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As time goes on, Youngjo finds he has less and less time free. He’s had to start taking extra shifts, at work, to keep up with bills that he used to split with his now-ex wife. Between that and the expenses that came with having a child, he found he had less and less time to spend with his daughter, too. While he still had enough to know she wouldn’t think he didn’t want to spend time with her, there was still a large enough portion of time- usually between her leaving school, and him returning from work- that he didn’t have available and, in which, he needed someone to take care of her.Most of this time she could go to day-care, technically- and it was right across the street from her school, so he didn’t need to have too many concerns there- but he’d much prefer if there was someone taking care of her, specifically. This was only more true on the weekends where he had to work despite his best efforts to keep at least one of those days free.So, Youngjo sits at a computer- early in the evening before his daughter has gone to sleep- looking for a babysitter that he would have to hope she’d like, and that was good at their job. Trusting a stranger with his kid’s care- despite any qualifications- was difficult, though. Youngjo finds himself staring at a list of names with increasing amounts of hesitation.And then there’s a hand tugging on his sleeve. He turns to his daughter, immediately. “Yes, Eunha?”Eunha holds up a book. It’s fairly large- larger than most books she’s read- and though she probably could read it, it’s not what he expects. Briefly, Youngjo remembers her teachers having mentioned her trying to read bigger books, after finishing assigned reading.“You want to read it?” Youngjo glances at the title of the book, notes that it’s a book appropriate for a seven year old to read, and nods to himself.“Yeah.”“Okay.” Youngjo watches her pause, wonders if she’s going to say anything else, but instead she climbs onto his chair- and into his lap- and opens the book. She glances at the computer, in front of them, and takes to pouting down at her book. “What’s wrong?”“I don’t need a babysitter.”“Yes, you do.”“But I’m seven!”“Yes, you are.” Youngjo smiles, patting her head. In turn, she leans her head back so she can frown up at him. “But it’s good to have an adult around, in case something happens.”“Something? I can handle anything!”“But everyone needs help, sometimes.” Youngjo pauses. “I’ll feel better if I know someone trustworthy is here.”Eunha huffs, pout growing, but gives in. “Fine.”“Thank you.” With her acceptance out of the way, he just had to find someone for the job. Still. He turns his attention back to the listings in front of him- has to move the mouse so the screen un-dims after their conversation- but finds he isn’t any less hesitant, now.“Dad?”“Hm?”“What’s this word?” Eunha points, and Youngjo turns his attention back to her, and the book.“Occupation.”“Great! That doesn’t help.”“Can you guess, based on the rest of the sentence?”Eunha mumbles to herself, likely re-reading the sentence, before nodding. “Like a job?”“Yep.”Eunha frowns at this, despite being right. “They should have just said job!” Then she mutters, repeating the books words again. “Occupation as a teacher.” It takes another two days- luckily it’s a weekend that he has managed to get off of work- to choose someone. The whole thing would have been easier, if his ex-wife lived nearby enough to ask her for help, but that wasn’t the case. Usually he was glad for that- she had cheated on him, after all- but he was sure Eunha would have preferred that situation, to a stranger.Come Monday afternoon- the first day this person will be taking care of Eunha, after school- Youngjo picks Eunha up from school, and takes her home to wait for one Yeo Hwanwoong. After the first day, he’s meant to take over picking Eunha up, too, since Youngjo is usually at work, but until the two had met and gotten used to each other, Youngjo decided this would be the better way to handle it. They don’t have to wait long, for a knock at the door, and when Youngjo opens it, there stands a shorter man he recognizes as Hwanwoong. Eunha leans around Youngjo, to look at her babysitter, and Hwanwoong takes a moment to wave at her.“Hello.”“Hi…” Eunha returns the wave. Hwanwoong then turns back to Youngjo. There’s a second, where he seems to have some sort of realization, before he holds out a hand. Youngjo can guess what that realization is.“Hello, I’m Hwanwoong.”“Youngjo.” He shakes Hwanwoong’s hand, nodding. Of course he recognizes the other from pictures that came along with his other information. “And this is Eunha, my daughter.”“Nice to meet you.” The greeting is practiced, smooth, and Youngjo nods. Before he can say anything else, his phone rings- alarm startling all three of them- reminding him he has to go to work.“Oh,” Youngjo starts, silencing his alarm, “I have to go. Eunha, be good, okay?”“I’m always good!”“Oh, right, of course.” Youngjo kneels to hug her. “I love you.”“Love you too!”With that, Youngjo quickly runs down where information is, to Hwanwoong, as he pulls a coat on and grabs his keys. Then he’s rushing out of his apartment, and off to work. Youngjo can bet the “realization” Hwanwoong had was wrong. Most people have it, once they see Eunha, and see him. He’s only twenty-four, after all, so Eunha’s age makes most people assume one of two things. Either that he’s older than he appears, or- the more often thought one- that he had a kid way earlier than he should have. Neither are correct. Youngjo and his then-wife had adopted Eunha, in their early twenties, after having fostered her for a number of months. Eunha has only been his daughter for three years. Despite everything else, she has been her mothers daughter, too, for that long.This isn’t something he ever hides from people- and Eunha knows, too- but it’s always prefaced with the understanding that it doesn’t change anything. Likely, Hwanwoong will either figure this out on his own, or- maybe- Eunha will tell him something that makes him realize it. Either way, Youngjo doesn’t really see a need to address the false realizations, or what the situation really is. Youngjo knew what would happen when he adopted her, and people thinking he was irresponsible as a teenager doesn’t matter to him so much as knowing that he is doing his best to take care of her now. Youngjo works in a small restaurant. It has less employees than is probably should, and more often than not there’s only one cook in the kitchen, and two other workers present. Today- as most days- Youngjo and Dongju are the staff out in the restaurant, and Geonhak is it the kitchen. The latter has been his friend since they were both teenagers- Geonhak a couple of years younger than him- so he often finds himself standing at the edge of the kitchen, when it isn’t particularly busy. Youngjo is technically his boss, being that he’s a manager, but due to the owners not allowing him to hire more staff, he- like most of them- works more than one job in the restaurant. At the very least, they’re paid surprisingly well.“You came in later today.” Later, instead of late, because he had purposefully set his own shift to start later in the day. He’s staying an hour later than usual, because of it, but that was fine. He’d still be home before Eunha was meant to go to sleep.“I had to pick Eunha up from school.”“Did something happen with her daycare?” Geonhak glances away from a pot he’s stirring, frowning.“No, I just finally got her a babysitter. He’ll pick her up, from now on, assuming she doesn’t end up hating him.”“Aw, does that mean you wont be bringing her with you to work on the weekends anymore?”“It should.” Youngjo breathes a sigh. “She doesn’t need to spend all her time stuck here while I work. Don’t look so disappointed.”“But I’m gonna miss her. I’m her favourite uncle.”“You can visit me?” Youngjo shakes his head. “And obviously Dongju is her favourite uncle.”“The betrayal-”“We have an order!” Dongju shouts in the kitchen, holding out a piece of paper. Youngjo takes it, before handing it to Geonhak. “I’m who’s favourite uncle?”“Eunha’s.”“Oh.” A pause. “Obviously.”“Get out of my kitchen.” Geonhak gives a halfhearted glare at Dongju, who shrugs, unperturbed, and returns to the front. They all know Geonhak is physically incapable of being upset with Dongju. Then, he turns to Youngjo with a plate of food. “And you, take this.”“Sure, sure.” Youngjo takes the dish. As he makes his way to the front, he calls out a small, “love you,” before leaving. Geonhak rolls his eyes, not responding, far too used to Youngjo doing so.The day proceeds in much the same way; Youngjo spends half of his time helping Dongju, when needed, and the rest bothering Geonhak, until the next set of employees arrive for their shifts- the evening ones- and take their places.“Night, guys,” Youngjo says, as they leave. They nod in return, Dongju paying very little attention as he packs up his bag to leave. Once all three are outside, pausing outside the door, Youngjo gives them a small wave, and begins heading in the opposite direction of the other two. “Love you!”Geonhak rolls his eyes, and Dongju gives an exaggerated groan, but both give- small, but audible- responses. When Youngjo returns home, he finds Eunha in the midst of telling Hwanwoong about a book she read for school. Eunha has always been an enthusiastic story-teller, so she’s all waving hands, exaggerated facial expressions, and shifting her tone and volume to get the feelings she thinks she’s portraying across. Sometimes Youngjo can’t tell what mood she’s actually going for, when she explains something, but encourages her to express her stories- and herself- in that way, anyway, since she seems happy to do so.Hwanwoong is nodding along with Eunha’s story, grinning when she throws her arms out to express how big of a deal her current part of the story his. His expression is what can only be described as captivated. Eunha lowers her voice, for the next words, and he leans forward to listen.“And behind the door… a garden!” A pause. Then, louder, “Isn’t that cool?”“It is!” Hwanwoong smiles, and Eunha grins at the confirmation.Youngjo is content to allow this to go on, a while longer, but Eunha seems to have noticed him. She turns, see him, and waves, motioning him over to listen to her story, too. She gives him a small hug, before pushing him to sit down. “Hey, Eunha.”“Welcome home! I was just talking about the book I- uh, we? Read in class.”“I heard a little. It sounds interesting; you must have liked it.”“I did!” Eunha gives a small pause, then frowns. “Oh, wait, now that your home, does that mean he has to leave?”Youngjo glances at Hwanwoong, who in turn frowns. “Do you have something else important, after this?”“No.” Hwanwoong shakes his head. Youngjo turns his attention back to Eunha, then.“Why don’t you ask if he wants to stay until you finish your story?”“Oh!” Her grin returns, and she turns to Hwanwoong. “Want to hear the rest?”“Of course!”Eunha continues telling her story immediately. It isn’t until she’s finished- thirty minutes later- that Hwanwoong moves to leave. He kneels and gives small high-fives to Eunha, in place of waving.“See you tomorrow, Eunha!”“Bye!”Then, Hwanwoong stands back up, fully, and nods to Youngjo. “Goodnight.”“Goodnight, thank you for your help.”Hwanwoong shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything further as he leaves. Once he’s gone, Youngjo turns to Eunha.“So, you still against having a babysitter?”Eunha hums, as if considering, before shaking her head. “Nope.”“Good, good.” Youngjo laughs, nodding. “What do you want for dinner?”“Are you going to cook?”“Sure.”Eunha gives a shout of her favourite food, running off towards the kitchen, and Youngjo laughs. He should have expected that. The next day, Youngjo goes into work partway into the morning. Good pay or not, Youngjo still needed more hours under his belt if he was going to keep up with bills- especially the new one that was Hwanwoong’s paycheck. If it weren’t for the fact he needed the extra hours anyway, he would have considered the extra bill too much, but if he was going to work more, anyway, he might as well use that time to make sure Eunha was taken care of.Besides, it was only really the weekends that were a real problem, since the entire time he’s at work will likely have Hwanwoong taking care of Eunha- unless she’s invited to a friends house- and thus increases that bill.“Hey,” Geonhak speaks, waving his hand in front of Youngjo’s face. Youngjo jumps, turning to frown at him in question. “You’re spacing out.”“I’m tired.”“Everything okay?”“Yeah. Just the hours, you know?”Geonhak hums in acknowledgement, being that he was working extra hours, too. Though his reasons were for schooling. “Are you working this weekend?”“Yeah.” A pause. “Are you?”“I am. Dongju too.”