"What?" I asked in total disbelief. Are they playing a prank?

"We...we've been-" My mother tried to to say, but when her eyes, that started to fill up with tears, looked into mine, I realised this isn't a prank. It's real. They've been together for whole fking two years and I never knew. They hid it so well. So damn well.

"What... You... you're really...
...Mother! How can you do this?!" I asked her, abruptly standing up from my position on the couch.

"Dear-"

"You hid it from me! For freaking two years!"

"Yuwon please-" Mr. Kang also tried to say, but no. I'm not done yet.

"I'm your daughter! We tell eachother everything. Every single thing! How can you hide such a big thing from me? It was the happiest moment of your life! Yet I wasn't there to celebrate with you! Didn't you miss me even once?" I asked, the look of betrayal clear on my face. I just couldn't understand why did she hide such a thing from me.

"...what?..." Mr. Kang said, slowly processing what I said.

"...What? So... So you're not... Angry about...?" My mother struggled to form sentences amidst the sudden stop in her crying session.

"No... I'm not angry about the fact that you're dating. Your happiness means the world to me, mother. But what I'm angry about is that I was not included in your happiness... You fell in love... He proposed to you... Don't I deserve to be present at such an important moment of your life? Don't I?" I asked sorrowfully.

"You do my dear... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I thought that you'll get angry... And that maybe you won't accept our relationship..." My mum said, embracing me delicately, sobbing upon my shoulder.

"How can you even think that, Moon Byeol?..." I asked, sniffing.

"Yah...! I'm your mother!" She said in between her sobs, smacking me lightly.

"I know... But I'll still call you that!" I replied, wrapping my arms around her in a tighter embrace.

"Um... I'm still here you know." He said, but was deftly ignored by the both of us.

However, I put my serious face back on and looked back towards him. "You," I pointed at him,"I swear to god if my mother ever sheds a tear when she's with you..." I glared.

"SHE'LL NOT! SHE'LL NOT! I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT!-" He shrieked, scared out of his wits.

"Good."

"Jeez...you terrify me!" He muttered under his breath, but of course, I heard everything clearly.

"You said?"

"NOTHING!!!! HAHAHA-"

.

.

.

"Yuwon, dear, I'm so glad that you accepted us..." Mum said after a while with her eyes downcast, but with a smile on her face nonetheless. "I thought that maybe won't be happy with our decision, or maybe you will refuse to accept Dae-hyun as your dad..." She continued, as a tear slipped down her face.

I moved my hand to wipe the tear off, but another hand was faster than me.
"It's okay, honey. Everything went well. And with all the things you told me about Yuwon, I was definitely sure that she won't respond like that. " He smiled, running his arms along her back to comfort my mother.

"Oh? What kind of things did she say?" I asked him, amused.

"Well, a lot of things, actually. And most of them were like, 'My daughter is one in a million! She can even sketch! She likes to sing too! She always takes care of me! We are like bestfriends! She is the only thing I have! I love her so much!" He imitated in a dramatic high pitched voice, trying to lighten the atmosphere. A laughed escaped my mouth at his comical face as he imitated mum.

"Hey!" My mum pouted and smacked his arm, dried remnants of tears still present on her face. "Don't make fun of me! Everything I said was 100% true." She said, hugging me once more, and I happily obliged with a grin.

"Anyway, should I start cooking the dinner? What would like to eat?" I said after sometime of laughing and hugging.

"Uh-ah. Today, I'll cook dinner. You both can sit back, relax and get to know eachother." My mother smiled, as my eyes lit up with excitement. She went to office everyday, and usually came back around dinner time, so I am the one who cooks everyday. She doesn't cook often, but when she does, it feels as if she is a chef ascended from heaven. Her food is that good.

"Yay!" I cheered and relaxed back onto the couch, as mother left the room to go into the kitchen. I glanced back at the man infront of me who just sitting in the couch with a small smile.

"So, Kang Dae-hyun-ssi, let me ask you some questions. I'm sure Mum already told you all about me, but I don't know anything about you." I pointed out with a frown.

"Sure, dear. Go on." He smiled.

I thought about what to ask, and then a girn formed upon my face as I found a topic to talk about.

"How did you two meet?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows. Mr Dae-hyun, however, just smiled as if reminiscing the memories.

