"Isn't that y/n...?"

As soon as I catch sight of her, I nod. This is indeed her, but with a mature, tall man, and a woman. "Are those her parents?" I ask, wondering why she's holding onto that business man's hand. "Well...I guess."

Given the way he's dressed, a dress shirt, a dark blue waistcoat, trousers of the same color, with a Rolex around his wrist, he is for sure her rich daddy, as she called him. This is weird though, why would a seventeen years old girl hold her father's hand while shopping? She's even physically very close to him, resting her head on his arm and keeping her eyes down as if she was thinking deeply while eating a snack.

"This guy is pretty sexy..." Hajoon lets his gayness show up, making me sigh but chuckle like an idiot. "He's probably forty. Stop drooling over an old guy," I stop myself as they both did, the three of us keeping our attention on the rich people. "What? Do you think sugar daddies are young?"

"Tsk..." I give him a dirty look, feeling on the verge of puking. "You're eighteen. Stop it already. Jeez..."

He speaks in a muffled voice for his words to not be audible, but we all look at her and her father, the wife being way too normal to grasp our focus. "Am I the only one finding this wrong?" I take a peek at them, but Hajoon shrugs. "I don't know...that's odd to do that when you're seventeen, but...maybe there's a reason for her to be so close to him..."

"Yeah..." I mumble, knowing this might be real. We never know, this girl acts weird on a daily basis, she's different but not in a positive way, so what if the main problem comes from her home?

At the exact moment that they stop and that y/n gazes up at him as he's talking, I understand the relationship is not like an usual 'father and daughter' one. She swings their intertwined hands, her mother glancing at her, but not in a way a mother who loves her child would do it. What the hell am I witnessing?

She speaks to him, getting his attention down on her. He smiles at her but lifts his hand up to her head to hold the back of it, making her step forth and put her arms around his body. "Oh, whatever," I sigh and glance away. "Let's go get a bubble tea."

•••

8:10 pm.

'YOUR P.O.V'

"Papa..." I walk down the stairs after cogitating in my bedroom for long minutes. "Yes, princess?" he gazes up at me, taking his eyes off of the large screen as he's been watching TV all by himself in the dark. I walk around the big sofa to reach him, and I climb onto his lap, seeking comfort and warmth. "What is wrong?" he lets me get comfortable and embraces my body as I put my arms around him. He runs his fingers through my hair and combs it. "I want to talk..."

"Tell me, I'm listening," he turns the volume down and gives me all his attention, offering me what I can get from him only. I think thoroughly before saying anything, feeling the nervousness and fear fill me. I rest my head on his shoulder, hiding my face in the crook of his neck out of shame and lack of confidence. "Hm? What do you want to talk about?" he combs my hair, delicately, soothing me to put me at ease.

"Will you stop loving me once I'm older...?" my question that hides a lot of fright and worry escapes me, my heart beating fast. "Why are you thinking such things, honey? You know I'll always love you no matter what."

I tighten my hold around him, remembering the words Mister Park said to me. A knot obstructs my throat with pain, and some tears flood in my eyes. "I'm scared..." my quivering voice leaves in a low voice. "I don't want to grow up..."

"Hey," he wraps his arms around me to bury me in a warm embrace. "There's nothing bad about growing up. What happened for you to feel like that? What is wrong?" he gazes down at me and places his hand on my wet cheek, brushing the tears away. "Someone said...you will love me less once I leave the house...that I won't mean that much to you anymore..."

"Do not speak like that, y/n," he refuses to hear me. His lips press a kiss on my forehead, and he strokes my cheek with his thumb to reassure me. "This person doesn't know anything, and you know more than anyone that I will never love you less. You're my little princess," he smiles against my skin. "I'll always pamper you and consider you as my baby."

I snivel but wipe my tears away, fearing that he could leave me as well, like everyone always did. "Come on, honey. Stop crying, I promise my love for you will never fade just a bit. You know it," he brushes his large hand past my cheek, softly. He knows that if I get in a state of stress and worry, this might cause something terrible again, something that we both fear because of its effect and aftermath.

"I don't want to go to bed...I know I'm gonna have a nightmare..." I tell him the truth, knowing he will understand me which is something that my mother doesn't anymore. He rubs my arm and keeps his cheek on my forehead. "It's okay, you can stay in my arms and fall asleep."

"I love you," I close my eyes, but he reaches out for something and covers my body with the fluffy blanket that always remains on the sofa. "I love you too, honey. Sleep tight and have sweet dreams," he pecks my forehead and envelops my body with his arms after wrapping me in the blanket. I smile and let myself fall asleep, where only I know I will not be scared.

— Next day —

Thursday, November 12, 2020.

7 am.

"Y/n," a male voice wakes me up, a pair of arms still keeping me warm. "Hm..." I struggle to come back to consciousness. I move onto him, but he softly laughs. "Hey, it's time to wake up, princess."

