Chapter Sixteen

"Daddy!!!" Little Haru ran into his parents' room where her father was lying down on the bed. The man opened one eye to see his eight years old daughter running to him with a big smile on her face. He opened his other eye as well and smiled at his precious gem. "Hi, sweetie." he greeted her as the little girl crawled onto the bed before kneeling by his side. "Daddy, are you sick?" she asked her father, her forehead creasing as her round eyes took in the state of her father. Song Im Hwan chuckled at the worried expression on his daughter's face. "I'm fine, sweetie. Just tired."

Haru's bright smile returned upon hearing her father's words. Im Hwan laughed at this. "You want something, don't you?" he asked and she nodded cheekily. He laughed once more and grabbed her little body, placing her on his stomach so she was sitting on top of him with her legs on either sides of him. "Tell daddy what you want, my angel." he smiled. "Can we go ride on your big vroom vroom?" she asked innocently as her hands immitated the action of holding a motorbike's handle. "You want to ride my motorbike?" he asked and she nodded excitedly. "Where do you want to go?" he asked. She shrugged. "Anywhere?" he guessed and she nodded once more. "Anywhere as long as it's with you, daddy." 

Im Hwan smiled softly at this. "Alright then." he agreed and her eyes widened in delight. "Really?" she cheered when her father nodded once more. "Go wait for me downstairs and I'll be right with you." he told her and she quickly placed a kiss on his cheek before getting off the bed and running downstairs, yelling for her mother. Im Hwan sat up and sighed when he felt the pounding in his head. He went to sit on the edge of the bed as he waited for the pain to cease; the door opened revealing Kim Hanna with a disatisfied look on her face. "Are you really going out like this?" she asked. Her husband sighed at this. "I'm fine," he said as he slowly stood up from the bed. "You're sick, honey. And you're going to ride your motorbike?"

"Haru wants to go for a ride on my vroom vroom," he chuckled as he immitated his daughter's way of addressing his favourite means of transportation. But his wife was not impressed. "I don't care about that. Right now you're sick so you should be resting. You can always give her a ride when you're all better, can't you?" Im Hwan sighed as he put on a new set of clothes. "I sure can. But I'll be busy with work then. Plus, her school holidays are coming to an end. I've been so busy with work that I couldn't even take her out." "It's not your fault, honey." Hanna was still trying to talk him out of it as he moved about the room, looking for his watch, wallet and the keys to his motorbike. 

Annoyed, the husband sighed and turned to his wife. "I'm fine, sweetheart." he assured her as he held onto her shoulder. "I pity Haru since she had to spend two weeks of her holidays at home. The least I could do is bring her out for a ride and have ice cream with her." he smiled. When Hanna continued to pout at him, he chuckled and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. "Don't worry, dear. I'll be fine. I just have a headache right now. The fever and flu are all gone." Sighing, Hanna could only nod her head in defeat and walked him downstairs to where Haru was already waiting. She was seated on her grandfather's lap, listening to him hum his favourite song. Upon seeing her parents walking down the stairs, she jumped off his lap and ran to her father; throwing herself into his arms.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked and she nodded excitedly. Hanna sighed from the side. "Haru, can't you ask daddy to bring you on other days? Daddy needs to -- " "Hanna," her husband hissed at her. "Enough. I'm fine and I'm taking her out." Haru could only look on with confusion on her face. She bit her lip and hid her face at her father's neck when her mother turned to her with an angry stare. "Father, we'll be back soon." he told Song Jung Hwan, Haru's grandfather. "Alright. Be safe, son." the old man replied and turned to his granddaughter. "Have fun, angel." he smiled at her and Haru nodded with a bright smile. "I will, grandpa!" she exclaimed and threw him a kiss.

She wanted to do the same to her mother but she was unhappy with her, so she just let her father lead her to their garage where his motorbike was kept. She clapped happily at the sight of it and waited for her father to start the vehicle. Once he was seated and ready to go, he leaned down to place her in front of him and helped her put on her helmet. He was about to do so for himself when Hanna appeared at the garage door. He sighed and motioned her to come forward; and when she did, he placed a hand behind her waist and pulled her closer. "Don't worry about me," he whispered. "I'll be fine." She sighed in response. "I love you, Hanna. Remember that." and she nodded. "I'll see you soon." Hanna reluctantly stepped back as Im Hwan put on his helmet and soon drove off.

Haru waved her hands in the air as the motorbike sped on the roads, heading towards their favourite ice cream shop in town. She really loved riding the bike with her father, and he too loved it. Despite the slightly packed traffic, they managed to get to their destination in twenty minutes. The little girl was full of excitement upon seeing the ice cream shop and began to jump up and down when her father placed her down. She patiently waited for him to put everything away before taking his hand and pulling him into the shop. "What would you like?" Im Hwan asked as he carried her in order for her to see the various choices of ice cream. "Bubble gum and vanilla, please~" she sing-sang, earning laughters and smiles from her father and the worker behind the counter. "What would you have, daddy?" she asked her father and Im Hwan looked through the choices before deciding on chocolate and mint.

Once they've got their ice creams, Haru pulled her father to a nearby park and he complied, slowly walking behind her as she jumped here and there in excitement. Haru had always loved the outdoors, more so when she's at the park with her father. It's not that she doesn't love her mother but the little girl prefers her father who was more outgoing and fun to be with unlike her strict mother. Even when their ice creams were long gone, Im Hwan and Haru played around at the park for a while longer before deciding to go home. As they walked back hand in hand to where the motorb