“Dad.. I don’t want to hear you involving in a fight later, okay?”

“Hey kid, why am I always getting this kind of warning every morning?”

“Because, it happens every single day, duhh… I’m tired of listening to aunty Min’s complaining you two getting loud, disturbing others”

“I’m not the one who start the fight”

Mr Lee, sounding so defensive, is circling Chaerin looking unsatisfied with her accusation. Chaerin stare at her dad upon hearing his remarks and throw him questionable eyes.

“He’s always the one who started it”

“Dad, are you four?”

“Hey, I am your dad.. Don’t degrade me, you brat”

“Serves you right for acting like one”

Chaerin smirk as she pack her lunch box. One for her, one for Jimin. Mr Lee raised his eyebrow at Chaerin nonchalant behavior near her.

“Is this for me?”

He know exactly what his cynical daughter is going to say and yet he still try his luck.

“Obviously not, sir.”

She point her lips at the corner of the table indicating to Mr Lee his packed lunchbox and continue on packing lunch for her boyfriend.

“I don’t understand why you are so keen on packing his lunchbox. Are you his wife? Like, did you guys secretly go off to some place secluded and get married? Because if you do, now I have the reason to cut off his wee-wee and feed it to the fishes out there”

He continue to pick a meatball from Jimin’s lunchbox, chewing it in front of Chaerin much to her annoyance.

“Dadddddddddddddddd, you are such a nuisance. Why do you hate him so much? Urghhh, respect my man puh-leasee”

She rolls her eyes at Mr Lee. The two shares the same blood but they have a relationship like what best friends do. It is always amusing when people meet them both, they often think the two are more like friends or even siblings, due to Mr Lee’s fit physique that does not reflect how majority of the 46 years old look like in Korea. He had Chaerin when he was 25, and still very much look like in his 30s.

“Hey, I would.. But why do you have to date a douchebag?”

He teases her more. Chaerin let out a sigh. Her dad is giving her a hard time with all (more like one before Jimin, Taekhyun which if you consider sitting at a lunch table eating together doing their school assignments as a date, then….. All this is due to Mr Lee’s over protective nature, always wanting to monitor hang out with them whenever they planned to watch a movie and such) the guys she dated. But Jimin? His dislike towards him is on another level and he’s not afraid to show it.

“You really hate him, huh?”

Mr Lee stops munching and study the defeated expression Chaerin has right now. For him, what is more natural than being protective on your own daughter? Moreover when she is his only daughter, in fact, she is the only child he has with Chaerin’s mother. Yes, Chaerin’s mother, as in they are divorced now.

“Tell me which dad are not worried when their kid date a guy like Jimin?”

“A guy like Jimin?”

Chaerin raised her eyebrow, waiting for a good explanation from her dad.

“I mean that boy is obviously a *clears throat* (boy *which he only manage to utter in his mind) I’m a man.. I know what… you know, how a man like.. Do thattt… Aishh! Like you know what they want when they look at girls-“

“Omagahhhdddd! Dad stop. He’s so not like that. Can’t you act like a normal dad? Like, Taeyon’s dad? He’s like so chill with her having a boyfriend you know.”

Chaerin cuts him off and make a disgusted face upon realizing her father is trying to dive into sensitive subject with her.

“Well, good that I see I get my point up there in the air and fyi, Taeyon’s dad will go menboong when he knows his kid is carrying another kid in her belly”

“Dad!”

Chaerin smack her father’s arm in annoyance due to his remarks at her peer. Obviously Taeyon is not close with her, she is the ‘it’ girl that is kind of popular around their town that everyone know of. Which also happens to be the captain of the cheerleading team for their college.

“What? You’ll soon see what I’m saying is true”

Mr Lee joked further to add more annoyance to his baby girl.

“Urgh, bye, I need to go to college”

Chaerin give a quick peck on his father’s cheek and heads out from the kitchen to leave their premise. Chaerin’s dad smile dearly watching her exit before she fades but soon alarmed as Chaerin suddenly appear back in the kitchen.

“Daddy, I am serious when I say don’t mess with the Kwons today. I just can’t deal with his son’s attitude afterwards, okay?”

“Why? Is he bullying my daughter? Which I doubt is going to happen?”

“Pffttt whetttt? Of course not. But I can’t stand him staring at me like I am the one who cause all THAT to happen”

Chaerin rolls her eyes at her dad, emphasizing on all the thing he did previously.

“We’ll see”

Chaerin give her dad a piercing stare as the man wave his hand in the air in regards to brush away her concern.

“Pinky promise”

Chaerin held her little finger in the air and he lazily walks to her as he intertwined it with his.

“Happy?”

“Vewwwyyyyyyyyyyyy~ bye now old man. Oh I fed Jojo, but you’ll have to bring him for a walk. Love you daddy! Byeeeee!!!!”

She chuckles and Mr Lee just smile at her cute antics as Chaerin finally exit out of their humble home.

Chaerin have been living with her dad ever since he got divorced with her mom. It was a long dreadful process and Chaerin knew even before it occurs that it would require moving a mountain to fix her parent’s relationship. Her only wish is for them to be happy and she knows in order for them to achieve that, they need to be apart for good. She was only 8 at the time and she can only do so much to be present for both parent.

She grow up with countless nights of just laying down in numbing pain on her bed accompanied by stream of tears to comfort herself as she experienced bullying by her peers calling her with the most hurtful words you ever heard about a child with a divorced parent. Ironically, coexisting with judgmental society is what thought her to be the strong minded, mature and independent person that she is now. What people do not know or refuse to acknowledge is that, even though they are separated, their relationship have never been the happiest as it is now.

Her mother is now married with a loving husband that she has longed for. ‘Sometimes two people have to be apart not because they hate each other, but because they love each other so much to not see one of them fall to pieces.’ Chaerin often heard the phrase conveyed by her father and it is hard for her to accept it before as she knows how much her father still love her mother. But it soon subside slowly the day her mother said ‘I do’ to another man. A widowed with two children. Chaerin still remember the day clearly in her mind. Both her and Mr Lee were standing among the guests, holding each other’s hand as they watch how her smile brightened ever so lovely like the ray of sun emerging after a downpour when she kissed the groom and seal her spot in another man’s life. Her father remained composed and even congratulate her and her new husband with a hug and a group photo. Chaerin admires her father so much on how he can be in control and shows respect to the newlyweds but of course she knew, from his eyes, there lies an unexplainable emotion.

The long journey home filled with silence as they are occupied by their own clouded mind. Mr Lee went straight to his bedroom as they arrived and it concern Chaerin. She paced back and forth, trying to act as normal as possible but her father’s behavior is affecting her conscience. Her heart felt like it had been impaled with a sharp blade and her stomach feels heavy as she saw through the gap of his bedroom door how Mr Lee broke down in tears and groaned in pain as if he was being stabbed repeatedly and all she can do is to cry silently behind the wall, closing as tight as possible as she know she will injure her father’s ego if she try to console him in any way. That was the first and the last time she ever see him in that state. Since then, she vowed to ensure that her father would not shed anymore tear. Chaerin knew then, she need to stay right next to him as her mother is building her happiness with somebody else. Her mom agreed much to her reluctance. She was 11 when she made the decision and that have strengthen her entire relationship with Mr Lee to become more connected and inseparable.

Raised by a man somewhat affected Chaerin in a sense of having a strong personality with a very strong mind. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, she is keen of doing what she has been thought as right and definitely are not afra