Chapter Twenty-Four: Father-daughter time (아버지와 딸의 시간)

Lee Ji-seo's POV (Point Of View)

I got ready for school earlier than usual and headed downstairs for breakfast. I saw my mum and dad sitting at the dining table, having breakfast. 

"Hey strangers." I said before going to the fridge. They looked up from their plates with a sigh. "Sorry Ji-seo, we have just been busy with work these days-" My dad spoke up but I quickly cut him off.

"No, it's okay. I completely understand. You guys are very busy with work, so I understand." My mum looked at me with guilt, "Sorry Ji-seo. Maybe we will pick a date to spend time together or you could come along with your dad and I to Jeju island like he planned. You can plan that right?" She said before turning to my dad for a reply.

"What are you talking about?" My dad was confused. My eyes widened at his reaction to my mum's sentence, "Oh yes, the vacation you said you were going to surprise mum with but she found out because she was nosy. You don't have to pretend anymore dad." I said, trying to sound calm even though I was nervous. 

"Oh yeah, the surprise trip." My dad chuckled, finally remembering the whole "surprise". I sighed out in relief. 

"I don't see that happening anyways." I said when I remembered that I'll be going to Jeju island with my class. 

"Why?" My mum asked with a raised brow. I took out a plate and put pancakes on my plate and sat at the dining table, "I didn't tell you guys? My class is going to Jeju Island for a school trip after our mid-terms." 

"Oh, well we can go somewhere else right?" My mum said, still trying to make something out of the "planned" vacation trip. "No, you guys should have fun without me. We can plan something else next time." I said, finishing up my food before heading for the stairs. 

"Ji-seo you remember that you have a shoot today right? After school?" My mum reminded me. I yelled okay before entering my room. 

I stared at my school bag with resentment, "Is that certificate really worth it? The world looks like it's going to end anytime from now." I grumbled before grabbing it and headed downstairs. 

"Okay bye." I said zooming past my parents. "Wait, let me take you to school today." My dad said getting up from his seat. 

"Oh..." I trailed off when I saw him going to grab his keys. "We hardly spend time together nowadays and since you are going this early to school, I'll drop you off then I'll go to work." He said before giving me a smile. 

I nodded and said goodbye to my mum before going to the car. We both got in the car and my dad turned his engine on, driving us out. 

"So, how's work at grandma's?" He asked. I shrugged, "It's been going well. The customers are so nice. One of the regulars even asked me to go out with her grandson but I politely declined." I chuckled, remembering the conversation I had with a regular customer at my grandma's restaurant. 

"I bet it's Mrs. Song." My dad said the customer's name with a laugh. "Oh yeah, that's her." I giggled. "Grandma told me not to come over and work for the time being until I'm done with my mid-terms but she said that I can come over and study, but I disagreed with her though. I have fallen in love with working there. The customers are so nice, I get the leftovers after work and to be honest now that Taemin is working with me, the workload has reduced." 

My dad's head turned to me sharply after he heard Taemin's name, "Who's that?" I let out a small laugh, "Calm down dad, he is just a friend of mine from school who decided to help grandma out in the restaurant and he was even the one who saved me when I was locked in the girl's locker room in school." 

I giggled at my dad's reaction then I raised a brow in confusion, 'Did I just call him a friend of mine?' I thought to myself, then my face squeezed in disgust. 

"Well that's surprising. I could barely tolerate Toby being your best friend now there's this Taemin guy." My dad said pulling me out of my thoughts. At the mention of Toby, I couldn't help but lower my head. 

My dad noticed my reaction and his eyes widened in shock, "Did I say something to offend you? I'm so sorry princess." The corner of my lip rose to a smile but it vanished immediately, "No you didn't. It's just that Toby hasn't been responding to my text and calls and I am really worried." 

"Oh..." My dad trailed off then looked ahead, focusing on the road, "I'm sure he is busy with school. It's the final exams month right? WAEC? I'm sure he is busy with that. He will respond to your messages once he is done with his exams." My dad reassured me. 

I nodded, trying to calm my anxious mind and suddenly we got to my school. "Wow, now I know why the rich kids are all cocky. If I went to a school like this, I wouldn't shut up about it." My dad joked. 

I chuckled, "Yeah, but thank God you're humble or my ears would've been hurting by now." "I should even brag to my colleagues at work and tell them that my daughter is going to one of the most elite schools in South Korea." My dad teased. 

"Please don't. I have suffered enough." I sighed. He laughed and stopped in front of my school building and I looked out and saw Taemin standing outside, looking like he was waiting for someone. 

"Ugh, what is he doing here?" I grumbled. My dad looked at Taemin's direction, "Who? Him?" I nodded. 

"That's Taemin." I replied. "Your friend? So why are you hiding from him?" My dad asked. I turned to him sharply, "Taemin is not my-" I sighed, "Forget it. Goodbye, I love you." I said before stepping out of the car. 

"I love you too, have fun in school." He yelled back. I looked back at him and gave him a glare to which he chuckled at and drove off.

"Who's that?" Taemin whispered closely to my ears and I jumped back in shock. "Oh my God Taemin what the fuck! Don't sneak up on me like that!" I yelled. He gave me a cheeky grin then draped his arm on my shoulder.

"I knew you would come early today to study so I decided to come early too but I ended up coming earlier than you. You didn't come with Ha-ri this time, what happened? Didn't you guys agree that you would come early?" He said leading me into the school. 

"Yeah but she will probably come later." I sighed. "So who's that?" He asked the same question from earlier and without thinking I opened my mouth to reply to him, "My dad." 

He stopped walking and looked at me, "Wait, is he like your biological dad or your step-dad?" "Stop being so curious. Let's go." I said after realising that I shouldn't have told him who my dad was and hoped he wouldn't dig deep into it.