IRENE

I starred at my food in front of me. I don't have any mood to eat but Mr. Kim still bring me to the restaurant. He said I should to eat. But, I feel hurt and angry. I need someone to hug.

Is there anybody want to hug me?

Early at school, Areum say my daddy is a bad person that's why my mommy leave me. I told her my mommy has dead but she not believe me. She said, how could someone young can die easily?

I don't remember the last time I see my mommy. Daddy say mommy is dying because she has sick. Daddy will never ever lie to me.

"Hey, Irene. Don't play with your food. Eat fast so you can back home." Mr. Kim ruined my whole imagination that I've been think all the times.

"I want to see daddy." I say softly and my tears start to fall down. I believe daddy is not a bad person. But, Areum is bad person. She’s the one who is bad.

"Irene, don't cry. Eat first and I will bring you to see your daddy later, okay?"

"No, I want to see daddy now. I don't want to eat." I'm crying so hard that I can feel my body is shuttering and I really want my daddy now.

"Oh my god, honey, why are you crying?" A voice of woman is talking to me. She's stranger, I don't know her. I never meet her. I look at her, still crying. Suddenly, she hug me, and my hair, "Oh honey, don't cry. Don't cry." She say.

"Yah! How could you scolded your little daughter? She still small that she didn't know anything. You can't simply angry with her." That woman scold Mr. Kim because I see she pointed a finger to him.

"No, Ms. you’re wrong. She's not my daughter. And I also don't know why she's crying." Mr. Kim reply.

"Ahh, he is your uncle? You miss your parents? Honey, don't be sad, they always with you and they are waiting for you at the heaven." That woman say to me while still hugging me. I’m speechless.

"No, Ms. She still have her dad, Do-"

"How could a father leave her daughter alone and let her cry? He should take care of her daughter." She hissed

"Ms, can you let her go now because I will bring her to meet her father." Mr. Kim reply and hold my arm.

That woman pull off the hug and cupped my face, "Don't cry okay, honey?" She say and wipe my tears. I nodded in return and Mr. Kim pull me out from the restaurant.

"How could she scold me and talk like that to Mr. Tuan's daughter." I hear Mr. Kim mumbles while we are walking to the car park.

As I arrived at my daddy office, I run away to his room. I've come here plenty times and all workers already know me. But,

"Irene, you can't enter now. Your father have quest." Daddy's secretary, Eunmi hold me before I can reached the door knob.

"I want to see my daddy now." I struggle to let go from her but she hold me too strong then I start to cry again.

"I want to meet daddy!" I scream making the office a bit hectic. I still struggle to be free from her hold. "DADDY!" I scream loudly with my tears falling down through my cheeks.

"Hey, Eunmi, don't hold her like that." Aunty Diana come and save me. She hug me and lift me up while I still crying.

"She can't enter, Mr. Tuan have an important quest." Eunmi defence herself.

"But, still talk nicely to her. Why are you hurting her?" Aunty Diana almost to scream to Eunmi.

I never like Eunmi!

"I'm n-"

"What happen here?"

Daddy!

"Your daughter is here." Aunty Diana passed me to daddy, so daddy hold me and hug me tightly.

"Why is she crying?" Daddy asked.

"She want to enter but Eunmi doesn't allowed her." Aunty Diana reply for me.

Thank you, Aunty. About you and Uncle Jackson. I will re-think again later.

Daddy didn't say anything, he just bring me to enter his room while he still hugging me. "Sorry Mr. Lee. My daughter is here. Can we set up new meeting later?" He say to his friend.

"No problem, Mark. It's fine. You should focus to your daughter first. I see she's crying so badly, she must have a problem." Daddy's friend reply while took a peek look at me. I hide my face on daddy's shoulder. It's embarrassing

"Okay then, my secretary will set up new meeting and let you know later." Daddy say and he shake his hands with his friend.

After he's friend walk out from daddy's room, daddy put me down on couch and he took a seat beside me. Daddy wiped out my tears.

"Why my princess is crying?" Daddy ask me.

Daddy make me crying hard again every time he feels concern about me. I crawl to his lap and hug daddy tightly, "Areum say daddy is bad person, that's why mommy leave us." I say honestly while sobbing. Daddy teach me to always talking truth and be honest and never lies.

Daddy look at me and wiped my tears again, "Have you say to her that mommy have sick?" Daddy ask me.

I nod, "Yes, but she didn't believe me."

"You believe me, right?" Daddy ask me again and I nod again. "It's okay if she didn't believe you. We can't angry to her about that. As long as you're talking the truth, so it's fine." Daddy told to me.

"Daddy, I want mommy." I cry again.

Sorry, daddy. It must be so hard to take care of me, right?

"I still finding mommy for you now. Stop to cry, okay?" Daddy persuaded me, and I slowly stop to cry. Daddy try to wake up, but I hold him.

"Don't go." I say.

Daddy let out his laugh, "I just need to call Mr. Kim." and with that I let go daddy. He go to his desk and talking to someone through something that I don’t know what it’s called. "Eunmi, call Mr. Kim. Ask him to enter my room. Now."

"I don't like Eunmi." I say when daddy is sitting next to me.

"Why? Did she hurt my princess?" Daddy ask.

"She not allowed me to see you just now." I reply.

It’s true!

Then I hear knocking at the door. I heard daddy say, "Come in."

Then, Mr. Kim come into the room.

"Why you bring Irene here?" Daddy ask.

"While we're eating, she suddenly cry and say that she want to see you." Mr. Kim reply.

"Did she eat well?" Daddy ask again while my hair.

"No, she didn't eat. We just left the restaurant after some woman suddenly come and hug your daughter."

"You let someone hug my daughter!?"

"Daddy, no. She is nice. She say 'Honey, don't cry. Don't cry' to me and my hair and hug me." I mocking the woman that I meet early.

"Did she do anything to you?" Daddy ask me and I shook my head.

"Okay, I will drive Irene to home, and set up a meeting with Areum's parents for me." Daddy command and Mr. Kim bow to daddy before he walk out from the room.

"Why do you want to meet with Areum's parents?" I ask. Daddy is not going to kill them, right?

Daddy smiling, "I just want to ask her mom how to find a mommy for you."

And I smile too, "Really? Okay!"

It’s a relieved. I know daddy is not a bad person.

"Okay, now, let's go back home. Do you want to eat anything?" Daddy ask me.

"Can we go back to the restaurant? I want to say thank you to that aunty. I don’t have any chance to say anything to her before." I plead.

"She must have go already."

"But, daddy. Just try. I feel bad because I didn't say anything to her.

"Okay, baby. Let's go." Daddy say and lift me up. I put my arm around daddy's neck softly. Why daddy