“Just him?” Usually they had more workers on the weekend, being that their youngest three- all Dongju’s age- all had less classes on the weekend. (Youngjo is glad he isn’t a college student, still. Working his hours, on top of that, would be impossible.)“No, I think both twins, but just them.”“Hey, that’s a whole four people,” Youngjo offers, trying to sound positive. Geonhak looks like he’s going to respond, but the bell above their door rings, announcing a customer. After a pause, Youngjo realizes he’s supposed to be manning the front of the store, and rushes out of the kitchen while Geonhak laughs at him. “Good morning, how can I… help you today?”The person in front of him- one of two, actually- is Hwanwoong, who’s too busy digging into a bag to have noticed Youngjo was the one to greet him. Next to him, the other customer moves forward with a grin. “Good morning, you’re not Seoho.”Youngjo pauses, before nodding. Seoho was the one who usually took this shift, but he had called in sick and Youngjo had jumped at the chance for a bigger paycheck. “He’s out, today.”“He is?” A pause, where he pulls out his phone and frowns at it. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”“Maybe he hates you,” Hwanwoong offers, finally raising his head from his bag, holding a wallet. “Anyway- oh.”“He doesn’t hate me.” The other turns to Hwanwoong, sees that he’s looking at Youngjo, and looks between the two suspiciously. “Know each other?”“My boss,” Hwanwoong offers, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Good morning.”“Your ho-” Hwanwoong kicks him- “ow, okay. Jeeze this kid.”“We’re the same age.”“Still.” The other turns to Youngjo, grinning. “I’m Keonhee.”“Nice to meet you,” Youngjo says, offering the smile he usually did to customers, on instinct. “I assume you know what you want?”“In theory.”“Huh?”“Seoho has what we get basically memorized,” Hwanwoong explains, sighing. “We haven’t actually ordered in a while. But I know it.” Hwanwoong steps forward, reciting a food order that Youngjo types in, nodding with each item.Youngjo tells them their total, though he assumes they already know it, and Hwanwoong pays for the food.“Oh!” Hwanwoong says, just as Youngjo is about to take the order to Geonhak.“Yes?”“Does Eunha know I’m going to pick her up, today?”“Yeah.” Youngjo nods, smiling. “I let her teacher know, too, so nobody should think you’re kidnapping her.”“Okay.” Hwanwoong nods, and Youngjo takes that chance to take the order back to Geonhak.“We have an order, nerd.”“Oh, let me guess,” Geonhak turns, taking the paper with the order, “yep.”“Used to this?”“Seoho’s friends are really predictable.”“Call me when it’s done.” Youngjo turns to go back to the front, since he’s technically not supposed to leave customers in there without any employee’s present.“I’ll just bring it to you.”“Okay!” The next few days pass in much the same fashion, while Seoho continues to be sick and absent. As such, Youngjo memorizes their orders fairly quickly, and falls into routine of typing them in when they arrive.On the third day- when he returns to the front- Hwanwoong is glaring at a laughing Keonhee. Youngjo, without much else to do, takes a seat behind the front counter and waits for Geonhak to bring him their food. Tries very hard not to listen into the two’s conversation, despite them being in hearing distance, and apparently not trying to be particularly quiet.“So apparently, Seoho isn’t going to the studio, tomorrow.” Keonhee frowns down at his phone, shaking his head.“Of course not, he apparently didn’t come to work again today.”“But, still.”“But, still, you shouldn’t be surprised.” Hwanwoong shrugs, leaning against the table they sit at. “Looks like it’s just you, kid.”“Hey, we’re the same age.”“Still.” Hwanwoong mocks Keonhees response from a few days earlier, and the other gasps in faux offense.“Wait, you’re not coming?”“Obviously not; you keep scheduling the afternoon.”“It’s the only time available!”“And I have a job now.” Hwanwoong glances briefly at Youngjo, who tries very hard to look like he’s not listening or looking at them. He must succeed, because Hwanwoong turns back to Keonhee without comment or volume change. “If you can get us time in the day, on a weekday, let me know.”“But what about your passion?” Keonhee gasps, like he’s got an idea. “Hey, can’t you just bring the kid? Kids love dancers?”“Do they?” Hwanwoong shakes his head, though he laughs at that. “I can’t bring someone else’s kid to our dance studio, you weirdo.”“But I love kids.”“Adopt one.”“I can’t, I’m too poor to raise someone.”“Yeah, your wealth isn’t the biggest issue, Keonhee.”“What’s that mean?”“You can’t raise a kid: you are one.”“So are you!” A pause. “No- wait- we’re adults!”Hwanwoong laughs, shaking his head. “Just get earlier times. Or later, even. Anything that isn’t afternoon or a weekend.”Keonhee groans, leaning back in his seat, and then turns to glance at Youngjo. Then, he sits up straight and faces Hwanwoong again. “Wait ask-”“No.”“Come on, he probably heard all that. Right?” Keonhee turns back to Youngjo, who meets his eyes, this time.“Yes?”“So your-”“Food.” Geonhak’s voice interrupts, as he stands in the kitchen doorway, holding plates of food. Youngjo move to take them from him, and give them to Keonhee and Hwanwoong.“Thanks,” Hwanwoong says, simply.Keonhee, on the other hand, grins at Youngjo. “So about what we we’re talking about-”“Keonhee.” Hwanwoong stresses the other’s name, glaring.“What?”“I literally just got this job, can you not immediately make me look weird?”“But you always look weird.”“You guys rent a studio, of some sort?” Youngjo interrupts, before Hwanwoong can toss a utensil at Keonhee, like he appears he’s going to.“Yeah.” Keonhee grins, again. “We’re dancer’s first, and people second.”Hwanwoong mutters a small, “but you’re a vocalist first and dancer second,” but his words go ignored.“I see.”“I’m actually a babysitter first,” Hwanwoong adds, narrowing his eyes at Keonhee further. Keonhee, for his part, seems unaffected.“And the only studio time we can get is in the afternoon. It’s always just us and Seoho, though, so you don’t have to worry we’re- like- weird.”“But you are weird.”“Hey, I’m trying to help you, Hwanwoong.”“I didn’t ask for this.”“Anyway!” Keonhee turns to Youngjo, expecting some sort of response. In turn, Youngjo considers this. He expects Hwanwoong can be trusted at least that much- since this was his job and he seemed fine thus far- so he doesn’t think he has to worry about Keonhee, either. Seoho he’s known long enough to think he’s okay, too. The main concern is-“It really depends one what kind of dancing it is, and to what music? Because if Eunha is going to end up watching you dance, it can’t be…” Youngjo pauses, searching for a word, but can’t come up with an appropriate one, so he simply says, “weird,” and leave it at that. Keonhee nods, at this, and grabs his phone, apparently searching for something.“You can just say no. Don’t let Keonhee win.” Hwanwoong says, and flinches when Keonhee apparently kicks him. “Ow, if you break my leg I definitely can’t dance.”“Your leg is fine.” Keonhee gives a small, “ah,” and holds up his phone for Youngjo to look at. There’s a video- Keonhee turns the volume up- of what is presumably himself, Seoho, and Hwanwoong dancing. It doesn’t look like anything he’d be particularly worried about Eunha being exposed to, and the music doesn’t have any particularly strange lyrics.“Okay…”“Everything’s kinda like this when it’s all three of us. Or when the lyrics are- uh- questionable they’re usually in English anyway.”Youngjo pauses, still considering this. “It doesn’t seem like a problem. But I need the studio’s address, so I know where my daughter is.”Hwanwoong blinks at him, apparently surprised, while Keonhee moves in search of the studio’s address. “You’re sure?”“Yeah. If you’re still there when I get off work- tomorrow, right?”“Yeah.”“If you’re still there, I can pick her up from you there. If you’re not, just let me know you’ve taken her back home, instead.”“Okay.” Hwanwoong nods. Keonhee apparently finds the address, handing a small paper with it over to Youngjo. Hwanwoong then pulls his own phone out, and Youngjo can see his calender pulled up before he thinks better of watching what Hwanwoong’s doing.“Anyway, you two should eat, before all the heat’s gone.”“Oh, shit, you’re right!” Keonhee moves to grab a fork, and Hwanwoong reaches across the table to smack his head.“Don’t swear when the kid’s around.”“I know that! But they- she?” A nod from both Hwanwoong and Youngjo. “She’s not here.”“Get in the habit of not swearing.”“Fine, fine.” When Youngjo returns that night, Eunha and Hwanwoong are listening to music. Eunha is jumping around the living room, while Hwanwoong smiles at her. It’s a nice song- upbeat, with a soft base line emphasized with a clicking sound- that Youngjo is pretty sure he’s heard before. Maybe it’s popular? Hwanwoong is the first to notice him, this time, waving.“This song fine for her to hear?”“Yes?” Youngjo tilts his head, in silent question.“It’s the one we’re practicing, tomorrow.”“Oh.” Youngjo nods. While he had agreed- and convinced himself he wasn’t worried- it’s still relieving to know for sure that what she’ll be hearing is appropriate. “Good to know.”“Dad!” Eunha runs up to him- despite not really needing to run to cross the small distance- and opens her arms, awaiting a hug. Youngjo gives her one, and lifts her up when she doesn’t let go. “I have a new favourite song!”“This one?”“Yes!” She nods, enthusiastic. “Let’s listen to it tomorrow!”Youngjo takes a second, to realize she means on the way to school, and nods. “Sure thing.”“Hwanwoong said I can listen to it a bunch with him too!”“Ah, at the studio?”“Huh?” She tilts her head, and Hwanwoong laughs.“Where I go to dance.”“Oh! Yes!” She nods, and Youngjo can’t help but smile at her, with a small laugh.“So you heard about that?”“Mhm!”“Well,” Hwanwoong starts, quietly, “I should head home.”Eunha pouts, but nods and gives him another goodbye high-five. “Bye bye.”“Goodnight.” When Youngjo get’s off work, the next day, he quickly give’s his goodbyes to Geonhak and Dongju, before pulling up the studio address. Hwanwoong had sent him a message- twenty minutes earlier- saying they would still be there by the time Youngjo got off work. When Youngjo does arrive- finding the specific room they’re in fairly easily- he firstly noticed Keonhee laying on the ground, out of breath presumably from dancing. Then, he finds Hwanwoong still in the midst of dancing to the song from the day before, and Eunha clumsily trying to copy his movements. Though she doesn’t manage to match them nearly at all, she has a huge grin on her face, so Youngjo smiles at the sight. So long as she’s happy.Keonhee gives him a small wave, when he notices Youngjo, but the other two seem preoccupied with the last chorus of the song. Youngjo takes a seat against one wall, content to wait for the song to finish. He mostly watches Eunha, smiling because his daughter is, but he finds himself concerningly distracted by Hwanwoong’s dancing more than once. (If he’s honest it’s because of the smooth, captivating way he moves, but he’d rather say it’s because he’s trying to figure out what Eunha is trying to copy.)The song ends, filling the room with a silence that is broken second later by the song repeating. Hwanwoong, though, drops to the ground, breathing heavily. Eunha, on the other hand, spins around to rush to Youngjo’s side. Youngjo would have assumed they both noticed him- due to the mirror they were facing, which he could be seen in when he arrived- but is proven wrong when Hwanwoong glances at him in the mirror. There’s a look of genuine surprise, for a moment, before he turns around to wave at Youngjo.“You’re here.”“Yep.” He smiles, hugging Eunha when she all but jumps at him. He turns to her, offering a smile. “Hey, kid, you have your school bag?”She nods, pointing to it across the room. “Yep!”“Why don’t you grab it, and we can go?”“Okay.” She pouts, for a second, before nodding. As she picks up her stuff- bag and jacket- she speaks. “Can we listen to the song again on the way home?”“Of course.” Youngjo nods, standing, and Hwanwoong laughs from across the room.“Not sick of it yet?”“Nope!” Eunha turns, grinning. “It’s the best, obviously.”“Of course.” Hwanwoong nods, and pulls himself to his feet.Keonhee mutters something about neither of them having to listen to it as much as he has, but it goes ignored by the rest of them. He follows it up, by turning to Youngjo with his next comment. “Eunha is one step away from replacing Seoho at this rate.”“Oh?” Youngjo turns to Eunha, who grins.“I’m clearly the best dancer here. No, in the world.”“I see. I really must have the worlds most talented daughter.”“Duh.” Eunha nods. Once Eunha has all her stuff, she rushes to Hwanwoong’s side, hands held up for their usual high-five. “Bye bye!”