Yu jin's POV
I was still half-asleep when the knocking started.
At first I thought it was part of a dream, something about being late to class or the police finally arresting me for bad life choices.
But the knocking didn't stop.
Three quick taps, pause, then another set.
I groaned, rolled over, and checked the time. Seven-something. Who in their right mind shows up at seven on a Saturday?
When I opened the door, I almost fell backward.
Woo Min was standing there, holding Rin's tiny hand. Both smiling.
"Surprise," Woo Min said.
I blinked at him. "You're here already? The week's not even over."
He shrugged. "Appointment got moved up. Thought we'd come early."
Before I could process it, Rin let go of his hand and ran straight at me. "Papa!"
Next thing I knew, he was climbing up my body like a tiny human backpack. I grabbed him before he could take me down completely, laughing so hard I forgot I was supposed to be tired.
"Okay, okay! You're getting heavy," I said, pretending to struggle.
"I'm big now!" he shouted against my neck. "Bigger than last time!"
"You're definitely louder," I said, hugging him tighter.
Woo Min was watching us with that soft smile that always made me feel both warm and guilty at the same time. He stepped closer and put a hand on my shoulder. I pulled him into a quick hug because apparently I was feeling generous with affection before coffee.
He sniffed me.
I froze. "Wait. Did you just sniff me?"
He laughed. "You smell the same. I missed it."
I stared at him. "That's the creepiest compliment I've had all month."
Rin giggled, still clinging to my arm. "Woo Min likes you, Papa."
"Yeah, that's obvious," I said. "Nobody else sniffs me at the door." I said jokingly of course.
We went inside, Rin bouncing around like he'd just inhaled sugar. I hadn't even brushed my teeth yet, and now I had an almost five-year-old doing parkour on my furniture.
"You two want breakfast?" I asked. "I have eggs, cereal, maybe half a leftover sandwich. Gourmet stuff."
Woo Min grinned. "Sounds like a feast."
***
By the time I finished bathing Rin, he'd turned my bathroom into a swimming pool. There were wet footprints everywhere, including on my mirror. Don't ask how.
"Dry yourself properly this time," I said, throwing him a towel.
He wrapped it around his head like a cape. "Papa, can I have pancakes?"
"You think I can cook pancakes?"
"You can try!"
Woo Min called from the kitchen, "I can handle the pancakes. You go freshen up before you pass out."
I stared at him. "You sure?"
"Positive. I still remember how to use a pan."
That was new. Last time he I saw him try with mom's pans, he burned rice. Literally rice.
Still, I let him handle it. When I came out, Rin was sitting at the table, swinging his legs, Woo Min flipping pancakes, and the smell actually wasn't terrible.
"Okay, who are you and what did you do to the real Woo Min?" I asked, sitting down.
He looked over his shoulder, spatula in hand. "Growth. I've evolved."
Rin laughed so loud it made me grin.
"You're both insane," I said, grabbing a cup of coffee.
We ate together, pancakes drowning in syrup, bits of conversation between bites. It felt too peaceful. Which in my life usually means something bad is about to happen.
Rin talked about his favorite cartoon, about a classmate who apparently "smells like fish," and about how he wanted a dog.
Then, out of nowhere, he pointed his fork at us. "You two should get married."
I choked on my coffee. "What?"
Woo Min just smiled. "We're not doing this again, Rin."
"Why not? You love each other."
"Who told you that?" I asked.
"You!" Rin said proudly. "Last time you said you loved Woo Min but he was annoying."
I covered my face. "That was sarcasm, Rin."
"He doesn't know what sarcasm is," Woo Min said with a grin. "Don't ruin his hopes."
Rin folded his arms. "You love him, he loves you. Just get married."
Woo Min turned to me with a teasing tone. "Well, the kid has a point. Maybe we should consider it."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. Let me just cancel all my bigger, better boyfriends first."
He leaned on the table, smirking. "Bigger and better? You mean imaginary?"
"Hey, don't disrespect my imaginary love life. It's thriving."
Rin laughed so hard he almost spilled his juice. "Woo Min dady, be Papa's husband!"
I looked at Woo Min. "You hear that? That's pressure."
He smiled gently. "Could be worse. Could be him asking if I want to be a stepfather."
I raised an eyebrow. "Isn't he your son already?"
That shut him up for a second. Then he smiled in a quiet way.
"Yeah," he said softly. "He kind of is."
We stayed at the table for a while. Rin kept talking, Woo Min kept teasing, and I tried to pretend my brain wasn't still replaying Park Min's kiss from the night before.
The noise helped. The laughter, the clatter, the smell of syrup. It made everything else feel far away.
Until my phone buzzed.
Once. Twice.
I didn't want to check it. I already knew who it would be.
But of course, I checked it.
Park Min: "I need to see you. Please."
My stomach twisted.
Woo Min noticed. "Bad news?"
I locked the screen. "Work stuff."
He frowned. "You're not good at lying, Yu Jin."
"Good thing I don't do it for a living," I said.
Rin was still talking about pancakes, completely unaware of the adult tension sitting across from him.
Woo Min reached over and touched my hand. "Now for real..You okay? Which boss calls their worker on weekend?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry about it I insisted."
I stared at the screen until the letters blurred. Then another text came in.
Park Min: "I'm outside."
My breath caught.
I turned toward the window.
And there he was.
Standing by the gate, hands in his pockets, looking up at my building, how did he even find me? I thought.