“Thank goodness,” Sandara Park panted after seeing the bus that she was scheduled to board was still there. Her officemates had already planned a short trip together, and tough luck, she had to face the roadblock on her way, making her curse endlessly in a graceful way the whole time.

“Dara!” One of her colleagues called out from the bus. “Get in! Took you so long to arrive!”

Her steps doubled at an instance and she boarded the bus immediately. Her eyes widened in surprise, seeing the seats were all occupied already. Right then, the bus started moving already. “Omo... no seats left,” she said to herself—only to notice a vacant space, a three-seating seat right after.

“The one next to Kwon is empty. It’s only him and his little girl right there,” she heard someone say from the back of the bus—couldn’t figure out who it was.

She gulped and walked to her assigned seat reluctantly. It wasn’t like she didn’t like Kwon Jiyong—she just felt awkward with him as they never really spoke to each other.

She was bright.

He was more reserved.

She was single.

He was married—his wife passed away after giving birth to their baby girl.

“Have a seat,” Jiyong politely offered her the one next to the window, being the gentleman that he was.

“Thank you,” she bowed slightly before taking her spot.

Jiyong noticed his little daughter had been staring at the beautiful stranger sitting next to her daddy. “Zara... this is Dara unnie,” he spoke with such softness that Sandara’s heart almost melted hearing it.

“Hello Zara, nice to meet you,” she smiled whole-heartedly, earning a shy smile from the beautiful girl. She then hid her face on Jiyong’s chest, making Dara chuckle. “Such a sweet daughter you have.”

He thanked her, and she was already starting to think that Jiyong wasn’t as cold as she thought he would be. Same like his baby girl, too, Zara could get used to someone so quickly and by then, she was already sitting on Dara’s lap, asking random questions like ordinary kids usually do.

“Where are we going?” the four-year-old girl asked as she played with Dara’s headband.

“We’re going on a trip,” she told her nicely. “And only good girls can come along. Is Zara a good girl?” She looked at the little girl’s eyes—they were brown, just like her father’s.

“Yes! Zara is a good girl, right daddy?” She turned to Jiyong—expecting a good response.

“Yes, Zara is daddy’s good girl,” his hand reached for her cheek and caressed her. “And good girls don’t bother other people. They sit with their daddy,” Jiyong explained—he was about to carry his daughter from Dara’s lap, but she opposed.

“It’s fine, Jiyong-ssi. She’s not that heavy anyway,” she gave him a small smile. She then continued in a hushed tone, “Besides, she’s falling asleep already.”

“It’s okay. I’ll lie her down on my lap,” Jiyong offered once again, but she wasn’t listening.

“Nah, don’t worry about it.. I’ll just have to move to the back so she can lay down comfortably,” she was already standing up when Jiyong’s hand sto