Seungho's POV

Since tomorrow I have to go back to work at the carnival, I took a day off from the cafe to spend time with Aeri.

"Hyung, why are you calling?" Kikwang asked.

"I can't call?" I asked.

"You know I don't mean it that way!" He said.

"Erm... So, is everything okay?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, sounding cheeky.

"The cafe! Is everything in the cafe okay?" I rephrased my sentence.

"Ahhh~ Of course the cafe is okay! Are you referring to something else?" He asked.

"What? There's nothing!" I said quickly.

"Or someone?" He asked.

"Who?! WHO!? There is no one!" I yelled.

I turned to Aeri who was giggling.

"What are you giggling about?" I asked.

"Even Aeri knows!" Kikwang exclaimed.

"Aish!" I ended the call.

I pouted at Aeri who was still giggling.

"How dare you laugh at me?" I pointed at her.

She threw her penguin soft toy in my direction.

"Thanks. It's mine." I said, hugging it.

She laughed and snatched it back from me.

"How dare you snatch it back from me!" I puffed my cheeks, pretending to look angry.

She squashed my cheeks and laughed. This girl really has no fear for me. But then again, why do I want my daughter to fear me?

"Little monkey, shall we go shower and head out?" I asked her as I carried her up.

"What in the world are you trying to do?" I laughed when she waved her arms in the air.

"FLY!!" she squealed.

"My baby wants to fly?" I asked.

"FLYYYYYY!!" She screamed.

I swing her around by her arms, causing laughters and screams from her.

"You really know no fear~" I commented.

I thought kids her age would cry if anyone did that to them, but my baby girl seem to enjoy it.

"Appa's tired." I said, lying down.

She crawled over and sprawled out on my stomach.

"Aeri tired!" She said.

"Really? But if I didn't remember wrongly, it was me who did all the work." I said.

She looked at me and started giggling as she rolled off my stomach and onto the floor and all over the place.

"Come on, pumpkin." I said, 'flying' her to the bathroom.

After washing her, I let her play in the water while I wash myself.

My mind started wandering off to Min Jeong. I should not be thinking about her but I could not help it. She has been coming to the cafe often. Usually she is all smiling and happy, but recently she looked stressed.

She used to talk about everything, but these days she just mutters a 'thank you' when I hand her order and then go back to her seat.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt water being poured over my head.

"Hey, you!" My eyes widened at Aeri who was a laughing mess.

I sprinkled water on her.

"Being a bully at a… YAH!!" I yelled when she sprayed the hose in my face, not allowing me to finish my sentence.

She kept on giggling as if it was the funniest thing on earth. But of course, if I were to spray water on my father, I would be laughing likw that too, just that I do not have a father to let me do that to.

After our little water fight, I changed her before we headed out to the mall.

During the bus ride, she had her face stuck to the window panel, smiling at everything she see.

"CAR!!!" She screamed suddenly, smacking the window and tugging onto my shirt.

"Yes, baby. It's a car. My baby is so clever." I said, smiling at the other commuters who were giggling.

"Appa, car!" She pointed again, looking at me.

I smiled at her and nodded.

"Bye bye, car~" She waved to the car that drove off.

"Appa~" She called out, looking at me.

"Yes, baby?" I asked, smoothing her hair.

She pouted and continued to look out of the window.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." I apologized, kissing her on her hair.

I felt so apologetic towards her. I could not provide her with the luxury other kids her age have. All her toys, except a few soft toys, were all made of cardboard. She never had a pram or a walker or a tricycle. Such a cute and smart girl like her, how is it she has to live a hard life with me?

***
At the mall, I took her to walk around, let her go wild for a bit before going to the supermarket.

"What's wrong?" I asked when she refused to let me put her on the shopping cart seat.

"No!" She whined.

"Then what do you want?" I asked.

I know she does not like to be confined in a space where she cannot go wild, but this is the most convenient way.

She hugged my neck, grinning at me.

"Aigoo~ Baby, how are we going to shop if you cling on me like that?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"How about here?" I asked, letting her down onto the shopping cart itself.

She excitedly started jumping up and down.

"No jumping, baby." I said, stopping her.

She pouted, but got excited again when I started putting the groceries into the cart. I was too preoccupied with it that I did not realize the mess she was creating. My eyes widened when I saw her sitting in the middle of the groceries, some of them opened up.

"Aeri!" I yelled.

"Apple!!" She exclaimed, showing me an apple.

"Awww~" My knees weakened at that sight. I really could never win her.

"Sweetheart, listen." I said, grabbing onto her wrists gently.

"You can play and mess things up like a puppy, but do not open or break anything. Look at what you did to Vegetable sshi." I said, picking up the packet of vegetables with broken stems.

She laughed like it was the funniest sight on Earth when the leaves fell forward, looking like it died, or rather, I guess Aeri did kill it after all.

"Aigoo~" I shook my head. I cannot help but laugh as well. It is a pretty funny sight I admit.

We continued to shop. I shopped for the essentials while I let her go crazy on her own.

“Appa!” She called out.

“Yes, baby?” I answered as I compared the prices of the rice.

“Appaaaaa!!” She whined.

“What is it, baby?” I asked, turning to look at her.

“Pee pee!” She pouted.

“What? You want to pee?” I asked.

She nodded frantically.

I looked at the shopping cart, and then at her. I could always take the stuff again if someone took stuff from my cart.

“Come. Let’s go.” I said, carrying her.

I was potty-training her and therefore I did not put on diapers for her. She was doing pretty well, only wetting the bed twice since we started this a few months ago.

“Nooooo!!” She whined when I was about to step into the gents.

