"Okay, pa, he's actually handsome."

"Areum?" the father asked, his mouth slowly gaping. His daughter shrugged.

"What? You've been staring at him for a while now. I thought you maybe wanted a compliment or something. Or maybe that's for me", grinned Areum.

Chanyeol was shocked, yet the word felt very shallow. Dumbfounded and scared are much more appropriate in this situation, for instance, the sudden appearance of this fine man before him took him by surprise on another level. But Areum's words struck him, and he cannot deny what his little one has said. After all these years, he was still as entrancing as he was 12 years ago.

Yet the question of him appearing before his very presence at this unexpected time is baffling as ever. Why did it have to be now when he was having fun with his precious daughter? When he was chilling and blurring away from the past he has been trying to forget about?

But he seems to be playing a fool with a fool. One, him, standing dumbly close to the shop just increases his anxiousness, and two, the man's eyes are still on him as if Chanyeol was the only one he could see.

And he asks himself, why won't he make some move and just ignore his whole existence?

"Earth to Mr. Park Chanyeol!"

"Sorry, but, uh, you know what Areum? Let's go."

"Finally! You've been having a staring contest with that mysterious man."

"Areum!" Chanyeol scolded her, resulting in the girl immediately closing from the sudden yell of her father. Feeling a bit guilty, he apologized for his sudden outburst, which the child accepted. Not wanting to increase the chances of him getting caught in this uncertified competition.

"Chanyeol?"

Damn it.

Chanyeol froze on his spot once again, scolding his idiotic self for reacting so slowly in a situation that should be handled professionally (in other words, reacting immediately without lingering feelings or getting distracted with... his... face). Just why can't he do things correctly all of a sudden?

Mustering up his courage to -once again- face the said man, Chanyeol gave a small smile as a greeting and bowed.

"Been a while, huh?"

The man nodded with a small smile as well (and Chanyeol has both the urge to wipe it out or mesmerize on it for- Oh forget about it!).

"How are you?"

"I- Uh, I-m fine."

Chanyeol silently cursed at his so unprofessional posture. And what was that stammer? That wasn't really necessary, now was it? Wait, was it a stutter? He's in his mid-thirties, for God's sake.

As Chanyeol was lost in his thoughts, the man's grin was, obviously, not known to him. Too distracted by how will he face his future. Areum, with eyes big, was confused with the event too, having to stare discreetly at both the unknown man and her father.

For sure they had some sort of relationship before, the girl thought.

Just then, the man faced the girl, grinned, and waved his hand to her. Areum waved back with the same vibe.

"Your father seems to be very baffled."

"I can agree on that", sighed Areum.

"What's your name?"

The girl hummed at the question.

"Well, I still have to check on your identity since I still have to know you, but it seems you know my father, yes?"

"Certainly."

"No, he doesn't", Chanyeol immediately cut the man. 

Areum sighed again.

"A-huh."

"If that's the case, why don't you introduce me to her?"

The man smiled sweetly, and a change of emotions began to erupt in him. Gosh, how childish. But standing here for too long won't do him good. Everything would be a mess again.

He's already done with that phase, why start again? Nothing extravagant will come out of this, nothing special for the two of them. Nothing.

Something then caught his eye, someone calling out this man's name.

Ah, Chanyeol thought, he has long let go already, huh?

"I don't need to. We got to get going, sorry for staring at you earlier. It must have disturbed you."

Chanyeol bowed. Peeking at his daughter, he took her wrist and fled from the scene, leaving Yifan who was discouraged at the change of events. It wasn't what he had had in mind. The feeling of disappointment was what was left in him as he watched the two walk further away from him as each second passed.

"YIFAN! My honeybun- Oh, who you staring at sweetie-kins?"

Yifan hissed, a conclusion popping up in his head. 

"Shut up, Junmyeon, and none of your business."

"Hmph, was just asking anyway."

"Did you have everything?" Yifan asked, slightly peeking to his left and see if Junmyeon had any paper bags in his hand.

"Yeah. I'm just waiting for that brat."

"Then pay for them."

Yifan began to walk to a store nearby as he placed his hands in his stiff pockets, leaving Junmyeon who was huffing at how impertinent he can be to him. He could have lent him his black card or something! What a bastard!

"He could have shown me some respect while we're at it",