It was mere moments later that Siwon returned.

 

“Ah, I’ll be there soon….you’re gonna love what I bought, I promise. But you have to wear it later, okay?” Eugene smiled, still wrapped up in his phone call.

 

As Siwon approached Eugene he looked around, but he saw no trace of Daerim anywhere.

 

“Eugene-ah, where’s Daerim?” he asked expectantly.

 

“She’s here,” said Eugene turning towards where he had last seen Daerim standing.

 

Seeing his eyes widen, Siwon frowned.

 

“Where is my daughter?” he asked again.

 

“She was just right here,” said Eugene in disbelief as he also spun circles trying to spot her in the crowd.

 

“Daerim! Daerim-ah!” yelled Siwon as he looked around them in a circle.

 

Siwon’s face held a look of pure horror combined with absolute panic as he searched every face in the crowd for his child’s.

 

“Choi Daerim!” he yelled again, hoping that she would come breaking through the people at any moment.

 

“Siwon, listen, you have to calm down, panicking is not going to solve this—

 

“Calm down?!” shrieked Siwon turning to look at Eugene. “I asked you for one thing and in a matter of minutes you’ve lost my child!”

 

“I didn’t lose her, she must have just walked off. I turned away to take a phone call for just a minute before you came back. She had been here the entire time so she couldn’t have gotten that far—

 

“There’s no reason for Daerim to run off—she knows better than that!” said Siwon running his hands through his hair. “Someone had to have taken her!”

 

“You're jumping to conclusions, why would someone take her—

 

“Because anyone that knows who I or Kyuhyun is knows who she is! It takes one second for someone to grab a child—and in this place?! How am I supposed to find her?!”

 

“Hyung, I’m sorry, I know this is all my fault. I promise you we’ll find her, but we have to start looking,” said Eugene, suddenly feeling the guilt hit him like an ocean wave.

 

Siwon felt a sickness hit the pit of his stomach and his hands start to shake as his eyes once again scanned the crowd hoping, praying, to see a little girl running towards him with a smile and a swaying pony tail.

 

                                                            ~

 

“Daerim?” asked a woman’s voice.

 

Daerim turned around only to see a woman that she had never seen before.

 

“Is your name Choi Daerim?” asked the woman.

 

Daerim nodded slowly, confused as to why this woman knew her name.

 

The woman smiled. She seemed kind enough Daerim decided.

 

“Are your fathers Choi Siwon and Cho Kyuhyun?” she asked, a smile on her face as she looked around, hoping for any sign of the two.

 

Again Daerim nodded.

 

“Are they here?” she asked still looking around expectantly for the two men.

 

“No,” said Daerim shaking her head. “My Kyu appa is at home and my Wonnie appa is in the bathroom.”

 

“So…you’re here alone?” asked the woman, concern now showing on her face as she looked back at Daerim.

 

Daerim nodded again.

 

“So…your Siwon appa doesn’t know where you are?” she clarified.

 

Again Daerim nodded.

 

“Well,” said the woman frowning as she looked around the store. “Maybe I should take you back to your Appa? If he doesn’t know you're here I’m sure he’s gonna be worried.”

 

“Okay, I really want to show him this poster! He and my Kyu appa look so funny! Wonnie appa is only wearing green ,” Daerim said giggling behind her hands.

 

The woman smiled as well as she held out her hand and led Daerim out.

 

                                                            ~

20 minutes later…

 

 

“Do you think you need to tell Kyuhyun?” asked Eugene as Siwon came out of another store empty handed.

 

Siwon frowned as he shook his head. “Why would I do that?”

 

“Well, I mean, maybe he needs to come. We’ve been searching for a while now and we haven’t found her—I mean he’d probably want to know right?” asked Eugene swallowing hard.

 

“You like having me as a friend, don’t you? If I call Kyuhyun and tell him that I’ve lost our daughter, he will dismember me. So no, I won’t be calling him until there’s a need to. And there won’t be because we’re going to find her. You are going to help me find her,” said Siwon firmly.

 

“I know. But I just thought that…no, you're right. That could only end badly,” Eugene said, muttering the last part to himself.

 

Feeling too frustrated to listen to him anymore, Siwon walked over the edge of the balcony and looked up and down at the sea of people.

 

“Do you think she would have gone to a different floor?” asked Eugene following after him.

 

“I don’t know,” sighed Siwon as he closed his eyes.

 

He rested his forearms against the railing. They had searched in every store on this particular floor, showing people photos of her but with no success.

 

“Maybe we should check with the security office again?” suggested Eugene.

