Page 60 of Fallen Starboy

“Brady, was it? Kim Seo-Jun.” He paused, listening for a moment as Brady likely melted down in his ear. “Yes, well I’m just glad we’re all still alive. Thanks. Now about a filler?—”

Two minutes later, Jun was handing the phone back, having placated Brady with promises to reach out to a few friends in the industry who might be interested in a change. The second my phone was back in my hand, his was magically appearing in its place, whipped out as he scrolled through his contacts. He fired off a few text messages, then set it down, turning his attention on me.

I was still rooted to the spot where I’d turned around to find him awake and smiling.

He held out his good arm and the corner of his lips curled up playfully. “Come here, Ari.”

It was damn near impossible to be gentle as I sagged into his embrace, all the worry and fear and agony bleeding from me like a flood bursting through a dam. I sobbed into his hospital gown for almost a solid five minutes, unable to stop, unable to care how bad it made me look, how pathetic. His hand slid up to the back of my head and smoothed my hair, soaking up the wetness as if it were nothing to him.

When I could find my breath again, when I wasn’t afraid I might break down just by looking at him, I lifted my eyes and peeled away from his pecs, hoping I didn’t look like a total mess but knowing damn well I probably resembled a red-eyed raccoon.

“You are an idiot, Kim Seo-Jun.”

His brows lifted as he regarded me in confusion. “Well, that’s not exactly what I hoped to hear from you when I woke up.”

“Why would you do that? Step in front of a fucking bullet?—”

He leaned forward, wincing as his lips captured mine in a soft kiss. It was barely there, but it was enough to silence me and my mounting protests. When he pulled back, I glanced over to where Yejin lay, breathing a sigh of relief that she was still off in dreamland. Pujin was standing against the wall, head down, waiting for Jun to spot him and say something.Jun?—

“I would do it again and again, a million times over, Ari. I’d do it for you.”

I blinked back more tears, sniffling very unladylike. “Why?”

“Because I fucking love you, woman.” His stare was filled with frustration, as if I should have known that. “What other reason do I need?”

“Jun,” I started again, breath catching in the back of my throat. “I’m not that important.”

His lips drooped as those beautiful, perfectly sculpted brows sank in a frown. “You are to me. To our daughter. And that’swhat matters most.” His eyes scanned the room, softening when they landed on Yejin. “How is she taking it?”

“She doesn’t know much, so she’s convinced you’ll be fine. She thinks you got hurt at work.”

“Probably for the best,” he remarked dryly, watching her sleep. “Pujin?”

I nodded to the corner. “Beating himself up.”

The next ten minutes were filled with Jun and Pujin going back and forth over whose fault was what, and how much punishment Pujin deserved for allegedly not being able to predict the future. He and Jun went in circles until Yejin woke up, and then the argument was shelved for another time.

Yejin was ecstatic to see her father up and talking, a smile on his face. She rained kiss after kiss on him until she tired of their game and complained her stomach was trying to eat itself alive. When I offered to take her to the cafeteria, Jun declined, demanding a wheelchair for himself. The nurses were leery of his request, but as I knew from experience, nobody says no to Kim Seo-Jun. When he wants something, he’ll get it, one way or another.

Which is how I found myself wheeling him down the hall, Yejin at his side, at 3am, heading for the after hours section of the cafeteria.

“Yejin,” he began once we’d settled at a table by the windows that overlooked the city. “I have something to tell you, baby girl.”

Yejin sat up straighter, shoving the entire chicken tender in her mouth with a grin. “Mmm?”

He looked at me for a second, his eyes uncertain. “It’s about your mother.”

Yejin looked bored, her gaze flitting between me and Jun as she reached for a french fry. “Miss Ari is my mother.”

I blinked in surprise, and Jun was, for once in his life, speechless. “What did you say, Yejin?”

Her innocence radiated like a second sun in the darkness as she reached up and ran her fingers through my hair. “You have the same kind of hair as me. And none of my daddy’s friends have hair like that.” She pointed to my freckles. “We have these, too.” Her hand reached for mine, and the innocent child suddenly looked wise beyond her years. “Besides. I heard daddy talking to you in the kitchen the other day. You were arguing over me. I’m seven, not stupid.”

Jun burst out laughing, doubling over to hide his wince of pain. “Oh my god, she’s definitely mine,” he wheezed, clapping his knee with his good hand. “Fucking hell, Ari, and I was worried about telling her?—”

“Does this mean I can call you my mom?”

My breath caught in my throat. “Call—what?”

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