Seungho's POV

Junhyung in court and Junhyung outside are two different people. Outside, he is a hardworking boy, but in court, he is a handsome lawyer. He fought the case like a man, with his words, not his fist. All I did was watch. What a failure I am. Not only did I not fight, I am literally the one who caused all these to happen.

"You approach my client, made use of his confused state of mind and lured him into this trap." Junhyung said.

"He is not a puppy or a baby. He is a grown man with self-control. How would I be able to lure him if he did not allow me to?" The lawyer rebutted.

Junhyung in a deep breath, and then turned to look at me. He was visibly tired. He had been fighting for the past thirty minutes. I looked at the other lawyer. He smirked mockingly at me.

"Let's say my client approached you first. Let's say he did everything you said. You, as a grown man, as a lawyer, do you not know it is unethical? My client has no law background whatsoever. He was in a confused state of mind because it is his daughter on the line. But you, or rather, us, as lawyers, as we work on a case, we know we have to detach all sorts of emotion and fight the case non-personally. But the fact that you agreed to help him, and now turn your back at him, it is my turn to ask you, what were your intentions? Did you, for a moment, allow your emotions to take control and took pity on him? Or was your intentions clear from the start that you wanted to lure him into this trap you planned so well together with your clients?" Junhyung said.

The entire court room was silent until the judge broke it.

"Let's continue this next week. But for now, as part of the clause, Aeri has to follow her biological parents until the next hearing. But bear in mind, this does not mean you won the custody of the child. Yang Seungho will be permitted to visit the child as and when he wishes to." The judge said.

I fell back into my seat. I cannot imagine having to give Aeri up to them even for a day.

"Seungho hyung." Junhyung called out.

"No. I can't let them have Aeri. No. She'll be scared!" I said.

"Seungho hyung, it's not going to be final." He said, pulling me up.

"I can't. I can't. No!" I cried.

He said nothing except look at me.

"What have I done?" I cried into my palms.

***

"Appa!!" Aeri screamed and ran towards me the moment I walked into the playroom.

"My baby!" I hugged her tightly.

She snuggled her face into my neck and circled her arms around me.

"Let's go." She said, intertwining her hand with mine.

"Aeri ah~" I said.

She looked at me with her big eyes. I squatted down to her eye level. She seemed to know that something was wrong.

Before I could speak, a voice behind me spoke.

"You're coming with us." She said.

Aeri looked scared, and then she threw herself into my arms, her small hands gripping tightly onto my shirt.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay." I hushed her.

"Let's go, Appa. Let's go." She said in a tiny voice.

“Hurry.” She said, wanting to grab her.

“Let me talk to her first would you!?” I glared at her.

“Baby, listen to Appa.” I said in the calmest I could to Aeri.

Aeri looked at me with scared eyes.

“Aeri gotta go with them for awhile. Be a good girl, and Appa promise to come pick you up next week. Okay?” I said.

“But… why?” She asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Because…” I had no reason for her. Why?

“Aeri is a good girl, right?” I said.

“Aeri will be good. I will not be naughty. I don’t want to go with them. Appa~” She cried, hugging onto me tightly.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry I failed to protect you.” I cried with her.

“Aeri will be a good girl. Please!!” She was practically begging me.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” This is all I could say to her.

“Is it because I didn’t wish you Happy Father’s Day? I am sorry, Appa! Don’t give me away! Happy Father’s Day!” She cried, pulling out a card she made and handing it to me.

I stared at the card. It is Father’s Day today? I never told her about Father’s Day. How did she know? And how did she learn to make this? My sweet girl, always surprising me with her thoughtfulness.

“It’s not like that. It’s of course not like that.” I cried, clutching tightly onto the card.

“Jeongie unnie! I’ll be a good girl! I don’t want to go!” Aeri cried.

I turned behind. Min Jeong was standing there, crying too.

Aeri pushed herself out of my embrace and went over to Min Jeong, hugging her legs and begging her.

What have you done, Yang Seungho? Your stupidity reduced your daughter to this begging state. What exactly have you done?

“Come on, let’s go. Your Appa is here.” He said, grabbing Aeri’s hand.

“NO!!!” Aeri screamed, pulling her hand out of his grip.

“Don’t hurt her!” I shouted.

“Who are you to say that? You hurt her the most!” He accused me. But he was right. I hurt Aeri the most.

I stood there in a daze until I heard Aeri scream.

"APPA!!!" Aeri screamed as she being dragged away forcefully.

"Aeri..." I muttered, looking into the pleading eyes of my girl.

"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO CALL YOURSELF HER PARENTS! RETURN AERI TO SEUNGHO!!!" Min Jeong shouted, running after them out of a sudden.

"Let her go!!!" Min Jeong shouted, trying to snatch Aeri back.

She was just a few centimeters shy when she got pushed away.

" OFF!" He yelled at her, pushing her to the ground.

"HEY!" I got agitated. Although I have not forgiven Min Jeong for whatever she has done to me, I do not have it in me to see her get bullied.

"LET HER GO!! SHE DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO BE WITH YOU!!" Min Jeong shouted, grabbing his legs.

" off!!!" He yelled, punching her back.

I was sprinting towards them, but somehow not fast enough to prevent her from receiving punches.

