“Please stay away from Hae Won.”

Seung Ho frowned at the middle-aged guy in front of him. He looked neat with expensive suit and high quality long coat, but his attitude was cheaper than his looks. He bowed his head to Seung Ho, begging deeply and forgetting his man’s pride. He’s a father, anyway, Seung Ho could hear himself said it. But what about my father you killed?

Seung Ho didn’t say anything to stop Mr. Kim bowing at him, yet he didn’t feel win for getting the unnecessary attitude. Other people inside the cafe might see it as a weird view: what kind of adult leaving his pride behind for high school kid?

“Why do I have to stay away from her? She’s comfortable with me,” Seung Ho answered bluntlly. “And I do care about her.”

“If you care about her, you’ll tell her to go home instead of spending her time in your place,” Mr. Kim was still facing the floor.

“I never told her to stay with me. She’s the one who insists to be with me, because I’m,” Seung Ho stopped.

Why she wants to be with me?

“I mean,” he continued. “She cares about me. She’s the only one I have.”

She’s the only one I have. Seung Ho listened to himself.

“You have your mother,” Mr. Kim quickly replied. He didn’t understand what the young man in front of him was saying. “Look, just come home together with Hae Won, okay? Let’s pretend nothing happened in the past.”

“Nothing happened?!” Seung Ho rose his voice.

He arranged his breath, he was ashamed for losing control as the people inside the cafe were staring at him for the shout. Seung Ho clenched his fist to hold his anger which slowly gathered in his body.

“You...killed...my father....and you’ve...stolen...my mother. How could you expect me to pretend that nothing happened?” Seung Ho talked slowly. This man is a joke.

“It wasn’t me who killed you father. It was other people who worked behind the company,” Mr. Kim startled. “I knew that my company was getting support from fiendish people before, but it was over. They all got jailed. And when that thing happened, I was still a new employee, I didn’t know anything about what happened to your father.”

“Sir, can we just stop this crap?” Seung Ho rubbed his head. He suddenly got headache, almost couldn’t hold his emotion. “There’s no use talking about this, seriously.”

“You little brat,” Mr. Kim murmured.

“What?” Seung Ho sharpened his gaze. He snorted. “Stop acting innocent, Mr. Kim. You replaced my father’s position in the company. You and your bastard friends suffered my father to death. I saw him hung himself in our living room. Yes my mother and I planned to destroy you from the inside, but she’s changed. You’ve changed her and now she’s standing on your side. And she’s pregnant, half of you in my little brother’s blood. You’re also talking wanting your daughter to come back. What a greedy.”

“Yang Seung Ho you—”

“Mr. Kim, to be honest with you, your invitation to meet like this is useless. We will never be friends, just deal with it. It’s better keeping our—’relationship’—like this,” Seung Ho grabbed his bag and put it on his shoulder. He stood up and meant to leave the cafe when Mr. Kim held him back.

“Just give me back by daughter!” he shoutted.

Seung Ho stopped walking, turning his back and staring at the pathetic old man. He wanted to laugh at the man with the teary eyes.

“Give me back my dad.”

The words put Mr. Kim in silent.

“You can’t do that, can you?”, Seung Ho put a smirk on the edge of his lips and walked away.

*

“What?” Hae Won stared at Seung Ho who just got home.

“What?” he asked her back, trying to hide the fact that he met her father an hour ago.

“You’re staring at me like I’m some kind of alien,” Hae Won answered.

“Ah, sorry,” Seung Ho took off his jacket and threw it to the couch. “I guess I was surprised that you’re here at this hour. Wait, why are you already here at this hour? Don’t you have extra class to attend?”

“Nope. We’re going to have another mock test tomorrow instead. So I have to study tonight,” Hae Won answered, binding her hair. She opened her bag and grabbed some clothes to change. “I’m gonna change clothes.”

“Okay,” Seung Ho nodded. “Anyway, I bought dinner.”

“Yay! I’m soooo hungry,” Hae Won smiled and closed the door behind her.

Seung Ho smiled and started unpacking the dinner he bought. While he was putting the meals on the table, he suddenly remembered the thing he said to Hae Won’s dad earlier. She’s the one who insists to be with me.

The real question was: why?

“Dinner!”

Hae Won surprised him.

“Oh~ kimbap. Aren’t these expensive?” Hae Won grabbed one of the slices with her fingers.

“Ya, you’re so dirty!” Seung Ho slapped her hand. “Go quick wash your hand first.”

“Okay,” Hae Won munched the meal and made a salute. She walked to the kitchen and washed her hands just like Seung Ho said. “Ah, we need side dishes. I guess there are some leftovers in the fridge.”

“Grab the side. I’m gonna change clothes.”

*

“My~~~~ I’m full,” Hae Won tapped her stomache in happiness.

“You ate well...”

“I ate well!”Hae Won smiled brightly. Something about the smile made Seung Ho’s heart thumped faster. “Okay, I’m gonna wash the dishes.”

Hae Won stood up and picked the empty bowls and plates from the table. As she’s doing it, Seung Ho unintentionally glanced inside her sweat shirt. He looked away when he saw Hae Won’s skins peeking from the inside.

“I, uh, gonna throw the trash,” Seung Ho stood up, collecting what’s left on the table together and put it in plastic bag. He quickly left his room and threw the garbage to the dumpster. Covering his face with his palms, Seung Ho felt uneasy.