“Thank you for being such a huge part of this charity, we wouldn’t have made this happen if it wasn’t for your help, Mr. Do.”

A curt nod as an initial response, Kyungsoo took out his hand from his pocket and accepted the handshake the coordinator offered. “No problem, my team is happy to volunteer today.” He professionally retorts back.  “Yes! You made a lot of kids happy, sir. You must be so fond of kids; you should have brought your own kids here too, thy could have joined the race and games.” Failing to comprehend the growing discomfort Kyungsoo was showing towards the unnecessary chit-chat, the old lady continued to talk. With a forced smirk, Kyungsoo shook his head. “Kids are okay. Unfortunately, I don’t have kids yet. Thank you for the nice thoughts, though.” He replied cautiously. The lady, eyes expanded in surprise, inhaled. “Oh, really?—”

“Could you give me a moment? I need to take a call.” Kyungsoo finally was able to excused himself from the social nonsense he believes he is in. Without further waiting for the old lady’s response, he walked away followed by his secretary, Junho. “Sir, here you go.” He attempts to hand his boss’s phone. However, Kyungsoo only put a hand up to signal him to keep the phone and his distance. “How much longer does this event take.” He coldly asked while adjusting his sunglasses as it began sliding down his nose bridge because of the sweat all over his face, it’s one hot sunny day today.

By two in the afternoon, he needs to go to pick up Inyoung from school at three. It’s a Friday and he gets to have Inyoung every other weekend – and this weekend is his turn so he is eager to leave. He makes this routine possible without his family knowing, he rented an apartment close to Inyoung’s school where they stay every time it’s their weekend. He doesn’t live in one roof with his parents but they do live, together with his other relatives, in one private and first-class village. Their houses are way too close to each other that he can’t really openly bring his daughter in his own real home.

They knew about the past but they never approved of it and never knew Kyungsoo decided to be a man and take responsibilities. His mother knows that he visits his secret daughter once in a while but it was only because she caught him some years ago but they continued keeping it from his father and everyone else.

Do Kyungsoo’s whole family is very influential in the city so what happened between him and Yerin eight years ago was a big no-no especially for the facts that he was only twenty-one at the time, wasn’t even done with university and was never really in an actual relationship with Yerin who was only twenty at that time and was working as a barista in his university, it was an accident between friends.

As a matter of fact, at that time, they weren’t even close friends to begin with. They were just starting to create a bond. . . which surprisingly, ignited in a different way one rainy spring day of 2011.

To make the long story short, it was very complicated for both parties.

After a much-awaited ending of the event, Kyungsoo finally got to leave. His staff were left to help pack up and so he took the chance as soon as he could. Before starting the engine of his car, he made sure to text Yerin.

I’m on my way to pick up Inyoung.

Text sent. He pushed the gas and left the scene, giving one last look to the park. Rush hour is about to start soon and that’s why he wanted to leave an hour earlier, he doesn’t want Inyoung to wait like the other weekend where he was stuck in a meeting and the poor kid had to stay and wait in her classroom for two hours. She was crying so hard that day and worse, it was the day before her birthday. Kyungsoo tried to make it up to her by getting her a new bunny plushie which, as expected, worked well.

Once he arrived at the school’s parking, he immediately called Inyoung’s phone. A kid having a phone seems like a taboo and is dangerous but for him and Yerin it’s pretty convenient as long as they discipline her enough to not ONLY use phones like this new generation of kids. They make sure she does enough physical activities and hang-outs with his parents for her not to be glued to her phone. Also, her phone is a very old model of flip phone. Just convenient enough to communicate with her family. “Honey, I’m here.” He spoke as soon as the kid picked up.

“Yippie!” The kid beamed on the other end, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but to smile at that.

Only Inyoung can make a cold-hearted man like him weak on his knees like this.

Within a couple minutes, she finally came out with an unknown man holding her hand. With his eyebrow raised, Kyungsoo glared his eyes to look more closely. After some seconds, he finally remembered his daughter mentioning that she has a new teacher. That hit him, her previous teacher was pregnant. It only made more sense. He sighed in relief before getting out of the car to meet them halfway. “Hello, Mr. Kwon.” The teacher immediately bowed to him. “Mr. Byun, he’s not my dad. He’s my mom’s friend.” Without needing to reply, Inyoung introduces for him.

He hated it. He really hated it whenever Inyoung introduces him like that to people. It kills him to know that she has to do that but it wasn’t even his idea. There was one time that they were together and one acquaintance of his met them at the mall, he panicked at that time and was ready to just run off when his young lovely daughter suddenly saved him and straight up told the person that she was the daughter of Kyungsoo’s friends. He didn’t know if Yerin taught her that but Inyoung later on said it’s because she knew her father’s job is like a celebrity job so she doesn’t want her daddy to ‘get too much attention and ends up going home and not having fun with her outside if people bother them all the time’ when they’re together. Celebrity was an understatement; his name is known in and out of the city with their number of businesses.