"Yes..." I force myself to open my eyes, I bend my head back to look at him, but he smiles at me. "Haneul is soon going to be here," he removes the blanket from me, my mother joining us. "Have you spent the night here?" she walks down the stairs, her cold tone sending all her bother out.

I stand up to leave my dad's lap, and he looks at her. "Yes, she was scared to have a nightmare again," he folds the blanket to put it back properly, my mother glaring at me. "Lady, you should learn to do things on—"

"Mila," he cuts her off as I stopped to listen. "Stop," he rises from his spot and drops the blanket on the cushions, his eyes fixed on her. She sighs and walks to the kitchen.

"Go get ready, honey. I'm cooking the breakfast," he gives me a sweet smile and heads to the kitchen as well, so I answer with the same facial expression then go upstairs. I'm pretty sure they're both going to argue or fight because of last night, because of me.

30 minutes later...

I walk down the stairs at the scent of the food, my mother yelling at my dad again. I cover my ears to not hear that shrieking and scary noise, I just move up to the kitchen on the left, where they are.

Once I pass the door, my father turns around and lays his eyes on me, both of them getting interrupted. I bring my hands down and step to the dining table while looking on my left to avoid them and focus on the walls made of windows that give a view of the backyard with its pool.

I tuck some strands of hair behind my ear and sit at the table, hearing nothing but an awkward silence that landed here because of me. My father clears his throat but comes up to me with the dishes as I'm turning the TV on.

"Here you are, honey," he lays the food before me, making me smile at him. "Thank you," I grab the glass of milk to start with this and watch the show I like to see every morning. "What do you want in your hair today?" he stands behind me, taking the two hair tie off of my wrist to do my hair like usual. "I don't know...pigtails in braids, like this I won't have to do my hair tomorrow..."

"All right," he touches my hair and parts them into two identical parts, so I stay still and eat what he cooked for me. "I'm leaving, see you," my mother harshly goes out of the room without looking at us, so I answer her with a 'See you' even if she doesn't care.

The door gets slammed, and I and my father are both alone.

I don't say anything, and neither does he. He braids my hair while I'm feeding myself and watching TV. I know all the tension is caused by me, I don't even know why anymore, but I know I'm the problem.

"Do you have any tests today?" my father breaks the silence. I chew on my strawberry before answering him. "Yes...in English."

"Oh, that means you'll do great. Right? You always have good marks in English," the smile exudes through his voice as the sentence could not make me feel happy at all. Even if I was doing nothing, the teacher would give me an A because I'm y/n, his pet, just his toy.

"I guess..." I try to reply. I wish I could talk about it, my father would be the only one to who I would reveal everything, but he's also the one I would rather hide this problem from because of how scared I am to let him know what I did. He wouldn't consider me as his little girl, his little princess anymore, and I don't want this to happen. He's the only person I trust, the only one who truly loves me.

"Hey," he bends over my chair after being done with my hair, he presses a kiss on my head, and I gaze up on my right to see his features. "What's happening lately, y/n? Are you keeping something to yourself?" he figures out something is wrong with me. I stare into his eyes and shake my head.

He remains quiet but sits down by my side, his arm not leaving the back of my chair. We both gaze at each other, his eyes expressing worry and care as he knows I'm not all right deep inside. Since I cannot bear this, I pick up a strawberry and bring it to his mouth, getting him to eat it but place his hand in the back of my head. "If something is ticking you off, upsetting you, you can talk about it with me."

"I know," I force a smile to put his mind at ease and make sure he doesn't concern himself about anything. He smiles back at me in the most caring way and joins his hands on his lap.

"Is mom mad at me?" I ask him, finally getting this weight off of my chest after some time. "No, she's not," he fails at making me believe in his lie. "We just...we had a little fight because she would have wanted me to sleep in the bed, but I told her I wanted to be there for you."

"She doesn't like me...does she...?" I don't hold back my thoughts about this, seeing way too well how distant she became since some weeks already. "Honey, do not say that. She loves you more than anything."

"Then why does she never tell me...? She only scolds me, gets angry with me, avoids me, and never interacts with me...What have I done wrong?" I lower my hands to my thighs, gazing at him into the eyes to get an answer. "Am I not the daughter she would have liked to have?"

"She..." he struggles to speak and say something clear to answer, his doubt exposing his falsehood or twisted truth. "It's a bit complicated for her these days, baby. She doesn't do it on purpose or consciously. She loves you, you're the daughter she would have liked to get, don't think otherwise. There are just days where people can be a bit rude without willing to..."

"Hm..." I pretend to understand, even though I don't. I eat my strawberries and watch TV. "Anyway..." he rubs his hands together and lays his eyes on the show as well.

•••

8:20 am.

