“Is Xiao Hua home?”

“Yes, she is, come on in,” Ariel said and opens the door wider.

“Thank you,” he said as he walks pass Ariel.

Ariel closed the door behind him and followed him in.

“Have a seat, Xiao Hua is in her room, I’ll go get her. Would you like something to drink?” Ariel asks.

“Do you have juice?”

“Apple juice okay?”

“Apple juice will do,” he smiled at her.

Ariel hands Mike the cup of juice before heading to Xiao Hua’s room.

“Xiao Hua,” Ariel said as she walks into Xiao Hua’s room.

“Yes mama?” Xiao Hua who’s busy putting stuff in her backpack turns to look at Ariel.

“You have a visitor,” Ariel smile at her.

“Really? Is it Donghae Ajusshi?”

“Why don’t you go out and see for yourself,” Ariel told her instead.

“Okay!” she got up and ran out of the room.

Ariel slowly follows her out.

“Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!” Xiao Hua shouts loudly as soon as she saw Mike.

“Hey! My little flower!” Mike said as he got up.

Xiao Hua ran into his arms and he immediately picked her up.

“Ohhhh~ I missed you so much!” he said as he hugs her.

“I miss you too daddy,” she said hugging him back.

“Let me look at you” Mike said and took a good look at her face. “You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you,” he smiles at her.

“Daddy, you’ve become so handsome too” Xiao Hua said as she cups his face with her little hands.

Mike laughs, “Really?”

“Mmm!”

Mike sets Xiao Hua down as Ariel joins them in the living room.

“Oh! Look at you, all dressed up, are you going somewhere?” he ask Xiao Hua.

“Umm! Today is the first day of summer break, so mommy is going to take me to the zoo. Daddy, want to come?”

“Of course I do, but you have to ask mommy for permission too,” he said and looks at Ariel.

“Mommy?” Xiao Hua turns to look at Ariel.

“Alright,” Ariel agreed.

“Yay! Daddy, will you come help me pack?” Xiao Hua said as she quickly got off the couch.

“Okay.”

Xiao Hua grabs onto Mike’s hand and leads him to her room.

~

“Xiao Hua, what do you want to see first?” Mike asks his little girl.

“Everything!” Xiao Hua replies.

Mike and Ariel laughs at her reply.

“Then, why don’t we start with the birds first?” Mike suggested.

“Okay, let’s go, let’s go” she said pulling both of their hands.

“Hello there, would you like a family picture?” one of the staff there ask.

Mike and Ariel looked at each other.

“Let’s take one,” Xiao Hua said for them.

“Okay, let’s take one,” Mike agrees.

The photographer then told them to pose and she snapped a shot of them together.

“Here you go, this is the number for your picture if you would like to buy it later,” she hands them a small paper with a number on it.

“Thank you,” Mike said and took the paper.

“Daddy, you’ll buy the picture for me right?” Xiao Hua asks Mike.

“Do you want it?”

“Mmm! I really want it.”

“Then I’ll buy for you after we’re done looking at the animals.”

“Promise?” she held out her small pinky.

“Promise,” Mike crosses his pinky with hers.

“Oh! Look! A bird!” Xiao Hua said and ran towards the cage.

“Xiao Hua, don’t run too fast,” Ariel calls after her.

Mike smile and looks at Ariel.

“You don’t have anything to ask me?”

Ariel looks away, “There’s nothing to ask,” she said and walks away.

Mike watches her walk away and followed her.

“Mommy looks look!” Xiao Hua points out a parrot.

“Wow, what a pretty bird,” Ariel smile with her.

“Daddy, hurry!” Xiao Hua looks back to call Mike.

Mike smile at her and quickly ran to her side.

“Where is it? Wow~”

~

Soon it was already noon, it was lunch time.

“Xiao Hua what do you want to eat?” Mike asks her as they stood in front of a food stall.

“Ice-cream!”

“Only after you eat,” Ariel told her.

“Okay…then pizza!”

“Okay, one pizza then,” Mike said, and turns to Ariel, “Why don’t you take Xiao Hua and go find a seat? I’ll order and wait for the food, then come find you two.”

“Alright,” Ariel said and held Xiao Hua’s hand. “Xiao Hua, where do you want to sit?”

