I looked at the sleepy figure on the doorstep that separated the living room from the dark hallway and got shocked at how well the small face with porcelain like skin was resembling Jongin. She, for it was a small girl with sleepy eyes, was copying even the man’s confused frown.

“Byul,” Jongin rushed to her side, “I thought we had a deal.”

“But, daddy, she’s crying!” The girl pushed away Jongin’s hand and came to my side to take my hand. “Seon Yul is crying, dad. And you weren’t doing well at all here, you know? That’s not how you stop a girl from crying.”

I could only blink in front of the exchange of words between the two. My world was swirling with me. A girl… Jongin was a dad. But… it couldn’t have been Chaelin since the child looked around six-seven years old. Then… how?

“You’re Byul, huh?” I wiped away my tears and smiled at her. “Is that your teddy bear?”

“Yes,” she placed her toy on my lap, “he keeps me safe from nightmares.”

“Is that so?” I looked at Jongin that looked troubled for some reason. “Byul, did we woke you up?”

The girl shook her head with the dignity of a grown-up. “I was having a bad dream. I dreamed that daddy was going away like mommy did.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Byul,” Jongin knelt in front of his daughter and hugged her tight, caressing her long and soft hair. “I’m never going to leave you. Do you hear me?”

In front of the scene that I could only admire, I felt small all of a sudden and surprised myself by thinking of old times when I used to have parents and a real family – family that went away with time, family with members that were still haunting me in my dreams from time to time.

“Can you tuck me back to sleep?” Byul took my hand and looked up at me. “No boys allowed,” she continued, shushing her father who frowned in exchange. “Please, Seon Yul?”

There was familiarity in her childish voice and I couldn’t say no. So I ended up by following the girl upstairs and inside a bright room guarded by numerous knights of plush. It was awkward for me to just sit there, on the edge of her bed as she continued to look at me with puzzling eyes.

“Do you mind if I lay down with you?” I smiled.

“Not at all!” Byul shifted so I could put my head on her pillow. “You know,” she started, “I thought you’ve forgot us for good.”

“Huh?”

“You used to tuck me like this before, when you were together with daddy. Why did you leave us, Seon Yul?” The