𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 - 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐬

(THIRTY-NINE)

Hyunjin, Jiwoo, and their father sat down at the table, waiting for Heejin. She arrived quickly and let herself in, hugging Mr. Kim before taking her seat next to Hyunjin.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Kim," she politely said, "Thank you for having me over."

With a fake scowl, Mr. Kim shook a finger at Heejin. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's okay to call me Jinseok?" He pretended to be upset, but cracked and laughed almost instantly. "Thank you for joining us."

They ate in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying their food. It was nice to be together as a family again. Heejin and Hyunjin had been best friends since elementary school, so Jinseok welcomed Heejin as one of his own.

"Oh! My good news!" He suddenly remembered. "I spoke with Mr. Park a few weeks ago. I told him that I didn't want to travel so much, that I need to be home with my kids, and he agreed – he has kids, too, so he was very understanding. I was promoted, which means I get to stay here."

Hyunjin hugged her father and began crying. "Thank you," she whispered over and over again. Hyunjin had always been close with Jinseok and was thrilled to discover that he'd be home again. This was a miracle.

Jiwoo tried to maintain her composure, but a few tears escaped her eyes as well. They'd finally be a normal family again.

"I have good news, too," Hyunjin sang. "Before I say it, I'd like to just say... don't freak out, okay?" She took Heejin's hand beneath the table and took a moment for dramatic effect. "Dad, Heejin is... well, she's my girlfriend."

Jinseok sat in silence for a moment. Hyunjin grew more and nervous with every second. Finally he spoke. "I always kinda knew this would happen," he said. "I'm happy for you. Be good to Heejin, okay? She's a great girl."

"Heejin, you be good to Hyunjin, too," Jiwoo cut in. Heejin nodded, still aware of the conversation she and Jiwoo had had on the phone months before.

Mr. Kim smiled proudly. He had no clue Jiwoo had grown up so much in the time he'd been gone. It filled his heart with bittersweet feelings of regret and pride and made him even more determined to be a part of his children's lives.

The rest of dinner went smoothly. Jinseok was happy to hear the story of how Heejin and Hyunjin had finally realised they liked each other, and he had plenty of stories to tell from all the time he was away. After eating, Heejin and Hyunjin went upstairs, and Jiwoo stayed to help her father clean up.

"That's okay, honey," he said, "I can take care of it." He stood at the sink washing dishes and humming a song. Once he realised Jiwoo was still in the kitchen, he set down the plate and dried his hands. "Is there something you wanted to talk about, Chuu?"

"It's just... really good to have you home."

He smiled. "It's good to be home," he echoed. "You've grown up a lot since I left."

Without thinking, Jiwoo muttered, "I had to." Her father looked puzzled, so she tried to make up an excuse. "I mean, taking care of Hyunjin, and doing my school—"

"Something happened." Jinseok narrowed his eyes. "I missed something important while I was gone. You've changed a lot. So, update me. What did I miss in your life?"

How was Jiwoo supposed to answer this? She'd likely incriminate herself if she was honest, and if she lied she'd hurt her dad.

Her voice broke. "A lot of bad things happened, and I had to change a lot to get through all of it," she oversimplified. "I protected Hyunjin, don't worry. But I really messed up my life and had to put myself back together."

Jinseok was a smart man. He could tell his daughter was telling him next to nothing, but he could read between the lines well enough to understand what Jiwoo was trying to say. He pulled his daughter into a hug and held her while she cried. He could tell that Jiwoo had been hurt a lot, and that she'd faced it all alone. But now her dad was back, and he mentally made an oath to protect his children at any cost.

The doorbell rang. "I got it," Jiwoo said with a sniffle. She stepped out of the kitchen and opened the door, suddenly face to face with Sooyoung.

"Hey, peach," she said, "You left your shirt at my house and—" Sooyoung stepped inside, finally noticing that Jiwoo was crying. "Baby, what happened?" She wiped Jiwoo's tears and held her close. Suddenly, a man Sooyoung had never seen before stepped out of the kitchen. He and Sooyoung made eye contact, and Sooyoung let go of Jiwoo to step in front of her.

"What did you do to her?" Sooyoung growled, "If you laid a hand on her, so help me—"

A tap on her shoulder interrupted her threat. "That's my dad," Jiwoo whispered. The older girl froze. She offered a very awkward apology and extended a hand to Jinseok.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim. And sorry again..." she was beyond embarrassed. "I'm Sooyoung, by the way. Jiwoo's..." she looked at the small girl for confirmation, so Jiwoo spoke up.

"Dad, this is my girlfriend, Sooyoung." Jiwoo held her hand and tried to stifle her laugh at the sight of Sooyoung's panicked face.

Jinseok nodded. "It's nice to meet you, too Sooyoung," he politely said. He considered his next words for a moment. "I'm happy to see Chuu has someone who cares about her so much." Sooyoung smiled apologetically, and Mr. Kim told the girls that they could go up to Jiwoo's room because, "It seems like you need to talk."