The black Mercedes Sprinter glided smoothly through the winding, palm-lined roads of Jungmun, finally pulling into the private entrance of the Yeomiji Botanical Garden.
As the doors slid open, the humid, sweet scent of tropical flowers and damp earth greeted them, a stark contrast to the air-conditioned luxury of the hotel.
Eun-soo was the first to step out, her cream tunic catching the sunlight as she turned back to reach for Hajun's hand.
Hajun, usually so cautious, seemed mesmerized by the sheer scale of the glass conservatory, his eyes wide as he adjusted his grip on Eun-soo's fingers.
Jin-woo followed behind with his parents, Jin-ho and Young-sook, who were already marveling at the rare species of trees lining the walkway.
"Look, Hajun-ah! Do you see the symmetry in those fern leaves?" Eun-soo asked, crouching down to his level so they could inspect a plant together.
Hajun nodded silently, his small finger tracing the patterns—to him, it was like a living math equation, and Eun-soo was the only one who seemed to understand that.
Jin-woo stood a few paces back, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black trousers, watching the two of them interact.
From this perspective, seeing Eun-soo's soft profile against the vibrant green backdrop, he felt a strange, tightening sensation in his chest that had nothing to do with work or logic.
His mother, Young-sook, stepped up beside him, her voice a quiet whisper so as not to disturb the moment. "She has a rare gift, Jin-woo. She sees the world the way he does."
Jin-woo didn't take his eyes off them. "She's... very patient," he replied, his voice lower than usual.
"It's more than patience," his father, Jin-ho, added, adjusting his glasses. "It's genuine care. It's hard to find someone who looks at a child with that much sincerity these days."
They began to walk deeper into the garden, with Eun-soo leading Hajun toward the "Butterfly Garden" section, her laughter echoing lightly through the trees.
Jin-woo remained the silent shadow in the back, ensuring his parents were comfortable while never letting Eun-soo out of his sight.
Every time she turned back to check if they were following, her eyes would instinctively find Jin-woo's, and she would offer a bright, reassuring wave.
At one point, a bright blue butterfly landed momentarily on Eun-soo's shoulder, and Hajun actually gasped, reaching out a tiny hand toward her.
Eun-soo stayed perfectly still, looking at Hajun with such warmth that Jin-woo felt like he was witnessing something sacred.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, surreptitiously capturing a photo of the two of them the "Teacher" and the "Prodigy" framed by sunlight and wings.
His parents exchanged a knowing glance behind his back; they had never seen their stoic, AI-obsessed son so distracted by a living, breathing person before.
As they reached the end of the first trail, Eun-soo looked at her watch and then at Jin-woo. "The seafood lunch is just five minutes away. Is everyone getting hungry?"
Jin-woo stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "I think the 'matching' couple should probably feed the family now," he teased quietly, a rare spark of humor in his eyes.
Eun-soo's heart did a somersault at his words specifically the word couple even if he was only joking.
"Then let's go," she said, her voice a bit breathless. "Jeju Osung is waiting for us."