More Than A Daughter

Jiu stepped out of her father's room and sighed as she leans her back on the Oak-made doors. Closing her eyes with her face facing upwards to the ceiling. Her father's maids looked both concerned and confused towards JiU's state. "Please make sure my father gets what he needs," JiU instructed before walking away.

"Yes, Miss JiU," they all bowed, and JiU smiled at them before walking away to join her little sister for their morning jog. On the way to the front door, the image of the hospital came to view again.

Her steps away from her father's room never felt so heavy. He had asked her to consider his possibly last request about finding a man to share her life with. And even if she disagrees with her father's request, she loves him too much to say no. Ever since that request, she's been conflicted and in a dilemma. Her last relationship had ended the worst way possible, and she wasn't so sure if she needs it now.

2 Months ago

JiU arrived at the VVIP room with a heavy heart and swollen eyes due to the crying state she was before. Taking a deep breath, she tries to appear calm as she goes into the room to be welcome by her family. Her mother and sister on the right side of the bed, leaving his left side empty. She took the spot and immediately taking her Father's hand, "How are you feeling, Aboeji?" She noticed that her mother and sister were also crying since their eyes were almost as swollen as hers.

"I am alright for now my sweet girl," he caressed her hand with his thumb and looked at her, "I know Yeojung might have told you about my condition."

JiU, who was trying to keep her composure, cried once more as she places her Father's warm palm on her tear-stained face and looks at him with eyes full of tears, "Why didn't you tell us? I could have at least done something.." she tried to keep her sentences clear behind the sobbing sounds she makes as she cries.

"I know my dear," her Father caressed her tears away with a gentle smile on his face, "But I also know the time you would spend in trying to help me cure, I love you for that, but you have years ahead of you to worry too much about your father."

"But you're my father, I would trade years of my life just so I can help you find a cure," her eyes once again brimmed with fresh tears as he felt helpless in her Father's presence. He sat up and pulled her into a hug as she cries onto his shoulder. Her younger sister came to her side to comfort her. Her little sister, too, began to yell at the sight of her older sister. Her mother took her free hand and squeezed it as she also begins to cry.

"Aigoo, my beautiful ladies," her Father let out a soft laugh as he later cupped JiU's cheeks, "Whatever happened, happened, and there is no way we can prevent that, my dear," he wiped her tears and caressed her head gently. "What we can focus on now is the future for you and your sister," Her Father addressed her and also taking her sister's hand.

"But aboeji," JiU was about to protest, but her Father stopped her with a finger to her lips and then smiled, "Promise me you will focus for your future and your sister's and your mother's? You're all I can count on from now on, okay?"

However, reluctant she is, her Father's words as he looks at her are something she cannot refuse, especially when she knows he means well for her. She wiped her tears away and nodded with her hand holding onto his, "Y..yes aboeji I will, I promise."

Upon hearing her words, her Father smiled happily and hugged her once more, "Then I have one last request regarding a future," that statement Jiu pulled away, and a confused look is painted on her face, "Before I die, will you find a man for yourself for me?"

NOW

Those words echoed in her head even till now when her Father is already home. Also, though her Father never asked her repeatedly for the past two months, he would ask so in separate days. She has become independent and strong-willed enough to not need a man in her life. But her Father's request isn't something JiU cannot let slide as well. Her mind is in a dilemma whether to disregard her Father's last wish or follow through into a world she had resented ever since her break up with her fiance. An event she would never forget in a million years.

************************************************

The early morning light shines through the cracks between leaves of the tall looming trees in the city's park. The park's attendance is only but a few of those who value the importance of the motto, 'Earliest Bird gets the worm.' Among them, the youngest and richest woman in Korea just finished her 5th lap around the park's circular path. A routine she had built since she turned 15 years old after one day deciding to come with her Father for his morning jog. Though a girl, she had always taken an interest in her Father's dedication to his work and has highly respected his love for his family. If her mother was her role model when it comes to looking elegant and beautiful, her Father was her role model in dedication and hard work towards living a good example of life. Therefore, she has grown into an independent and hardworking woman who knows when it's time to get serious but also knows when it's time to relax and have fun. Such attitude gained her respect for everybody she's ever worked with, whether it be inside or outside of her inner circle and dubbed both as the Queen of Grand Business Empires and men's most ideal type of a woman according to TIME magazine. A CEO in her own right, her name is JiU, or known by her closest friends and family as Kim Minji.

