Who Scratches Better?
Who scratches better? ……………
Not long after, Han Sol's distinctive hair appeared amid the crowd. Blue twintails. The moment she spotted me, she smiled and quickened her pace. She even waved her hand.
She's changed a lot.
A daughter greeting me like that first? It warmed a corner of my heart. I was glad all over again that we'd made up with Han Sol.
"Dad—!"
Any parent with kids would feel a surge of energy at that call.
"Coming!"
But—right as Han Sol was on the verge of breaking into a run, her steps suddenly slowed. She came to a complete stop, her gaze shifting to my side. Precisely, toward Lee Jin-ah.
"……Dad."
Han Sol had arrived. She'd been smiling from afar, but now every trace of it was gone.
What the hell is this? Scary.
When your daughter suddenly turns like this, even a father who'd been on awkward terms with her just days ago starts racking his brain for what he might've done wrong lately. A sad reality.
But I couldn't stay lost in thought forever. The two of them—my daughter and my junior colleague—were staring each other down with eerily blank expressions.
"Ahem, Sol, you're here. Perfect timing."
I gestured toward Lee Jin-ah.
"This is Lee Jin-ah, my coworker. Today... well, we ended up taking half-days together, grabbing lunch, hitting the gym, shopping, that sort of thing."
"……Hmph."
"Jin-ah, this is my daughter, Han Sol."
Once introductions were done, Lee Jin-ah spoke first.
"Hi, Han Sol. I've heard a lot about you from Senior Han Kang."
It was a bright, sociable greeting.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you. First I've heard of you, though."
"……Ah."
"Hm...?"
The air had turned chilly. Not from the breeze. Lee Jin-ah wore a faint smile, and Han Sol was... somewhat expressionless. No matter how you sliced it, they seemed incredibly awkward around each other.
This had to be—
Just first-time jitters.
It was only natural, in a way. Showing up to see family and suddenly getting introduced to a coworker? I'd feel weird too. Still, they were both in their twenties. A slight gap between early and late, but nothing they couldn't bridge. A few minutes of chat, and they'd probably hit it off.
"Uh, girls?"
With them just staring silently, I broke the ice to salvage the situation.
"No point standing around. How about coffee nearby?"
"Sure, sounds good."
That was Han Sol.
"Senior, I know a great spot nearby. Let's go there."
Lee Jin-ah suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Hm?"
I was a bit startled, but Han Sol's reaction was way more intense. She flinched visibly and glared right through Lee Jin-ah.
This...
My instincts were screaming. I hate Wei or Wu—scratch the corny dad jokes. Anyway, something felt dangerous. Han Sol's anger meter was filling up. Being her dad gave me that gut sense.
"Sol, here."
"—!?"
I took her hand... or rather her arm, and her body stiffened slightly. But it relaxed right away, her expression shifting back from that pissed-off blankness to normal.
Feels like I just blocked something.
And so the three of us walked side by side. A young woman on each arm. Objectively, it might've looked picturesque. Though a chill down my spine made it feel off.
……………
We went to the café Lee Jin-ah suggested. Stylish interior. Soft lighting, nice vibe. Definitely the kind young women would love.
The three goddesses are probably having a blast watching right now.
Being in a café brought those three ordeal-givers to mind. From their view, it must feel like live-streaming a fun drama or game walkthrough. Left me feeling a bit down.
We sat around a round table, each at a vertex of an equilateral triangle.
Ugh.
Daughter and junior, both facing off, managing their expressions—but the vibe was anything but comfy. Less like a friendly meetup, more like salary negotiations or a job interview.
"Dad, how've things been?"
Han Sol spoke first. Pure small talk.
"Hm, lately?"
hadn't seen her in a bit, but a surprising amount had happened. Deciding to cut back on booze, buying pork soup for that weird orange-haired, orange-eyed girl. Where to start? Chronological order—
"Just like you said earlier, Senior."
Lee Jin-ah cut in before I could answer.
"We had meals together, worked out, went shopping."
"……."
Han Sol's eyes locked onto Lee Jin-ah.
"I wanted to learn, so Senior taught me. He held my waist for form, grabbed my thighs too. Thanks to him, I nailed squats."
