It was really good to have Lisa be turned back to normal by Hwan, even though he still had some resentment towards her. Lisa was still rather traumatized, but happy to no longer be a robot slave to her (possibly) former nemesis anymore.
This was all so much for her to take in after all she had been through right now.
Yes, this would be something that would haunt her memories forever. Despite all of this: she was glad to be reunited with Lincoln and Leni. Speaking of Leni; she herself was having a talk with Hwan's father on how his son doesn't feel so loved by the very guardian taking care of him. Poor Hwan was still guilty about what he was doing all this time, and he realized he was doing a little... unhinged as a light way to say it.
"You sure we can trust this?" Asked Donnie.
"Hey, he's still a little kid who doesn't know any better." Frankie pointed. "I mean, sure he's an intellectual genius and all like Lisa, but... he still needs to listen to his conscious."
"Look, I am really sorry for everything." Hwan said again. "I know you probably don't trust me after what I did, but... it's just not fair how dad doesn't show love to me."
"We get it, Hwan," said Lincoln. "Some people aren't good at showing love sometimes."
"Then why doesn't my dad say he loves me or hugs me?" Hwan wiped a tear from his eye.
"That is probably a question not even he can answer for you." Lisa said.
Hwan was silent and he asked: "how do you guys have parents that always pay attention to you and always help you?"
"All children deserve parents, but not all parents deserve children." Donnie pointed. "Maybe he does love you, but just doesn't like to say it or show it. Probably a pride thing in himself."
"Maybe all he endured in North Korea made him bitter?"
"Living in the hermit kingdom?" Frankie scoffed. "Probably wouldn't surprise me." He felt himself being whacked in the back of the head by his friend. "Ow! What the?"
"Not helping, Waterboy." Donnie scolded him.
"Sorry."
For Leni, she was trying so hard to reason with Mr. Joon Chul. "Look, sir," she said, "Hwan doesn't feel as loved, and he just wants to please you and make you happy. And he wants you to feel proud of him." As for Hwan's father, he was sitting on the couch as he was listening to what Leni had to say. "I know you do love him deep down, but he feels like you need to show more love and appreciation to him." she continued explaining to him. "Don't you think that is a bit sad?"
Mr. Joon chul was silent again, and he slightly look down, starting to look guilty. Still quiet for thirty more seconds, he finally said: "look, i'm... not one to show affection, alright." he sounded ashamed admitting it. "My parents weren't ones to give love while living back home... before i escaped." he turned away from the teen superhero. "My home is not a very kind place. My parents were strict, but that's how they were raised by their parents, and how their parents were raised. If you were from North Korea, you would understand."
Leni gave him a frown. "Well, i haven't been born there, and i don't even want to think about it, if it's that bad."
"Good." Mr. Joon chul chortled. "But... i don't really know how to show my love to my son admittedly. I mean, my parents never showed me any love either. They never hugged me or said that they loved me. But again, my home is very very very different than here." he gave a bitter look while looking at the ceiling. "Stupid totalitarian communists."
"i get it. But it wouldn't hurt you to hug him or say you love him. Hwan would really like that." Leni said. "He tried to win the science fair for a good reason: so he can get your affection and you'll finally love him."
"But I do love him." the father pointed. "But like i mentioned, i don't really know how to show my love to Hwan. And, i am proud of him for trying to win, even if he got second place."
"Then why didn't you say that to him in the first place?" asked Leni.
"Like i mentioned, i don't really know to express my love towards Hwan. If his mother were here, she would be the expert. You know; maternal instincts?"
"I know that kind of feeling well." Leni said. "I know what it's kinda like being a mother."
"So, how can i express my love for Hwan? How can i show that i truly care about him?"
"Just say you love him and you're glad to have him as your son, and that he's in your life. If you really love and care about him, then say it, and give him a hug." Silence was in the air again, and the plant girl sat next to the man. "It's simple as that. And you can try and find something you can do together, like playing catch or go to the mall or the arcade with him, or go get Burpin' Burger or pizza with him."
Thinking about this more and more, Hwan's father felt like crying and he said to Leni. "Look, where is he? I want to hug him and tell him i'm sorry for not giving him so much love."
Leni smiled, knowing that she had help him. She could hardly wait to see how much of a better father this man was going to be towards his son. The man immediately got off his couch and went down to Hwan's lab. There he was, sitting with Lisa, and giving him a nervous look, worried if he was going to be in big trouble by his father.
"Hi dad." Hwan said in a meek voice, blowing his nose with another piece of tissue. "Look, i'm so sorry about all of this, i know you're probably going to spank me or flog me right now." he prepared for his supposed "impending doom" on his butt.
"Hwan," said Mr. Joon chul. He knelt down on one knee and opened his arms. "Come here, son." Hwan didn't know what to think of this, but slowly walked over to his father and then he felt his small body being embraced by his father's arms. "I'm so sorry if I haven't been giving you all the love you need.
The boy never thought he would ever hear that from his old man. The last time he held him in his arms was right after he was born. But he was happy to have his father do this to him. "Dad," he said
"Look, I know I haven't been the best father lately, and I give you my deepest apologies." Mr Joon Chul continued. "Look, I do love you, and I am so happy that you are in my life."
"Then why didn't you tell me that you love me so many times or say that you were proud of me? I always tried everything to make you proud of me."
"I've always been proud of you, son." He looked slightly away from him in guilt. "The truth is; I'm not good at giving affections. It's just that your grandparents were strict on me, and their parents were strict on them. It's a family thing. And... it's been harder for me since your mother... you know."
"I miss her too." Hwan said. It was such a heartwarming moment between these too and it couldn't be any more precious.
"But," said Mr Joon Chul, "I am going to have to ground you for a week for brainwashing Lisa and trying to take over the world with a robot army."
"Ok, I understand."
"And I'm sorry about the whole science fair thing." Lisa set foot. "Pardon the intrusion, but I still feel like this was my fault a little."
"No, you won fair and square." Hwan admitted. "I was being selfish and I wasn't being myself before."
"If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I'll do anything, Hwan." Lisa pointed.
"Thanks but I should be the one to make it up to you after all I did."
"Come on you guys," said Leni. "Hug it out."
"Oh ok." Said Hwan before he and Lisa did just that.
"So we should probably fix all of Lisa's robots and make them good again." Said Lincoln.
"Not to worry, dear sibling." Said Lisa. "I am one for that kind of job."