 

Siwon’s eyes blinked open and he nodded. “Okay, I guess they can tell us what the next step is.”

 

Eugene rubbed Siwon’s shoulder and they began walking towards the escalators again.

                                                            ~

 

“Are you sure you don’t remember your Siwon appa’s phone number?” asked the woman .

 

Daerim nodded, she was beginning to feel sad that they hadn’t found Siwon yet. She never imagined that he and Eugene wouldn’t be where she had last seen them. Part of her was beginning to think that since her Wonnie appa had been so happy to see Eugene that maybe he had forgotten about her.

 

“Hmm, well do you remember what he was wearing?” asked the woman, realizing that simply looking out for Siwon’s handsome face wasn’t going to get them very far.

 

“A big grey wool coat…dark jeans…black boots,” said Daerim thinking to herself.

 

Hearing that description the woman froze right in her step.

 

Daerim looked up at her strangely only to follow her eyes. Quickly understanding what had made the woman react.

 

“Ch-Choi S-Siwon,” she stuttered, barely able to breathe when she realized that Siwon was stepping onto the escalator.

 

“Appa! Appa!” beamed Daerim once she saw her father.

 

Hearing a small voice that sounded vaguely familiar, Siwon looked in that direction and finally locked eyes with her. His own eyes almost bulging out, Siwon gripped Eugene’s arm before shoving his way down the upward moving steps.

 

After a few curses, some irritated protests, and a bit of struggle he finally made it down to the floor and straight over to Daerim.

 

Before she could even get any words out Siwon lifted her up into his arms and held her close.

 

“Oh thank G-d, thank you, thank you, thank you,” he whispered over and over again as he relished the fact that he was finally holding his child again.

 

Finally putting her down to her feet, Siwon knelt down in front of her.

 

“Baby, what happened? Where were you? Did someone take you? Are you hurt?” he asked smoothing back her hair and examining her for any sign of pain or injury.

 

“No one took me Appa,” said Daerim shaking her head.

 

Not prepared for this response, Siwon paused. “What do you mean?”

 

“I went to the music store,” said Daerim.

 

Siwon shook his head in disbelief. “Y-you what?”

 

“I saw this funny poster of you and Kyu appa and my samchons and I wanted to show you. So I went to go look again when you were in the bathroom—Wonnie appa why were you wearing green — Daerim asked, starting to giggle again.

 

But her giggling was cut short by Siwon’s firm grip on her shoulders.

 

“Do you have any idea what you just put me through?!” he asked shaking her shoulders.

 

“Wh-what?” asked Daerim softly.

 

“I have spent almost half an hour looking for you! I thought that you had been kidnapped!” said Siwon shaking her again.

 

“But I wasn’t,” she said shaking her head.

 

“I can’t believe you would do this! You know you are not supposed to go anywhere without an adult!”

 

“But Appa, I just wanted to show you the poster—

 

“I don’t care! I told you to stay with Eugene samchon! Why didn’t you listen to me?!”

 

“I only went across the floor. It was really close—

 

“Do you understand that I went to every store and had everyone here looking for you?!”

 

Daerim’s bottom lip began to tremble. “I’m sorry Wonnie appa.”

 

“There’s no time for sorry, we’re leaving,” said Siwon standing and gripping her hand, pulling her close to him.

 

He completely disregarded the woman standing there that had helped Daerim and Eugene. He had one goal now: get Daerim home.

 

“But Wonnie appa, what about ice cream?” asked Daerim struggling to keep up with his broad steps.

 

“We’re not getting ice cream, we’re going home,” said Siwon firmly.

 

“But what about Kyu appa’s present?!” asked Daerim worriedly.

 

“We’re going home!” Siwon said once again firmly.

 

“But—but—but—“ Sputtered Daerim as they walked down the stairs.

 

When she realized that Siwon had no intention of stopping, she burst into tears.

 

Siwon slightly flinched at the sound of her wails as he looked back at her.

 

Deciding that she wasn’t going to walk any farther, Daerim stopped in the middle of the floor, leaving Siwon with no choice but to pick her up and carry her crying all the way to his car.

 

The entire long drive home was filled with nothing back Daerim’s wails and whines. It did nothing to Siwon but set him more on edge and he couldn’t wait until they would finally be at home.

 

When they pulled into the parking garage, Daerim got out of the car and ran over to the elevators, not waiting for Siwon.

 

“Daerim!” he called after her but she was too fast and hit the button to take her up to their apartment, not stopping the doors as they closed in Siwon’s face.

 

When she reached their floor, she ran over to their front door and put in the door code.

 

“Wow you're back already? You must have seen something really good,” chuckled Kyuhyun as he walked into the living room.