“Over there,” Xiao Hua said and leads the way.

After lunch they continued their journey around the zoo. After viewing all the animals they went to have dinner, and then Mike send them home.

Ariel who sat in the back with Xiao Hua, gently brushes Xiao Hua’s hair with her hand as Xiao Hua was fast asleep with her head on Ariel’s laps holding their family picture tightly in her hands.

“I will be in Korea for a while, so I was hoping that while I’m here, can come see Xiao Hua?” Mike said breaking the silence in the car.

“Sure,” Ariel replies.

“Are you really okay with that?”

“You are her father, and Xiao Hua also really misses you, so I don’t really have the right to say no.”

“Thank you.”

~

Once they reached the apartments, Mike carried Xiao Hua home and tucked her in bed before leaving.

“Then see you tomorrow,” Mike said to Ariel as she opens the door to let him out.

Just as she opens the door she saw Donghae coming out of his apartment. He was holding garbage bags in his hands.

“Bye-bye,” Mike said and walks away.

Ariel took a glance at Donghae who was staring at her before closing the door.

Ariel changed her clothes and also took out her garbage.

“Was that Xiao Hua’s father?” Donghae ask Ariel.

He was outside waiting for her.

Ariel walks pass him and toss her garbage bags into the bin. Ariel turns around and looks at him.

“Yes, he is,” she replies and started to walk back in.

Donghae follows her in and got on the elevator with her.

“Noona…do you still have feelings for him?” he asks nervously.

Ariel who was zoned out didn’t say a word.

“Noona?” Donghae turns to look at her.

“Noona? Ariel Noona?” he sets his hand on her shoulders making sure she was there.

Ariel turns to look at Donghae. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“No…”

“Sorry Donghae, it’s been a long day,” she said and walks out of the elevator.

Donghae slowly follows her keeping a distance in between them.

He watches Ariel enter her apartment before going into his.

“Before she said that she didn’t fall in love with him…but from the looks on her face, there is something going on between them…something that she hasn’t told me yet,” Donghae said as he lays on his bed.

~

Ding Dong!

“I got it!” Xiao Hua said and ran to get the door. “Daddy!” she said happily as she jumps into his arms.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Mike asks Xiao Hua.

“Mmm.”

“Come on in you two,” Ariel said to them as she was cleaning up the house.

“Daddy, are we going to go somewhere again today?”

“Of course! And daddy knows the perfect place to go today.”

“Where?”

“Amusement park!”

“Wow! Really?!”

“Really, but you have to ask mommy for permission first.”

Xiao Hua quickly got down and went to find Ariel who’s on the balcony watering some plants.

“Mommy, daddy wants to take me to the amusement park today. Can I go?”

“Amusement park?”

“Mmm. I had always wanted to go, please,” she made a puppy face at Ariel.

“Okay, but you be good.”

“Yay! I promise!” she said and ran back into the house yelling that she can go.

A while later she came back out.

“Mommy, can’t you go with us?”

“Did daddy ask you to ask me?”

“No, I just think that it’ll be more fun if mommy goes too.”

“But, mommy can’t ride the rides there, so it won’t be fun if mommy goes.”

“Aww…but I really want you to go too,” she pouts.

“Just go,” Mike said as he joins them on the balcony. “You don’t have to ride on anything, and my Korean is very poor.”

“Yeah mommy, please?”

Ariel looks at Xiao Hua, “Okay, but promise to not make mommy ride the scary ones.”

“Promise,” she said and cross their pinkies.

They waited for Ariel to get ready then they left for the amusement park.

~

Mike bought the tickets and they head into the amusement park.

“Wow! Daddy! I want to ride on everything!” Xiao Hua said excited.

“Xiao Hua, why don’t we start with the rides that you can ride on?” Mike suggested.

“Okay, let’s go!” she said and pulls their hands.

~

“Mommy!” Xiao Hua yells as she waves to Ariel who’s watching Xiao Hua and Mike ride the mini Viking ship from the side.

Ariel smiled and waves back at her.

“Mommy, are you sure you don’t want to ride anything?” Xiao Hua asks Ariel as they walk to the next ride.