“Goodnight, Eunha.” Hwanwoong smiles, waving as she rushes back to Youngjo’s side. He takes one of her hands.“Goodnight, Hwanwoong, Keonhee.”“Goodnight!” Keonhee says, before breathing a sigh. “Actually I should be getting home too.”“We both should.” Hwanwoong’s addition get’s a nod from Keonhee, who glances at the time on his phone. Youngjo listens to their conservation, as he and Eunha make their way to the door.“Sh-oot, I have to head to the store before I go home.” Keonhee groans, putting his phone away. “You okay with a pit-stop, Hwanwoong?”“Don’t make me go shopping with you.”“That or you walk home.”“Fine.” Hwanwoong breathes a sigh.Youngjo pauses, when Eunha tugs on his hand. She’s frowning, and he thinks he knows exactly what she’s going to say. He kneels to her level, standing in the doorway, and she whispers to him. “We can drive him home?”“Aren’t you ready to go home?”She shakes her head. “I’m okay. I did my homework and everything, so I’m fine.”Youngjo nods, at that, and stands. He breathes a small sigh, turning around to face the other two. Each on one side of the room, gathering their things. “Hey, Hwanwoong?”“Huh?” He turns to them, confusion clear on his face. “Yeah?”“Do you want us to take you home?” He glances shortly at Keonhee, who shrugs, before turning to wait for Hwanwoong’s response. In turn, Hwanwoong glances between Youngjo and Eunha for a moment, before nodding.“Is that okay? I don’t live quite in the same direction you do.”“It’s fine.” Youngjo nods, and Hwanwoong seems to take this as enough to convince him. Once they’ve made it to Youngjo’s car, Hwanwoong gives Youngjo his address, and they all set out. Eunha falls asleep, halfway there, which Youngjo isn’t really shocked by.He drops Hwanwoong off outside of his apartment building, and he waves to Youngjo as he heads inside. Once he is inside, Youngjo continues the journey to his own home. Once at his own apartment complex, he debates waking Eunha, or carrying her, and decides on the latter because he’s sure she’s tired. She does wake, however, when they reach their apartment door, as he struggles to carrying her and open it at the same time.“We’re home?” She mumbles, but Youngjo understands.“Mhm.”She nods, then gasps, eyes opening entirely. “I didn’t say bye!”“You did before we got in the car.”“It doesn’t count!”“I’m sure it’s fine,” Youngjo says, laughing. “We didn’t want to wake you.”She pouts at this, but doesn’t argue further. At least, not until they’re inside and she’s back in her room. Youngjo drops her back beside her door, just as she speaks. “Next time you have to wake me up, okay?”“Okay.” He nods, offering her a smile. “I’ll wake you next time.”“Good.” A yawn, and then she’s crawling into bed. “Goodnight.”“Hey-” Youngjo sighs, because she’s already fallen asleep again. So much for reminding her to brush her teeth. Still, he can’t bring himself to wake her again, so just this once he’ll let it go. More quickly than Youngjo expects, Hwanwoong’s presence works its way into the routine of his life. Though Seoho finally returning to work means he doesn’t end up seeing Hwanwoong early in the day, usually, he always sees him after work. Whether at the studio- after which he has fallen into the pattern of driving the other home- or at his own home. When it’s the latter, Hwanwoong usually ends up staying after Youngjo’s return, at Eunha’s request. Whether it’s finishing a story, or finishing listening to a song- which usually turns into listening to it four more times- or something else.Hwanwong and Eunha get along really well. That was obvious from the start, but Youngjo only becomes more aware of it. Hwanwoong says, once, that Eunha is too cute, and makes him want a kid of his own. (Youngjo resits joking that all they need to do is get married, and Eunha would be his daughter, too. It’s a joke he could make with the friends he’s close to- the ones who are far too used to him telling them he loves them- but he doesn’t know Hwanwoong nearly that well yet.) The fact that Hwanwoong seems so entirely taken with Eunha reminds Youngjo of how he- and his ex-wife- were before adopting her. One day, when he comes home, Eunha immediately jumps to her feet and pulls at his hands. In turn, he takes, and holds, her hands in his. “Dad!”“Yes?”“Food!” She pouts- this time in an attempt to look cute- and Younjo laughs, nodding.“What do you want?”“Uh…” She trails off, looking to the side while she considers it. Hwanwoong laughs, though he tries to muffle it, as he stands.“Leaving?” Youngjo asks, waving his arms- and thus Eunha’s with them- back and forth.“I probably should.” Hwanwoong shrugs. “She did her homework already, and then asked to watch a Ghibli film.”“Which one?”“Moving castle.”“Ah.” Youngjo nods. Eunha had spent a few weeks- a month ago- exclusively watching it. He’d thought she’d gotten tired of it, but it seemed not. “So she did?”“Yeah. She’s too convincing.”“I decided!” Eunha announces.“Yes?” Youngjo turns his attention back to her.“Eggs.”“How?”“Uh…” She frowns, this time trying to find the words she wants. “Omelette?”“Okay.” Youngjo nods, letting of of her hands in order to move into the kitchen. “Why don’t you say bye to Hwanwoong?”Hwanwoong, at this, raises his hands for their usual goodbye high-fives, but she just frowns. “Do I have to?”“Oh.” Hwanwoong doesn’t seem to know how else to respond. He frowns, looking genuinely hurt for a moment, before covering it with a small laugh.“What’s wrong, Eunha?”“Obviously dinner!” Eunha huffs, as if she thinks this is what they should expect. Then she tugs at one of Hwanwoong’s sleeves. “You can stay, right?”“Uh.” Hwanwoong pauses, looking to Youngjo for a response. Though him staying beyond Youngjo getting back with normal, this was a first. Younjo just gives a small nod, and Hwanwoong turns back to Eunha. “Okay.”“Yay!” She laughs, apparently to herself, and mutters. “Another victory for Eunha.”“Oh no, she knows she’s too cute to say no to.” Hwanwoong gasps, looking back to Youngjo.“Don’t tell her, she’ll use her powers for evil.”“I will not!” Eunha huffs out another annoyed breath. “I’m a force of good.”The word-choice throws Youngjo off for a second, but he nods. “Fair enough. I guess we don’t have to worry, then.”“Nope!” It’s only after dinner- after Hwanwoong has left- that Eunha says something that further explains her actions. “We never have anyone else over for dinner.”“Huh?” Youngjo spins to face her, abandoning the dishes. “What do you mean?”“When we have dinner with other people… it’s their house.” Eunha frowns, speaks quietly, and Youngjo is too off-put by this to really process her words. He shakes his head, considering it, and realizes she’s right. They’ve had- though not recently- dinner with Geonhak or even Dongju before, but it’s always been at their home. Besides that, he can only think of one awkward dinner with her mother.“So you wanted to have dinner here with someone else? You know you could have invited a friend over, if you wanted?”“I’m fine.” Her tone- light, seemingly honest- throws Youngjo off yet again.“Huh?”“Oh! I have to get ready for bed!” Eunha rushes off, before Youngjo can further question her.“What does that mean?” Youngjo has a rare day off, one Wednesday, and thus let’s Hwanwoong know he doesn’t have to pick Eunha up after school, or watch her at all. After receiving a response to that- just a simple okay- Youngjo debates what he’s actually going to do, for the day until she gets out of school. Most- read: all- of this friends were otherwise preoccupied by either work or school, leaving him entirely to his own devices.Youngjo realizes, very quickly, that most his hobbies were things he no longer had the tools to actually do. He’d sold a number of things, to pay moving fees when he and Eunha moved into their current apartment. He still had a music program on his computer, waiting, but nothing else. Well, Youngjo figures, he can always still harass his friends. And do so as a customer. Seoho looks genuinely confused, when Youngjo walks into the restaurant. “You don’t work today?”“Nope, I’m a customer.”Flatly, Seoho responds, “don’t flirt with the staff, sir.”“I wasn’t going to.” Youngjo rolls his eyes. “Certainly not you.”“Rude.” Seoho mocks hurt, placing a hand over his heart. “So you going to order?”“Yeah, obviously.” Once his order is taken, Youngjo leans against the front counter. Seoho goes to give his order to the cook. Youngjo is pretty sure it’s not Geonhak working right now, but he hadn’t actually looked at the schedule. Which, he realizes, he probably should have, considering he’s the manager. With this thought, he grabs his phone, to check the schedule as he had it- there were a few changes, to the one actually set in the building, but it was mostly accurate. He doesn’t look up when the door chimes, only stepping away from the counter so whoever else has entered can see he isn’t in line.“Youngjo?” At his name, he looks up. Hwanwoong and Keonhee stand there, each eyeing him oddly. Realizing they’re probably wondering why he’s not behind the counter, he laughs.“I don’t work today. I’m a customer, Seoho should be right back.”“Oh.” Keonhee draws the word out, nodding. “I was worried Seoho was out again without telling us.”“You’re not my parents,” Seoho says, as he returns. He barely glances at them, before typing in their usual order and reciting the price as if they don’t have it memorized.Youngjo turns back to his phone, as this happens, only to realize it’s outright refusing to load the schedule document. Sighing, he closes the program and puts his phone away. He calls out, as Keonhee pays for his and Hwanwoong’s food. “Hey, Seoho?”“Yeah?”“Who’s in the kitchen, today?”“Geonhak.”“Seriously?”“It was Yonghoon but he called in last minute and said he was sick.” Seoho shrugs. Youngjo is going to questio how he- the manager- hadn’t heard about this, but then he thinks the other probably just called the restaurant itself and told whoever was working. Presumably Seoho. Not a second later, Geonhak opens the door from the kitchen, holding a plate.“Oh, wow, Seoho was serious.”“I don’t make things up.” Seoho says, frowning. Youngjo moves on instinct to take the food, despite the fact he was supposed to be the one being served it.“Thanks Geonhak.” He takes it, and moves to a table.“Yeah, well, you paid for it?” Geonhak takes a paper with the other two’s order- as if he needs it- and turns to go back into the kitchen.Out of habit, Youngjo calls a light, “love you,” as the other leave. Geonhak turns to face him, entirely so he can roll his eyes.“Hey, I said not the flirt with the staff,” Seoho says, halfheartedly glaring at Youngjo. In turn, Youngjo shrugs.“Is flirting with your co-workers a thing you do?” Keonhee asks, tone light, as he drops into a seat at the same table as Youngjo. Hwanwoong follows his friend, sitting at the same table, too.“Only the cute ones.” At that Seoho makes a startled, offended noise. Youngjo laughs, shaking his head. “No, I’ve never flirted with any of them.”“Then, that?”“My best friend whom I love.” Youngjo shrugs.“Don’t be his friend, he’s like this all the time,” Seoho warns. Youngjo puts a hand to his chest, pretending to look hurt.“I can’t believe you would say such a thing. I love you, you know?”“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Seoho rolls his eyes, too.“Why do they both react like that?” Keonhee asks, laughing. “Usually people just respond or something?”“If you respond he’ll start doing it more often.”“Brave of you to assume I wont aggressively tell my friends I love them, anyway.”“This is why I exclusivity work when you’re not here.”“I thought you did that because you don’t like walking home in the dark?” Hwanwoong says, watching as Seoho turns to glare at him.“Traitor.”“Hey, I didn’t say anything. It’s not like you’re Keonhee.”“Hey, why me?!”Conservation dies down when the other two get their food. It continues, lightly, but only between eating.“Oh, Seoho, you’re coming today, right?” Hwanwoong asks the other, while he leans against the front counter. Seoho nods.“All three of us?”“Yeah.” Hwanwoong nods.“Just three?” Keonhee asks, sounding confused. Hwanwoong turns to him, frowning as if he thinks Keonhee should already know the answer to his question.“Yes? Who else would there be?”With that, Keonhee glances at Youngjo. In turn, Youngjo is the one to answer. “I don’t work today, so Hwanwoong doesn't have to either.”“Aw, and here I was thinking we were turning into a quartet.”“Pretty sure that’s not how you refer to four dancers,” Seoho says.“Also Eunha couldn’t officially join the group even if she did come to every one of our practices.” Hwanwoong rolls his eyes when Keonhee pouts. He turns to Youngjo, then. “Sorry about them.”“Hey!”“It’s fine. Eunha seems pretty happy whenever she goes to your practices.” Youngjo pauses, then shakes his head. “But, isn’t it easier to practice without taking care of a kid?”