His Little Butterfly

25- 🦋The Other Man in Her Life 🦋

Jin drives Yuna to the restaurant where she'd be meeting her dad.  He pulled over right in front of the place before stepping out so he could open the door for her.

"Seriously Jin, you don't need to do that." She laughs as she takes his hand that was extended to her.

"I want to treat you like a queen, you deserve it." He replies with a bright smile.

"Oh stop." She lightly taps his arm.

"I'll see you later ok?" Jin reaches out and gives her a hug. "I miss you already."

Yuna gives his cheek a light kiss. 

"You're such a sweet talker. No wonder women fall hard for you." She replies.

"Most of the women fall for me way before I even speak. Just one look at me and waahh, they're hooked." He chuckles before he yelps when Yuna pinches his side. "Ouch! Ya, it's true. Ouch! That really hurts!" He tells her.  "But for me, you're the only woman that matters the most." He grabs her hand and lifts it towards his lips.

"Whatever Mr. World Wide Handsome." Yuna replies as she placed her free hand on his cheek. "Go, and deal with your laundry while I talk with my Dad." He mentioned earlier that he needed to do some chores at home while waiting for her text for him to come back.

Yuna waves at Jin as he returns to his car. Her smile lingered until she thought about the the man in the restaurant waiting for her. Her Dad.  Although her outer façade looks calm, her insides aren't. She wished that things would turn out well. 

Her father was waiting for her in a private room. She only had that one picture of him with her when she was little. She had memorized his face because she stared at it so many times before. Looking at him right now, she thought that he still look the same.  Maybe a few wrinkles on his face, some gray hair mixed with his black ones but he still looks amazing and he looks like he's taking good care of himself too.

He stands up quickly as soon as he sees her and he crosses the room to sweep her in his arms enveloping her in a tight hug. 

Yuna stood awkwardly at first, not knowing how to respond. But slowly, her stiffness disappears and she finds herself hugging her father back. She felt his shoulders relaxed and when he let her go, she saw that tears were rolling down his face. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and dabs it away with an embarrassed laugh.

"Sorry." He clears his throat before taking his seat across from her as soon as she sits down. "The last time I saw you after your mother and I got uhm, separated was when you celebrated your twelfth birthday." Yuna stares at him blankly so he explains. 

"I kept my distance because I know your mother and grandfather will be upset if they see me. You were on your grandfather's yacht looking so excited as you looked out at the sea. I was on a nearby boat which I've rented just to have a glimpse of you. All these years, people have updated me about you. I just couldn't see you as often as I used to ever since I left the country. " He gives a sad smile. They get interrupted when the server asks for their order. Since it was too early for dinner, they both settled for tea.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you as you grow up. Things were quite difficult as I've explained to you before." 

Yuna got to hear the other side of the story of why he had to stay away. She thought it only happens in dramas but it was as real as it could get in her life. 

Her grandfather was disappointed when her mother got pregnant early. His daughter marrying a mere research head wasn't what he wanted but he had to deal with it because Yuna's grandmother insisted on giving what their daughter wanted. Yuna's mother made up for it by doubling her efforts at work even if she was pregnant. She wanted to be the company's CEO just as her father wanted her.  As soon as the doctors said she was well enough to go back in the office after she gave birth, she resumed working herself like a dog. That created a strain in her marriage especially when she started to neglect her duties as a mother.