'JUNGKOOK'S P.O.V'

I run to the school while chewing on the snacks I shoved in my mouth in a hurry, being late for the second time this week. I dash through the schoolyard and burst into the building to climb up the stairs. The bell just rang, we start this day with English, which means I'm dead.

"Fuck—" I almost trip over after missing a step, choking on my food. I cough but manage to reach the classroom, seeing y/n at the end of the line of students. I end this moment of rush by standing behind the little girl and following her, but since I know the pervert would like to touch her, I lay my hands on her shoulders and push her inside, startling her.

She whirls around at the feeling of my touch on her body, but I head to our desk. I land on my chair like a rock and moan from exhaustion, panting hard and seeking air. "Dammit..." I let my mouth open and close my eyes for a minute.

A finger enters my mouth and makes me jerk to the side, tossing that hand away from me. "Flies are gonna get inside," she smirks and sits down next to me. "Next time you put something in my mouth, I bite it. All right?"

"Fine, I'll do the same to you," she lays her stuff on the desk, not showing any bother or discomfort after what happened with the teacher. I sigh and take my bag off of my shoulders to get my supply on the table as well, then drop it on the floor.

"I'll never put anything in that dirty mouth of yours..." I snap back after thinking about the best thing to say, mumbling it to not get caught. She smiles in a playful way and toys with her Pikachu, not paying attention to Mister Park.

Why doesn't she do anything against him? Does she like him?

I steal her Pikachu without any warning, willing to be annoying. I squeeze it in my hand, but she tries to catch it right away. "Give me that, Jungkook," she fights against my strength with her poor one, a smirk growing on my face. "Praise me," I stare into her eyes, but she only shows some anger and attempts to retrieve her toy while I'm not agreeing to this.

"Jungkook, I'm not joking," she slaps my arm, acting violent to get what she wants. "Don't break it and just give it back to me!" she overreacts. "Jeon Jungkook," the teacher catches us as I prayed for him to keep his eyes away. I bite my lips but stuck my hands between my thighs, hiding the Pikachu there. "Yes, sir?"

"You stop annoying your tablemate," he stares at me, y/n sticking her hands between my thighs to retrieve her belonging. I giggle uncontrollably at the feeling of her hand there, but she forces and gets me to squeeze my thighs once I feel her touch my crotch. "Stop what you're doing right now!"

I ignore this piece of shit who's only jealous, the whole class looking at us. I smile at this little baby but put the toy on the table to not get detention again. "Asshole," she slurs and takes it in her hand in a harsh way. "Jungkook, detention for today, and if you try—"

"Didn't you plan to stay alone with your pet?" I mention what I know will work as a threat, remembering everything that happened yesterday, and the video I have on my phone that could cause him to be fired. "Unless Haneul protects his baby again," I smirk and keep my eyes fixed on him. "Say something more, and I kick you out."

"Really?" I cross my arms as some fear is starting to obviously beat him. He knows what I saw yesterday, he knows how bad this could be for him if I voice it out. I smirk at him, but he leaves his spot to stomp towards me.

As soon as he reaches me, he bends over the table and comes closer. "You keep your mouth shut, or else I make sure to give you detention till the end of this year. All right?"

"Are you sure you won't be fired before that?" I lean froth and approach him to show him I'm not scared at all. He's a pervert, and I hate pedophiles like him who use their power to get what they want and never get into trouble. "Because from what I've seen yesterday..." I lower my voice and stare right into his eyes. "...I think you might not last for too long in here."

He doesn't say anything, out of argument, he grabs my arm to attempt to push me up, but I remain on my chair with no difficulty. "Do not touch me, you old pervert," I toss my arm away, letting my words out for everyone in here to hear me. "You shut up!" he yells and points his finger at me, not standing me anymore. "You never saw anything, nothing happened, and you're just making up everything because you cannot bear the fact that you're nothing, but a guy who likes to provoke everyone, because I have more power than you and could get your unwanted self out of this school easily."

I do not give any damn about him and his words, seeing how hard he's trying to defend himself. "You stay away from y/n. Got it?" I stand up for her, even though I hate this little girl, she's a minor, he doesn't have the right to do that to her, and I know Haneul hates him as well.

He clenches his jaw while looking daggers at me, the students remaining silent in front of this fight. He sets his eyes on y/n for a second, before retreating. He doesn't let one more word out but goes back to his desk.

I caused some real tension in the room.

"Why did you do that...?" y/n whispers to me, but I tuck my hands in my pockets and do not care about this lesson. "Because he's a pedophile. Why don't you do something?" I return the question and put my eyes on her, realizing that I was maybe a bit too rude in my answer and the way I pronounced my words. The teacher speaks to the class, the silence leaving us, y/n breaks our eye contact. "Because...he scares me..." she mumbles, making me understand why she hasn't acted upon his behavior just once.

I regret reacting that way. "Well...I'm not scared of this fucker. I'll take care of him."