“No, she’s a good kid.” Hwanwoong shakes his head. “If that was the case, I would have gone back to insisting we change the time.”“She’s always welcome!” Keonhee adds, grinning. Youngjo nods at this, smiling.“Ha, then maybe I should bring her to your practice, anyway.”“If you do, you have to stay, too.” Hwanwoong’s words get a raised eyebrow from Youngjo. “I think she misses you.”“Oh.”“And I’m not being paid.”“Oh,” Youngjo repeats, this time laughing. “Okay.”“As if you wouldn’t take care of her without being paid,” Keonhee mutters, shaking his head. Hwanwoong kicks him in place of a response. “Ow. Watch out, Youngjo, he might try to adopt your daughter if you let him.”“I can’t raise a kid.” Hwanwoong rolls his eyes. Yet doesn’t actually deny that he would if he could. “Care taking is totally different.”“Well that’s good, because I would have to physically fight you if you tried” Youngjo smiles, despite his words. “I worked too hard to get custody in the first place.”There’s a small silence, in which Hwanwoong and Keonhee seem to feel awkward, but Youngjo and Seoho aren’t affected, except to notice they are. Then, Seoho simply states, “he’s not talking about his divorce.”“You’re divorced?” Hwanwoong asks at the same time Keonhee asks, “he’s not?”“Yeah, but that’s… fine. It’s been a- uh- while. No I meant the first time.”“First time?” Hwanwoong tilts his head, and Youngjo nods.“Yeah. When I adopted her?”“She’s adopted?” Youngjo is surprised by the question because he assumed Hwanwoong would have realized it by now. They barely looked anything alike, to start with, and usually people realized after a few conversations with them.“Yeah? Did you think I had a kid at seventeen?” A pause. “You really did?”“I just didn’t think too much about it.” Next to Hwanwoong, Keonhee laughs at him.“Well, now you know.” When Youngjo picks Eunha up, she’s surprised to see him. He hadn’t actually told her that he would be picking her up- it was a surprise- but she grins as she moves to walk beside him, towards the car. “How was your day?”“Good!” She jumps into her seat, reaching for her seat belt as she speaks. “What are we doing today?”“That’s up to you.” Youngjo pulls his door closed, reaching to find his keys before reaching for his own seat belt. “Apparently you still have an open invitation to Hwanwoong’s dance practice. Or we can go home?”“If we go to the studio you’ll stay too?”“Yep.”“Then let’s do that!”“Okay.” When they arrive, it’s too immediate greetings from the other three. Then, Eunha drifts to one side of the room, pulling out her schoolwork as Youngjo sits beside her against one wall. When he glances at her- surprised she’s so immediately doing her homework, and without being asked- she grins.“They teach me part of the dance when I finish,” Eunha explains, searching through her bag for a pencil.“I see. So bribery was all it took to get you to do your homework.”“I do my homework anyway!” She pouts. “Eventually.”“Eventually,” Youngjo repeats. “As long as you do it.”There’s a moment of relative silence, while the other’s seem to be setting something up, before Hwanwoong approaches Eunha and Youngjo, offering a set of earplugs. While Youngjo raises an eyebrow at this, confused, Eunha takes them.“The music is pretty loud, and distracting, if you’re trying to do something else,” Hwanwoong explains. Youngjo nods, at this, understanding. “I can see if we have another set, if you need?”“No, I’m alright.”“Okay.” Hwanwoong returns to standing up straight, and turns to Keonhee and Seoho. “We set?”“Yep!” Keonhee stands beside the sound system, waiting. With that, Seoho and Hwanwoong both find their places, and Keonhee pushes a button before rushing- and sliding- into place, himself.The next section of the day proceeds in this manner: Youngjo watches the three practice, mostly, only occasionally stopping when Eunha asks for help with her schoolwork. Whenever she gives an, “okay!” Telling him she doesn’t need help with what remains- or at least, whatever’s next- his attention returns to the three. Well, the three may be an overstatement of his attention.So, Youngjo spends a siginificant portion of time watching specifically Hwanwoong. It doesn’t mean anything, he thinks. Hwanwoong is just really talented, and he has eyes, so there’s that. Eunha finishes her homework during a break in practice, and jumps to her feet, immediately. She looks to Youngjo, until he nods, and then runs to Hwanwoong’s side, where the other is struggling to open a bottle of water. He manages, just as she reaches him, and downs nearly half the bottle while she tugs on his arm.“Yeah?” He asks, finally.“I finished my homework!” He smiles, at that, nodding. “What was the last part you learned?” Eunha and Hwanwoong spend the next few minutes reviewing what they must already have known, while Seoho and Keonhee take a break. Seoho hums along with the song that has now stopped playing, while Keonhee looks at something on his phone.Youngjo turns his attention back to Eunha and Hwanwoong, as the latter seems to now be demonstrating the arm movements of one section of the dance. Youngjo- idly, without really realizing he’s doing it- mirrors the movements while Eunha does the same. He startles, turning away from the two, when Seoho drops down next to him.“You could go learn with them if you’re going to try it.”“I’m not.” Youngjo drops his arms, shaking his head. Even if he did, he’d never have the time to learn the rest. “Just can’t sit still.”Seoho hums, acknowledging. “You know, I was pretty surprised the first time I came back to practice, and Eunha was here.”“Huh?” Youngjo blinks at him, frowning. “But you knew about it, didn’t you?”“No, not that she was here.” Seoho shakes his head. “I mean about those two.”When Seoho points back to Hwanwoong and Eunha, Youngjo’s gaze follows in that direction. It doesn’t leave- while Eunha mirrors Hwanwoongs movements- even as he responds. “What about them?”“Well, he’s always been pretty good with kids.”“Yeah?”“But Eunha doesn’t really act like this with me, or Geonhak, or Dongju.”“Right?” Eunha laughs and high-fives Hwanwoong when she apparently does the move correctly.“And she does act this way with you. And her mom.” The latter statement is quieter, hesitant, but Youngjo understands the intentions. He frowns, turning back to Seoho, trying to figure out why he’s pointing that out.“Do you have a point?”“You should go see how her learning the dance is going.” Seoho grins, tone light. “If your going to keep staring, at least you’ll have an excuse.”“Staring?”“Like you were the entire time we were practicing?” Seoho laughs, leaves before Youngjo can respond, and makes his way over to Keonhee. Youngjo breathes a sigh, shaking his head, before turning back to Hwanwoong and Eunha.Was that really the case?Youngjo makes his way over, hesitating more than he rightfully thinks he should. “How’s learning going?”“Good!” Eunha turns, grinning. “You want to learn too, dad?”“Ah, no.” Youngjo shakes his head, laughing lightly. “I’d feel bad only learning the one part, while you’re over here learning the entire thing.”“One part is more than nothing,” Hwanwoong says. Youngjo turns his attention to Hwanwoong, surprised by the statement, and the other shrugs.“Maybe some other time.” Which is code for: probably never. Hwanwoong shakes his head, seeming to understand, before turning to Eunha.“Hey, want to show your dad the parts you’ve learned?”“Yeah!” She grins, nodding.“Okay.” Hwanwoong turns, presumably to start the song, but Eunha grabs his hand to stop him before he can.“Wait!”“Yeah?”“You have to do it with me.” There’s a hesitance in her voice that Youngjo immediately understands. Though it’s rare for her to be particularly nervous, when she is it’s always pretty obvious. Since dancing is such a new thing, to her, he can understand why she’s nervous about it. Why she wouldn’t want to do so by herself, when it’s something she’s actively tried to learn.“Of course.”Eunha pushes Youngjo to stand at the front of the room, in front of the mirror, and then simply tells him to, “sit and watch,” with a smile that has him doing just that. (It was a good thing- he thinks- that Eunha is such a good kid, because she’d probably get away with too much, if she wasn’t.)The ending of the song plays, as Hwanwoong moves to stand a short distance from Eunha- slightly behind her- and then it starts again. The two both preform the first verse of the song, together. Eunha makes a few clear mistakes, and hesitates, but she’s still grinning the entire time and Youngjo is genuinely impressed with how quickly she’s learned so much. It’s easier, with her also there, to not focus his attention on Hwanwoong.And the few glances that do wander to the other are easy to excuse, in his mind, as comparing the choreography.That’s all. Summer approaches at an alarmingly quick rate. Youngjo was sure spring had only just started, yet here he was, in face of an upcoming summer, and the summer vacation that would follow with it. Knowing that his work wont slow in the summer, but that his daughter will need supervision more often, he starts talking even more shifts, in preparation for this. Which, in a unsurprising turn of events, means he ends up terrible exhausted, and falls ill when that exhaustion gets the better of him.Youngjo wakes one day- in a string of approximately twenty days without rest- with a pounding, spinning, head and a stomach that desperately wants to empty itself- but doesn’t- when he sits up to turn his alarm off. He groans, closes his eyes and breathes a sigh. Debates what he’s going to do about this- knowing whether or not he goes to work, he has to go take Eunha to school- only to find himself being woken up by Eunha shaking him.“Dad!”“Huh?” Words fail him, and it’s a struggle to open his eyes. He manages, looking up to find Eunha- already ready to go to school, worried look on her face- staring at him.“I’m going to be late for school.” A kid wanting to go to school is surprising, and that seems to be the only thought his brain will provide. No, he thinks, she hadn’t seen her friends outside of school, in a while, so she probably wants to go for that reason alone. Youngjo thinks he should ask Eunha if she wants to invite friends over, or something. “Dad!”“Oh.” Right, she had said she would be late for school. Youngjo shakes his head- his thoughts with it- and ignores the pain that shoots through it. He stumbles towards his closet, grabs a jacket that’s long enough it covers most of him, and decides that’s good enough to drive Eunha to school. “Sorry, Eunha.”“Are you okay?”“Yeah, yeah.” Youngjo offers her a smile- a grimace is what it turns into, in actuality- and searches for his keys.Eunha’s school isn’t far, he can deal with headache long enough to drive her, he thinks as they make their way out of the apartment building. She grips her seat belt, clearly nervous, the entire drive there. Youngjo doesn’t drive any worse than usual, he thinks, so he can’t even begin to figure out what she’s nervous about. Being late? Maybe that, he thinks. Glances at the clock as they arrive- still early enough that she wont actually be late- and then towards the school itself. There are still kids arriving, so he breathes a relived sigh.And then, all at once, he realizes Eunha had gotten ready all by herself. Did she eat? If so, what? Did she have her backpack- yes, he realizes with a glance. Eunha looks over to him, frowning, and he runs a hand through his hair, considering what he should do if she hadn’t eaten. Did they have time to go somewhere nearby?“Eunha, did you eat?”“Yeah.” She nods, slowly. “I had cereal.”“Okay, that’s good.” A sigh- this time relieved- and he rests his arms on the steering wheel, and then his head on them. “Sorry, Eunha, I didn’t mean to fall asleep before waking you.”“It’s okay.” Youngjo lifts his head to look at her, again, and smiles.“Well, you should go before you actually are late. Hwanwoong will pick you up, okay?”“Okay.” Eunha climbs out of the car.“Love you.”“Love you too!” She calls, as she closes the door. Youngjo waits until shes headed into the school building, before he forces himself to drive home. Youngjo realizes, about four hours later, when he wakes up in desperate need of water, that he needs to call in sick to work. Needs to have someone else take his shift, at least, since he’s the one who people call in sick to. Looking at his phone hurts, but he forces himself to find and dial Seoho’s number. (Geonhak and Dongju are already working at that time, so calling them would be pointless.) Usually he would text the other, but looking hurts more than speaking.“Hello?”“Seoho, are you busy this afternoon?”“Yes?” A pause. “Are you okay? You sound like garbage.”“Thanks, I try.” Youngjo breaths a heavy sigh, slowly piecing together a sentence in response. “I can’t go in to work, today, so if you want overtime it’s there and waiting.”
