POHANG

Ha Neul wakes up at almost nine and she immediately gets up. She can’t believe she accidentally fell asleep last night. She wanted to wait for her Appa, but her eyes got heavier and heavier until they were closed. Getting outside of her room, she sees two other doors that lead to two other bedrooms. Which one is her Appa’s?

She opens the room that’s exactly beside her room quietly to see if there’s her Appa in there, and no, it’s her Imo’s room. Then she jogs across the hall and opens the door, it’s a much bigger room than hers and her Imo’s room, and finds her Appa’s slummed on the bed.

“Appa.” She carefully shakes her father, but no reply. “Appa!” She climbs on the bed and starts jumping.

Jong Kook groans quietly, he feels so tired and Ha Neul’s jumping on his bed is not helping. He playfully and carefully catches her feet and she falls down to the bed with a giggle. He then cages her in his muscular arms and her giggle loudens. “Good morning, gongjunim.”

When she sees that he’s still closing his eyes, she screams. “Appa, wake up! Come on, wake up!”

“I am awake.” Jong Kook opens his eyes, but his head is not leaving the comfy pillow.

“Aniyo.” She whines and he’s still not moving. “I’ll tickle you, Appa. Hana, dul, set…”

Jong Kook sighs before lifting his head and tickles Ha Neul first. “See? Appa’s up and has officially started the tickle war.”

Ha Neul’s laugh can probably be heard to the beach, which is a couple of kilometers away. “Appa, andwaeyo, Appa.”

Jong Kook’s heart swells with love seeing his daughter laughing. He remembers the promise he made to himself the day she was born, that he will always love her unconditionally and give her everything she will ever want.

After a few rounds of tickle war, they are finally out of Jong Kook’s room with Ha Neul on his back. Even though she’s already seven, she still likes to be spoiled by her Appa from time to time.

Jong Kook goes straight to the coffee machine and makes him a cup of coffee. He doesn’t drink coffee that much because it’s not good for health, but this time, he really needs one. Ha Neul wakes him up too early. But sacrificing sleep for his only daughter is nothing because nothing comes before his Ha Neul.

“Appa, can we go somewhere today?”

“Sure, where do you want to go?” He slurps on his coffee and can feel the energy and adrenaline it supplies.

“Yeongildae Beach!”

“Is Jin Young Imo already up?” Jong Kook points at the room with his chin while checking on his phone.

“Let me check.” Ha Neul excitedly runs to Jin Young’s room. “She’s not on her bed anymore, Appa. Maybe she’s in the shower.”

Jong Kook nods while typing something. “How about you? Have you taken a shower?”

“Not yet.” Ha Neul giggles.

“No wonder you stink.” Jong Kook pretends to close his nose.

“Aniyo, Appa.” Again, Ha Neul giggles. “But can we go to the beach after I shower?”

“I’m sorry, uri gongjunim, I have a virtual meeting first.” Jong Kook frowns. When he sees how disappointed his daughter is, he continues, “Two hours tops. You can visit the market with Imo first, buy some ddeokbokki maybe? Eat some bibimbap.”

“Promise me that after that we can go to the beach?”

“I promise.” Jong Kook smiles. “You should buy something at the market, so we can have lunch at the beach. How about that?”

The plan seems to be working because Ha Neul smiles again. “Okay, I’ll buy something at the market.”

“Thank you.” Jong Kook kisses the top of her head and goes to his room.

Ha Neul goes to the couch and sighs. Her Appa is always away and working. Even though he spoils her, he’s still missing most of the times and she barely sees him nowadays. Ha Neul sees a little boy across the street from the window, coloring something in the hallway, then she sees him running to a sleeping lady on the couch with a crayon and a paper and tries to draw her, which she finds him cute. Ha Neul feels a small squeeze on her heart. If only she had a mother, she’d probably draw her too.

Little does she know.

Ji Hyo wakes up with a feeling as if she is falling. She blinks a couple of times before she realizes that she isn’t in her own bed. Getting up quickly, she rubs her eyes before looking right and left, and realizes that she has fallen asleep on her couch. She stretches her body, falling asleep on the couch surely makes her body sore. Collecting her phone from the coffee table she sees the clock shows 11.24 am.

, she never wakes up this late. Her first thought is I Seul. Where is I Seul? She is about to call him out when she sees him lounging on the hallway floor with crayons and papers and is drawing something.

Ji Hyo approaches I Seul and kneels down to see what he’s doing.

“Good morning, Eomma.” I Seul looks up to see his Eomma staring at his drawings.

Ji Hyo ruffles his messy hair with a smile. “Good-” Wow, her voice is hoarser than she thinks. The emotional evening the day before really takes a toll on her voice and makes feels groggy. She clears before trying again, “Good morning, adeul-ah.” Even though it still sounds scrappy.

“What happened with your voice?” I Seul looks at his mother oddly. “Did you eat too much candy and ice cream?”

“Aniya.” Ji Hyo chuckles, standing up to get herself a cup of water.

Seeing how his son is still focusing so much on his drawings, Ji Hyo opens a food cover to see the breakfast So Min had prepared earlier.

“So Min Noona already went to work, I Seul-ah?”

I Seul hums, but still focusing on coloring his drawings. He even has his tongue sticks out for how much he is concentrating.

Ji Hyo decides to just eat her breakfast on the kitchen counter while still watching her son because focused I Seul is hard to talk to. Then, she remembers that it’s already almost noon and she hasn’t let her helpers know that she won’t be coming to the shop today. After get