“Okay, time’s up. Turn your papers in” Mrs. Jung instructed as she tapped her wooden desk in front of class triggering the grunts and sighs to be heard. The sound of rustling of papers,  the sound of chairs and tables creaking as the students moved out from their seats and of course the sound of chattering students followed.

“All papers in?” Mrs. Jung asked which was answered in chorus with a yes. “Well then, have a great vacation everyone. See you around next school year” the teacher finally bid then walked out of the classroom.

I was shoving my stuff back to my bag when I heard my bestfriend, Kang Seul Gi called my name. I turned to her direction and I saw her already standing by the door, bringing her bag. Along with Seul Gi was her seatmate and also my friend, Bae Joo Hyun. I smiled and signaled them to wait for me.

As soon as I stood with them we started walking through the very crowded and noisy hallways of the school. Today is the last day of the semester. Everyone is excited since starting today we’ll no longer go to school for a few weeks because it’s already vacation.

Today marks the last day of being a second year student. One more year and I will graduate from high school. And I along with my friends will be entering college already.

“Are you going anywhere for the vacation?” Joo Hyun asked.  “I think we’re going to Maldives” Seul Gi answered while me and Joo Hyun nodded. Seul Gi turned to Joo Hyun’s direction asked, “how about the you Joo Hyun?”

Joo Hyun shrugged and answered, “We don’t have any plans yet. We’re probably just going to our summer villa in the province or so”

I noticed that the two of them of were looking at me, so I just answered the Seul Gi’s question. “My brother is coming back from California so I guess we’ll just be here in Korea since he said he misses home so much. We’re going to our summer villa tomorrow”

“Oh gosh, your brother is back in Korea?!” Seul Gi and Joo Hyun squealed excitedly. I know how much my friends admire my brother. Sometimes I even think that they’re befriending me because of my brother. But, our almost five year friendship proved my assumption wrong.

I nodded and they squealed even more so I raised my palm and shut them up. And so, I reminded them “Girls, you both know that Young Soo oppa is off-limits. Him and Ha Young unnie are solid as a diamond.” My friendly reminder earned me a slap on my shoulder. I whimpered but nonetheless I was laughing at them. Their frowning faces is kind of entertaining to me.

“You didn’t need to remind us how unreachable your brother is”  Joo Hyun frowned. I stuck my tongue out and the two of them glared at me.

We continued to walk out of the school building but halted when we noticed a semi-crowded area in the parking space of the school. “What’s going on over there?” Seul Gi asked. I had feeling I know what’s going on over there and it was confirme by the owner of the arm that drapped on my shoulder, “your dad’s here to pick you up”

Adam Wu, my half Chinese half Korean childhood friend informed me of the arrival of my father whom I told not to come over to school but still insisted on what he want. He is always like that, stubborn.

“knew it” I muttered and sighed.  While I was sighing and murdering my dad in my head, Seul Gi and Joo Hyun already exchanged hello’s with Adam. “What are you doing here Adam? Didn’t you like graduate a year ago?” I asked. Adam is two years older than I am. So, now he is in college taking up law, like his father who is a remarkable lawyer and a good friend of my parents.

“I’m here to pick up my little brother and then I saw you waiking with your friends. So, I thought I’d talk to you. Then I heard you asking what the crowd over there is all about. And since I knew that your dad is behind it I opted to answer your question”

Adam has a younger brother named Jeno. He’s a year younger than I am but we are both in our 2nd year in high school basically because he’s really smart. He seldomly talks and I heard he would often sleep in class but despite that, he’s the smartest in our year level. And though we are in the same year level we are  in different classe and we’ll a different clique. Jeno’s more on the silent, cold type of student.

I nodded my head and directed my attention to the crowd a few meters away and sighed.

“It’s funny how your dad can easily take the spot light even in my presence, just like my father” Adam chuckled.

For the information of everyone, Adam is a very good-looking man. He is as tall as my father and well-built. He looks really foreign with his blonde hair and he is also very smart. Back when he was still a student in this school, along with his bestfriend Oh Minhyuk who is just as handsome as he is, they were the biggest heartthrob. But, whenever there were affairs where parents are to attend the two boys just get shoved to the side because of their fathers and mine.