“You can’t go in?”
“I’m barely alive at the moment, actually.” Another pause. “I mean; I’m not dying just sick. Probably. God, I hope so.”“Fine, fine. Nobody else willing to go in?”“You’re the first person I called.”
“Oh no.”
“Hm?”“You got me.” Seoho laughs, quietly- clearly at a distance from his phone- before speaking again. “Fine, I’ll take your shift.”“Thank you,” Youngjo mumbles the words, closing his eyes. “Love you.”“Yeah, yeah. Get some rest.”“Mhm.” Youngjo wakes, again, to the sound of his apartment door opening. Briefly, he panics, because he can’t figure out why, until he remembers that it likely means Eunha is home. He forces himself out of bed, and into the living room, to be sure. As expected, Eunha is rushing to her room to drop off her school bag, and Hwanwoong is trailing into the living room at a slower pace. He looks up, noticing Youngjo, but doesn’t seem surprised to see him.“Did we wake you up?”“The door did.” Youngjo tries to muffle a yawn, leaning against his doorway because standing is so much work. Eunha returns, sees him, and frowns at Youngjo.“You should be resting!”“Ah, I see, you’re the parent now.”“Yes.” She nods, laugh breaking through her frown. “You look bad.”“Thank you.”“Dad.”“I just wanted to make sure the door was you two,” Youngjo defends, eyes struggling not to close. “I’ll go back to my room, I guess.”“Good.”“Do you need anything?” Hwanwoong asks, suddenly reminding Youngjo of his presence. Youngjo shakes his head, and flinches when that makes pain shoot through his head. “I’m probably just going to pass out. Again. I think I’ve spent…” Youngjo trails off, trying to think of a number and having his brain be too fuzzy to provide one. Sighing, he chooses a random, small, number and speaks, “maybe twenty minutes awake today.” “Have you eaten?” Youngjo hums, thinking. Had he? “No, probably not.” Eunha is frowning at him, again. Youngjo closes his eyes, in part to avoid the look and in part because he’s so tired. Hwanwoong’s voice reaches him, barely preventing unconsciousness. “You should eat something.” “Mhm.” “Why don’t you- uh- go lay down? We’ll bring you something.” Youngjo’s response is slow, mumbled. “Don’t have to.” “But I’m going to anyway.” “Okay.”Youngjo returns to his room, flopping onto his bed and falling asleep again nearly immediately. He wakes for the third- or was it fourth- time in the day, by again having his shoulders shaken. It takes approximately twenty seconds for him to realize he can smell food- soup, presumably- and another thirty to roll over so he’s no longer face-down. Then he can see that it’s Hwanwoong, alone, that is there. Sitting on the edge of the bed, and holding a bowl. He looks down at Youngjo with what is clearly worry. “Do you need help sitting up?” “No, I think I can do that.” Youngjo slowly pulls himself into a sitting position, and then shifts to lean against the headboard of his bed, so he can’t slump back down. “I made soup. I used some of the stuff from your kitchen, I hope that’s okay.” “Well, it’s for me, so…” Youngjo manages a shrug, holding out his hands. Hwanwoong hands over the bowl, cautious that Youngjo can hold it. Once Youngjo has taken the bowl, Hwanwoong speaks again. “I let your bowl cool, slightly, just in case.” “Thank you.” Hwanwoong shakes his head, as Youngjo lifts his spoon. “Eunha is doing homework, now.” Youngjo hums in acknowledgement, while Hwanwoong continues. “Are you going to be okay, tomorrow?”The question throws Youngjo off. He doesn’t respond immediately. Uses food as an excuse not to, for a moment. Would he be? He doesn’t feel any better now, than he did this morning, and it was entirely possible he would only feel worse by the next day. “Don’t know.” Hwanwoong seems to consider something, pausing. Tugs at his own sleeves, while forming a response. “I was just thinking, if you’re really bad, it must be difficult to take Eunha to school.” “It was…” “Well I could do that, for you, if you needed?” Before Youngjo can respond, Hwanwoong continues. “If you’re really bad off, I can stay here to help you, too.” “You don’t have to do that. I can’t-” Can’t pay him for the extra hours. Not while missing work during that time. “You don’t have to pay me.” “Huh?” “I mean in general, you do, but for this, specifically.” Hwanwoong shifts. “You’re clearly sick, and we’re-” “We’re?” “Friends, right?” There’s a hesitance in Hwanwoong’s voice that Youngjo can only barely register, in his exhausted brain. Still, it’s definitely there. “Yeah, obviously.” They had to be, after this long. "So a favour between friends?” “Okay.” Youngjo stares down as his bowl, considering. “I don’t have a guestroom.” Hwanwoong laughs at that, muffled behind his sleeve. “You have a couch, and I’m pretty small.” “Well I wasn’t going to point that out.” “It’s part of my charm.” Hwanwoong grins. Youngjo subtly shifts the bowl away from himself. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the food, but his stomach is starting to twist. Must not want anything in it, because he’s sure it’s trying to reject his only form of nutrition for the day. “Okay, thank you.” “Mhm. Done with that?” “For now, yeah.” “Do you think,” Hwanwoong starts, taking the bowl, “bread or crackers would be easier?” Youngjo shakes his head. “Even that doesn’t sound… appealing.” “Okay, then I’ll let you sleep.” Hwanwoong stands. “Call if you need anything. Goodnight.” “Goodnight.” Youngjo shifts, so he can lay down again. Mumbles, as Hwanwoong leaves the room. “Tell Eunha too.” “Okay.” “Love you.” A pause. “Both.” Hwanwoong gives a small laugh, at that. “Right.” And then he closes the door, behind himself. So Youngjo has a fever. That’s… cool. He can think, now, but they’re blurry, fading, incomprehensive thoughts that usually amount to wow it’s cold in here. It’s not, in fact, cold. Actually, he’s pretty sure it’s far too warm, based on many factors including, but not limited to, all the sweat. Great, that’s just… great. Getting out of bed is somehow more of a chore than it was the day before- shocking, truly- and he stumbles firstly into his bathroom, and then after that towards his kitchen.Food, right? Maybe bread was a good option. It’s day out; he can see light through the windows. The door opens, just as he makes an attempt to put his entire head into his freezer as a way to stop being so warm- even though he feels cold, still, already- and he doesn’t bother to look up when it does.“What are you doing.” Hwanwoong is pulling Youngjo’s head out of the freezer- pulling Youngjo away from it, entirely- a second later. “I leave for six minutes and you’re trying to give yourself frostbite?”“I have a fever.”“They make medicine for that.” Hwanwoon reaches up, putting his hand against Youngjo’s head. He frowns, when he does, though Youngjo questions if that works when he was just in a freezer. “So you do.”“Can tell?”“Even after the freezer, you mean? Yeah.” A pause. “That’s probably not good.”“Mhm.”Hwanwoong silently directs Youngjo into the living room, making him sit on the couch. Once Youngjo is there, Hwanwoong leaves the room and returns with Youngjo’s blankets, wrapping them around him. It’s only then that Youngjo notices the bag on the coffee table, when Hwanwoong reaches for it.“I got you cold medicine.” Youngjo hums to acknowledge the statement, and Hwanwoong continues. “You looked more sick this morning, so I figured you’d need it.”“This morning?”“When I woke you up?” Hwanwoong glances back at Youngjo- away from the bottle of medicine- frowning. “Do you not remember?”“No.”“Huh, you really are sick.”“Eunha’s at school?” “Yeah.”“Okay.”Hwanwoong pours medicine into the small measuring cup it came with, and hands it over to Youngjo. Youngjo takes it, not hesitating because medicine doesn’t really bother him. Once that’s done, Hwanwoong leaves towards the kitchen. “Do you want food?”“Not unless it’s plain toast.”“That all?”Mhm.”“I can do that,” Hwanwoong says, setting to locating bread. He returns again to the living room a few minutes later, a plate of toast in his hands. Youngjo takes it, slowly but surely working his way through the plate. Hwanwoong sits at the other end of the couch, while he does this. Then, once the toast is gone, Hwanwoong returns the plate to the kitchen, after confirming Youngjo doesn’t want more toast.“Oh, I have to call out of work, again.”“No, you don’t.” Hwanwoong drops back down onto the couch. “You already asked me to call Seoho this morning.”“Oh.”“Someone else is taking your shift, I think.”“Okay.”“Do you want to lay back down.”“I don’t want to move.”“You can lay down, here.” Hwanwoong stands, so Youngjo has the entirety of the couch. The latter nods, struggling to lay down from his cocooned position on the couch. Hwanwoong rolls his eyes, before moving to help him. Once Youngjo is laying on the couch, Hwanwoong takes a step back. “Need anything else?”“Hand me the remote? I wanna… listen to something until I fall asleep again.”“Sure, sure.” Hwanwoong does as asked, before sitting on the floor, nearby. Youngjo shift through channels, not really aware of what’s on them, and eventually just gives up. Leaves it on a kids program with a sigh, and closes his eyes. When Youngjo wakes next, his fever has broken. It’s night, Eunha is making her way to her room, when Youngjo sits up, and Hwawoong is nowhere to be seen. Eunha, spotting him up, stops and makes her way over to him instead.“Do you feel better?”“Yeah.” Youngjo nods. “Are you going to bed?”“Mhm.” She nods. “Goodnight, Dad.”“Goodnight dear. Love you.”“Love you too.”Once shes returned to her room, Youngjo heads towards the kitchen, in need of water. It’s there he finds Hwanwoong, leaning against a counters, head in his arms. “Hwanwoong?”“Hm?” He looks up, sees Youngjo, and stands up straight. “Ah, you’re up. Feeling better?”“Yeah. Thank you, again.”“No problem.” Hwanwoong yawns. “Need another day, or should I leave?”“No, but you can stay if you want. You look tired.” Youngjo eyes the other, taking in Hwanwoong’s appearance. He’s pale, eyes drooping, wavering as he stands. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, yeah, probably.”“Did I get you sick?” Now that Youngjo thought about it, he probably hadn’t only gotten sick out of exhaustion. It was a reasonable thought that his exhaustion just allowed him to catch something else, and that he might have passed that on.“I don’t know about that. I’ll let you know if I end up with a fever.” Hwanwoong shrugs.