The day is warm, it is neither cold nor too hot. His wife stands by the window peeking at his daughter, whose laughter he could hear mixed with someone else’s. His wife is smiling as she peeks and Mr. Chu can only frown at her in disapproval.

“You shouldn’t be spying on them.” His wife shakes her head but listens to him, smiling as she goes to sit beside him on the couch.

“They’re so cute together. Ga Eul has been so happy since Yi Jeong returned,” His wife speaks, that look in her eyes which still makes his heart flutter only causes him to offer her a nod.

“Come on. Don’t be so harsh on them.” She tells him but it is beyond his control.

 

From the moment Mr. Chu saw that man a few years back he knew he had lost his daughter. It was that look in his daughters’ eyes, that fire in that mans eyes as he looked back at Ga Eul that made him realize this person was dangerous… Mr. Chu remembers his daughter when she was just born. That small bundle of love which he had not known he would love more than anything and anyone in his life.

 

When he had met his wife and fallen in love with her, he had not known he could love anyone more than her; until Ga Eul. His small, shy but inquisitive child that to him would never find someone that was good enough for her.

 

“Daddy! I finally got him to come home with me!”
Mr. Chu is more concerned for his small five year old daughter as he sees the scratches on her arms while a small Garfield like cat is perched in her arms hissing at her. His eyes are glaring at Mr. Chu while his daughter proudly smiles.

“Isn’t he sweet. I told you he would come home with me.”
 

His daughter’s enthusiasm only causes the cat to hiss out once again as if demanding she let him go. For the past few weeks Ga Eul had been coming home covered in scratches from the park. It seemed like she and Jae Ha had found a stray kitten and Ga Eul had taken to it. Upon looking at the cat Mr. Chu could tell it was aggressive. However, he was alarmed when he saw blood trickling from Ga Eul’s hand.

“Put the cat down sweetheart. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Cinnamon was just scared. A dog tried to hurt him. He scratched me trying to get me to carry him but I’m fine.” Ga Eul spoke shrugging though as the small child looked at the cat she saw its injured tail.

“Daddy.” Ga Eul began to cry as if the cat’s pain was her own. It was a quality that Mr. Chu found endearing of his child.

“He’s hurt. Can you fix him?”

“Give him to me.” Mr. Chu spoke.

 

However, as soon as Mr. Chu tried to grab the small cat it immediately hissed and managed to nip his hand in anger. Wincing Mr. Chu sighed.

“Come on Ga Eul. You’ll have to help me with it.” Mr. Chu spoke. Together they simply led the cat into the bathroom. There was a small bucket which Mr. Chu filled with water and as soon as Ga Eul set the cat down it began to meow out in panic. Never did it stop hissing or glaring.

The cat simply stopped its small noises only when Ga Eul would touch it as if she was reassuring him it would be okay. Finally, after a bath, the blood on it’s tail had now gone and it peacefully slept on Ga Eul’s lap.

 

“Ga Eul” Mr. Chu began knowing that this was something he needed to tell his daughter.

“You know that we love you but… you can’t keep him. He’s not house trained and… he bites and scratches.” Mr. Chu watched his small child look down at the small kitten with love. It seemed as though the small kitten sensed this and simply snuggled itself closer to Ga Eul. Its guard was down at the moment and it seemed like a plain old kitten.

“But… he’s lonely. He doesn’t have a mommy or a daddy...”

“We can take him to a place where he’ll be safe but… we can’t keep him. It’s too much responsibility for a child.” Mr. Chu watched a perplexed look fill Ga Eul’s eyes.

“I can give him love. Don’t you and mommy always say that love fixes everything? I can take care of him. I promise.”
 

Mr. Chu realized now that Ga Eul was often too kind. She was so much like her mother, always trying to help those that were helpless. Back then Ga Eul had brought home a stray kitten that at the time was angry and volatile. With time it seemed like the cat calmed and accepted Ga Eul, loving her and protecting her as if he was her bodyguard. On more than one occasion the volatile cat had attacked anyone that seemed to go near Ga Eul. Cinnamon had relaxed around both he and his wife and eventually the cat passed away from old age. It had broken Ga Eul’s heart and she had refused to throw out anything that belonged to the cat. Even now, she still kept the cats collar and she still had a few pictures of the cat on her phone.

 

Mr. Chu should have realized then Ga Eul loved strays a bit too much…When she had brought home So Yi Jeong Mr. Chu was not happy with this stray either. So Yi Jeong was a player known well throughout Korea. One does not acquire a nickname such as Casanova for nothing. Mr. Chu knows that Yi Jeong doesn’t remember but he sure does. Around the time they were just a few months old Yi Jeong and Ga Eul had met. Mr. Chu recalls how clingy Yi Jeong was towards Ga Eul whom was a quiet baby, Yi Jeong on the other hand was loud and tended to cry a lot when he was not held. The only exception to that was when he was placed beside Ga Eul. Annabelle, Ariel’s mother had always been close to his own wife. He was well aware of Yi Jeong’s past and his parents. In the end, Yi Jeong was pitiful and Mr. Chu couldn’t really hold his past against him as he too understood what it was like to be unwanted.