“Don’t you want to pee?” I asked.

“No no no!!” She slapped my chest.

“I thought you wanted to pee?” I asked, confused.

She pointed at the ladies.

“Sweetheart, Appa can’t go into there.” I said.

“There!! There!!” She whined.

“Baby, be good. You’ve always followed Appa into the toilet. What’s wrong with you today?” I asked, letting her down.

She pouted excessively, not answering me.

“Don’t you want to pee pee? Why are you throwing a tantrum now? Hmm?” I asked, pinching her cheek lightly.

“Come on, be a good girl. Let’s go before you wet yourself.” I said, holding her hand.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!” She screamed and started crying when I tried to coax her to follow me.

Passersby were staring at me and muttering to themselves, but honestly, embarrassment is the least of my issues now.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked.

She kept crying and refusing to go follow me in. I was helpless. It is not like I could discreetly go into the female toilet.

“Let’s go to the handicap one instead, huh?” I tried.

She shook her head, still crying.

“Shhh shhh~ Please calm down.” I got worried.

Aeri has never been this difficult to handle. I guess my easy days are over.

“Baby, please~” I hugged her, her back lightly while she cried into my chest.

“Alright, alright~ Shhhh~” I hushed her.

“What do I do now?” I mumbled to myself.

“Aigoo~ Why is this beautiful little princess crying her eyes out? Did Appa bully you?” Another voice asked.

I turned behind to see who it was.

“Min… Jeong?” I asked, surprised.

“Come here, princess.” She said, tugging onto Aeri’s arm gently.

I let Aeri go into her embrace.

“Shhh shhh~ Aeri is a big girl now and she wants to go to the ladies instead of the gents, am I right? Min Jeong understands you. Shhh~ Stop crying already. I’ll bring you to the toilet, okay?” She said, wiping her tears off her cheeks.

“Thank you.” I said softly.

She smiled and nodded before taking Aeri to the toilet on my behalf. I leaned against the wall and breathe a sigh of relief.

“Appa!” I smiled when Aeri called out for me.

I squatted down to her level, letting her run into my embrace.

“Feeling all comfortable now?” I asked, ruffling her hair.

“Princess,” Min Jeong called out to Aeri.

Aeri turned to Min Jeong, smiling at her.

“Look how beautiful you are when you smile~” Min Jeong commented, squashing Aeri’s cheeks gently.

“Princess, listen to me for a second, alright?” She said, holding both Aeri’s hands.

Aeri bit her lower lip, looking down at her feet.

“Look at me.” Min Jeong said, tapping Aeri’s chin gently.

Aeri looked at her, blinking her big eyes.

“While I can understand that Aeri is a big girl and wants to do things the big girl’s way, Aeri has to understand that Appa is a big boy too and sometimes he cannot do things the way you want him to. Aeri is a very good girl, therefore be a little bit more understanding of Appa, okay? Don’t put Appa in a difficult position. When you finally learn how to pee pee on your own, Appa will let you go to the female toilet, but for now, you got to follow Appa and learn, understand?” Min Jeong said.

Aeri said nothing. I do not expect her to understand the whole chunk of words Min Jeong just said, but from her expression, I believe she has gotten the idea.

“Aeri is a good girl.” Min Jeong said, kissing Aeri on her cheek.

Aeri smiled and turned back to me, burying her face into my neck. Min Jeong ruffled her hair before waving to me and turning to walk off.

“Wait!!” I yelled, carrying Aeri before running after Min Jeong.

“Yeap?” Min Jeong turned back, looking at me quizzically.

“Why were you here?” I asked.

“Huh?” She looked at me.

“I mean… Thank you for helping me.” I said hurriedly.

“I happened to be nearby, and I just didn’t want Aeri to pee on herself.” She smiled.

I nodded.

“See you~” She waved.

“Are you free!?” I asked quickly.

“Not really.” She said, frowning.

“Oh.” I muttered.

“I’m pretty expensive.” She said.

“Huh?” I looked at her.

“Never mind.” She rolled her eyes.

Yang Seungho, how stupid of you. Don’t you get her joke!?

“I mean… Do you have some time?” I corrected my sentence.

She looked at her watch, and then back at me.

“I don’t.” She said.

“I see..” I nodded, looking down in embarrassment.

“But depending on what it is, I could make some time.” She said.

This girl sure enjoys playing with my mind.

“Can I buy you a drink?” I asked.

“Can you?” She asked cheekily.

“May I?” I corrected.

“YES!!!!!” Aeri exclaimed suddenly.

Both of us looked at her in shock, and then burst into laughter.

“The princess has spoken. Let’s go.” She said, asking to carry Aeri, in which I gladly allowed.

I walked behind them, smiling at Aeri as she rested her chin on Min Jeong’s shoulder.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” I mouthed before sending her a flying kiss.

Aeri covered her face with her palms as she giggled, an action that shows she has gotten my kiss.

Min Jeong turned to look at me.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Don’t walk behind me.” She said.

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t like it.” She said.

“Then where should I walk?” I asked.

“Beside me.” She said.

Although I found it a bit weird and demanding of her, but I did as I was told.

“Friends walk next to each other.” She said, looking at me.

“Friends?” I asked.

“Are we… not?” She asked, chewing on her lower lip.

I shrugged my shoulders, and then sped up walking.

“HEY!! WE’RE FRIENDS, AM I RIGHT!? SAY IT, OR AERI IS MINE!!” She shouted as she chased after me.

Like kids, we were running after each other in the mall. As childish as it looks, I have to admit that it has been long since I had such fun… with a friend.