Don't Leave Me, Papa
"Hah... we made it!!!"
Iseul must have had a brutal time of it on the way here too. She hadn't let it show — but one look at her clothes, soaked clean through with sweat, told the whole story.
Had it all been unnecessary trouble because of him...?
He felt so guilty that the moment they stepped inside he flicked on the air conditioner and was about to press a towel into her hands along with a glass of ice water.
"I... Iseul..."
But watching her wipe the sweat from her forehead, her hair plastered wet against her neck, some nameless feeling bloomed in his chest — and he found himself wiping it away for her.
Jiwoo used to be like this too...
He remembered his wife, once so wracked with fever she couldn't even sit up in bed, groaning through it. The memory of nursing her then made him draw the towel over Iseul's skin with the same careful tenderness.
"Papa...♡"
Iseul's eyes had gone to hearts. Her face flushed as she gazed at those gentle hands wiping down her body.
It wasn't that the stare made him uncomfortable, exactly — but it was embarrassing enough that he forced himself to look anywhere else.
"Drink some water too... Iseul..."
An overwhelming happiness settled over him, as if they were already a married couple. The uneasy feeling from before vanished in an instant, and a deep, aching warmth filled the house in its place.
"There. All done."
"Ah..."
They both stopped what they were doing and looked at each other, and a hazy, dreamlike feeling washed over them — as if they were walking on clouds. As if this were all a dream.
Trying to shake it off, he put on an exaggerated burst of energy.
"A-alright! Let's make some shaved ice!!!"
Hanbyul pounded on the shaved-ice machine and thrust his chest out with pride. He had no idea how much of himself he was putting on display as he stood there so confidently.
"Y-yes, sir..! slurp.."
Iseul swallowed the drool that had spilled at the sight of his prominent nipples, then followed her papa into the kitchen with her heart fluttering.
"I... Iseul... could you tie this for me..?"
Watching the married man ask her for help while wearing a pink apron, Iseul bit back the twitch in her womb and tied the knot for him.
And so Hanbyul washed the shaved-ice machine while Iseul stood behind him, watching with a distinctly unwholesome gaze.
"Should I freeze some water?"
She only asked because if she kept staring she was going to jump him — she needed something, anything, to do. But Hanbyul, as if he'd picked up the habit from Baek Jiwoo, planted a hand on his hip, stopped what he was doing, and turned around.
"Water? For our little princesses? It's got to be milk!"
Today, Hanbyul had appointed himself their personal chef. He looked so confident you could almost see a baker's hat that wasn't even there.
"Got it. I'll grab the milk from the fridge, then."
Leaving the chef to his dishwashing, Iseul headed for the refrigerator.
"Now where's that milk at~? Oh! Milk's right here!"
She put on a terrible attempt at a country accent as she found it, but...
"Huh? Papa... is this gonna be enough?"
The carton sloshed, the sound alone announcing that the bottom was far too empty.
"Nngh... that's nowhere near enough, is it...?"
Four people were going to eat this. They needed at least a full carton of milk.
"Should I go buy some..?"
She asked with one eyebrow raised, playing it casual — though privately, Iseul thought they'd be fine just using water.
"Papa'll go get it."
"Huh? No! Absolutely not!!!"
White-haired Jiwoo raised her voice as if there was no way she was going to let this end so meaninglessly — not after they had finally gotten to be together.
"Huh? Then... should we go together...?"
The sudden change in attitude caught him off guard, but it was so cute he had to fight back a smile.
"Then let's rest a little first and gooo... I'm a tiny bit tired, Papa..♡"
She whined, then slumped onto the sofa as if collapsing outright.
Before long Hanbyul finished washing up, shook the water from his hands, and simply stood there watching her.
"I... Iseul..?"
"..."
She'd barely lain down, and already their daughter had drifted off to dreamland.
Soft, even breaths.
A chest much like Jia's rose and fell. Her well-proportioned body looked like a work of art.
Leaving that beautiful figure behind, the married man — who still felt he owed them — quietly began preparing to go out alone. Unaware that someone was watching, he pulled off his shirt in the living room.
Lines as smooth as a baby's skin, yet so alluring they could captivate any woman. The pale, exquisite body of the married man was laid bare — enough to stir sadistic impulses that hadn't even existed a moment before.
"Hahh... have I put on weight..?"
He ran a hand along his arm, then felt his stomach.
Gulp.
"Nn...?"
He thought he heard a strange sound, but let it go. Wandering around too much might wake Iseul, he figured.
"Is she asleep?"
Just in case, he decided to check whether she was still out.
"Iseul, you asleep?"
He waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn't so much as twitch. So he rose up on his tiptoes and carefully made his way toward the door.
He reached the shoe cabinet, slipped on his shoes, and was just about to step outside when—
"Where are you going?"
A voice from behind that sent a chill down his spine. It felt like someone had grabbed him by the nape of the neck.
That single sentence, laced with an inexplicable irritation and anger, froze him in place.
An untimely game of freeze tag had begun between this father and daughter(?).
"Papa, where are you going?"
"Are you abandoning me?"
"Are you leaving me behind and going?"
"I... Iseul..?"
He turned toward her with a creaking stiffness. The first thing he saw was her shoulders and body, slumped so far they looked like they were melting.
"Th-that's..."
"Papa changed. You said you'd take responsibility. You said you'd take care of me."