“Yeah, you got your genes from them that’s not hard to notice” Seul Gi commented. “Maybe if you two end up together your kids will be even more beautiful” Joo Hyun added teasingly. I glared at Joo Hyun and also at Seul Gi who was wiggling her eyebrows.

Yes. I do have a long time crush on this tall man beside me. But, I think he only sees me as one, the little girl whose older brother he admire so much and two, as a little sister that he never had.

“He really shouldn’t have come” I grunted before Adam can even answer and redirecting the topic.

Seul Gi nudged me, “Yah! Why are you acting like that? I really don’t understand why you don’t want him to pick you up. If I had a dad as hot as yours, I’d ask him to pick me up every single day.”

“How old is your dad again?” Joo Hyun asked. “49? They had me when he was 32 or 33” I answered unsurely.

“He is nearing 50 and he’s still so hot. Even hotter than some of our classmates. How is able to do that?” Joo Hyun and Seul Gi continued to express their admiration towards my dad.

It is true though that he doesn’t look his age. He looks around mid-30’s or so. But, if they’re talking about how young looking my dad was, they should see my mom. She looks like she’s my sister. She looks so young that she can even be mistaken as my brother’s girlfriend.

“Joo Hyun, if he picks me up everyday he’d cause this kind of chaos every single day. And I don’t want that. I want my life to be as peaceful as it can be” I explained. Both Seul Gi and Joo Hyun rolled their eyes at me. “And please stop talking about my dad that way, it sounds so gross” I cringed.

“If only you know what kind of person he truly is” I sighed.

“Then he’ll become even more famous than he already is” Adam replied.

“The way I see, your dad is definitely fine” he added.

“No, he’s not. He’s one big baby. He’s a pain in the and a walking disaster”

With a last sigh, I walked to where my father allegedly is. And well, he’s just the center of the crowd.

“Baby” he calls out as soon as he noticed me in the crowd. I rolled my eyes and showed him an annoyed look. I look around and glared at the girls giggling and ogling my father.

Come on, he’s almost 50. I don’t understand why they find him attractive. He’s an old-geezer. He’s almost a senior citizen, for pete’s sake. And why are they taking pictures of him? He’s just leaning on the car door. He’s the CEO of an entertainment company but whenever he is around people treat him like he is some celebrity. He ain’t a celebrity, people. I don’t get it. And his car even isn’t that great. What’s so picture worthy about that?

“Didn’t I tell you not to pick me up?” I asked glaring up at him. Did I mention that he’s one tall elf? Yeah, my dad is 6 feet tall with elf-like ears. And I’m just 5 feet 3 inches tall so I really need to crane my neck just to look at him.

“But baby, did you forget? Today’s our father-daughter date day” he reasoned out and I puffed my cheeks embarrassed of what my father just said.

We have this tradition that my dad and I goes out on a date every 8th of the month. But since I got into high school, we’ve decreased it to every three months. And today happens to be 8th of the month and the 3rd month after we had our last date.

“Oh, Adam, Seul Gi, Joo Hyun!” Dad calls out as he noticed my friends. The three of them walked closer to me and my dad, bowing to him as soon as the got  closer. My Dad knows my friends, they often come to our house, especially Adam. When dad called out for Adam, that was the only time the girls noticed that he was around making them squeal a bit more.

“Hi uncle!” the three of them greeted.

“Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen the two of you. You’ve both grown up beautifully” my two friends blushed hard hearing my father’s compliment. “And Adam, aren’t you in college already? Did you perhaps come here to visit my beautiful daughter?” and now it’s my turn to blush hard.

It’s pretty obvious that my Dad knows of my feelings for Adam. I don’t know how he found out be he sure knows about it.

“w-w-w-what nonsense are you talking about dad? He’s here to pick up Jeno” I answered in Adam’s stead. My dad raises an eyebrow. “Anyways, Dad aren’t we supposed to go on a date? Come on, let’s go. Let’s not waste time. There’s a movie that we need to catch anymore delays and we’ll be late for the movie. So, let’s go” I urged him grabbing his arm.

