I was leaving my office and I smiled to nearly all of my staffs that I see on my way out. My friends say I’m giving false hopes to the ladies but I’m just smiling. Is it wrong to smile?

“Its not wrong. But you know yourself that you are, no matter how many times you deny it, the most ideal bachelor that any lady would want. At least be a little arrogant if you don’t plan to get married to anyone,” Hyunseung said. We were all sitting around the table at our usual café. Hyunseung is not the only one that kept saying that. In fact, he’s the only one that doesn’t say much about me being ‘the ideal bachelor’. So when he does say, it really means something.

“Its not that I don’t want to get married. I’m not a workaholic or a player like Junhyung here,” I said.

“Yah!” Junhyung retorted.

“Well its true right. Anyway, you guys know I have to find someone that can accept her. Someone that loves her like I do. If there’s none, I’d rather be a bachelor all my life,” I said.

“I bet even Layla don’t want that. She wants you to be happy,” Yoseob said.

“I am happy. Does it looked like I’m sad?” I said. I took my last sip of coffee and glanced at my watch. “I gotta go now guys. See you later.”

“Oh yeah! Can you go this weekend? Come on it’ll be really fun!” Gikwang said.

“Ah... That pool party? Nah I’ll pass,” I said, standing up and taking my things.

“Its Layla right? You can let your parents take care of her for one night. She won’t mind. And grandparents love their grandchildren right?” Gikwang said. The others nodded in agreement.

I thought about it for awhile more. “Nah I’m fine. Maybe some other events.” I bid goodbye to my friends’ sad faces and went out of the café.

I tapped on my steering wheel as I waited outside the pre-school in my car. The bell rang indicating end of school and I could hear the happy cheers from inside. I went out and the door of the classroom opened. Other parents were waiting outside as their children ran into their arms and started telling them about their day at school. I just walked slowly towards the opened door where kids are running out, knowing that she’ll be the last one to go out.

After all of the kids had cleared outside the school, there walks out my little princess. She was walking out with her teacher, hand in hand. She saw me and her smile widened.

“Appa!” she shouted and her teacher get her hand go as she went to run to me.

“Aigoo!” I said as she bumped head-on to my stomach. She hugged me tight and looked up at me giggling. I just smiled at her and squatted down to her level.

“How’s your day dear?” I asked, as I rearranged her straight bangs.

“Good! Appa appa! Meet my teacher!” she said excitedly and pointed to the lady that was walking with her just now. The teacher is new and she started walking towards us after locking the door to the classroom.

“Hi, you must be Layla’s father. I’m her new teacher, Chaerin,” she smiled at me.

“Nice to meet you Chaerin-ssi. My name is Doojoon,” I said and shook hands with her.

“Layla is a really bright kid. And she’s the only one that stayed behind to help me out when the other children was so excited to go home,” she chuckled.

I smiled and Layla’s hair gently. “Are you going home Chaerin-ssi?”

She just smiled and nodded.

“I can offer you a ride if you want?” I said and Layla added, “Yes yes! Miss Chaerin let us send you home!”

The teacher chuckled. “Thank you so much for the offer but I’ll have to decline. Someone is on the way to pick me up.”

“Ah.. I understand,” I nodded. Layla pouted.

“Maybe next time okay?” I told her and she nodded hesitantly.

“I guess we’ll get going now. Nice to meet you Chaerin-ssi,” I said.

“Same here, Doojoon-ssi. I’ll see you tomorrow Layla,” she said cheerfully to Layla. Layla smiled reappeared and she nodded.

“You really like Miss Chaerin,” I commented as we were eating in the living room.

Her face lit up by the sound of her teacher’s name and nodded excitedly. She chewed her food quickly to say something.

“She’s really nice appa! And very pretty!” she said, smiling till I could no longer see her eyes.

“But I think you’re prettier,” I said.

“Aniya..” she said shyly. “I’m cute!” she giggled. I chuckled and shook my ead to myself. Just like her mother..

After eating early dinner, I told Layla to wash up and I went into my study room.

I sat down and switched on my laptop to start my work. The moment my laptop start up, I smiled seeing the wallpaper. Sure its better if the picture is just of me and Layla. But I never want to forget her. I really miss her.

One weekend I brought Layla to my parents’ house. Mum said she has something important to discuss with me. I could already tell what she wanted to tell me. Another match-making session. But my mum doesn’t force me if I don’t want to. And she makes sure the ladies she chose would love kids so there would be a high chance they would love Layla as much as I do.