“I’m very sure,” Ariel replies. “Ah~ Xiao Hua, do you want to use the restroom?” Ariel asks as they walk towards the direction of the restrooms.

“I kind of do,” she reply.

“Then why don’t we take a bathroom break?” said Mike.

They then went to the restrooms for a bathroom break.

Ariel helped Xiao Hua washes her hands, then they both walk out bumping into some girls.

“Sorry,” Xiao Hua apologizes.

“Sorry,” said Ariel.

“It’s okay,” one of the girls replied and continue their way into the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” Ariel asks Xiao Hua.

“I’m okay,” she replies and they walk out from the bathroom.

“Oh. It looks like Mike is not here yet,” said Ariel as she looks around.

“Donghae Ajusshi!” Xiao Hua said loudly.

Ariel turns to look and saw Donghae coming out from the restroom.

“Hi Xiao Hua!” Donghae said surprised to see them there. “What are you two doing here?” he asks as he got down to eye level with Xiao Hua.

“We came to ride rides of course, and we also came with my daddy,” she smiles at him. “What about you? Why are you here Donghae Ajusshi?”

“Ajusshi also came here to ride rides.”

“Alone?”

“No, with some friends,” he smile at her.

“Friends? Who?”

“Donghae! Are you done?!”

“Ah! It’s Lin Lao Shi,” Eunhyuk said surprised.

“Lin Lao Shi hao,” Donghae’s usual group of friends greeted Ariel.

“Ni men hao,” Ariel replies back.

“Lao shi, is she your daughter?” Sungmin asks.

“Mmm, she’s my daughter. Eun Soo, say hi to mama’s students,” Ariel told Xiao Hua.

“Annyeonghaseyo” she bows and greeted them.

“Wow, I didn’t know you have such a cute daughter,” Eunhyuk said and got down to eye level with her.

“Hi, my name is Eunhyuk, but you can call me Oppa,” he smiles at her.

“Why are you Oppa to her when I’m Ajusshi?” Donghae smacks the back of his head making Xiao Hua and Ariel laugh.

“Eunhyuk ah~” some girls by the bathroom calls for them.

“Well, it looks like your friends are waiting,” Ariel said to them.

“Wow~ Girls! Ajusshi, are you guys on a date?” Xiao Hua asks them.

Eunhyuk smiles at her, “Why are you so smart? Yes, we are on a date, so we’ll get going now. Lao Shi it was nice to see you here” Eunhyuk said as he got up.

“Xiao Hua.”

Xiao Hua turns and saw Mike holding three bottles of water in his hands.

“Daddy!” said and ran towards Mike. “I thought you were still in the bathroom,” she said to Mike.

“Then, we’ll get going,” Sungmin said to Ariel.

“Okay, have fun you guys.”

“You too Lao Shi, bye bye.”

Eunhyuk waved to Xiao Hua as he drags Donghae who was staring at Ariel away.

“Who are they?” Mike as Xiao Hua as they walk towards Ariel.

“Mommy’s students, but that one in the white t-shirt is Donghae Ajusshi,” Xiao Hua points Donghae out. “He is mommy’s student and our neighbor” Xiao Hua said with a big smile. “Donghae Ajusshi is very nice, and very funny, I really like him.”

“Really?” Mike said and looks at Ariel who had just looked away from Donghae.

From there on they continued their day that’s full with rides ahead of them.

Ariel, who felt sick from watching them walk over to a bench and sat down. A few minutes later someone came and sat beside her.

“Noona, you don’t look too good,” she heard Donghae said.

Ariel lifts her head and turns to look at him.

“Why are you here?”

He points to the giant drop nearby. “I can’t ride that,” he said indicating that the others are in line getting ready to ride that.

Ariel lets out a small chuckle.

Donghae smile after hearing her laughter.

“Why are you here? Not feeling well?”

“Mmm, kind of, rollercoaster and I never go well together,” Ariel said to him. “So, which one is your girl?” Ariel changed the topic.

“I’m not interested in them,” Donghae told her making her let out another laugh.

“How is that possible? They look so pretty and nice.”

“It doesn’t matter how nice they are or pretty they look, because there’s already someone who I like.”
 

****

UPDATED!