Chapter 4: Running in circles
Seoha’s POV
My body is frozen with the child’s arms around me, her grip is strong, and my heart is pounding.
The fear from running away from the man I stole from, the anxiety of hiding in the bathroom with his wallet and now the child.
I am caught unawares and don’t know what to do.
Daddy? Me?
"I’m not...I’m not your father" I say but my voice comes out weaker than intended and my hand shakes, from the cold air and the guilt consuming me.
The child’s caregiver looks mortified when she finally catches up, her chest rising and falling from running the small distance, "I’m so sorry" she apologizes to me first.
"Sooin-ah! This child, you can’t just run from me like that...aigoo, let the man go" the woman says tiredly and pulls on the girl’s arm to get her away from me.
"I don’t want to, I want daddy" the little girl says and my heart races as my omega purrs in response to the child’s title.
Daddy?
Why is my omega in agreement with the word? Why is my heart racing with the need to protect her at all costs?
The girl’s arms tighten around me and her nanny huffs in exhaustion, obviously not knowing how to deal with this the same way I’m not sure how to respond...
"Sooin-ah, let the man go" the caregiver exclaims in frustration, and I place my hands gently on the child’s shoulder to pull her away from me, but she doesn’t move.
"Child...Sooin-ah, I am not your daddy" I say as gently as I can and take her arms from around me, she looks up at me with big brown eyes and a smile.
She looks so happy to see me, her eyes are sparkling, like she truly knows who I am.
"Daddy, I’m happy to see you again, when are you coming home?" she asks and I look at her caregiver, asking her to help me with my eyes.
She looks into my eyes with a certainty that makes me worry about her.
How can this child call me her father? I can’t possibly be a father; I am still a virgin and have never gone past kissing with Daeshin before.
"You’re my daddy, remember you said we would play hide and seek?" she says with a pout and I blink twice, is she playing a prank.
My heart is burning inside me from trying to pull her off me, it feels wrong to deny her, it feels like a sin to tell her that I know nothing about her.
I try one more time to make her let go, but my omega is already starting to whine for the child, worried about how she’s easily holding on to a stranger and calling him her father.
"Where is the child’s father?" I ask and the worried woman points down the hall, "I was supposed to buy water for her, I’m so sorry sir, Sooin is never like this" she says in a rush, voice high pitched and eyes wide with fear.
Fear of the child’s parents? I can’t tell, but something is extremely wrong somewhere.
"It’s okay, I understand" I say and squat in front of the little girl, on the same level with the girl, she reaches out to pat my wet hair.
"Daddy played in the rain, don’t get cold" she says and runs her fingers through my hair, "Sooin-ah, you are mistaking me for your daddy, aren’t you? Do I look like him?" I ask her in a soft voice.
"No, you are daddy" she says and hugs my neck again with a giggle, not caring about the way I am wet from head to toe or for the way my dye drips from hair.
"Should we go find your daddy?" I ask her gently and she nods, "daddy you’re staying with us, right?" she says and stomps her feet.
"Of course, little baby, I will stay with you" I lie and her smile blooms, she looks happier as I take her little hand, the Nanny breathes a sigh of relief as I let her lead us to where the child’s father is.
"Children get confused sometimes" I say to the nanny to ease her and the jittery woman gives me a shaky smile.
She’s really scared.
"Will your boss be offended?" I ask and she shakes her head, obviously lying, "b-boss is very uh...understanding" she says and I nod.
The woman gestures down the corner I just ran past, the place I turned to hide from the man I robbed, and my blood goes cold.
Goddess no...karma should not come this soon, I’m still homeless...still hungry.
The child, Sooin, keeps talking happily but I can’t take my mind off how I’m walking back in the direction of my doom.
Everything is warning me to return to the place I’m running from, but my omega refuses to abandon the child.
I find the two guards that had been chasing me standing with their arms folded and looking like they are having a heated conversation between themselves.
I duck and give my attention to the child, "Sooin, we will meet your daddy soon and you can..."
"Dad!" She squeals and slips out of my hand, running into a man with broad shoulders and dark hair falling over his eyes, he hugs her and looks up at the nanny.
"Why is she wet?" he asks in a deep voice that freezes my soul.
I ran in circles just to return to him.
Kang Taesan.