JIYONG

I must say, as a Father, seeing my daughter with another guy who is a stranger and obviously impressing her to the best he can, is a bit of a drag. My children are growing and these kinds of situations will surely come one after another, and even though I’m far from being ready for it, all I can do is it up for I don’t want to hold them back from whatever life has for them.

I totally don’t know how my wife can handle it. She’s all smiles while watching Isabella flirt with her date and squeals like a teenager every time the two stares at each other in the cheesiest way with wide flirtatious smiles plastered on their faces.

“YAH! YAH! YAH!” I exclaim in disbelief while the girls are having the time of their lives listening to the non-sense stories that Isabella’s date told her.

“Seriously Babe” Clara looks at me as if I’m the most boring person in the universe “If you don’t like what you’re hearing…just plug in your earphones and listen to music”

Unbelievable! How can these people listen to stories of someone who they do not know and doesn’t have a connection with at all? My members, together with the girls are all ears at Isabella, smiling widely from time to time, and here I am, rolling my eyes over and over again because there are some stories that I find totally ridiculous.

TOP Hyung smirks “Aigoo…Jiyong-ah…don’t kill the fun!” he teases, earning a fake chuckle from me.

“Hyung…I’m not killing the fun…it’s just that…our wives shouldn’t act as if they’re teenagers who are so curious about their friends’ first date like they’ve never dated at all” I tell him and glance at my wife and daughter, sitting beside me.

Youngbae leans forward and pats my shoulder “Jiyong…you know them…they get so excited when it comes to matters of the heart”

“And young love most especially” Railey butts in.

“The -innocent-head over heels-fall so deeply-stupid-messy-sleepless nights kind of love” Daryl follows with her hands on her chest as if feeling her heart beating.

I roll my eyes for the hundredth time. Clara squeals like she has never squealed before, that nearly rip my eardrums “First love!” she sounds so dreamy. “There’s nothing more exciting…thrilling…and emotional than that”

I smirk “Clara Kwon…”

She looks at me, her smile faded all of a sudden. “This isn’t first love…I’m just clearing things out…it’s just a date…nothing more…” I face Isabella who is obviously fed up with me for talking. “Nothing less” I tap the tip of her nose.

“But it will be love sooner or later” Clara counters. Can’t this woman just support me?

“SOON!” Daryl and Railey shrieks in excitement while shaking Isabella’s shoulder from the back, making her giggle.

And I didn’t say a word anymore. After all, I’m so sure that I can talk my daughter out of this first love thing. I’ll remind her that I only permitted her to date, not to be in a relationship, yet.

We just go home to change our clothes to fit a club setting. Isabella’s date invited her to go clubbing and after a short deliberation, we permitted her, but with the condition that we’ll tag along. The guy doesn’t know anything about it for we told Isabella not to tell him. Let’s see how he behaves.

“Dad” my daughter peeks in our room, calling me.

Clara is so busy scanning clothes in her walk-in closet for the best clubbing outfit. According to her, since it’s our first time in a long time to go clubbing, she wants to have a feel of it in full swing and it’ll start with whatever she decides to wear. I’m in bed, resting and conditioning myself for another round of being an extreme watchdog again.

“OH!” I pull myself up “Do you need something baby girl?”

She walks in and joins me. “Aren’t you going to prepare yet?” I ask.

Isabella scoots in beside me and wraps her arm around my waist with her head resting on my shoulder. “Dad…what can you say about Ryu?” she asks as carefully as possible then lifts her head to meet my eye.

Before the date happens, I already planned on what to answer her if ever she’ll ask me the question she just asked.

 “He’s fine…BUT…not that good…how about you look for another guy just for comparison…to have options”. This is what I constructed in mind. Thing is, I can’t seem to voice it out now.

In all fairness to her date, he didn’t do anything bold to Isabella. He gave her the space that first time dates should have, and didn’t squeeze himself beside her. He held her hand but only for a while because Isabella pulled back, maybe thinking about us who are watching her intently just meters away from them. The stories he told her is also interesting, but I’m a guy, I’ve been to dates double his numbers and there are stories I shared that I just made to impress. There’s no assurance yet if what he told her are all true.

“What’s with the question?” I can’t think of anything good to answer yet.

She sighs. “Dad…I know that you’re not cool with me dating even if you have given me permission already”

I take a deep breath and hug her closer to me. “Well…yes…that’s right….but believe me…I’m starting to grasp reality…I just need some time to adjust to it”

“You know that it’s going to be so hard to go on with dating knowing that you’re not cool with it…right?”

I nod. “That’s why…you shouldn’t mind me” I kiss her temple and look at her with a smile on my face. “The guy…”

She sighs. “Ryu Dad…his name is RYU”

I sigh heavily and clear my throat. “Ryu…is pretty fine…he dresses nice…he looks decent…he give this cool feeling but not in a cocky way…most importantly…he’s not that touchy…but of course…we can’t tell if he’s really like that or it’s just another side of him...” I cup her face with both hands. “He’s good…for now”

“Love you Dad!” she hugs me tightly, the kind where you can feel the love in her arms and even kisses me twice on the cheek.

“Aigoo…you better behave well in the club later Miss Kwon…or else…your Father will drag your out from there and not let you step in that kind of place ever again”

Isabella giggle, the girly kind of giggle that I only hear when she was still a kid. “Yes Sir! I’ll behave”

“By the way Dad…” her smile is so lovely I can’t help but to smile as well. “Can you help me choose an outfit…you know…I’m not that good in dressing up unlike Gabby and Mum and You…I only experienced clubbing once and as far as my memory can take me…I’m wearing a boring jeans and a shirt that has a cartoon character on it and high-cut sneakers”

“Seriously!” I exclaim in shock.

It seems like my daughter really needs to explore more and not stuck herself in her office that much for she’s starting to become Clara, before she met me. I admit, my wife is really living the most boring and lamest life before.

My daughters’ walk-in closet is as packed as mine and even though there are pieces that suits for clubbing, I can’t seem to pull it out from the racks because they’re either short, body-hugging, lacy, mesh, or skin showing. I want a decent yet party rocking outfit and I will look all over this huge room fo