MinHee and Jinwoo were just walking out of the bookstore, laughing at something that had gone on inside, when MinHee spotted Cora. She started towards her and reached her side just in time to hear her cough out a word that sounded all too impossible. “Dad?”

MinHee shot a glance in the direction Cora was facing and gasped quietly. Cora was already beginning to weep as she shot after the man she thought to be her father. MinHee reached to stop her, but Cora fought her off. MinHee turned to Jinwoo desperate.

Jinwoo understood and shot forward. He wrapped his arms around Cora, pinning her arms to her sides and pulling her back. “Dad!” She screamed, letting out a massive cry afterwards and wiping her head back. “Let me go! Let me go now!” She hissed.

The man stopped short. He, and everyone else in a close radius, turned to face Cora. Unlike the rest of the crowd, who looked concerned or intrigued, this man looked hurt and a small horror kept through his expression. He shook his head and started to back away. “No, I-” He turned to the woman he was walking with. “I’m sorry.” Was all he muttered before turning and hurrying away, nudging his way past the crowd.

Cora gripped Jinwoo’s arms. “Please, I have to follow him.” She whispered, sniffling. “Jin, please.” Jinwoo held his grip on her and stared after her father, as confused everyone else. “No, this is my only chance!” She cried, scratching and clawing at Jinwoo’s arms.

He turned and looked at MinHee. “Let’s go.” He demanded, and hurried for the door of the mall with Cora still thrashing in his arms. He shot towards his car, followed by MinHee. “Open the back door.” He demanded. MinHee did, and walked around to the passenger’s side, climbing into the car.

“Stop it!” Cora screamed in the backseat, clawing and kicked at Jinwoo as he buckled her in. He locked the door and slammed it shut before hurrying into the driver’s seat. Cora had just reached to unbuckle herself when he pulled out of the spot and shot away from the mall. “No,” Cora whispered, pressing her hand to the glass of the window. “No.” She coughed, curling herself into a ball and weeping.

MinHee could feel her heart plummet. She’d never met Cora’s father, she’d only ever heard of him. Cora talked so greatly of him, but if the man she talked about and the man she saw in the mall were the same man, MinHee must have had the wrong idea. She turned and looked at Jinwoo. His arms were covered in scratches and his right cheek was turning red. She got him good. “I’ll drive you back to the apartment.” He whispered.

Cora slammed her bedroom door, locked it, and slammed down onto her bed, crying what little tears she could before staring blankly at the wall. Her father, who she hadn’t seen in years was just in her reach at the mall. But Jinwoo and MinHee had to stop her from getting to him. Didn’t they know? They had to have known just how much her father meant to her.

There was a soft knock on her door. “Cora? Are you hungry? Minnie and I got some dinner. If you want I can-” Cora pulled off her shoe and threw it at the door. “Okay, nevermind.”

She buried her face in her pillow and shuddered. What if she never got the chance to see him again? After all, he no longer lived in Germany, and his residence in France was sold years ago. She’d no clue where to start looking for him.

She’d heard that you could hire people to look for you, but that seemed a little overboard. She could ask her mother. Really, force it from her mother. She would never give the information freely.

Hours went by, and she lay in her bed motionlessly with a pillow pinned to her chest and her legs curled up against the pillow. A tig