 

He was surprised to see Daerim chucking off her shoes and then running straight over to him, face full of tears.

 

“Aegi-yah, what’s wrong?! What happened?!” asked Kyuhyun cupping her cheeks.

 

“Wonnie appa is mean!” she said with a fresh set of tears coming from her eyes.

 

“What—wait, where is your Wonnie appa?” asked Kyuhyun realizing that Siwon wasn’t anywhere in the apartment.

 

Just then the door code chimed and opened to reveal a livid Siwon.

 

“Choi Daerim! Have you lost your mind?!” he called out walking straight into the apartment, not caring about shoes.

 

“Wonnie what’s going on?” asked Kyuhyun moving Daerim behind his body.

 

“She ran off in the middle of Time Square Mall and had me loosing my mind trying to find her for over half and hour! And then just now she runs off across the parking lot and let’s the elevator doors close in my face!” said Siwon walking towards them.

 

“What?!” asked Kyuhyun frowning.

 

He pulled Daerim around to the front of them so that he could see her.

 

“Daerim-ah, is this true? Did you run away from your Wonnie appa when you were out shopping?”

 

“No—

 

“Daerim!” called out Siwon.

 

“I didn’t! You were in the bathroom and you left me with your friend!” she protested.

 

“You left her—who did you leave her with?” asked Kyuhyun turning to look at Siwon.

 

“We ran into Eugene and stopped to talk for awhile. I had to go to the restroom so I asked him to watch her for a few minutes, but that is not the point! The point is that I told you to stay there and you disobeyed me!” said Siwon.

 

“Because you didn’t listen to me! You promised me we could get ice cream and you forgot! You talked and talked and talked! And then I saw the poster with you and Kyu appa and I wanted to show you but you wouldn’t listen! You just yelled at me and shook me!” cried Daerim, her eyes reduced to narrow slits as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

 

Although her words were beginning to sink in, Siwon was still too angry to truly consider her side.

 

“Just go to your room Daerim-ah,” he said firmly.

 

“Appa!” cried Daerim clinging on to Kyuhyun.

 

“I said, go!” said Siwon pointing.

 

Kyuhyun her cheek and nodded, making her shoot a dirty look at Siwon before stomping off down the hall.

 

When her door slammed shut Siwon fisted his hair.

 

“Wonnie, you have to calm down! My G-d, I can’t remember the last time I saw you this angry—

 

“Half an hour Kyu! For half an hour I had no idea where our child was! I was running around like a madman asking everyone had they seen her! And the entire time I just…that same feeling washed over me from when she ran away—I just couldn’t take it. There were so many people there—I was terrified that someone had kidnapped her. What if …what if that had been the last time that I saw her?” asked Siwon, his anger breaking down into sadness. “I knew I couldn’t face you…there was no way I could ever say those words to you.”

 

“Come here,” said Kyuhyun opening his arms.

 

Siwon obeyed and let Kyuhyun hold him as he breathed out his frustration in shallow pants.

 

“I just love her so much…I couldn’t…if I loose you or her, I just can’t even imagine—

 

“Wonnie, I understand what you're feeling,” said Kyuhyun softly as he wrapped his arms around Siwon’s neck. “And I don’t blame you for being angry. Daerim was wrong in running off, no matter what the reason. But you didn’t lose her. She’s safe. She’s right here in our home now.”

 

Siwon sniffled against Kyuhyun’s shoulder as he closed his eyes, letting those words cover him like a warm blanket.

 

“I didn’t mean to yell at her like that, or shake her…I’ve never done that before…the look on her face…she hates me now—

 

“She doesn’t hate you,” said Kyuhyun with a soft laugh.

 

“Yes she does,” Siwon sighed.

 

“Wonnie, she’ll get over it, trust me. It might take an hour or two, but she’ll be back to thinking you're her hero soon enough,” said Kyuhyun placing a sweet kiss on Siwon’s cheek.

 

“Why are you so calm about this? I thought you’d be furious at just the idea of her being gone for 5 minutes,” said Siwon pulling slightly away from Kyuhyun with a frown of confusion.

 

Kyuhyun pulled his arms away from Siwon’s neck and looked down.

 

“Are you not telling me something?” asked Siwon, a frown still on his face.

 

“Well um, the thing is,” started Kyuhyun, still looking away. “The same thing happened to me…once upon a time.”

 

“What?!” asked Siwon completely dumbfounded.

 

“I…lost Daerim in the grocery store when she was three, but I never told you about it.”

 

Siwon rubbed his hands over his face.