“Well, you should stay, anyway. Going home on your own, like this, probably isn’t a good idea.”Hwanwoong just nods, yawning. “Okay.” Youngjo manages to wake with his alarm, the next day. Hwanwoong is most definitely sick, when he enters the living room, that much is obvious. His skin has gone from pale to flushed, breathing heavily through his mouth, as he lays on the couch, asleep. Youngjo decides to leave him be, for the time being, and goes to wake Eunha, and tell her to get ready for school.It isn’t until he’s come home from dropping her off, that Hwanwoong is awake. Sitting up on the couch, but looking slightly lost.“Hwanwoong?”“Hm?” Hwanwoong turns to him, eyes unfocused. He runs a hand through his hair- grimacing when he feels the state it’s in- before nodding.“Do you want… food?” At that Hwanwoong hums in agreement, eyes drooping. Youngjo wonders if this is what he looked like, but pushes the thought aside in order to head for the kitchen. Hwanwoong mumbles out something about the uneaten soup still in the fridge, so Youngjo sets to finding that.As it turns out a sick Hwanwoong makes for a silent one. He doesn’t speak again until after he’s eaten- after Youngjo has taken the dishes into the kitchen, leaving them as his future self’s problem.“Shouldn’t I… go home?” Hwanwoong isn’t looking at Youngjo. Is staring at the wall, still unfocused.“Like this? Do you live with someone else?”“No.”“Then no.” Youngjo takes a seat next to him, instinctively moving to run his hand through Hwanwoong’s hair. Ignores how it feels, out of a need to comfort that he’s pretty sure he’s always had. “A favour between friends, right?”Youngjo watches Hwanwoong nod, frowning. Thinks about how he’ll have to call out of work, again, no matter what, so he might as well let Hwanwoong stay. “But, work?”“It’s fine.” Youngjo can’t tell whether Hwanwoong means his own work, or Youngjo’s, but either way his response would be the same. “Do you want to lay down?”“Mhm.” Hwanwoong starts moving to lay back on the couch, but Youngjo stops him. Pulls him to his feet so he can lead him towards Youngjo’s room. If Hwanwoong is going to spend more time in the apartment, asleep, then he might as well be somewhere more comfortable than the couch. Beside, it wasn’t like he could get Youngjo sick, at this point.Hwanwoong doesn’t seem to have the energy to argue, if he wants to, because he lays down and passes out as soon as Youngjo motions towards the bed. Youngjo throws a blanket over him, and returns to the living room.How he just had to figure out what he was going to do for the day. When Hwanwoong leaves, the next day, he looks significantly less sick. Promises he feels better, and that he’ll be able to pick Eunha up, after school, again. Youngjo hesitates to agree. But knowing he can’t actually afford to miss more work, himself, reluctantly agrees.“Alright, but you can always take that back, if you’re still too sick.” If worse comes to worse, Youngjo can use his break to pick Eunha up, and bring her to work, with him. He used to do so on the weekends- having her sit at one of the tables while he worked- but he prefers not to do so.“I’m fine, really.” Hwanwoong rolls his eyes, as he opens the apartment door. “Bye, see you later.”“Right, bye, love you.”Hwanwoong’s next steps are a stumble, but he continues as if nothing has happened. “Oh no, we really are friends.”“Obviously.” Youngjo rolls his eyes, and Hwanwoong shakes his head.“Right, well, love you too, I guess.”“You guess.” Youngjo laughs. “Just go home and get more rest, until afternoon.”“Fine. I’m going.” Summers quick approach only seems to come even quicker, after Youngjo has stopped being sick. Within a few weeks, Eunha is released from school, until fall, and Youngjo is left to try and figure out how to make ends meet. Honestly, Hwanwoong’s payment is a very small part of his bills. Likely the easiest to deal with, even with the extra time that will come from Eunha being out of school. Rather, it’s food and rent that are the biggest problem.And of course, he gets a notice that rent has gone up, for the apartment. Youngjo groans, buries his face in his hands, and tries to do calculations in his head. If he pays rent, and Hwanwoong, what does he have left? Enough for food, surely, but he had to leave something in his bank account, too. If he was smart with it- maybe he should look into the coupons he keeps getting in the mail- he can make the amount go further, he thinks.Was adult life meant to be this difficult? There is an alternative to doing everything himself, if he moves back in with his parents. He’d only actually moved out, because he’d gotten married. Only stayed on his own, after the divorce, because he didn’t want to burden them, especially since they would have been left to take care of Eunha, a lot. Then again, if he moved back in with them, that would still be the case, and would lose Hwanwoong his job.(Not that, that should be his biggest worry.)It’s morning, so Youngjo hasn’t gone to work, yet, and Eunha is- was- asleep, but he hears the door to her room open. Hears footsteps and looks up when he knows she’s reached him. “Are you okay?”Youngjo nods. “Mhm. Just trying to do math.”“Awful.”“It is.” Youngjo laughs. “Breakfast?”Eunha nods, shifting awkwardly. “Can we go out to eat?”Youngjo manages to still his reaction; to not display how much he doesn’t want to do that. “Why’s that?”“I haven’t been in a while.” Eunha seems to realize, after this, that he words don’t actually tell him where she’s talking about. “Your work.”“Oh.” Youngjo offers her a smile. “That’s because you shouldn’t have had to go with me to work.”“But I like the food there.”“Okay.” Youngjo laughs, ruffles her hair, and stands. “Sure, we can go. Go get ready?”“Okay!” Eunha rushes back to her room, and Youngjo looks down at his last bank statement. One meal out isn’t going to ruin him, he reminds himself, before gathering the papers to hide them in his room. If Eunha reads them, she likely wont get it, but she doesn’t need to be worrying about their money situation, if she does. With the summer, Eunha asks more and more often to hang out with friends. Always at their house, though Youngjo hasn’t been able to figure out why. As such, Youngjo usually ends up dropping her off, before heading to work. Hwanwoong, in turn, has ended up more a house-sitter than babysitter. Staying in the apartment, without Youngjo or Eunha, in order to wait either for the other parents to drop her off, or call and ask Youngo to pick her up. (Which ends up being Hwanwoong picking her up, in Youngjo’s place.)One particular day, Youngjo returns to find only Hwanwoong there, on his phone. He looks up, when Youngjo arrives, a gives a small wave in greeting. Youngjo drops his stuff- bills he’s picked up from his mailbox on the way in, and his phone- on the table, and drops onto the couch.“Eunha isn’t home yet?”“Would have texted you if she was.” Hwanwoong shrugs, and Youngjo nods. He always did, but Youngjo could assume there was always room for error. “Should you check up with the other kids parents?”“Maybe.” Maybe meaning, yes. Youngjo reaches in search of his own phone, only to find it not in one of his pockets. Then realizes he just put it on the table, and finds it there. A quick call to said parents tells him a few things. Eunha is fine- eating dinner with her friend, currently- but the kids have been trying to convince them to let Eunha stay the night. Obviously they hadn’t agreed- yet- because they wanted to talk to Youngjo about it before doing so. (A way to make sure Youngjo didn’t look like the bad guy, if he said no.)"What should we tell them?”“I’m okay with it, but if you don’t want to watch another kid all night, you can still say no.”
“Oh, no, we don’t mind. Could you bring her a change of clothes, though? The kids have been playing outside all day, so…”
“Right, no problem.” Youngjo stands, making his way towards Eunha’s room.Youngjo nearly forgets about Hwanwoong- nearly because he’s always distinctly aware when the other is aware- but looks to Hwanwoong before he leaves. “Eunha not coming back, I take it?”“No she’s going to spend the night.” Youngjo puts her things into a bag, for convenience. Hwanwoong goes to speak- likely to say that he should leave, then- but Youngjo cuts him off. Talks without any thought for his own words. “You should stay.”“Huh?” Hwanwoong’s startled expression makes Youngjo pause. (And only slightly because it’s cute.)“I mean- uh- I was going to cook, no matter what, so having someone else to cook for is…nice?” Youngjo knows he sounds unsure, so he continues with something he knows he can say confidently. “I don’t get to cook for my- other- friends, usually, because Geonhak is a chef and Dongju doesn’t trust me.”“Why doesn’t he trust you? Should I not?”“I burnt his food one time and he refuses to let it go.” Youngjo sighs, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, you can stay, if you want. I’ll be back in- like- twenty minutes? If you’re still here I’ll assume you’ll eat my cooking.”“Sure, okay.”Youngjo leaves, with that, to drop of Eunha’s stuff.When Youngjo returns home, again, Hwanwoong is still there. There, and leaning against a kitchen counter, resting his arms on it, while scrolling through something on his phone. He looks up, when Youngjo approaches, and raises a hand in greeting.“What are you up to?”“Trying to predict what you’re cooking.”“Predict?”“Mhm.” Hwanwoong nods, before shrugging and standing upright. “Couldn’t do it, though.”“Well, it’s not a secret.” Youngjo moves toward the fridge. Jokes on Hwanwoong, Youngjo doesn’t know what he’s going to cook, either. He looks through the fridge, quickly making a choice because Hwanwoong is looking at him, and asks Hwanwoong is said choice is any good.“Yeah, sure?”“Then, that, it is.”Though he doesn’t intend for it, Youngjo ends up having Hwanwoong help him with the food preparation. Hwanwoong practically refuses not to help, though Youngjo isn’t sure why. It does, however, lead to them finishing the food, quicker. They make idle conversation, over dinner, while Youngjo tries very hard not to think about how weird this is. (Hwanwoong technically worked for him, right? Was there something morally ambiguous about this? They were friends, though. It was fine. Youngjo’s intentions weren’t strange, or anything.)Youngjo doesn’t realize he’s staring- doesn’t consider it- and this time there’s no dancing as an excuse when Hwanwoong raises an eyebrow at him. “What?””“Huh?”