Allen’s POV

I open the window, blinking my sleepy eyes at the dark morning sky of Asia. I turn my head to the telly screen and turn it to the airplane footage. We are currently at the strait of Qingdao so there will be like one hour and a half before the plane landed.

Then, a cart stopped beside me. The stewardess flashes me a smile before handing me the menu.

I skimmed the menu for a second.

“Have you ready to make your order sir?” She asked; quite eager might I add.

“Right. Give me two strawberry yoghurts for starters, a traditional English breakfast for me and buttermilk pancakes for my daughter and two Earl Grey please.” I smiled.

The stewardess looks aghast for a moment. I've already expect that.

“She’s your daughter?” She curiously asked. I raised my eyebrow.

“Is there a problem with that?” I questioned her with a serious -honestly playful- tone.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupts but I thought she’s you little sister, you look quite -very- young to be a father.” She reasoned out.

I smiled. “Not to worry, it’s not the first time actually.”

The stewardess smiled back. “Well you have one beautiful daughter sir. It’s not every day we got to see a young father.” With that she left right after she served our meal.

I gently shook Agnes’s shoulder to wake her up; she can be a total sleepyhead. She blinks, looking up to me with those sleepy honey eyes of her.

“Hey, good morning sweetie.” I her soft hair. 

“Morning.” She yawns.

“Here, have some breakfast.” I put the plate at her table. She vigorously blinks her eyes, probably trying to adjust her vision.

“Thanks.”

We ate in silence before Agnes suddenly put in one of her earbuds to my ear. A nice symphony of You Got Me by Colbie Caillat played as it engulfs my hearing in bliss; Agnes really got my good taste of music.

It’s continuing on even when the stewardess retrieve our plate till the main pilot announce our landing. Music has that kind of special effect on us.

I took off the earbud before Agnes retrieves it back to her small brown satchel backpack. She then brings out something which is a medium size black bow scrunchie. She then starts to grab a fistful of her hair and tie it to a loose low ponytail with her side bangs out. Then, she puts on her maroon pea coat over her green plaid wool dress. Obviously Dolce & Gabbana, I’m the bank here and she's a freaking loyal shopper.

For six years-old, she’s one fashionable lass. I’m not surprise if I’ll be broke on this trip. South Korea is known for fashion after all. Especially when it's filled with Agnes taste of fashion.

“When will this plane land?” She asked, readying herself by putting on the seatbelts; one of Allen's good way of teaching kids.

“Just in a few minutes.” I pecked her head.

Agnes turned her head to look out at the window.

“Look! It’s Korea!” She exclaimed, eyes glittering in excitement.

“How can you see it? It’s still six in a morning there.” I smiled.

“The lights of course, the reflects from the streetlights and all those city lights.” She explained smartly. That’s my girl.

The plane soon landed onto the airport’s lane before stopping at their designated gate.

“Let’s go!” Agnes exclaimed before eagerly pulling me with her to the exit.

“Gosh, wait for a while lass!” I struggled on capturing her fast pace. Agnes is not really much of an energetic kid, but of course even if a kid is matures than their age; they still got those andreline of a child.

Agnes slowed down her pace so that I can keep up with her.

We –more like only me- grab our bags from the carousel and onto the trolley. We didn’t bring much either than one suitcase and one valise because Agnes insists that we can shop more in the Korean mall. I will definitely be broke soon.

“I’m famish.” Agnes suddenly said, tapping her stomach for prove.

“Seriously Agnes?” She only gives me a stupid grin.

I rent a car -a latest white Sonata- and put all our stuff to the bonnet –with a useless help from Agnes. After closing the lid, I entered the driver’s seat.

“So, any choice of culinary?” I asked while reel in the engine. I can see Agnes rolled her eyes from the corner of my honey eyes.

“Let see, I wonder if they got any scones and fish and chips here. Wait while we’re in Korea, why not, KOREAN?” She emphasizes it by shouting it right to my ears. This kid. I rolled my eyes.

“Korean it is.” I muttered and start grabbing the handle.

After so many stop at some restauranta due to this brat declination on every shop, we stop by at a nice traditional Korean Grill or ‘Bulgogi’ – I though its pronounce by ‘Buljoeji’ but it’s actually bulgogi, don’t blame me and my English tongue.

We put on our coats since its winter here and get out from the car.