"Unnieeee," a familiar screech halted JiU's run as she chuckled and steadied her breathing while waiting for her little sister.

"Chungha-ya," JiU pats her sister's back after arriving breathless late behind her, "You managed to run four laps today."

"Jinjja, are you even human unnie?" Chungha stands up and exhales her breath, "Running five laps not breaking a sweat in a park this big."

"That's why you should listen more to your unnie instead of dating," JiU hugged and squished her sister's cheek, "You're all grown up now, you can help me in the company."

"Unnniieeee," Chungha whined as she hugged her big sister, "You know I'm not qualified for that."

"Haha.. fine then.." JiU's facial expression softens as she hugged her little sister tight, "You're all grown up now, unnie is proud of you."

The two sisters shared a sweet and loving embrace before a car arrived at where they stopped and to take them away. Though people might think that it is crazy that such a rich and successful woman would run alone in the dark mornings, the situation isn't exactly as it seemed. Her Father's bodyguards are around; should anyone or anything cause her harm, they are up for the task to watch her. Despite her insisting that she will be fine, her Father never listens because his daughters are his world.

"So this is the profile of the company," JiU's assistant, also her best friend since they were in elementary, handed her black folder, "But that's not what you want is it." Knowing her best friend, she then retracted the file before replacing it with a blue-colored file revealing the picture of her next partnership.

"Kim Soohyun," JiU leaned back onto her seat as she looks at the picture of the owner of the company she will partner up with an apple in hand after taking a bite out of it, "Egocentric, playboy, has no regard for punctuality and has zero respect for women." JiU finished and handed the document back to her best friend.

"Yah... You just looked at his picture," her best friend slapped her thigh with an irritated look on her face, "How can you come up with such deduction just by looking at his picture?"

"Tiffany," JiU uttered her best friend's American name in perfect English, "I had Heechul on the job."

"Yeah... you should have told me about this, Lily," her best friend replied in equally perfect English, "I'm your assistant."

"But I am talking to my best friend right now," JiU reverts to full English as she addressed Tiffany, "Besides, would you agree if I had told you?"

"Well, no, of course not! It's an invasion of privacy, Lily," Tiffany huffed and slapped her best friend's thigh once again with the blue folder.

"And there you go, your answer," JiU leaned back and finished her apple.

"Cmon Lily... You can't," but her words cut short when Chungha adds in with her own set of perfect English words. "You're both talking in English again."

Tiffany then cleared her throat before addressing JiU again in Korean, "Why are you doing this all the time?"

"Because I see it important, Tiffany," JiU squished her best friend's cheek before she smiled, "And when have I made a mistake when it comes to these things?"

Tiffany rolled her eyes and nodded, "Fineee.. none, so what are you gonna do now then with all this information about him?"

"I am going to pull Bump," Chungha and Tiffany exchanged looks.

"Yeah, you're the world's leading lady in business, you can't keep pulling stunts like this," Tiffany knowing full well about what her best friend might do next, "What if people notice you?"

"There's a reason why I don't let the world know of my face, Tiffany," JiU winked, "It's so I can pull stunts like these and not get a reported on the media."

"But you might be on this one, he is also one of the world's top leading man in the business right after you," Tiffany pats the blue folder that's still in her hand.

"Well, Joonsuk can deal with that," JiU winked and smiled.

"I hate that you know a lot of people in a lot of places like this, you literally can kill someone, and no one will find out unless you see fit," Tiffany puts the folder down and raises her hands in defeat.

JiU giggled before staring out the window, "Oh, we're here," to which made Chungha and Tiffany exchanged looks yet again.

"I'll explain later, just whatever you see, don't step out of the car, okay?" JiU was halfway out of the car before she turned to her driver, "Kwanghae, lock the door and put up the divider." Without a second word, Kwanghae locked the doors and immediately put up the divider between the passenger seat and the front seat. All happened before the two ladies could complain.