Gon-ah was ecstatic when we finally arrived home.  I gazed at our old house for a few minutes.  It has been five years since I left Busan. 

Gon-ah ran to the house as if she knew the place.  My father prepared a room especially for his only grandchild.  He renovated the guest room just for Gon-ah.

“Nothing has changed.”  I told myself.

“Let’s get in.  Ahjumma prepared a feast for the two of you.”

Gon-ah spoke non-stop to his grandpa’s delight all through out dinner.  She likes her new room very much.  And the toys his grandpa bought.  They were all in the middle of her princess bed when his grandpa showed her bedroom.  Gon-ah was overwhelmed when she saw how his grandpa prepared everything for her.

“I’m glad you like your room, princess.”  Father was teary eyed as well.

“I don’t like it, Grandpa.  I love it very much!”  Gon-ah came down from her chair and went to his grandpa.  She kissed and hugged him tightly.

“OMMO!  You’re such a sweet talker.  I wonder where you get that.  Not from your mother obviously.” 

“I think I got it from Poppa.” Gon-ah said.  I choked with the food I was chewing.  Father handed me a glass of water.

“Are you okay, Momma?”  Gon-ah asked innocently. 

“I’m fine.” 

I was tucking my daughter in her bed.  She was already yawning, but she still couldn’t stop talking. 

“Momma?”  She asked cautiously.

“Yes, baby?”  Her tone is making me nervous.

“Can I see Poppa again?” 

My hands stilled.  I was taken aback by her boldness.

“Gon-ah…”  I didn’t know how to answer her.

“Please…?”  She asked with half-closed eyes.

“Let’s wait and see.  He’s a very busy person.”

“He’s so handsome, Momma.”

“He is.  Now, go to sleep.”  I planted a kiss on her forehead and stared at her for a long time.  My daughter is so pretty just like her father.

I’ve been tossing and turning in my bed.  I glanced at the table clock for the nth time. 3am.

Damn!  I couldn’t sleep.  My whole body is tired, but my mind couldn’t stop thinking of the incident in the airport.  Everything kept repeating. I can still remember the little girl’s voice.

YOU’RE MY POPPA.

Her voice keeps ringing in my ears. 

I gave up forcing myself to sleep.  I found myself staring at the dark night sky in my balcony.  The vivid picture of the mother and daughter in the airport became more clear in the dark.  I fished out the phone in my pocket and dialed my friends number.  It was late, but I had to tell him what happened.

As expected, YG summoned me to his office early in the morning.  My dark circles were outrageous.  I knocked at YG’s office with a cup of coffee on my hand.

YG tossed me a bunch of photos when I entered his office.  I wasn’t even surprised at the huge captions in each photo.

“What do you want me to do with those?”  YG asked.  He was trying to be cool.

I looked at the photos one by one.  The little girl looks exactly like me.  There’s no question about it.

I stared at the photo of the woman.  She had become more beautiful.  There’s no more trace of her reckless image five years ago.  Motherhood suits her well.  Somehow, I felt proud.

“Jiyong?”  YG was waiting.  He’s losing his patience.

“Let the media make the work easy for me.  I need to find them quickly.”  I said after sipping coffee.

“Are you saying,”

“There’s no denying it, Hyung.  She’s my child.  And I want to see her again.  ASAP!”  I said with conviction.

“This could ruin your career.”  YG warned.

“Do you think I care?  I must see my child no matter what.”

“Can’t you think it over?  I can find ways to clear your name-“

“Can’t you see my dark circles, Hyung?  I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about it.  I just want to see my daughter.”

“Are you really sure?  You will not regret it later?”  YG was still apprehensive.  I picked the photo of my daughter and gave it to him.

“The only thing I will regret is ignoring the fact that I have a beautiful child like her.”

YG didn’t answer.  Jiyong has made up his mind.

“I need her location after I finished my appointments for the day.  I’m going.”

YG pressed the intercom as soon as I left his office.

“Call Mr. Sy.” YG instructed his secretary.  After an hour, he was on his way to meet Dara.

“Thank you for seeing me in such a short notice.”  YG started.

I was watching my daughter playing with other kids inside the play area of a popular shopping mall.

“I’m sorry if I met with you in this place.  My daughter was excited to meet new friends,”

“I understand.  You have such a beautiful daughter.”

“Thank you.”

Silence.

Gon-ah started walking towards us.  She was looking curiously at the man opposite me.

“Who is he?”  She whispered. 

“Hello.  I’m Uncle Yang.”  YG introduced himself.

“Uncle?”  Gon-ah was puzzled.

“I’m G-Dragon’s boss.”  YG added.

“G-Dragon?”

“You’re fa-“

“You’re Poppa’s boss?” Gon-ah asked. Meeting anyone connected to her so-called father excites her.

“Well-  Yes.  I’m your father’s boss.”  YG answered awkwardly.

“Where is my Poppa?” She looked around to find her father.

“Gon-ah!”  I interrupted.

“He’s busy at the moment, but he will see you later.”  YG said.

“Mr. Yang.  I don’t remember saying I’m letting them meet again.  You should be careful with what you’re saying to my daughter.”  I reprimanded the old man in front of me.

“Gon-ah.  Go back to your friends.”  I told my daughter.  I don’t want her to listen to our conversation.

“He asked me to arrange a meeting with your daughter.”

“If he really wanted to see my daughter, he didn’t need a representative.”  I said with sarcasm.

“You know he’s a very busy person.  It’s difficult for him to appear just anywhere.”

I laughed ridiculously at his statement.

“We’re not begging him to see my daughter.  He’s the one asking a favor.”

“After that scene you created in the airport, do you think it will be easy for him to be out in the public?”  YG’s voice tightened. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yang.  But I think you misunderstood something here.”  I straightened my back before continuing.

“I have no intention of dragging my daughter anywhere near your world.  We are quietly living ours.  It’s just a misfortune my daughter accidentally bumped into him.”

“Really?  I think I heard that before.”  YG mocked me.

“I think this meeting is over.”  I got up from my chair and turned to leave.

“You know this could ruin his career.  He worked so hard to reach his status.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Yang.”

My knees were wobbling as I walked to get my daughter.  My face was beet red with rage.

“What’s wrong, Momma?” 

“Nothing, baby.  Let’s go home.”  I didn’t dare look back.