Despite being beaten up, Min Jeong did not let loose of her grip. She was strong and stubborn like that. She kept wrestling with him. She was obviously no match for his punches, but her endurance level was remarkable.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I roared in his face as I threw myself against him, pushing him away from Min Jeong.

"How dare you!" He replied in return, pinning me onto the floor as he threw punches on my face.

"No!!!!" I heard Min Jeong yell, followed by a deafening scream coming from him. I was let free. Min Jeong had jumped onto him and was bitting on his neck, unwilling to let go, like a tiger towards its prey.

He was screaming in pain while trying to fling Min Jeong off. I took the opportunity to snatch Aeri back from her.

"SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!" She screamed at me.

"THAT WAS UNTIL YOU ABANDONED HER!" I shouted back.

She was about to say something when she screeched in pain. Aeri had bitten her on here wrist so she would let go of her.

"YOU LITTLE !" She shouted at Aeri as she raised her palm to slap her.

I snatched Aeri away before twisting her arm.

"How dare you even think of slapping my daughter in my face?" I said, twisting her arm further back until I heard an audible crack.

"Appa." Aeri hugged my legs, burying here face into my waist.

I let go of that and hugged Aeri immediately.

"I'm so sorry. Appa is so sorry." I apologized to her. But I know no amount of apology could make up for the trauma she suffered from.

"CRAZY !!!!" I turned when I heard him shouting.

I wish I had not turned my head, because what I saw would probably haunt me forever.

Min Jeong was pulled off his back and thrown onto the road like a bashed up kitten. Just as she picked herself up, a car sped passed and knocked her over, throwing her off once again. I tried to scream, but no sound came out from my throat. I could only stand still and stare at her lifeless body across the road. It was like everything froze.

And then I started to feel this unfamiliar feeling around my chest. My breath started to become choppy. What is this strange feeling? Why does it feel so uncomfortable? Am I... hurting? Am I... feeling pain?

"SEUNGHO HYUNG! SEUNGHO HYUNG!" Junhyung shook me back to my senses.

"Min Jeong..." I muttered, pushing Junhyung away and running towards her.

"Wake up! Min Jeong! Wake up! You have a lot of explanation to do! I'm still angry at you! How dare you just leave me like that!" I cried, hugging her bloody body against my chest.

I was pulled away by force. Despite how hard I tried to break free from it, I failed. I was not strong enough. I never was. Not with Aeri, not with Min Jeong. I watched as she was taken away from me, and all I could do was to sink into a puddle of pathetic tears.

"Don't take her away from me... Please.." I cried.

"She'll be fine. She will be okay. She's a strong girl." The voice belonging to whoever that was hugging me said.

"I want to be with her.. I want to be with her.." I muttered.

"I'll take you to her. Let's go." The voice said.

Like a child being forcefully taken away from his mother, I simply followed. I did not question. Anything that could get me to my ultimate goal, I will go.

***

"Hyung!" I turned and saw Kikwang running towards me.

“APPA!!” Aeri shouted, running towards me.

"Aeri..." I muttered.

I opened my arms wide, catching her into my embrace.

“Appa! I don’t want to go!” She hugged me tightly.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’ll be with me. I promise” I said.

“Weally?” She asked.

I nodded, kissing her all over her face.

“I love you, Appa.” She said, resting against my chest.

“My sweet girl, I love you too.” I said, hugging her closely to me. Now, if anyone wants to take her away from me would have to kill me to be able to do it. I cannot be bothered about the law. I would let anything separate us both, not even the law.

“Happy Father’s Day.” She said suddenly.

“Who told you about it?” I asked, playing with her fingers.

“Jeongie unnie.” She said.

“And she taught you to make this?” I asked, pulling out the card from my pocket.

Aeri nodded.

“Thank you, baby.” I said.

Out of a sudden, I felt an awkward twist in my stomach, and next, I found myself, head buried into the bin, puking my gut out.

"Are you okay?" Junhyung asked, wiping my mouth.

"Here." Kikwang said, handing me a cup of water I do not think I could stomach. I rinsed my mouth with it and sank back into the seat. I took a glance at the time. Only two minutes had passed. I thought I puked forever.

"Are you alright?" Junhyung asked again.

I nodded.

"Must be the accumulated stress." He said.

I said nothing. My head turned to the closed doors, my eyes glancing up at the still-on red lights.

"She'll be okay." Kikwang mumbled, perhaps to console himself, but I accidentally heard it.

I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes. What I thought was a short wink turned into a deep slumber.

"Hyung!" I was awaken by an urgent voice.

I jumped, cursing myself under my breath for allowing myself to fall asleep while my darling is still inside fighting for her life.

The doors were finally opened. I saw the doctor walk out with nurses behind him. All of them looked like they fought a battle. I ran towards him, grabbed him tightly. I should not be doing this, but it happened naturally.

"We did our best." He said, his voice mixed with tiredness and apology.

"What are you talking about!?!?!?!" I screamed like an uncontrolled nutcase.

I had no idea what I was screaming about. I lost it, I lost it all.

***
Happy Father's Day to all your Appas out there~ I don't know if you guys celebrate it though~  But I know Koreans don't. They celebrate Parent's Day. But I do~ So yea~  But this is probably the saddest Father's Day for Seungho though haaa~

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