“Wow, classic.” Agnes whistled. I don’t know where this girl learns it, probably from all those movies she watches. She’s a movie maniac. Even I CAN’T whistle!

This restaurant looks like a traditional Korean house with pond –That’s about to be frozen soon- at every place and supposed to be colourful trees –That’s already bare- and those huge walls with roof along with a huge carved square gate.

This place looks quiet and quaint yet expensive when I saw only luxury cars that parked at the gravel parking. Indeed, a classic old expensive restaurant to start our ‘journey’. Good choice Agnes –note the sarcasm.

“Come on, let’s go inside!” I followed the giddy girl inside whilst helping her stepping on the stepping stones carefully; don’t want to be soak on a winter day now won’t we?

 As soon as we slid those Korean sliding doors (the hanji doors), a Korean teenage girl in a pink hanbok greet us.

“Anyeong!” She chirps with her eyes curled up like a crescent moon.

Then she starts to blabber something in Korean that it took a while for me to understand –My Korean is still in conversional level- before a tall Korean man appeared behind her. The girl stops her babbling when the man said something to her.

That is when she realizes our features, I can see a red tint on her cheeks.

“Oh! Mianhe- I mean I’m sorry.” She corrected herself. The man gently instructed her to leave for he will take in charge. The girl looks quite reluctant at first but complied nonetheless. I wonder what's her problem. Guilt?

“I’m sorry about that; she can be quite a reckless and oblivious to customer.” He apologized with his accented English.

“Oh, that’s alright.”

“Ah, you’re British.” The man smiled before his eyes met Agnes.

“Your little sister? I can see the resemblance.” I shook my head, already immune to these assumptions.

“My daughter.” I corrected and Agnes nods her head at this.

The looks on the man’s face is a mixture of shock and amuse; just like the stewardess before. He was about to say something before I blew his chance away.

“A table for two please.” I smiled.

The man cleared his throat, trying to clear out the awkwardness before leading us to one of those Korean dining rooms.

The man slides one of the brown sliding door from a line of sliding doors open to show us a traditional room with a single wooden table at the middle along with two seating cushions –whatever the Korean called it.

Agnes and I take a seat. Agnes looks like she has already taken note of this by seeing the way she seat; she really watched all those Korean movies.

We took off our coats and enjoy the warm from the heater.

There’s a barbeque grill at the middle of the table –presume for the bulgogi. The man handed us our menus.

The menus is in Bilingual Korean and English, I read over the English just under the Korean text. I don’t know about the Korean dish that much so I just ordered their recommendation and a rice tea. As for Agnes, she chose those tempting heart-shaped bulgogi because obviously, the shape is very tempting.

The man bowed and leave with the menus.

“So father, haven’t thought of this but where will be staying at?” Agnes asked, propping her chin at the table. Cute girl.

“What do you think?” I questioned back, propping my chin at the tabletop too. Come to think of it, I didn’t plan about the accommodation. I’m that type of person that spontaneously deals without any plan. I know, very strange for a lawyer.

“Come on! Answer me!” She puffed her red cheeks angrily. I followed her action, puffing out my cheeks and stared at her angrily.

Both of us stared at each other, making weird faces, and pouts before we ends up laughing.

“You look silly.” Agnes points out. I stuck my tongue at her.

“As do you.”

She blew a raspberry at me till her saliva sprinkled to my face. Kids.

I cringe and closed my eyes as I wipe the saliva off my face with my handkerchief. I can see that little devil smirking.

“You are going to get it soon.” I squints my eyes at her only for her smirk to grow.

“Not when I’m here! Ya better run Forrest!” She retorts with a fake –and fail- Southern American accent while wilding her hands as if shooting a gun. I’m going to reduce her precious movie times.

“Proper English! Proper accent!” I scolded.

“Thang a lil bang punk!” Goodness gracious, one thing I couldn’t stand is improper English. I know I sounded like a schema lad, but seriously, YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?

I heard that little devil is laughing at my misery. I huffed, I know I’m being extremely unprofessional and immature but what the heck, I’m still 21! Wait, about to be 21! That’s young okay! I’m not going to be forever 21! Lol.

I totally get it where she got that bratty attitude from. French people call it; moi.

While we’re being childish, the doors slid open and women in hanbok walk in carrying a tray of meat, dish and drinks.

