested back as Hyerin glared at them back and forth in anger.

"Don't worry. I'll lend you my shirt." Jungkook said wiggling his eyebrow at her.

"Jeon Jungkook!" She shouted walking to him and jumped on her husband.

"Ahh, Han-ah, help!!!"

The family played in the water until the sun set. Jungkook set put a campfire while Daehan sitting on a chair with a towel in his small hand drying his mother's long hair. On the mat, Hyerin had her phone in her hand, towel around her shoulders and a blanket on her laps. With a smile, she uploaded a picture of Daehan drying her hair into her personal SNS account.

"Han-ah, Grandmas wants to see you. Say cheese!" Hyerin said holding up her phone to take selfie and he smiled widely at the camera, showing his deep dimple.

"Appa too. Appa, let's take photo!" He shouted shaking his hand and Jungkook ran to stand behind them. Their smiles showed up in the picture beautifully and she sent it to the family.

The dinner was nice and finally Daehan got tired after toasting marshmallows with his parents and went to sleep with Hyerin and Ppalgang while Jungkook sat on the chair quietly with his laptop.

After a while, she came out of the tent and walked toward him.

"I still wondering why you suddenly take a week off." She said sitting on a chair next to his. He shrugged closing his laptop and placed it on the box.

"Isn't it good? I can finally rest for awhile and spend more time with Daehan."

"It's good but there must be something behind it. Don't tell me you will be transferred again?" Concerns could be felt in her voice.

"What if I will?" He raised his eyebrow at her and she frowned.

"Eh, don't tie your eyebrows. I'm not going anywhere." He quickly made up and she sighed in relief.

"Maybe I worked too hard. So I need to rest up." He said rubbing his hands together.

"Yeah, you have worked too hard." She mumbled leaning her back on the chair, clutching the towel which was around her shoulders, relaxed. He turned to look at her and a look became a loving stare. The fire shined on her flawless face and he loved it.

"You too, you have worked hard for us, our families." He said softly and she nodded.

"I'm sure you know why I decided to work in your father's company."

"Mm."

"You have your own dream. You have your plan and it was different from what he wanted. So I think I can help...even it was just a little bit."

"I'm thankful for that. And it's not just a little, actually a big help." Sincerely, he expressed it out and she turned to smile at him.

"Any reward for that?" Playfully, she reached out her open hand.

"Sure..." There, he took her hand, pulled her hard enough to pull her up and landed on his laps. Her eyes widened at the suddenly move but blushed later as their eyes met.

"I don't like your reward..."

"I haven't done anything yet." He shrugged.

"But..."

"You look good in my shirt. I meant...sexy."

"Pervert." She hissed hitting his shoulder. She bit her lips as he kept his eyes on her.

"Isn't it erotic? You, on my laps, in front of the campfire..."

"I assumed." It pulled out his smile before their lips locked. His hands went around her small waist as she wrapped her hands around his neck with the help of the heat from the fire, heated the cold night.

***********

The sound of the float hit the water as a man hit his fishing gear up and softly he whistled to himself. And just the float about to sink, a rock flew right into the water startling the fish which was eating the bait.

"Shh..." The man cursed under his breath as the chief squatted down beside him.

"Mian, I'm also aiming to catch that fish." Jungkook said smirking.

"I see. But when will you plan to catch it?"

"By this time, I guess I got it." With a satisfied smile Jungkook stood up stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"In this early morning?" The man asked raising his eyebrow.

"Somehow, it's not me who grabbed it." His word got the man frowned.

"How?" He seemed furious.

"I don't work, it doesn't mean my staffs take days off too. I'm sorry to tell you this but we got it all."

"You..."

"There's a thing I'm not satisfied with this achievement..." He said starting to jog.

"..."

"I wished you were there, Mr. Choi."

That left the man speechless. The chief jogged away while Mr. Choi Kyuwon stood there, dumbfounded.

After a few seconds, he took out his phone.

"Damn!!! Jeon Jungkook..."

***********

It was rainy Saturday when the small family stayed in the house after coming back from the camp.

"Han-ah, bring Ppalgang here, he needs to take a bath." Hyerin shouted out for her son from the bathroom. The boy quickly rose up from the couch and ran toward his pet who was playing with his toy duck.

"Ppalgang-ah, let's take a bath, you smelly." He mumbled patting the puppy's head.

Jungkook who just came out of his office made his way toward the bathroom where his beloved wife and son were and he smiled at the sight.

Before he could step in to help his phone buzzed in his pocket. The chief blinked in thinking deeply as he stared at the message.

"What with the face?" Hyerin asked trying to wrapped Ppalgang in a cloth and gave him to Daehan.

"I need to go out for a while. It's raining and I wonder if you need something." He said walking behind her as she moved into the living room.

"Cool pad and some tissues. Daehan is getting sick, he needs it." She replied sitting on the couch.

"I got it. Han-ah, do you need anything?" He asked pecking the boy head as he tried to wipe Ppalgang's furry body.

"Ani." He shook his head, ignored his father.

"I'll come around dinner if I can. I'm going." He said leaning down to peck Hyerin's forehead before walking out. She sighed looking out of the window to see the raindrops through the foggy window.

Something told her something wasn't right. She was worried.

The clouds parted after the rain and there's few raindrops still dropping. A fresh afternoon came after the rainy day.

Hyerin was reading when her son came up to her with his buddy, Cheongcheong.

"Omma, can I go to play in the playground?" He asked looking at her. The mother took off her glasses, put down the book and looked at her son.

"Are you sure you can play alone?" She asked caressing his soft hair.

"Ne."

"How long do you want to play there?"

"Mm, just an hour." He showed his small pointer and she nodded. The boy then jumped in delight.

"Remember not to play at the dangerous place and keep your clothes clean, ne?"

"Ne, omma."

"And don't talk to strangers. If there's any stranger, run back home." She reminded him and he nodded.

The boy ran off happily with his small backpack and Hyerin went to prepare some snacks for him since he's always hungry after playing.

Time flew fast without notice until Hyerin noted that she had to check on her son. She grabbed her phone and jacket from the table.

The moment she brightened up the screen, her heart fell down to her feet, her stomach was empty as she read one of the text on the screen.

"Dae...Daehan..."

***********