Yongguk walked into the kitchen and saw you standing by the sink as you washed the dishes from dinner. Smiling to himself, he made his way over to you and slipped his arms around your waist.
"Want some help?" he offered.
The sound of your chuckle was music to his ears. "Sure." you replied.
He stepped around to rinse but stopped when he peered out the window. He frowned at the sight of his daughter in standing in the backyard and even more so when he noticed she wasn't alone.
"Who's that?" he questioned.
You glanced up and sighed. "Her boyfriend."
"Excuse me??" Then he quickly turned and stormed over to the back door, ignoring his wife who was calling for him. He closed the distance to the two teenagers in a matter of seconds. "In the house now." he growled to his daughter while glaring at the boy.
"Dad!" his daughter exclaimed.
The boy didn't bother to say anything. One look at her angry father was enough and he took off running out of the yard.
"I can't believe you did that." she scoffed with an eyeroll and started walking towards the house.
"What the hell was he doing here this late in the first place?" he interrogated as he followed right on her heels. "And since when are you dating?"
She looked over her shoulder at him and gave him another eyeroll instead of answering him. When they walked in the back door, he grabbed her arm and made her look at him.
"I asked you a question and I expect an answer." he demanded.
"Stop treating me like a child!" she yelled and yanked her arm away. Then she spun on her heel and hurried out of the kitchen before he could hear loud stomping going upstairs.
Yongguk turned to his wife and gave her a pointed look. "How long have you known?"
You sighed at him. "She's 17 years old. Did you really expect her to not date?"
"You want a honest answer?" he countered seriously.
You chuckled and shook your head. "It's her first boyfriend and they've been dating for a month now."
He stared at you incredulously. "A month? And I'm just now finding out?"
"What did you want? For him to ask your permission to court her?"
"Again; you want a honest answer?"
You smiled at him. "Go talk to her."
Yongguk took a deep breath and nodded a few times before walking out of the kitchen. He went upstairs and then knocked on her door.
"Yeah."
Taking another deep breath, he opened the door and found his daughter sitting on her bed. "Hey." he meekly said and his lips nervously.
She crossed her arms and looked at him expectedly.
He let out a breath. "Ok you're 17. I get that." he started. "But I just worry and... Well... Teenagers, especially boys... They.. uh..."
"Eww dad." she said while giving him a disgusted look. "We are so not having the talk."
Yongguk let out a small groan as he closed his eyes. "That is not a word I ever wanted to hear come out of your mouth." He opened his eyes to look at her once more. "I just... With some boys, all they think about is... I mean... It's the only... thing... they want and they'll say anything to get you to... Uh..."
"Are you sure you graduated highschool?"
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Honey."
She let out a sigh and uncrossed her arms. "I know that dad. He's asked me to have with him."
"Excuse me??"
"And he says how much he loves me and how lucky he is to be with me and how he never wants to be with anyone else..."
"Where does he live?!" Yongguk demanded angrily as he stormed out of her room and back down the stairs to the living room.
"Dad!" his daughter exclaimed, chasing after him. "Wait!"
He didn't stop as he grabbed the car keys and headed to the front door.
She ran in front of him with her arms spread out to block him. "I broke up with him!"
He stopped abruptly and stared at her. "What?"
"I didn't have with him and I broke up with him." she reiterated while glaring at him. "Just cause I'm under the age of 18 doesn't mean I'm an idiot. He kept pressuring me to have with him so I broke it off."
"You did?" he asked, surprised.
She rolled her eyes. "Dad. I know some guys think with their instead of their brains."
He groaned as his stomach flipped. "Another word I never wanted to hear you say."
"Would you rather I said pe.."
"No." he quickly interrupted. "No. Please. I get it."
She chuckled. "Okay. I didn't invite him over tonight, he just showed up and asked me to take him back. I turned him down."
"Really?"
"Dad!"
"Okay, okay. Sorry." he said and then took a deep breath. "I just... worry."
She sighed. "You don't have to. I'm not going to let some idiot hold me back. I still have school and then next year I'm going away to college.."
"Excuse me??"
"And then I'm going to get a well paying job, doing what I love. I have my life to live and I plan on doing it." she assured him. "I have priorities and any guy who wants to be in my life is going to have to respect that while respecting me. And if he really did love me, he wouldn't keep pressuring me to have with him."
Yongguk stared at her in shock, completely speechless.
She crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look. "Is that good enough for you?"
He shook out of his stupor before nodding. "Yeah." he uttered and then swallowed. "Yeah. That's... I'm sorry. I... I'm..."
"An idiot?" she offered.
He chuckled. "Yes. I'm an idiot." Then he gave her a sincere look. "And this idiot is very, very proud of you."
"Like I said dad, you don't have to worry." she told him with a little smile.
"Yeah I do." he said. "Try to see it from my perspective. No matter how old you get, you're still my little princess." He took a step forward and cupped her face. "Even when you're 30 and having kids of your own, you'll always be my precious baby girl."
She pressed her lips together before looking away, blinking rapidly. "Dad." she quietly whined.
He let go and took a step back, blinking away the tears in his eyes as well. "Right. Sorry. How about this," he said and smiled at her. "Please tell me you're not too old for me to take you out for ice cream?"
She shook her head. "Never." she said, smiling brightly at him. "Let me grab a coat." Then she quickly disappeared upstairs.
Yongguk smiled to himself and then looked over at the doorway to the kitchen. You were standing there and smiling as well. "She's amazing, isn't she?"
"Yeah." he agreed.
You walked over to him and wrapped your arms around his waist. "You two go without me. Have some father-daughter time."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." you reassured him and then gave him a kiss. "Just don't kill each other please."
"Deal. And will you do something for me?" he asked.
"What?"
"Find out where she wants to go to college and start planning a move."
You laughed. "Wow."
Yongguk smiled at you and gave you another kiss just as his daughter came back down. "Ready." she said. "Coming mom?"
"I'm tired. Bring me back something." you told her.
"Alright. And sorry about the idiot showing up. Didn't expect him to."
You gave Yongguk a little smirk. "I think your father made it so he won't try that again."
She laughed. "Yeah. Thought he was going to hit him."
"I thought about it."
"Dad!" she groaned. "Besides, he's not even 18 yet."
"So when does he turn 18?"
She gave him a look before rolling her eyes and heading out the front door.
"For reference. Just in case." he reasoned, following her outside.