“You’re staring.”“Oh- uh…” Their conversation wasn’t active enough for that to be the reason. Except, it was too active for him spacing out to make any sense. Youngjo looks away, to his food, trying to come up with some excuse. Fails to, and gives into the awkward silence. “Sorry.”“Uh- well…” Hwanwoong pauses, only increasing the awkward feeling of the room. “Well, if Seoho is to be believed, this isn’t a first.”Youngjo mutters a, “traitor,” without really thinking about how incriminating that response is. “No- I mean-”Hwanwoong laughs. “So he was right, then?”“I can explain.” Hwanwoong tilts his head, at that, eyebrow raising again. “Okay, I can’t, but…”“But?”“No, I’ve got nothing.” Hwanwoong laughs again, moving to hide his face.“Oh, okay. Am I-” Laughter- “that distracting? I know I’m cute, but we were having a conversation.”The small, “maybe,” Youngjo gives catches them both off guard.“Oh.” Hwanwoong shifts, not facing Youngjo. “Hey, can I ask you question?” “Sure.”“Why did you get divorced? No- I mean- you adopted a kid, together, so you’d think you knew you wanted to be together, by then.”“I thought so, too.” Youngjo feels the awkwardness shift to some of a different kind. There’s a moment of silence, before Youngjo shakes his head. “She was cheating on me, apparently.”“Oh.” Hwanwoong frowns. “That’s fucked up.”And Youngjo laughs at that, effectively breaking the tension. “Right? Well, that was nearly a year ago, now.”“I see.”“Why do you ask?”“Curiosity?” Hwanwoong offers, with a shrug. Youngjo wonders if that’s it, or if he was concerned there was some worse reason Youngjo’s wife would have left him. (Youngjo wouldn’t know if there was. As far as he knew, she just fell out of love and wasn’t mature enough to tell him instead of cheating.)“Well, now you know.” Somehow, the awkwardness has faded, a comfortable silence filling the space between words and sentences. “Curiosity satisfied?”“I think so.” Hwanwoong finally faces Youngjo again. “Thank you, for telling me.”“I don’t mind talking about it,” Youngjo says, honestly. Without either of them really talking about it, thinking about it, Hwanwoong ends up stay there the entire night. Falls asleep on the couch, partway through them watching some show together, and Youngjo doesn’t have the heart to wake him. So he leaves Hwanwoong there- after throwing a blanket over him- and returns to his own room. As time goes on, Youngjo finds that he has less and less free time.He rushes between taking orders out to customers, and trying to get in contact with Dongju- hoping the other will come into work, despite not being scheduled- because the current staff is overwhelmed. A party had come in, while it was late, but still light out. Youngjo had only been scheduled to work another hour, but then the person meant to take his place had called out, and being that only Geonhak was there with him, he couldn’t just leave. So he needed someone else there, to help at least, if not to take his place. (He’d feel bad leaving anyone entirely on their own.) Finally, Dongju picks up his phone, voice making it obvious he just woke up. “What.” “Can you come into work?” Youngjo rushes the words out, as he hands another order to Geonhak. There's a pause, before Dongju responds. “Yeah. I’ll be there.” “Thank you.” Next, Youngjo takes another order out to one of their customers- this one not with the party that took up most of the restaurant- before realizing he has to warn Hwanwoong that he wont be back on time. Should have done so already, actually.“Youngjo?” Hwanwoong’s voice displays an amount of worry, and he can hear Eunha asking what’s going on in the background. “Yeah, hey, sorry I wont be back for a while? Work suddenly got really busy.” “Alright.” “Can you stay with Eunha?” “Obviously.” A pause, and Youngjo can hear Hwanwoong explaining to Eunha, and her saying something in response. “She said to tell you goodnight, in case she has to go to bed before you get back.” “Tell her the same? And that I love her.” “Sure.” Hwanwoong can be heard doing just that, while Geonhak calls out to Youngjo, with the next order ready. “I have to go, sorry.” “Go then. Goodnight, Eunha says she loves you too.” Youngjo hangs up in a rush, with a muttered, “love you, bye,” before going back to his job. Dongju doesn’t arrive until ten minutes later, and together they handle the workload a lot better than Youngjo did on his own. Until the party of customers leaves, finally, and Youngjo breathes a relieved sigh.“You look terrible.” “Thanks, Dongju.” “You should go home.” Youngjo hums, agreeing, and runs a hand through his hair. “Will you be okay for the rest of the shift?” “Yeah, yeah.” Dongju nods. “I’m a professional.”“Oh, of course.” Youngjo shakes his head. “Thanks for coming in last minute.” “No problem.” When Youngjo gets home, Eunha is already asleep. Hwanwoong is there, on the couch, on his phone, again. Waiting. He looks up only once Youngjo has dropped onto the couch, too. “Welcome home.”“Thank you.” Youngjo sighs. “For staying with Eunha, I mean."“It’s my job. And I love her.” Hwanwoong shrugs. “Besides, what are friends for?”“Fair enough.” Youngjo breathes another sigh, eyes drooping in exhaustion. After a moment, he looks over to Hwanwoong, who offers a small smile.“Tired, I take it?”“Mentally, more than anything.” Youngjo shakes his head. “Well, standing is exhausting, too, but…”“Understandable.” Youngjo doesn’t entirely feel like moving. Sort of want to spend the next year on his couch. (And talking to Hwanwoong, maybe.) Instead, he forces himself to sit up, one step closer to actually standing.“Have you eaten?”“Huh? No?” Youngjo watches Hwanwoong move to stand, before realizing what’s happening. “I’m okay, though.”“Sure, that’s not going to stop me.”“Oh.”So Youngjo sits there, while Hwanwoong moves into the kitchen. (Briefly, Youngjo wonders if they’re both too used too Hwanwoong acting as if he lives here.) Then, Hwanwoong returns with a bowl of instant noodles and Youngjo can’t help but laugh. “Thank you.”“Well, I didn’t want to go through your fridge too much.” It isn’t until Youngjo is partway through his food, that Hwanwoong speaks again. Youngjo jumps, realizing he’s staring, only to be told as much. “You’re staring, again.”Youngjo’s brain-to-mouth filter fails him again, when he responds. “Yeah, well, you’re cute.”“Oh, I know.” The laugh Hwanwoong gives is awkward, stilted, causing Youngjo to mentally curse himself.“Sorry,” Youngjo says, putting his bowl down and pushing it aside. (Youngjo’s brain reminds him that saying such a thing was extremely not okay. That he shouldn’t have. So what if it was true? So what if he did find the other extremely distracting? So what if Hwanwoong got along well with his daughter, and thus eliminate one reservation Youngjo would have about anyone else he found naturally distracting?)“It’s fine, just..” Hwanwoong glances away from Youngjo, then back to meet his eyes. “Is this how you are with all your friends?”Oh, Youngjo thinks. Is that a concern he has? Youngjo observes Hwanwoong’s expression- searching for worry in it- only realizing, when Hwanwoong starts to avoid his eyes again, that he’s leaned forward. Slightly, not enough to invade Hwanwoong’s space any, but noticeable. Somehow, he doesn’t think to move back, again, before speaking.“No. Maybe none of them are… quite that kind of cute.”“Oh.” Hwanwoong’s eyes meet Youngjo’s again, widening in surprise, Youngjo assumes. (Or was it surprise? But what else-)Before Youngjo really processes it, they’re far closer together. Distance minimal, in comparison to the moment before. To the distance that was appropriate.And then there’s a hand on Youngjo’s neck, a mouth against his, and any thoughts about not doing that fade into background noise.“Oh my god!” Hwanwoong jumps up, away, off the couch. “I’m sorry.”Youngjo can’t possibly understand what Hwanwoong is apologizing for- wasn’t Youngjo the one who started this atmosphere? Shakes his head, standing too. “Why? I- it was me who-”“I should go.” Hwanwoong is out the door before Youngjo can react.(Youngjo lifts a hand to his face- to his lips- and wonders if this is going to ruin things. If he ruined things.) There’s an expectation in Youngjo’s mind, that forms. Saying things will be awkward, when he sees Hwanwoong, and that he’s going to have to accept that. That there’s nothing he can do about that. Yet, despite this expectation, Hwanwoong acts as if nothing has happened, the next day. And the day after, and so on. Doesn’t even avoid Youngjo- doesn’t avoid being alone with him- despite what happened. Youngjo is relieved, of course, but doesn’t understand.Did that mean, it meant absolutely nothing? Youngjo is at work, one day, when his phone starts ringing without pause. Every time it stop, it starts again. He rushes through taking an order, and handing it over to Geonhak, so he can get to his phone. Leaves Dongju to deal with customers. If there’s something wrong- an emergency- that’s more important to him.“Hello?!” The word comes out as soon as he answers, having not looked at the name.“Youngjo, that took a while.” The voice is familiar, and Youngjo immediately breathes a sigh, annoyance replacing worry.“Yerin,” Youngjo greets his ex-wife, frown etching its way onto his face. “What?”“Eunha’s birthday is soon,” She says, simply. “I was hoping she could visit me, for a few days, to celebrate. I’ve missed her.”Youngjo wants to say no. To tell her she was the one who chose to move so far away- after Youngjo had already moved out of their shared home- so Eunha couldn’t see her regularly. He bites back the words, though, knowing that she was being honest in missing Eunha. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t bother. “Okay, well, that’s up to her.” But he knows Eunha will want to. Resolves that he’ll have to celebrate with her, himself, early.
“Okay, well, you’ll remember to ask her?”
“How wouldn’t I?” Youngjo waits, but Yerin doesn’t respond. Likely realizing her answer would only serve to upset Youngjo. “Next time don’t call me while I’m at work, please. I thought there was an emergency.”
“I don’t know your schedule.”
Youngjo resists telling her to assume he’s always at work, and breathes a sigh. “I work afternoons now, so just assume if it’s after eleven, I’m at work.”“Sure, sure.” Then she pauses. “Wait, then where’s Eunha? Even when she’s in school that doesn’t work-”“I hired a babysitter. Are you done? I have work to do.”
“Right… Bye, then.”