“Who is it now omma..” I whined. Layla was at the garden busy playing with my dad while me and mum were at the living room.

“You’re not interested? You don’t want to get married?” she said.

“I want to.. But you know my situation omma..” I said.

“Doojoon-ah.. Why not just let us take care of Layla. You don’t have to force yourself the responsibility of taking care of her. She’s not your daughter..” she said but mumbled the last sentence.

“She is my daughter. Layla would always be my daughter. And I’m not forcing any responsibility,” I said seriously.

She sighed. “She’s Suhwa’s daughter Doojoon.. Okay okay forget what I said. Just promise me you will get married some day.”

“Please omma. I don’t mind you matchmaking me with anyone. I’ll go. But please don’t say that anymore. Layla is my daughter.”

“Arasso.. Your sister would be very happy that you’re loving her- Layla so much,” she smiled and caressed my cheek. I just looked away.

“Appa! Look what I have!” Layla came running into the living room with a red rose in her hand.

I smiled at her. “Woah.. Its so pretty! Do you want to give it to anyone?” I asked.

“Um.. I want to give Miss Chaerin!” she said cheerfully.

“Miss Chaerin?” my mum asked.

“Its her new teacher at school,” I said.

“Ah.. Do you like her Layla?” she asked. Layla nodded straightaway.

“Omma..” I nudged her. I know exactly what she’s thinking. My mum ignored me and just smiled at Layla.

I got ready to go home after dinner and packed Layla’s things in my bag.

“Doojoon, go okay?” she said as she sat infront of me.

“Yes omma.. Friday, 2pm at the Sunvue Café. Hold a red rose. See I remember..” I said.

“Yes I know you would remember. I just hope you would accept her. She’s really nice,” she said.

“Why would you set me up with a bad girl right?” I chuckled.

“Aish this boy!” she smacked my on the arm and I just laughed it off.

That Friday I got ready, sent Layla to my parents’ place and went to the café where I’m supposed to meet my date. When I told my friends about the date they were all so happy and excited as usual. Actually they are not the only ones. I didn’t keep any secrets from Layla so I did ask her if she’s okay with me getting married.

“I’ll be happy! Omma told me that you will look very very handsome on your wedding day. I want appa to be happy,” she said. For a such a young age, she handles Suhwa’s death quite maturely. Much more mature than me if I hadn’t held in my own sorrow for her sake.

I was dazing away that I didn’t realised someone had approached me. I looked up and saw a familiar face.

“Oh? Are you.. Mrs Yoon’s son?” she asked.

“Chaerin-ssi? You’re.. You’re my date?” I asked. She chuckled nervously.

“It seems like it..” she said. I knocked out of my daze and offered her the seat across mine.

“Oh yeah. This is for you,” I said, handing her the red rose.

She smiled. “Thank you Doojoon-ssi.”

“Woah. I really didn’t expect it to be you Chaerin-ssi,” I breathe out.

She chuckled. “Why? Am I not suitable for you?”

“No no! Its not that. Its just that… I thought you were already taken,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

“What makes you think that?”

“You know that one time when Layla offered to send you home again but then someone was already there to pick you up… Yeah I thought he was your boyfriend,” I said. I was quite embarassed to be admitting that I did kind of check the person who picked her up from school.

“Ah.. That’s my brother,” she said smiling.

“I see..” I nodded.

“Um.. I hope you don’t mind me asking. But since your mum is my mum’s friend, I got to know from her that you’re still a bachelor. And…. Layla?”

“Ah.. If its anyone else I would say that Layla is my daughter. But since you already know of that fact.. Layla is actually my sister’s daughter. But my sister passed away when Layla was 2 years old. I took care of both of them because….um..” I felt kinda uncomfortable telling Chaerin but eversince I got to know her on her first day of school, we had talked quite a lot everytime I went to fetch Layla. She’s not really a stranger anymore to me.

“Its okay if you can’t say it. I understand,” she said quickly.

I smiled. “Its okay. I don’t see you as a stranger. Um.. Layla doesn’t have a father. Well the guy that got my sister pregnant doesn’t want to take responsibilty. So.. yeah,” I ended awkwardly.

“Does Layla know?” she asked.

“Yeah. My sister told her that I’m just her uncle but she can call me ‘appa’. And that her real father is a bad person so Layla doesn’t need to know him,” I explained.

“Oh.. So that’s how..” she nodded.

“So um.. since we got most of the things cleared up, do you want to order now?” I smiled, handing her the menu.

“Of course,” I said with a smile. As we were both looking at the menu, I kept thinking the same thing over and over. So that was her brother….