"Ah, it was the most unexpected thing that happened to me that day, when I met your mother. I was coming back home from a meeting that did not go well. The clients were really making unusual demands and we were experiencing some losses, which made me upset. And on my way back home, when I was sitting in my car, your mother's car hit mine. There was no big damage, but I was furious. I went out to see who the car belonged to. And when I saw the owner, I just kept staring at the beautiful woman infront of me. Your mother, however, did not feel any such thing and started arguing. She didn't recognise me, and threatened to call the police. I also defended myself, but after a while we stopped shouting and I agreed to compensate for her car. That's how we first met." He said, a dazed look on his face with a smile, as he recalled the memories fondly.

"So it was around that time? I think I recall mum talking about a charming stranger." I giggled. "But really, damn. That's some first meet." I continued, surprised. They met in a really interesting way...

"You should have seen her face when I told her my name. Man, that moment was hilarious. I immediately found myself in love." He said, the fond smile still on his face. "We kept bumping into each other after that. As if it was meant to be. Strangers, to acquaintances, to friends and then we started dating. Everyone in my house met her too, and when I felt that it was the right time to propose, I did it."

I was smiling the while time, but a frown settled on my face at the mention of his proposal. I was deeply saddened by the fact that I missed such a lovely moment of my mum's life.

"Don't worry, little girl. We have a full video recording of the proposal. You can see it later." Mr Kang Dae-hyun said, almost as if reading my mind, and I nodded happily. Atleast I can see the recording.

"Wait a minute. She has already met your family?"

"Yeah. I took her there after some months of dating."

"Damn, so I was the last person to know." I said, at which the man just awkwardly chuckled.

"Your mother was really nervous to tell you..."

"By the way, how many people are there in your family?" I just asked for no reason.

"Oh, not too many people, actually. It's just me and my seven sons." He replied casually and watched how I choked on my own saliva. I coughed loudly, my hand upon my mouth to muffle the noise. He chuckled.

"W-what?! Seven sons?!" I asked, trying to calm myself from the choking, because man, that's a lot of kids. He must be a very...active man. On the bed, atleast.

"Yeah." He said smiling.

"You're just 39... How did you even have so many kids?! And what about their mother? How the fk did she do that?!" J asked incredulously.

"Yah! Don't let your mind go places! She didn't give birth to all of them. Some of them aren't my sons by birth." He said with mock offence. But then he suddenly grew serious. "And as for their mother... she died a few days after giving birth to my third son."

"Oh... I'm sorry..." I immediately apologised. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that question.

"It's okay, dear. She died due to a disease. We did everything to save her, but I guess we cannot change the things that are destined to happen. She left me with my three boys who were merely children at the time. The youngest was not even a toddler, just a new born baby. I gave all of my attention to them, and let me tell you, even though four of them aren't my sons by birth, all the seven of them own really special places in my heart, and their mother does too. They're very dear to me... And now, you, my dear, and your mother, hold your own place in here." He said, taking my own hand and placing it upon the left side of his chest. I was able to feel the powerful, rhythmic thudding of his heart beneath my palms, and I was also able to feel the sincerity in his words. He wasn't lying. I didn't expect him to say things like this, especially when it's not even been an hour since we met. The conversation turned from light to serious real quick.

"How... how can you say it all so easily? Giving a place in your heart to someone whom you've not even known for a full day?"

"My dear, your mother and I are going to get married very soon. And after that, you will be my daughter. My only daughter... They say that a dad and daughter's relationship is very precious. So precious, that no money or gold or jewel can ever compare. However, we met each other just now, and are nothing but strangers at the moment. I want to change that. I don't want our relation to just exist because of my wedding with your mother. No. I'm willingly giving you a place in my heart, and this will be first step from my side.” He said, truly and honestly. He was opening up his heart.

“I know what you're thinking, that we've just met and I've already started being sentimental, and I understand that it'll be difficult for you to accept me, but I want to let you know that the doors of my heart are open anytime for you. You can come anytime you wish. And I hope, one day, I'll get a place in your heart too." He said slowly, his warm gaze focused me. The kindess of his words reflected on his face that carried a genuine smile upon itself. His hand, that still held mine, slowly untangled itself and moved to rest gently upon my head. He patted my hair lovingly, his touch tender and soothing. I usually hated the idea of anyone touching even a strand of my hair, but now, at this moment, I didn't mind it one bit. And I didn't know why.

I suddenly felt warm from the inside. Warm in a way I had never felt before.

Mother chose really well. He will take care of her forever.

-:-

Damn, so Yuwon was not against the relationship, after all.
Did you guess it?

Also, we saw the building point of a new father-daughter relationship! They aren't anywhere near close right now, but Dae-hyun is willing to try. Will Y/N be too?