"N-no! It's nothing like that at all!"
He didn't know Iseul that well, but he suspected this state of hers had something to do with trauma from her former father. Deciding that letting this go on wouldn't be good—
"Papa hasn't changed... Iseul... you know that."
"Liar..."
"How could you say that..."
Words alone wouldn't convince her. In that case...
"What do I have to do for you to believe me?"
He would show her through his actions.
"Hug me."
"Alright..."
He pulled Iseul into his arms — she was trembling like a puppy soaked through in the rain.
She'd been asleep just a moment ago, and the second he tried to leave she'd suddenly sprung up. Something felt off about that, but...
Sh-she's so cute...
The sound of her sniffles, the way this oversized puppy of a girl nuzzled her head against his chest — it made his heart go soft. Maybe that was why Hanbyul found himself stroking her hair without even realizing it.
"Mmhnn..♡"
"Is it that hard to let Papa go?"
"Ungh..."
He smiled, reminded of Jia throwing tantrums when she was little.
"Then come with Papa."
"Yaaay~!"
Well. In the end, they were going to the mart together.
"Hey, Papa!"
He looked at his daughter, who was reacting as if something were completely ridiculous.
"Isn't that outfit way too sexy?"
"Outfit? Ah... is it a bit much..?"
He'd matched her in blue, but the oversized fit left one collarbone exposed and all but swallowed the pants. A missing-bottoms look, with a seductively sloping shoulder line on full display.
"How is it~? I'm only showing this to my daughter~"
"Hnnngh~♡"
Like any other father and daughter, they bantered and teased as they fell into step together. Following the coastal road, they arrived at a mart on the outskirts.
"Hello~"
"Hello!"
A shop that radiated a warm, homey atmosphere, with "Farmers Mart" written across every pane of the mirror. There was a glass door set in a steel frame, and a threshold that jutted out just enough to catch your toes.
"Whoaa~!"
Hanbyul, not watching where he was going, caught his foot on that threshold as he walked in.
"Aigoo. Our Papa, honestly...♡"
Leaving Iseul behind as she gazed at him with a look of pure adoration—
"Here for milk?"
A listless voice drifted out from the back. The mart grandmother, who'd guessed correctly without him saying a word. She fanned herself in rapid strokes, then came out with her hands clasped behind her back, and somehow the whole thing just felt so warmly familiar.
"Huh?"
He was so caught off guard that the question slipped out before he could stop it. She chuckled and continued, as if answering him.
"I've been runnin' this shop for decades. You think I wouldn't know that much?"
"Can you really guess everything?"
"Hmm? That's right."
"Granny! Then what about me? I'm..!"
Iseul bounced up to the grandmother with sparkling eyes, as if she'd just witnessed something magical. Thank goodness she had such an innocent, cute face.
"Yah, you little brat! Get off!"
"Aww~ Grannyyy~!"
They'd clearly never met before today, yet Iseul was approaching her with the unreserved familiarity of family. Hanbyul watched anxiously, worried the grandmother might take offense... but though her words sounded annoyed, the corners of her mouth were smiling warmly, and he quietly relaxed.
"Hrmm... let me see."
Iseul pressed her lips together tight, staring only at the grandmother as if begging her to guess correctly.
"Want some condoms?"
"Excuse me!?"
"...♡"
Looking at the man standing there like a wooden statue, still holding his breath, she delivered the finishing blow.
"What are you so shocked for? One look and anyone can tell."
"Excuse me...?"
Which meant...
"Papa♡"
It meant Iseul wanted to do it with him. Afraid of what other bizarre ordeal might befall them if they stayed any longer, he quickly grabbed two cartons of milk and decided to check out.
"Th-then, two cartons of milk, please."
"My, this one's quick on his feet. Nothing else you need?"
She shot a look at Iseul — as if they'd known each other forever rather than meeting today — and Iseul met it with a wicked little smile.
He did his best to ignore the suggestive smile and the way she took a step closer, hurriedly slapped the money on the counter, and bolted out of the shop.
"Take your change!!!"
"Thank you, Granny♡"
"Just jump him already. Once you sink a househusband into a pussy, he can't move a muscle."
"Ehehe..♡"
Without Hanbyul noticing, the shopkeeper granny pressed a gray packet of "vitamins"(?) into Iseul's hand and sent her on her way.
What am I supposed to do with this...
The situation had somehow grown even more awkward than when they'd left the house. Since they were going to be together the whole way back, he decided to play dumb about what had just happened and casually broached the subject.
"That granny sure is a funny one, huh?"
"Why?"
She took the bag he'd been holding.
"What's so funny about it, Papa? She was right, you know?"
She looked him dead in the eye, not the least bit embarrassed.
"Euhh..?!"
"Heheh~♡ Papa's so cute...♡"
She freely pried open his dazed, motionless hand and took the bag for herself.
"Papa! Hurry up~ We've gotta get back and make it♡"
Iseul walked ahead with her hands behind her back, her skirt fluttering. It was a beautiful sight — and yet he couldn't shake the feeling of a rabbit walking into a tiger's den.
"Nothing's going to happen... right?"
"Ah! Papa! We don't have any condensed milk. We didn't buy condensed milk!"
"Ah! Then we have to go back..."
"Heheh♡"
And so even this moment was a joy for Hanbyul(?) and Iseul.