They placed our meals at the table while a man heats the grill. Agnes watched in amuse as the women placed a bunch of bowls of ‘kimchi’. And that’s just the appetizer. Korean are known to have loads of appetizer.

“Do you prefer to grill it yourself or we grill it for you?” The man asked. I silently grabbed the tong from the table.

“I can do it.” Not really, I've never cook for my whole 21 years of living. But I want to try it too! This look fun and I’ve never grill something in my whole life. But I’m confident in myself because I learn it from the movie and Jamie Oliver.

“Are you sure?” I gave him a look. “A-alright sir. Do call us if you need any help.” The man didn’t seem too convince with my ability, he stared at the tong as if I will burn something. Aish, people should have more confident with me! Do I really look that of a liability?

They –reluctantly- left the room before sliding the door close. Agnes stares at me with a blank look.

“What is it daughter?” I raised a brow.

“Oh, nothing.” She states monotonously that gets me worried. “Just that I pity on these meats because it would soon go to waste.” This brat.

“Have some faith in me.” I huffed.

I gently put in two piece of meat –that I ordered- onto the grill and wait tentatively.

“From my calculation, the perfect time to flip it is about 2 minute and a half and 45.3 millisecond before we flip it to the other side.” I’m mathematically precise with my equation, I'm a serious Maths Wizard at school!

“Father, I’m hungry. I don’t want to eat burn meat!” The kid whined.

“Hush little girl, trust me.” I shushed her with my eyes trained onto the sizzling meat.

Both of us watched in silence as the sound of sizzling filled the room. Actually I don't know if it's precise, sometimes cooking didn't need any Mathematics much because from what I heard, they just estimated it. 

After the time has reached my calculation, I quickly flip it before it even reach a millisecond. It’s very dramatic how the situation comes, with Agnes face filled with horror while my face filled with fury and determination. I’m sure the meat will turn perfect brown! Maths or not!

“Goodness gracious! The meat!” Agnes gasped. This girl is getting dramatic every day. But I couldn’t care less now because my calculation is.

.

.

.

a success. It’s a bloody success! Lord of the Bonkers it really is a success! The meat is in perfect brown juicy goodness!! I wiped the sweat off my face with a feeling of a winner. A leader! <-- what?

“Splendid!!!” Agnes claps her hand vigorously. Yes, clap for me, clap for this culinary genius. YES INDEED!

“And what may it be?”

“Where will be staying. I definitely don’t want to stay at a hotel –definitely not homeless.” She’s already given up on the chopstick and using the fork and spoon instead.

“Your preference?”

Agnes grinned and claps her hand two times to show her excitement. “I want a beach house, like in Full House!” And where the Hermes this girl think we can find a bloody beach house on this winter?

I rolled my eyes with a smile while I’m grilling the meat. “And where do you think we’ll get that?”

Agnes blinks. Such a cute girl.

“Well, I’m just suggesting it –because you ask for my preference- because a beach house is very expensive –even if you could afford it easily- and I don’t want to burden you. Just that, a beach house at winter is outrageously fun, especially a sunny winter.” What a considerate child.

I chuckled. “Very.”

It’s a silence after that and I kept on flipping the meat while humming to some random song. I find Agnes staring at me through her large honey orbs of her. Quietly and tentatively staring, as if waiting for some reaction; a silent demand. Manipulative brat.

I felt an eye twitched before I put the tong down. This time, I stared back at her and caught a glint of mischief in her eyes.

“You’re such a brat.” I playfully sneered so quietly I could see the corner of her lips twitch into a hidden smirk.

“Fine! A beach house? Let’s go find a bloody beach house then.” I can see the twinkling lights coming from her honey eyes. Little brat.

Well actually, she got a point on buying a house. We’re going to be in South Korea for 3 months so buying a freaking house would be convenience. Beside, Agnes and I don’t really prefer hotel much. I don’t really trust those housekeepers.

“Are you serious!? Just to let you know that I’m not forcing you or anything. But it’s better this way don't worry!” Agnes grinned, flashing her white teethes.

I rolled my eyes in amusement. “A simple thank you would be nice.”

Agnes giggled before running to me and engulfs me in a big bear hug.

“Thanks dad.”

I let out a dramatic sigh while ruffling my dearest daughter’s hair. “British English dear.”

“All in the movie father,” She gave me peck on the cheek. “All in the movie.”