“Are you okay?” The sudden question brought her back to her senses—noting the people filtering out of the cinema. 

Dony had simply laughed when she told him she hated horror movies earlier. But there were no other “good” movies aside from the blockbuster hit they watched. And even though it terrified her, she went with him who promised her with a chuckle,

“No ghost can come close to you.” 

It had been the longest 2 hours of her life and she had spent most of it cowering and with eyes half-closed. She had forgotten to eat her popcorn or even drink her root beer. And she was certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep without the lights on that night. At least... being scared out of her wits took her mind off things. 

Dony stood up and stretched out a hand before her. 

“Let’s go.”  

She gingerly took his hand which felt warm and smooth. As soon as she stood up, he gently tugged her towards the exit without letting her hand go. Being held like that felt... nice. But there was something she couldn’t quite understand as she surveyed the moon tattoo on the side of his neck. For someone who seemed so carefree about his life, Lisa still couldn’t come to terms why Kwon Young Don would like her. And even after spending some time together, she still found herself at a loss when it came to understanding her feelings towards him.   

“What would you like for dinner?” Dony was already walking beside her along the busy street—his hand maintained that gentle grip on hers. 

“I can eat anything.” 

His nose scrunched as he surveyed her whole form. “Really?” 

“No discrimination, please.” She retorted with mock hurt and he only nudged her before pointing at a small tonkatsu restaurant across the road.  

One nod from her and he grinned. “We get an extra plate just in case.”  

The dinner was spent in conversation as Dony shared some funny things he did with his twin brother. Since they were identical and practically impossible to tell apart for strangers, they caused a lot of trouble growing up. That left no room for a lull in their conversation and Lisa found herself laughing—sincerely interested in the small anecdotes he would tell.  

It was almost the end of their dinner when her phone rang and she quickly answered it without excusing herself—thinking it would be a quick call as usual. Dony just sat there drinking his water as he pretended not to care. But his face definitely perked up when he heard her speak in her native language.  

“I’m having dinner with a friend.” She replied to her mother after their usual greetings. Dony was eyeing her with both wonder and amazement as she continued, “Is something up?” 

She was about to laugh at Dony’s expression when her mother said, “Your father wants to see you.” 

Her smile faltered and it was so sudden that she averted her gaze—not wanting to be distracted by the person sitting in front of her. 

“Why?” 

Only one word and she could feel her chest constrict. Her mother’s voice softened even more as if she was treading on eggshells while breaking this news to her daughter. 

“He’s in Seoul now and he wants to see you before he leaves tomorrow morning.”  

“Ma, I haven’t seen him in years. What’s so different now?” Her different language couldn’t hide the bitterness in her tone. And Dony had noticed that shift as he considerately stood up and went to the counter to pay. 

“Just talk with him, sweetheart.” She could hear the sadness in her mother’s voice. “He misses you.” 

That almost got to her but she remembered how he had suddenly become estranged without even a proper explanation.  

“I doubt it.” 

“Lalisa...” 

“I have to go. Take care, Ma.”  

She ended the call and was about to follow Dony when she saw a familiar man clad in a black suit approach her. It had been four years since she had also seen his father’s secretary. Klahan nodded at her—back ramrod straight as always and Lisa noted he had aged a little... maybe he was in his late 30s now. But that didn’t deter him from looking quite intimidating. 

“Ms. Lalisa.” He put his hands together and bowed. She didn’t have the time to respond when he spoke, “Your father is waiting for you.” 

“Lisa...” Dony’s deep voice broke through the otherwise awkward tension between the suit-clad man and the woman still seated at the table. “Do you know this person?” 

For all she knew, this man would not stop until he had brought her to his boss. There was no need to bring Dony into this situation. 

“Samchon...” He replied to Dony in Korean. “He’s my uncle. And he’s actually been waiting for a while.” 

Dony’s eyes widened as he bowed politely to Klahan who stiffly returned the gesture.  

“It’s nice to meet you.” Dony spoke in English and then looked at her in a bit of panic. Lisa stood up and cast him an apologetic look as her father’s secretary just stood there. 

“I’m sorry but I have to go now.”  

“You should’ve told me you’re meeting your uncle.” He looked quite sheepish as he glanced at the towering man beside them. And then he leaned forward like he was about to touch her... he decided not to—smiling when he said, “Take care.” 

“Thank you.”  

And then she left her date inside that restaurant. 

The air-conditioning inside the luxury hotel didn’t help the anxiety building in the pit of Lisa’s stomach. Her palms were already cold and she shivered as Klahan led her to a room her father occupied. As soon as the door opened, she realized that it wasn’t actually a room... it was a suite and the floor-to-ceiling glass windows boasted the evening view of central Seoul.  

Standing by the windows was her father—still tall and astute as she remembered. The dark grey suit hung snugly against his frame and he had grown facial hair. It only made him look more intimidating than usual. Her father would be fit as a villain in a movie... with that terrifying aura that always kind of surrounded him. How old was he now? 64? 65?  

Despite the cold and aggressive exterior, his eyes instantly softened at the sight of her. He may look like a villain yet he was still her father whom she had spent her childhood with. The same person who treated her as his own... the one who always gave her gifts and made her laugh and feel very cherished.  

“How are you?” He had spoken first and it pained her to think she actually missed his deep accented voice. Feeling constrict, she looked away and focused on the abstract painting hanging beside her. 

“Good. You?” 

“Surviving.” 

That made her look at him again and he was walking towards her. At this close distance, Lisa noticed he had aged a lot. The sides of his dark close-cropped hair were grey and the corners of his large dark eyes had more wrinkles. Still, he looked like a man who could conquer the world.  

“Did you like my birthday present this year?” He asked out of the blue and she simply nodded—thinking about the iPad Pro she had been using well for drawing and designing.  

Over the years, he had given her a desktop computer, a laptop, even a new refrigerator, and tons of clothes and shoes. And he would always give her a new phone every year. She never asked for any of these things but she would still find them delivered to her doorstep. And she knew her father also had a hand in choosing her apartment. Why else would she be paying only 200 bucks monthly for a studio apartment in an affluent neighborhood? She didn’t say anything because most of the things he gave her were necessities. Still, she couldn’t help but think he was trying to make up for his absence by showering her with these material objects. 

“I’m 21 now... I will have a job after graduation and I can fend for myself. You don’t need to buy me things anymore.”  

Her father’s eyes dimmed a little but then he smiled... even though it did not reach his eyes. “I can still give you birthday presents, right?”  

She had noticed then that he looked and sounded tired—as if he had been running around shouting orders and punishing people for not doing their jobs. When they moved to Korea eight years ago because of her father’s work, everything had seemed so... hopeful. But then change happened gradually. He came home less and less until he would be gone for weeks and then months at a time. And when he did come home, he always seemed so strung as if he would snap at any given second. Four years in Korea and he decided not to come back anymore. She always questioned her mother about his work and why he would leave them like that... why someone could be that busy to cast away his own family. That period of being hurt, confused, and devastated for being left by her father was something she tried not to remember.  

Ultimately, her mother decided to come back to Bangkok while Lisa had gotten a scholarship in a prestigious university in Seoul... and there was no way she would waste that opportunity given to her. And so she stayed and her hopes of getting her father back disappeared over the years.