 

“Why?” he asked, having no other words at the moment.

 

Kyuhyun shrugged, exasperated. “I don’t know Won. I was embarrassed, I was sad, I was flustered, and-and you were away, so I just…dealt with it. The point is that Daerim was okay, just like she is now.”

 

“I don’t believe this,” said Siwon shaking his head with a chuckle. “How did this even happen?”

 

“Well, you know how the little ahjummas like to give samples and you know how Daerim went through that walking only phase, well,  she walked off to go get some fruit while I was looking at something and when I turned around she was gone. It took me about fifteen minutes to find her…when I did she was covered in strawberry juice,” chuckled Kyuhyun. “The ahjumma thought she belonged to this couple who had been arguing in the aisle a few feet away so she just kept giving her more and more to keep her distracted until she saw them walk away. But by that time, I had finally found her.”

 

“Wow,” said Siwon rubbing at his eyes.

 

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t my proudest moment as an appa but we got through it. And you will too,” nodded Kyuhyun.

 

“I know, I just want her to be happy now. I promised her ice cream and your present but once I found her I just brought her back here,” said Siwon scratching the back of his head.

 

“Well, I can help with one of those,” said Kyuhyun walking into the kitchen. “I went shopping too while you two were out.”

 

“For what?” asked Siwon as he followed him.

 

“Groceries,” said Kyuhyun opening the freezer. “And I picked some of this up.”

 

He reached in and pulled out a fresh container of strawberry ice cream, Daerim’s favorite.

 

Siwon smiled, taking the container in his hands.

 

“Thank you baby.”

 

“No problem,” smiled Kyuhyun as Siwon proceeded to thank him again with a kiss.

 

Knock. Knock. Knock.

 

“Who is it?” asked Daerim angrily.

 

“Wonnie appa,” said Siwon softly.

 

“Go away!” Daerim shouted before rolling over on her side, facing away from the door.

 

“Aegi-yah, I’m sorry,” Siwon said. “I’m sorry for yelling at you, shaking you, not listening, and breaking my promise. You shouldn’t have run off like that, but I should have listened to you, and I didn’t.”

 

Daerim sniffled, finding some relief in his apology, but it wasn’t enough.

 

“Please, will you let me in?” asked Siwon.

 

“Why?” huffed Daerim.
 

“Because I want to give you something. Something you really love,” said Siwon.

 

Daerim’s interest was peaked now as she glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the door.

 

“What is it?” she called out.

 

“You have to open the door first,” said Siwon.

 

Daerim groaned. She was still upset, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her.

 

Getting off of her bed, she walked to the door and unlocked it, a sad expression still gracing her face as she saw Siwon standing there with his hands behind his back.

 

“Can you forgive Appa?” asked Siwon bringing a bowl with a heaping amount of strawberry ice cream from behind his back.

 

Daerim’s eyes lit up as she saw the ice cream and then she looked up at Siwon.

 

“I’m sorry Wonnie appa!” she cried, rushing the few steps forward as she hugged him around his waist and buried her face in his stomach.

 

Caught off guard, Siwon almost dropped the bowl.

 

“I’m a bad girl!” Daerim cried as she hid her face, still ashamed.

 

“Sweetheart, no you're not,” said Siwon setting the bowl down on her side table.

 

He pried Daerim’s arms away from his waist and then bent down to her level.

 

“You have to understand that you really scared Appa. Just like when you ran away from home, and you scared me and Kyu Appa. When we don’t know where you are, we can only think that something bad has happened. And I never want to loose you. You're too precious to me, okay?” said Siwon as he grasped her hands in his.

 

Daerim nodded.

 

“I’m sorry Appa,” she said softly.

 

Siwon brushed away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks.

 

“Can you promise me that you won’t do this again?” asked Siwon.

 

Daerim nodded, “I promise.”

 

“Good. And I promise I won’t yell at you like that, ever again, okay?”

 

Again, Daerim nodded.

 

Siwon smiled and then opened his arms.

 

“Bbo bbo,” he said and she stepped forward and pecked his lips before hugging him tightly.

 

Picking her up with one arm as he stood, Siwon used his free hand to pick up the bowl of ice cream.

 

“Should we eat this now?” he asked.

 

“You, me, and Kyu appa can share it together,” suggested Daerim with a smile.

 

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Siwon kissing her cheek and he led them down the hall to meet Kyuhyun who was already waiting with the extra spoons.

 

 

---

a/n: Sorry, I guys, I should have posted this earlier. But the woman who helps Daerim find Siwon isn't supposed to be anyone speical. She's just an anonymous fan, doing a good deed^^