Chapter 6
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Shock rippled through Doha’s features at the sudden query.
“Yewon,” he murmured, voice tentative, “tell me your preference here.”
Wariness shadowed his glance moments later.
“Yewon, I’m unsure if I can offer the support you deserve as kin. The way to manage it escapes me entirely.”
Her swift retort cut through the air.
“I get it completely. Let me guide you through it!”
That confident declaration from such a tiny girl left him visibly stunned, his face a spectacle of bewilderment.
Her laughter bubbled up at his stunned expression, drawing a gentle smile from him in response.
“You’re truly your mother’s child,” he observed quietly. “Eager to assist no matter the task.”
The reference to her parent widened Yewon’s eyes in astonishment.
Yet curiosity stalled as sorrow clouded his visage abruptly.
“Tell me honestly,” he pressed, “do you truly wish to stay under Uncle’s roof? What draws you to that choice?”
“Your kindness stands out to me.”
Fresh amazement washed over his countenance.
“Kind? What makes you see me that way? Our paths crossed only recently.”
“You shielded me back there from that frightening figure intent on dragging me off. That proves your goodness.”
Doubt lingered in his posture regardless.
“Perhaps another caretaker suits you far better. This choice benefits you alone, Yewon, not me.”
“I’ll track down a suitable option myself. A far-off kin will do. Somehow I’ll convince them to nurture you properly, ensuring all goes smoothly…”
Generous payments lay behind his vague offer, reminiscent of arrangements with the Fake Uncle.
She deciphered the implication readily.
His reluctance stemmed from clear reservations.
Yewon recognized the burdens a solo male performer like him would shoulder in parenting.
Though unfamiliar with idol demands firsthand, her acting background illuminated the chaos of show business.
Outfits such as GLEET endured relentless schedules, gasping for any respite.
Child-rearing amid that frenzy promised scant stability.
Twisting her hands nervously, she tilted her head upward.
“May I pose a single query?”
The topic ahead treaded fragile ground, risking his discomfort.
One nagging issue had simmered within her.
“Mom exists in my life, yet she lacked parents of her own. Why?”
Earlier quest completion had unlocked this detail.
[Upon Quest Success: Maternal Grandparents Revealed]
To her, this revelation posed the toughest barrier yet.
Doha, portraying a lone figure with scant family ties, now faced unveiling a surprise niece to public scrutiny.
Nannies might ease his packed calendar somehow, but disclosing her origins defied simple fixes.
Speculation painted him as early orphaned.
Knowledge of his sibling or her child remained sealed.
A man doubting his parenting prowess surely pursued other kin exhaustively.
Yewon had assumed her mother’s parents lost forever as well.
Yet the prize spotlighted their survival.
Entrusting her to them never crossed his mind.
Shadows deepened across Doha’s brow.
“Did your mother withhold those details from you?”
Faint traces from her young days lingered uncertainly, though truth held firm.
She envisioned pressing her mom on the absence of elders.
Her mom had deflected, questioning fixation over paternal identity.
Dismissal of dad echoed in memory.
To appear grown-up, she’d echoed the sentiment toward grandparents.
Her mom affirmed their duo sufficed, deeming outsiders unnecessary.
A child’s vague letdown had settled in.
Agreement nearly formed within her.
“We’ll discuss it properly once you’re grown, Yewon.”
Such deflections marked every grown-up.
Disappointment creased her features as she met his eyes; he shifted away silently.
The weight likely overwhelmed tender years. Maternal silence hinted at turmoil.
Both her mom and uncle endured profound struggles, she sensed abruptly.
Arms encircled his neck in a fierce embrace.
“It’s fine. Skip it if sharing burdens you.”
Tension corded his frame at her reassurance.
Undeterred, her clasp intensified.
Mom had melted into these gestures.
Family bonds with uncle promised similarity, she reasoned.
“Is withholding truly acceptable?”
Her reply emerged despite lisping tones she inwardly cursed.
Rhythmic strokes from his palm graced her spine.
Warmth lulled her eyelids shut.
Urgency gripped her to voice the plea pre-slumber.
“In exchange, care for me clear through to adulthood, Uncle.”
Amusement danced in her as his timbre resonated.
A fresh recollection surfaced unbidden, long buried.
Her mom urged exceptional treatment toward uncle, compensating her own shortcomings.
Puzzlement had gripped her then.
Mom held capacity for that affection personally.
Intuition whispered mom’s foresight into these events.
Her mom, elder by a touch, lamented inadequate safeguarding of him amid her youth.
Thus, kindness from Yewon upon reunion.
She’d protested mom’s own role.
Agreement followed, laced with self-deprecation.
Timing of this emergence baffled her.
Certainty bloomed regardless: profound concern defined her mom’s devotion.
What rift severed their paths?
Grandparents’ secrets might unlock it.
Quest resolution beckoned as sole path forward.
Languidly, Yewon rose, peering into Doha’s quarters.
Deep slumber claimed him, world forgotten.
Dawn at six warranted such rest.
A yawn escaped as she shuffled kitchenward.
Under Jeyeon’s roof, dawn chores fell solely hers: meals prepped, tidying begun.
Habit propelled her toward the fridge.
Her stature barred even mid-level access, top hopeless.
Cooking proved impossible.
Scant provisions mocked the effort.
Top-shelf conquest yielded nothing viable.
Survival fare eluded comprehension.
Energy beverages dominated, flanked by liquors, sparse sodas, scant eggs.
Childhood thrived nowhere near this.
Revulsion twisted her at the sorted spirits.
Excessive indulgence defined him. Vitality frayed under such habits; sobriety demanded priority.
Egg scramble offered today’s salvage.
Resignation heaved her chest; she hauled a stool over.
Egg retrieval via perch, then retreat.
Foot met rung—
Strong arms hoisted her skyward.
Glancing aloft revealed Doha’s stern glare.
