Eun Soo looked down at her coffee, feeling very emotional. She secretly glanced sideways at Jin Woo and Hajun before looking back at her coffee. Her heart felt very heavy.
Suddenly, she realized that life is not fair to everyone. Even a sensible child like Hajun had to go through so much at such a young age.
Her mind then turned to the boy's father. At first, she had assumed Jin Woo was just a cold, busy businessman who didn't make time for his son.
She had thought the mother was likely just as distant, but the truth was far more painful. From what she had observed so far, the father clearly loved his child and was trying his best.
In the end, she couldn't muster the courage to ask anything more. "I am so sorry for asking," she said, her voice trailing off as she became very quiet.
Jin Woo noticed the change in her expression and looked at her with concern. "Is something wrong?" he asked gently.
Eun Soo simply shook her head from side to side, mimicking the way Hajun had done earlier that morning.
Seeing that she wasn't speaking and hadn't touched her coffee, Jin Woo thought she didn't like it. "How about you don't drink the coffee? I'll order a hot chocolate for you instead."
Eun Soo, seeing that Jin Woo had misunderstood, replied, "No, Mr. Seo. I was just not feeling well, that's all."
She took a sip of her coffee. The hot liquid warmed her throat and stomach, calming her turbulent emotions a little.
Jin Woo immediately realized that Eun Soo was feeling sorry for him and Hajun. "Please, don't feel bad," he said, trying to ease her emotions. "It happened six months ago, and things are slowly getting better. I make sure to spend as much time with Hajun as I can to help him through it."
Eun Soo nodded, feeling a new sense of respect for the man sitting across from her.
Then a sudden thought came to her mind: Mr. Seo, what about you? Are you okay?
Jin Woo, noticing she was thinking about something, suddenly asked, "Are you perhaps thinking about something?"
Eun Soo, startled out of her internal dilemma, looked at him and shook her head. "It's nothing. I just want to learn more about Hajun so I can help him better at school."
Jin Woo felt pleased seeing how worried Eun Soo was about Hajun. He thought, Sending Hajun to Little Mozart International Kindergarten was a good decision. The teachers really try everything to help their students.
Jin Woo then began to talk about Hajun. "Okay, let me tell you about him. Where should I start… hmm… Let's start with his hobbies. This guy is somewhat influenced by me. When he was young, I bought him a lot of puzzle books. That made him interested in math, and he ended up getting addicted to it. After that, I tried to push him toward some physical sports, but…"
As Jin Woo continued talking about Hajun, a rare, genuine smile appeared on his face.
Eun Soo, sitting opposite him, subconsciously began to smile as well while sipping her coffee. Whenever Jin Woo mentioned something funny about Hajun's habits, the boy, who was enjoying his chocolate milk, would pout, making both Jin Woo and Eun Soo laugh.
He told her everything about Hajun: how he was such a good child, never throwing tantrums and always being polite to everyone he met. Eun Soo listened intently, realising she had seen that same politeness in the classroom earlier that day.
After they finished their drinks, Jin Woo checked his watch and noticed how dark it had become outside. "Miss Eun Soo, it's getting quite late," he said. "Please, let me drive you home."
Eun Soo hesitated. Although she had enjoyed her time with Jin Woo and Hajun, she didn't want to overstep the boundaries between a teacher and a parent. "Thank you, but I can go by myself," she replied with a polite smile.
Jin Woo didn't push her further. "How about I call a taxi for you? It's already very late."
Eun Soo hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
Eun Soo, Jin Woo, and Hajun, holding their hands, walked together toward the counter to pay the bill. The auntie at the counter, who knew Jin Woo and Hajun, smiled warmly and said, "This is your first time bringing your wife to my café. I knew from Hajun's face that his mother is a beauty, but the real person is even more beautiful."
Hearing the comment, Jin Woo was surprised, and Eun Soo's face turned completely pink. Jin Woo glanced at her blushing face, quickly paid the bill, and led them out of the café.
"Don't mind her," Jin-woo said. "If we try to explain, things will only become more complicated."
Eun Soo nodded. She knew that local aunties liked to gossip, and if they found out she was Hajun's teacher, the situation would become even messier.
After leaving the café, Eun Soo and Jin Woo walked slowly along the footpath with Hajun dangling happily between them. Meanwhile, Jin Woo booked a taxi for Eun Soo on his phone app.
They waited quietly on the sidewalk. None of them spoke, and even Hajun remained silent while enjoying the warmth from Jin Woo and Eun Soo hand.
When the taxi arrived, Jin Woo stepped forward and held the door open, waiting until Eun Soo was safely inside. "Thank you, Mr. Seo," she said while waving toward Hajun as the taxi began to pull away toward her apartment.
Once she was gone, Jin Woo turned to Hajun, who was standing quietly by his side. "How was your first day, Hajun? Did you like your new kindergarten?" he asked.
Hajun looked up at his uncle and gave a small, honest nod. "I like Teacher Eun Soo," the boy said softly. "I felt comfortable there today."
Jin Woo felt a wave of relief wash over him and gently patted the boy's shoulder. His biggest worry had been that Hajun wouldn't want to be away from him, but it seemed that wouldn't be a problem anymore.
"That's good to hear," he said, leading Hajun back to the car to head home to Gleam Tower.