Chapter 38: Catching Up

You looked at the shocked man before you. Was he really your father? Why was he acting like as if he were your father? Many questions started to surface on your mind as you looked at him. “Are you,” you asked with uncertainty.

Before you could complete your sentence, he gave you a quick nod and smiled, with tears b in his eyes, “Yoonmi-ah, I’m your dad.” You blinked rapidly as you felt really happy. That feeling was definitely comparable to the feeling that you had when you scored top in the whole cohort for the semester.

“A-appa,” You smiled, as you called him. That new found feeling was definitely making your heart feel a little warmer. You never got a chance to call any adult father and having the chance right now made your heart warmer.

“Can I ask you something?” You looked at him with a pair of questioning eyes. He smiled, then nodded, “Anything for my daughter.”

Daehyun coughed a little and said, “I think I shall go out for a while, while the both of you can do a little catching up with one another.”

“Appa,” You continued, “Why did you abandon umma? You were really nice to her, I heard, and then you changed overnight.”

He sighed, “This draws back to a very long time about 15 years ago.”

-Yoonmi Dad’s POV-

I was walking home from the bus stop, after work, in the cold and harsh November. My car was spoilt and sent for servicing, so I had to walk back home. I smiled as I thought about the family that I had at home. “What should I get for Eunah and our cute Yoonmi? Some supper, I guess,” I chuckled a little as I remembered how cute our Yoonmi was.

As I was walking down the quiet streets of Seoul and thinking of my perfect family at home, my thoughts were broken by a very familiar, yet dreadful, voice that I never thought I would hear again.

That woman, whom he knew from college.

That woman, who always thought of ways to make me hers.

That woman, who almost made Eunah and I break up, appeared right before me.

She called, “Oppa.” She walked over to me and smiled. I looked back at her emotionlessly, and said, “What do you want, Kim Miseon?”

She smirked, as she played with my tie, “What do I want? I want you, oppa. You know it. I can’t let you go to that girl even if you’re married.”

“Why can’t you find other guys,” I said, as I gritted my teeth, “I’m so tired of you acting like this. It’s making Eunah uncomfortable. It’s making me uncomfortable. Miseon-ah, I have a family. Eunah and I have a family. I have a daughter to take care of. Why can’t you understand my pains?”

“I need you to understand my heart,” she continued, as if she never heard what I said previously. “I need you in my life. I just can’t let you go to a cheap girl like her. Why can’t you just come to me instead?”

“Just shut it, will you,” I snapped at her, “I have no time for your idiotic jokes and don’t you ever call Eunah a cheap girl. She’s definitely not cheap, unlike you.” I stormed past her and continued walking down the streets of Seoul.

“Yah,” she shouted, as her voice echoed through the quiet street, “You know I’m able to hurt Eunah and your daughter Yoonmi. With my resources, it’s not hard to hurt them you see and it would be easier for me to silent them.”

I turned around and looked at the latter before me, who was smirking. “Are you crazy,” I snapped again, “Yoonmi is just a baby and she’s like only 1 year old. Are you sick in the mind or something?”

“I can make myself do it,” she said.

“Ugh fine,” I sighed, “What do you want me to do so that you can let the both of them off?”

“Be with me,” she smiled as she ran over and gave me an embrace from the back, “Just be with me.”

“No,” I replied straightly. There wasn’t any way that I can let my family go. The family which I fought so badly for, the family which I built with my beloved wife, there was no way that I could let go of this happiness. “Then I will carry on with my plans,” she smirked, “I will still make your family broken and you’ll still come to me in the end. Why not just come to me and assure that they’re safe?”

I thought over and over again. I know I wasn’t going to let go of your family but there wasn’t anything that I could do if I rejected her. My daughter and my wife could be in danger any minute.

“Fine,” I sighed, “You win. You got me. So you don’t touch them, get it? Live up to your promise.”

She smiled, “Oppa. Of course I will but I need you to move out by tonight. I prepared my car for you to do so.”

“I can’t do that,” I looked at her and then looked away, asking, “Can I have till tomorrow morning? Then I will break up with Eunah.”

“Only for my oppa,” she nodded, “And tomorrow I would be coming to fetch you.”

--

I reached home after another 10 minutes walk. I stood at the door and sighed, as my heart was literally breaking into smithereens. I sighed, as I opened the door. When I walked into the living the room, my cute daughter was there to greet me from work. What should I do from tomorrow onwards? It’d be hard not to have all these luxury that I had.

I looked at Yoonmi as I patted her head, tears b in my eyes, “Yoonmi-ah, appa is such a bastard. I’m going to do something bad tomorrow. I’m sorry, Yoonmi-ah. Appa loves you, Yoonmi.” She looked at me with her puppy eyes as I wiped away my tears. *How am I going to leave?* I sighed.

After a while, Eunah walked out from the bathroom and smiled at the sight of me. “Oh, Chanho, you’re back,” she smiled, “Yoonmi’s been really bad recently. She’s too active, but it’s okay, she’s cute.” She walked over and hugged me. I planted a soft kiss at her forehead and it made my heart feel a little sour. *I’m sorry, Eunah. This is going to be the last time I doing this to you. I love you, Eunah.*

--

I was lying on the bed, facing my beautiful wife. She was the best girl I had ever met. I caressed her cheeks and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of guilt run through me. I was going to leave her, leave this family and leave this happiness. I don’t even know if I’m able to do this.

After a few hours of thinking, my eyes eventually gave way and I fell asleep.

--

At 5AM, I woke up and was prepared to leave the house. I placed the letter that I wrote previously on the table and swiftly packed my luggage. I quickly grabbed the luggage and left the house quietly, not wanting to disturb the both of them. I knew I had to meet Eunah again, for the divorce but I thought leaving this way was the best and it wouldn’t hurt her as much.

-Flashback end-

“I’m sorry,” He looked down as he sighed, “I’m sorry, Yoonmi.”

“I hated myself for agreeing to her,” He continued, as he clenched his fists. You reached out for his hand and smiled, “Dad, it’s okay. Everything’s over and I’m not angry at you for leaving us. At least you did it to protect us.”

You continued, “Let’s change the topic, shall we?”

You started, “So do you have another family now?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I currently have a pair of twins, one bratty and the other is a nice girl. I will bring her to meet you one day.”

You smiled, “Why not.” He continued to ask, “So how’s life and where’s Eunah right now?”

“Well,” you continued, “Mum is not exactly free right now. She’s overseas for her job though she just came back yesterday.”

After talking for another thirty minutes, you got to know more about your father and more secrets that he had kept away from your mother. Even if your mother changed your surname and address, he still found you but stood far way to look at the both of you. He was the one who secretly helped the both of you while your mother was facing a money crisis.

The man, who was sitting before you, did so many things to help your mother and you but you didn’t know anything about it. Your mother, who knew nothing, continued to hate him for leaving the both of them when it was another situation.

Now, after this catching up session, everything that happened made sense to you.

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A short chapter ... Sorry for the late updates. School has started and It's CHINESE NEW YEAR. YAYYYYY <3

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