Lee Jin-ah's voice was bright. Too bright.
"Senior's in such great shape. Eighteen years on the job? Thought he was a pro fighter."
"……Ha."
Han Sol's face hardened. More than before.
This...
My daughter seemed pissed. Hope it's okay?
"Senior."
Lee Jin-ah turned to me suddenly.
"Why?"
"Today was really fun, right?"
"Uh, yeah... sure."
It had been fun, honestly. No reason to lie.
"Right? Me too."
Lee Jin-ah smiled, satisfied. But—the instant I answered, Han Sol's eyebrow twitched.
"……You two seem close."
Han Sol said to Lee Jin-ah.
"Didn't think Dad had any close work friends. He's so gruff."
Holy shit.
Daughter's verbal strike! Critical hit! Felt like a spear through the chest. Yeah, Han Kang was a gruff guy. Barely interacted with colleagues for eighteen years, never reached out first to his independent daughter.
But saying it outright? Guess she's been holding that grudge.
Facts hurt. Hearing from my daughter that "Dad's a friendless loner" hit weirdly sad.
"Still."
Han Sol continued.
"Glad he has someone close. Maybe 'cause the age gap's small?"
That moment, Lee Jin-ah froze. Not just her movements—her breathing too. Like some vampire final boss hit time stop.
"Hahaha, misunderstanding, total misunderstanding."
I jumped in to smooth it over.
"She's twenty-six... seven-ish."
Right. Lee Jin-ah and I had just under a twenty-year gap. Small? Ridiculous slander.
But—even after patching it up, they stayed silent. Han Sol blank-faced, Lee Jin-ah smiling but stiff.
Ugh...
Super awkward. Probably 'cause I was stuck in the middle. A forties guy sandwiched between two twenties women? No way conversation flows.
Better give them alone time.
Same age group, they'd loosen up. Even strangers find common ground.
"I'll order. What do you want?"
"Iced Americano."
Han Sol.
"Caramel macchiato. Hot."
Lee Jin-ah.
Even drink prefs oppose.
Cold and bitter, warm and sweet.
"Got it."
I headed to the counter. No chatter from behind.
……………
The moment Han Kang left for the counter, the table's air shifted. In the outwardly peaceful café, the two seated women locked eyes. Han Sol spoke first.
"You two seem really close."
Polite speech. But the tone dripped sarcasm.
"Dad never mentioned any work buddies. News to me."
Lee Jin-ah smiled back.
"Really? I heard about you sometimes. You his actual family? You don't seem to talk much."
Han Sol bit her lip. Lee Jin-ah kept smiling.
"……Yeah. Traffic's been light since I moved out."
Han Sol admitted flatly.
"But I'm visiting more now. Family's what lasts, right? Coworkers end with transfers or quits."
Lee Jin-ah's smile stiffened. Just a flicker. Cool defense. Round 1: narrow win for Lee Jin-ah.
But she didn't stop.
"Kinda weird, though."
"What's weird?"
"You seem a bit obsessed with your dad."
Han Sol's face froze. Jab landed—now the straight. Lee Jin-ah swung a haymaker.
"No matter how I look at it, it's off. Daughter getting all guarded over Dad hanging with a work junior?"
"……What'd you say?"
"You're not looking at your own father that way, are you? Even thinking it... it's nuts. Tabloid fodder."
Lee Jin-ah dropping this KO bomb—on a first meet, to her crush's daughter—had reason. Woman's intuition. One exchange with Han Sol, and she knew: that bitch is competition.
And her gut was chillingly spot-on.
But Han Sol didn't crumble. She smiled colder.
"Not something an auntie needs to worry about. How I see Dad's my business."
Lee Jin-ah's eyes narrowed. Don't react. Reacting's losing. She knew. But that vile word? Anyone with XX chromosomes would snap. Especially at that age.
"……Guess twenty-seven's 'auntie' these days?"
"Korean age makes you twenty-eight or nine. Auntie fits."
Blade-sharp silence.
"Must take after Mom's side. If you'd taken after Senior, you'd know manners."
"Then Auntie must've forgotten her childhood lessons. Too old now."
The two smiled at each other. But their eyes weren't smiling at all.