when i was six years old, my dad introduced me to a woman i had never met before and told me he was going to marry her.

"i'm going to use the restroom." the lady said and left both of us at the table alone.

"okay.."

i just pouted all the time, knowing what will happen.

"should i just not get married?" my dad asked.

he knew i won't stop him from getting married.

"will getting married to that lady make you happy?" i asked.

"yes, that's right."

i don't remember exactly how i felt right then, but at the time, i believed that my dad would come to see me often if he was happy.

"you should do what makes you happy, dad." i said, hanging my head low.

but suddenly my dad ruffled my hair and said, "thank you, chaeyoung..for understanding."

i was left in awe, this action of my dad really made me happy.

i was happy because i thought i had made him happy, not realizing that my response didn't matter to him at all.

the woman was carrying my half-sibling at the time, but i was too young to notice.

regardless of what i had wanted, dad had already put his full focus on showering his new family with love. like mom said, dad had a lot of love to share.

my hopes were not realized.

my dad did not come to see me often.

i just ended up accepting dad's second marriage as a natural course of events.

there was nothing different about this time either.

"thank you for saying that. you know it's tomorrow at noon at the alliance wedding hall, right?" he asked.

"yes, i know."

"and can you reach out to ji-young? you know she listens to you."

"fine. i will." i agreed upon remembering my younger sister.

"thank you..and i'm sorry."

"it's fine."

"how are things with you? you doing alright?"

"yes, i'm well. i need to go. i'll see you tomorrow."

"all right.."

with that, i ended the call. i almost forgot that jungkook is still here beside me.

"who was that?" he asked.

"my dad." i told him, still tapping something on the phone.

"do your parents live far away?"

"my parents divorced when i was four. and my mom lived alone after that while my dad is about to marry his third wife tomorrow. i have two younger half-sisters and he can't reach the younger one at the moment. i'm sorry, but i'm going to make a quick phone call."

 i called ji-young, hopefully she picked up the phone. it's already night and my dad are worrying where is she right now.

she was nowhere to be seen.

"hello?" thank god, she picked up.

"hey, ji-young. where are you?" i asked.

"i'm in front of your apartment."

"what? why didn't you call me?"

"i was going to, but you called me first."

"where exactly are you? the front gate to the apartment?"

"no, i'm at the playground near building 103."

"all right. i'll come to you. stay right there."

"okay."

with that i ended the call, and getting ready to get out of the car.

"i'll head out now." i said and slightly bowed to jungkook, leaving him alone inside his car.

i walked towards where ji-young is right now.

haa..i feel drained.

yes, this is reality. i almost started to hope again. i'll end up alone in the end anyway.

"chaeyoung." someone called me. it's jungkook.

"was the playground near building 103 on the left?" jungkook asked, carrying all the foods that we bought earlier.

"i'll take those." i said, not realizing i left all these food inside his car.

"you're not going to introduce me?" he suddenly asked.

"i'd rather you give me those and go-" before i could finish my sentence, jungkook gently pulled my chin so that he could see my face clearly.

"it's a bit swollen." he said while rubbing my lips.

huh?

what is he doing? why is he always making me blush hardly?

"if i had known you'd be this sad, i would've kept you from answering the phone." jungkook added, tucking my hair behind my ear.

i sighed.

i didn't tell him i was sad. i didn't even show that expression on my face. 

when i was talking about myself, i made sure to do it in a neutral tone.

but this man..

why does he think i'm sad?

how did he know how i was feeling before i even knew?

-

"wow! even his business card feels expensive! you can't even rip it!" said ji-young, adoring a business card given by jungkook earlier when we met.

"put that down and eat." i said to her, sitting beside her on the couch of my apartment.

this kid, really.

"i still can't believe it. i never thought i'd meet the vice president of dae-han group. and he might even become my hyung-boo?" she asked, eyeing me.

"i said not yet."

"but not yet doesn't mean it won't happen down the line, no? and hyung-boo liked that i referred to him as hyung-boo earlier." 

huh? i gulped.

when the three of us met at the playground earlier, i should've said no when he asked to be introduced.

"ji-young, this is.." before i could introduce jungkook to ji-young, she interrupted first.

"hey, ajusshi. are you my sister's boyfriend?" she asked innocently.

huh? now, who teach this kid to ask something like that?

"something like that. i'm the man who would like to marry your sister. and i'm not ajusshi.." jungkook said, proudly.

yes jungkook, you're not ajusshi. you're..

"then what should i call you? hmm..hyung-boo?"

"yes, i'd like that. i'd like that a lot, cheo-je."

"hyung-boo!" ji-young looked so happy calling jungkook by that.

what is wrong with these two? why they clicked so quickly? and that's how jungkook and ji-young first encounter.

i was too complacent.

"i have a day off from school soon since the school's anniversary is coming up. i should go to hyung-boo's company and ask him to buy me lunch." ji-young yawned, stretching her body.

i sighed, "i told you he's not your hyung-boo. why would you go there?"

"didn't you hear him earlier? that business card is my pass into the building. he said he'll let security know and that i can stop by whenever i want!" 

"park ji-young. see what happens if you go.." i said, looking at her intimidatingly.

"more importantly, why did you argue with dad? is it because he's getting married?" i added.

hyung-boo - husband of your older sister

cheo-je - younger sister of your wife