“Joo Hyun ah, Seul Gi ah, have a wonderful break you two. Let’s keep in touch over the break, ok? Bye!” I bid as I hurriedly drag my dad away and back to his car. I can see the amused and teasing look on my friends’ faces and I just hope they won’t say anything to Adam or else our friendship is ruined.

“Baby, I was still talking to them” dad protested. I heard my friends saying their farewell to me but I didn’t bother turning back anymore. I am not wasting a single second from preventing my dad from spouting unnecessary information.

“What was that all about?” Dad asked as we both settled in his car.

“It was disaster prevention” I answered him buckling my seatbelt.

“Disaster prevention?” he asked as he started the car’s ignition. I can feel that he was looking at me but I chose to ignore him and didn’t answer his question. “Ah, you didn’t want me to tease you and Adam?” he asked again as he released the handbrake and started driving away.

I glared at him but he only laughed at me, definitely not fazed by my glare.

“You know baby, you really are like your mom. She glares at me but still she’s looking so cute just like you right now. So beautiful and cute” he snickers glancing at me momentarily.

“Whatever old man” I sneered and he just laughs at me again. “So, where are we going?” Dad asked me after his laughter died down.

“You didn’t have a plan for our date?” I was surprised to hear my dad asking me where we’ll go. Usually, he has everything planned out.

Dad is a busy man, he works from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. His schedule is always full, sometimes he even has to go outside the country but he makes sure that he gets everything set for the 8th of the month. He tries his best to be always present for school events and on weekends. Whenever there are school events me and my brother are required to inform his secretary a month prior just so he can be present. He gets angry when he fails to attend an event.

“You said you wanted to see a movie. Didn’t you say that awhile ago?” he asks me. “Oh, right. But didn’t you have a plan prior to that?” I answered remembering the excuse I made.

“Well yes, I do. But then you mentioned about a movie, so I thought maybe this time I should listen to you and make you decide on how we should spend our date” Dad explained. “Actually, I was just lying awhile ago” I answered honestly and guiltily not facing my Dad who I think was looking at me.

“Ok. Let’s just go to mall and watch a movie then” Dad suggested. I faced him and then he explained, “I actually planned to watch a movie with you. I just don’t know what to watch”

Dad and I went to watch a movie, he gave me the privilege of choosing what movie I want to watch. I went for a romance comedy. After the movie, he brought me to a nearby coffee shop and there we both grabbed a cup of coffee accompanied with some cake.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Adam?”

“He’s a childhood friend Dad” was my answer to Dad’s sudden question. He hums for awhile as he took a sip from his coffee. And as he put his cup down, he asked, “Why won’t you confess to him?”

“Confess to him? Then get rejected and break our friendship? No way, dad. I’d rather admire him from a far than be awkward with him”

“Don’t fear rejection baby. Rejection makes you a better person if you look at it on the bright side and if you accept it. Yeah, it would hurt, a lot. But at least you won’t get bugged by a lot of what if’s in your head. You gave it your best shot, no regrets”

Silence took over as my father stared at me waiting for me to respond. As the silence engulfed us I remembered a question that has been bugging me for some time now. I just haven’t found the right moment to ask.

“Dad, why did you and Mom break up?”

My father was obviously shocked when he heard my question. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, furrowed his eyebrows and then he bit his lower lip.

“Why do you ask?”

“I was just curious. I wanted to ask this question for quite some time now” I answered stirring my coffee.

“Well, your mom and I actually did not get married because we were in love with each other” Dad answered with a smile on his face. He was smiling with his answer but I wasn’t. I was shocked.

“What do you mean?” I managed to ask.

“I married your mother to get my inheritance”

“W-w-w-what?”

“Your uncle Kris was the one who suggested that I should hire someone to pose as my wife” he answered.

Wait. Adam’s dad?

“Then, I found your mother. She’s beautiful, kind, talented, smart and well needed my help. She needed money for the operation that your grandfather needed while I on the other hand needed a wife to get away from my grandfathers’ demands. So, practically we used each other” he continued.

“But you’ve come to learn to love each other?”

He nods his head and smiled at me. “It was inevitable to fall in love with your mother. And little did I know your mother has been in love with me ever since we were in high school” Hearing the part that they loved each other made sigh in relief. In my 17 years of existence, I’ve never heard of my parents’ love story.

“Actually, it’s