[7 days later]

The time has come in which students run to the library right after their classes to study. It could be very crowded and you needed to be fast to get a seat because our library was the best and most peaceful in Seoul since only students who attended this university were allowed to enter the halls of silence. At times, I felt as if I was stuck in a cage with lions who were fighting for the one and only lioness. 

Once in the last semester, two guys were fighting over a seat. Just A SEAT! Books, chairs, even tables were flying around. Luckily, nobody was hurt or at least I haven't heard of someone being hurt since I left as soon as he pushed his fellow student. That was the last time, I entered the cage. I started to get the book I needed from the public library or before the horde stormed the shelf, filled with books in our library.

So after class I went in the opposite direction of the students who were on their way to the library and saw another personality walking away from them. "Hey!" I shouted, running next to the familiar silhouette. Taeyeon smiled and bowed her head politely.

It was nice to meet her since I didn't see her for once until then. Our friendship showed some progress because Taeyeon started to talk to me, like words and phrases. Even if she just said something when it was necessary, at least she spoke.. 

I was busy and couldn't answer her texts throughout this morning and noon which was why I wanted to apologize. 

"I'm sorry for not replying but you know the test is coming up so I kept my phone off," her lips formed another curve before she waved me off, telling me that it was alright with her, "what are you doing now?" I continued. 

I looked at her but she didn't look at me. I wondered if Taeyeon even heard my question and tried again, "what are you..." Right then I bumped into someone who interrupted me. 

"Good afternoon Taeyeon and Ms. Hwang," I was about to complain but when I saw Taeyeon's butler, I swallowed my discontent since it wasn't his fault. Besides that, he didn't look mad at all, it was like his happy expression never disappeared for a second and I couldn't be more glad for that. 

Although happiness was written all over his face, he had something - a little naughty dimple next to his thin lips that didn't make its presence felt. Maybe it was just his natural self and my weird perception was at fault, thinking that there was more than just a smiling middle aged man. 

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[FLASHBACK - 19 years ago] 

"I'm sorry, babygirl," he said as a tear fell down on her forehead. 

"It's winter, it's getting cold. I can't take care of you," looking down on his smiling daughter, it broke his heart to leave this happy face. She was so innocent, she didn't know what was going on, let alone why that happened.

The heavy sadness he has felt let him age from 25 to 50 years old. An once bubbly, all smiley guy turned to wreck of scattered hopes. How could an optimistic guy change so much in a few months to the point that remaining friends weren't able to recognize him? 

Her father has hit rock bottom just recently. After the death of his one and only woman, he didn't see any meaning of life. At first his mother who he loved more than anything else died off poverty since they couldn't afford enough necessities like food, medicine when sick, not to mention a proper home. 

When he met the thief who stole his heart, it was a bliss at that time and helped him overcoming this crisis in his life. It couldn't get any better actually but on a warm spring night, holding his newborn in arms proved him wrong. With an accepted proposal and two wonderful girls by his side, the thought of having eternal happiness didn't leave his mind. He didn't even consider something that could crush everything in just seconds. 

Regret, madness, woe overwhelmed him. It happened so fast, he thought. Regret, because he didn't savor every moment; madness, because he was so naive and blind; woe, because he lost his mother and woman for life. His daughter was the only one that he tried to hold on. What did the future prepare for him if he kept and cared for his daughter? He didn't know and didn't want to know. If fate already took away his beloved women it would happen something similar to his daughter, for sure. 

Losing his job did also mean a loss of money. If he held on his daughter, she was going to live the same life as him and he didn't want that. No parent would want to have their child to suffer from poverty like he did or have it difficult in school due to stress. She would need to work at an early age and do different part-time jobs at a time to keep them abo