 

Mr. Chu grew up with his grandmother. His mother and father had both abandoned him and went their separate ways. Never once did he hear from them except on the day which they passed. As a young man. Sebastian was rather rebellious. He loved classic rock, leather and motorcycles. Attending school was never something he loved if anything, his occupation was women. At the time he met his wife Ha Ni she was like Ga Eul. A good student, a kind sweet and naïve girl. What Sebastian had loved about her were those deep rich chocolate eyes of hers and that smile that made him feel like he was worth something even when he wasn’t.

 

During that time his wife’s parents, her father in particular, had not been keen on him dating his daughter. Everything about him spelled out trouble and until the moment they walked down the isle and even much after Ha Ni’s father had trouble accepting him. Mr. Chu only understood now what that feeling was like.

 

When Ga Eul began seeing Yi Jeong it became obvious that Ga Eul was in love. It was the way his daughter smiled, the way she seemed to sparkle and the way her eyes would shine. His suspicions were only confirmed when he saw the large bear in Ga Eul’s room, then of course he saw Yi Jeong.

 

It was that look of hopelessness that Yi Jeong had expressed and the way Ga Eul knew without them having to say a word to one another that Sebastian knew… he had lost his daughter. That fire of danger in that boys’ eyes which was put out only by his daughter and replaced by a look of love which he himself recognized made him know it was love. That one look in Ga Eul’s eyes of care, understanding and love was the same way his own wife would look at him.

 

The saying of one day you will understand seemed to come too fast for Mr. Chu who could still see his young daughter as only a child. That small little girl who would run to him and loved to be picked up in his arms and smiled at him as if nothing in the world ever mattered was now in love.

 

Mr. Chu more than anyone else knew what it was like to hurt the person you most loved because you weren’t what she needed. He knew even then, with everything that Ga Eul was feeling, even if she was crying and hurting she would take Yi Jeong back because she loved him. The same happened with him. Right after he found himself alone in the world without his grandmother. She was the only person in this world whom he thought cared for him and when she was gone he shut down.

 

Just like Yi Jeong he pushed away and hurt the only other person whom wanted nothing more than his love from him. He had been lucky enough to come to his senses before he truly lost Ha Ni. Of course it had taken seeing her with someone else for him to realize that he would lose her forever if he did not beg her to forgive him.

 

In those moments he had felt like the luckiest man and worked extremely hard for Han Ni’s parent’s to forgive him.

“I’m home.” Ga Eul spoke coming into her house, now sporting a beautiful engagement ring in her hand and smiling brightly. Not a hint of heartache in her eyes. If anything, Ga Eul was smiling brightly the glow on her face of true happiness not leaving her from the moment that boy had come back to her.

“That boy couldn’t come in?”
“Yi Jeong Sunbae didn’t want to impose… he knows you don’t like him.” Ga Eul spoke quietly though the smile did not leave her face.

 

From across the room his wife simply smiled at him with that spark in her eyes that told him he had lost. Ga Eul simply headed towards her father and sat beside him.

“I don’t feel any particular way about him.” Mr. Chu spoke. Ga Eul didn’t say anything simply giggled before placing her head on her fathers’ shoulder.

“At least he doesn’t have a motorcycle.” Mrs. Chu spoke her eyes sparkling with mischief which caused Ga Eul to giggle.

“Ji Hoo Sunbae has a motorcycle and he’s the nicest guy I know.”
“You should have liked him then.” Mr. Chu muttered under his breath.

“Ji Hoo Sunbae only has eyes for Ariel. Besides. I love Yi Jeong Sunbae.” Ga Eul spoke with a kind smile, her eyes sparkling.

“But abuji… you know don’t you?” Ga Eul began turning to look at her father.

“That I love you too.” With those words Ga Eul simply kissed her father’s cheek and then stood up to leave smiling at her mother before heading to her room.

 

Looking at his wife who offered him a smile Mr. Chu spoke,

“I remember when she was just five. She’d always loved playing dress up and dreamed about getting married.”
“Granted you would always play the groom.” His wife spoke with a smile.

“I don’t think I’m ready to walk her down the isle.”

“That’s the same thing my father thought when I married you.” His wife spoke her tone gentle as she reminisced.

“I can only speak for myself but... I never regretted marrying you because I knew you loved me. Can’t you see that as well? When he looks at her, the way she smiles.” His wife went on.

“I know… they love each other.” Mr. Chu spoke.

“Then… you have nothing to worry about… They’ll be fine just like we were” She spoke.

“I wasn’t that bad was I?” Mr. Chu questioned causing his wife to laugh wholeheartedly.

“You were. And it didn’t take you a few weeks likes Yi Jeong to get your act together. It took you three months…. I really thought you were leaving me.”
“But I didn’t”
“Yi Jeong is good for her. He’s proven that a long time ago. He’s much more mature than you were at his age and more important than that. When we’re gone there will be someone who will love our daughter more than anyone else in the world.”
“I know.” Mr. Chu spoke with a sigh.

“You’re not losing her. You’re simply allowing her to spread her wings a little more.”

“I know.” Mr. Chu spoke once again, smiling at his wife and taking her hand.

“I have to let her go don’t I?”
“It’s not letting her go just… letting her find her own happiness. Like we did” His wife spoke and Mr. Chu could only agree, Regardless of what he felt or wanted. In the end it was only Ga Eul’s happiness that mattered. If his child was happy, he would not stand in her way.

(Thank you for reading. Next chapter is Ji Hoo)