Youngjo briefly wishes he had a flip-phone entirely so he could slam it closed. Instead he settles for aggressively pressing the end-call button, and glaring at it. Goes back to work, while considering what’s going to happen. Eunha’s birthday was on the fourth of the month, so he could assume Yerin wanted her around for the day proceeding and following it, at least. Would work out the details, later. In which case, he’d have to celebrate with her early. Maybe the week before, just to be sure. His parents would want to see her, too, so he could invite them to that day, along with any friends she wanted over. Maybe the others- her pseudo uncles- or at least the ones that wouldn’t be working at the time.Eunha is watching cartoons, when he returns. Hwanwoong is there, appearing to be watching, but clearly not invested. Youngjo takes a seat next to Eunha, and she leans against him on instinct. “Welcome home.”“Thank you.” Youngjo smiles. “Hey, Eunha, I want to talk to you about something.”“Okay!” She leans forward to grab the remote and pause her show. She’s weirdly agreeable, for someone interrupt in the middle of watching something, but, then, Youngjo rarely started conversations with her like this. Maybe she realized it was something she had to hear.“Ye- Your mom wants you to visit her, for a few days, around your birthday.” Eunha’s eyes light up, at that, and Youngjo smiles despite the context. “You okay with that?”“Yes!”“Okay. Then do you want to celebrate early, with me?”Eunha nods, quickly. “Sure!”Youngjo nods at that, reaching for his phone and quickly searching for Yerin’s number. Once located, Youngjo holds it out to Eunha. “Why don’t you let her know? I’m sure she’d like to hear it from you.”“Okay!” Eunha takes the phone, quickly. Presses the call button, and then jumps up to head into her room to have the conversation. Youngjo breathes a sigh, once she’s out of sight.“Something wrong?” Hwanwoong asks, reminding Youngjo he’s there.“No. Sometimes I just wonder if Eunha would rather…” stay with her mom. Hwanwoong frowns at him, in response to that. Moves closer, hesitates, before pulling Youngjo into a hug.“I highly doubt it. She loves you.” Hwanwoong apparently understood, without Youngjo finishing the statement.Youngjo hums, trying to make himself agree honestly. “You're invited to her early-birthday, by the way.”“As long as I’m not invited as her babysitter.”“No as my friend, and hers.”“Okay.” Eunha’s birthday party is held in a park, because Youngjo’s apartment absolutely doesn’t have the room to hold everyone invited. His parents fawn over Eunha, as they do every time they see their granddaughter, except to allow her to play with the friends she’s invited. A number of people had to work- Seoho included- but Geonhak and Dongju are both there, debating their status as her favourite uncle. Keonhee- a last minute addition to the guest list- brought her the album her current favourite song was a part of.Youngjo watches on, while the kids play tag, and everyone else is focused on food, or discussing how much Eunha has grown. Hawnwoong drops down next to Youngjo, on the ground, without a word. Eventually, Youngjo is the one to speak.“I was prepared to take care of her.”“Mhm.”“But I thought I’d have help, you know? That it would have been me and- that we would have raised her together. I mean, when you adopt a kid, you have to think that. You can’t accidentally adopt someone.”“Right.”“I just… wasn’t prepared, I guess.” Youngjo smiles when Eunha jumps at one of her friends, knocking them both over, as the two laugh. “Not that I would change anything, if I had known better, but…”“Hey, you still have help.” Hwanwoong motions vaguely to the others. (Dongju heads towards the kids, kneeling to ask Eunha who her favourite uncle is. Geonhak calls out a, “that’s cheating,” as he moves to pull Dongju back to the rest of the adults.)“I guess.”“And I’m here, obviously.” Hwanwoong offers a smile, and Youngjo nods.“Yeah, but I pay you.” (And wasn’t that exactly the problem? Not with Eunha, but between Hwanwoong and Youngjo. He hoped that was the case, at least, because otherwise it meant that Hwanwoong would have reacted like that no matter what, and he hoped-)“Even if you didn’t, anymore. I mean, I couldn’t babysit all the time, since I do need a job, but I’d still be here for you.” A second too long of a pause, tells Youngjo the next words are a rushed addition. “And Eunha. Mostly Eunha.”“Thank you, Hwanwoong.” Youngjo leans towards Hwanwoong, knocking their shoulders together. Hwanwoong rolls his eyes. Youngjo mumbles out an, “I love you,” before returning to his original position. (It didn’t sound right. Didn’t sound like when he usually said it. Like when he says it to the rest of his friends. Youngjo wonders if he’s the only one who notices this.)“I love you too.” The words are quiet, but audible. Make Youngjo pause, stop breathing for a split second. (And that, too, wasn’t normal. His friends- when they did respond, which was often enough that he didn’t feel hurt when they didn’t- responses didn’t cause that reaction.)Youngjo doesn’t respond, verbally. Just slowly moves his hand to reach for Hwanwoongs. Gives every chance for the other to stand and leave, but Hwanwoong just turns his hand over, palm up. Youngjo takes it, and they sit there, in silence.Did that mean something? Youngjo tries not to hope. If asked, Youngjo wouldn’t be able to explain why Hwanwoong was here. At his apartment, while Eunha wasn’t around. (While She was with her mother, during the stay that turned out to be a week long.) Wouldn’t be able to explain how they ended up there, sitting side-by-side the couch. (Too close together, with all the space there was.) Wouldn’t be able to reason out why his arms had ended up wrapped around Hwanwoong’s shoulders, Hwanwoong leaning closer to him. Or how, slowly, that shifted to Hwanwoong all but sitting in Youngjo’s lap, head rested against his chest.Wouldn’t be able to explain it, because he didn’t know. Didn’t understand. Wasn’t sure if it was okay to think the situation was what he hoped it was. (That Hwanwoong was accepting what had happened, before, and the potential for it to happen again. Happen more.)Tries not to hope too much, until Hwanwoong shifts, turning so he can face Youngjo. (Too close, now. Too close for Youngjo to pretend he’s thinking about anything other than how easy it would be to lean forward and-)And Hwanwoong’s hands find Youngjo’s neck, again. And he leans forward, hesitates- a chance for Youngjo to pull back- before closing the distance. And Youngjo responds, easily, without any notion of doing otherwise. Doesn’t think about anything else, until Hwanwoong pulls back. Neither speaks, for a moment.And then Youngjo does. Quiet, small. “Is this okay?”“I should be asking that. I kissed you. Both time.” Hwanwoong closes his eyes, rests their foreheads together. “Is it?”“I think so.” Youngjo breathes out. “I thought maybe you- you didn’t…”“Like you?”“Mhm.”“No, I do. Just… it surprised me, too.”“Ah,” Youngjo says, realization setting in. Realization that brings acceptance with it.“So,” Hwanwoong starts, pulling back. “I’ve been looking for another job.”“Huh?”“I’m going to have to quit, you know? I don’t like the idea of- uh- making out with my boss?”“Oh.” Youngjo laughs, nods. Thinks about how he’ll have to choose another babysitter for Eunha, but finds he isn’t as concerned as he maybe should be. He’d found Hwanwoong through listings, so surely he could find another babysitter that way. “Okay.”“I can still- when I’m not working-”“Okay.” Youngjo nods, wraps his arms around Hwanwoong’s torso, and rests his head against the other's shoulder. “It’s fine. I understand. I’m not worried.”“Good. That’s good.” Hwanwoong’s arms drape over Youngjo’s shoulders, head rests on his. (Their height difference is eliminated by their position. Youngjo realizes this, but can’t find a way to mention it without sounding strange, so he doesn’t. Keeps the thought to himself.)They’re silent, for a minute. Silent, until Hwanwoong pulls back, again, to rest his hands on Youngjo’s shoulders. Youngjo raises his head, at his, only to feel pressure, on his shoulders, pushing him back. He’s already against the back of the couch, so it only serves to push him a short distance, and startle him enough he doesn’t immediately react to being kissed, again. Though he does, after a small moment.And, this time neither of them runs away after they’ve stopped, so that’s a small victory. Youngjo hasn’t been on a date since he was married- probably before then, even- so he has absolutely nothing to do when one is scheduled. It’s a few weeks later, when it finally happens, but that doesn’t mentally prepare him. He’s distracted, the entirety of his shift at work. (Eunha is back, by now, but she’s spending the night at a friends house.)Geonhak, having known Youngjo too long- too well- to not notice this, calls him out on it. “What’s got you so distracted?”“Huh?”“You’re obviously distracted, Youngjo.”“Oh- uh- I- well, I have a date.”“You?”“Don’t sound so surprised.”“Sorry, just… you always say you don’t have time for that, since…”“Yeah, well, I do now.” Youngjo shrugs, dismissive. Geonhak eyes him, suspicious.“Someone we know?” The we throws Youngjo off, until Dongju pushes past him to hand an order to Geonhak. Dongju looks between them, as if trying to figure the conversation out from facial expressions alone.“Who do we know?”“Youngjo’s date.”“Oh.” Dongju draws the word out, nodding. “Who is it?”“I didn’t even confirm it was someone you know.” But it is, and Youngjo would rather not hear their reactions. Still they don’t look like they’re going to let it go- and Dongju is supposed to be out front, so Youngjo needs him to leave as quickly as possible- so he breathes a sigh. “Hwanwoong.”Geonhak nods, as if he expected this, and Dongju laughs. “We should’ve known.”“What does that mean-” but Dongju leaves past Youngjo, without explaining is words. “That kid…”“So you’re distracted by Hwanwoong.”(He has no idea.) Youngjo rolls his eyes. “By the date itself, actually.”“What about it.”“I haven’t been on one in years, Geonhak. Where are we even supposed to go?”“I mean… ask him?”“Right…”“Have fun.”“Thanks, you’re no help.” In the end, Hwanwoong and Youngjo end up going to a restaurant- one that Youngjo doesn’t work at- and having a small dinner, together. They return to Hwanwoong’s apartment, for once, instead of Youngjo’s. Youngjo only realizes, upon arrival, that he hadn’t seen the inside of it before. It’s clean- oddly so, like Hwanwoong doesn’t spend much time there- and small. One room that serves as both a living area and a bedroom. A kitchen, and a door the presumably leads the the bathroom.“Sorry this place is… tiny.” Hwanwoong shrugs, as Youngjo moves to remove his shoes.“It’s fine, Hwanwoong.” It wasn’t as if he expected a lot, he knows how much Hwanwoong makes, and knows first hand how expensive bills are. Were he living on his own, he’d likely be in a place like it, too. “The company is far more important.”“Are you trying to sound cheesy, or are you just like that?”“Hm, both?” Youngjo reaches out to take one of Hwanwoong’s hands, and Hwanwoong rolls his eyes. “It’s in my nature to be cheesy, maybe? At least when talking to someone who’s so charming.”“Surprised you didn’t use the word cute, honestly.” Hwanwoong jokes, but he looks away from Youngjo, face flushed.“Well we both know you’re cute; I have to step up my word choice.”“Sure, okay.” Hwanwoong tugs on Youngjo’s hand, making Youngjo follow him further into the apartment. Until they’re both seated, and tugging on his hand, then, is to pull Youngjo closer to him. “So, charming?”“Mhm. Among other things.”“Other things?” The distance between them lessons slowly.Youngjo stumbles his attempts to gracefully say something, heart racing involuntarily. “Uh- hot? No- wait- shit-”Hwanwoong laughs, forehead falling against Youngjo’s. (Yet, his laughter doesn’t break the very specific tension that’s between them.) “I see, well you’re not so bad yourself.”A small chuckle breaks through Youngjo’s lips. “Gee, thanks.” His laughter, his words, are muffled when the distance closes, finally, fully. Then, all at once, there’s a hand in his hair, and one around his neck. His own hands reach to cling to Hwanwoong, without him thinking about the actions. (There are very few thoughts running through his head, honestly. The few there are, are focused around this being real, happening, and that Hwanwoong is right there, not leaving this time. Or last time.)“I love you,” Hwanwoong mumbles, pulling back just enough to do so. Their faces- lips- still touching. Youngjo can’t respond, immediately, unused to hearing the words- like that, without him saying them first- meaning what they do, from Hwanwoong.“I love you, too.”“Romantically.”Youngjo laughs, lightly, breathy. “Yeah, romantically.” Hwanwoong’s presence has quickly- unexpectedly quickly- worked its way into Youngjo’s life. He had quickly worked his way into Youngjo’s heart- likely without realizing it- too. A few months earlier he barely knew the other. Only knew that he had quickly won over Eunha, and made Youngjo’s life easier. Yet, in what felt like no time, flat, Youngjo found himself enamored with the other. Thinks he would have been, with or without the way they met. With or with Hwanwoong having helped him take care of Eunha, for that time. (But, then, part of what made Youngjo fall so quickly, easily, into Hwanwoong was how well he got along with Youngjo’s daughter. That he didn’t have to worry about them not liking each other.) “So,” Hwanwoong starts, one day. After many days of them being in a relationship- after Hwanwoong getting another job, so they were more comfortable with this fact- while they sit together. Eunha is in the other room, putting her stuff away, after returning from a friends house. “Should we tell Eunha about… this?”“Us?”“Yeah.”“Obviously.” Youngjo offers Hwanwoong a smile. Sees the nervousness on his face- though he can’t quite understand it- and takes his hand. “What’s wrong?”“What if it bothers her?”“Why would it? She already loves you.” Youngjo thinks about the first time Hwanwoong spent dinner with them, about how Eunha had talked about as if she had wanted it to happen for Youngjo’s benefit. “Trust me.”“Okay.”And when they do tell her, simply, clearly, she grins, nods. “I knew it!”“Oh?” Youngjo tilts his head. “Did you?”“Yep!” She nods. “Wait, does this mean I should call you both dad, now?”“Uh- let’s not go that far,” Hwanwoong says, face red. “Not yet?”“Okay.”“Yet,” Youngjo repeats, quiet. Hwanwoong elbows him, lacking subtlety.“We should get dinner to celebrate!” Eunha says, drawing their attention back to her. Youngjo laughs- not fooled, knowing she just wants food- and nods.“Right, okay.” “Hey,” Hwanwoong says, at dinner.“Yeah?”“You better not make it a habit of falling for Eunha’s babysitters.”“I wont.” Youngjo shakes his head. “Just you.”“Alright.” Hwanwoong laughs, too. “Good.”“Don’t make a habit of falling for you bosses.”“No promises,” Hwanwoong jokes. “No, I wont. They’re all married, anyway.”“Right, good.”