DAH Ch 1
by soapa“Excuse me.”
Seo Jungjoon turned around at the sound of his name, only to be startled.
“…Do you perhaps, not recognize me?”
The person who asked cautiously was a stranger. He was a strikingly handsome man, almost jarringly out of place in the ordinary surroundings.
“…Ah…”
Jungjoon had met many people due to the nature of his work. But he had never seen someone so dazzlingly handsome.
“….”
If they had met even once, Jungjoon was sure he would remember. Since he had no recollection, it was impossible to think they were acquainted. Hoping he wasn’t making a mistake, he grimaced, feeling awkward.
“I’m sorry. Have we…met before?”
The man’s expression changed. A subtle shift in his eyes and the corners of his mouth transformed his entire demeanor. His face, which had seemed unguarded, instantly hardened like a crustacean’s shell.
“No. I think I mistook you for someone else.”
“I apologize.” With a curt nod, the man turned and left without a second glance. His tall figure disappeared into the crowd, and Jungjoon, staring blankly after him, finally turned his head after a long moment.
He felt disoriented, as if he had just seen a ghost.
‘…I’m sure I’ve never seen that face before…’
Even searching through his memories, nothing remotely similar came to mind. Had he ever interacted with such a strikingly handsome man?
As his brow furrowed, his phone rang sharply.
“Hello? Oh, yes, that’s fine. I’m near a meeting right now. Would it be alright if I came by around 5 o’clock?”
After finishing the call with his client, Jungjoon finally pushed the encounter from his mind. He moved his feet, which had been rooted to the spot, and headed towards his original destination.
He entered the cafe where the meeting was scheduled, but his client wasn’t there yet. He took a seat, breathed a sigh of relief, and pulled out a handkerchief to dab his forehead.
It had gotten much hotter. After cooling off, he looked out the window for a moment, his gaze resting on the street where the trees swayed lushly.
“….”
The thought that slowly filled his mind wasn’t about work. It was the brief encounter he’d just had.
The shock he felt when he faced the man hadn’t yet faded. He found himself unconsciously replaying the man’s overwhelming appearance and unique aura. He couldn’t forget the way the man’s expression had changed when he apologized, and the strangely captivating glint that had appeared in his eyes.
‘…He had such a rare face…’
Jungjoon had thought he wasn’t easily influenced by appearances, but apparently, he was wrong. For the first time, he admitted that there were looks that defied conventions and dominated one’s thoughts.
‘No. I think I mistook you for someone else.’
Before turning away, the man’s gaze had been extremely cold. Jungjoon remembered the tension he felt at the man’s sharp, almost severed gaze.
He didn’t know for sure, but the man seemed accustomed to being superior to others. He exuded a relaxed and aloof air, as if he wanted for nothing.
His height and build, but also his voice, carried a certain weight. Despite possessing all these desirable qualities, there was something unbalanced about him, which was also striking.
Such an unsettling presence in such a brief encounter…
The more he thought about it, the more relieved Jungjoon felt that the man was just a stranger he’d passed on the street. The thought of not meeting him again eased the tension in his shoulders.
He chuckled wryly at the thought of how easily he was affected.
“You’re early.”
A voice startled him back to reality.
“Oh, you’re here.”
Jungjoon shifted in his seat and bowed his head.
“It’s hot today.”
The client said with a smile.
“It is. It’s gotten much hotter.”
Jungjoon also offered a friendly smile.
He had only met this client once before for a consultation, but today, he felt strangely familiar. The client had a round face, an ordinary face you could see anywhere. His unremarkable, even bland appearance was oddly comforting.
“Did you bring the documents?”
Feeling a pleasant sense of normalcy, Jungjoon smiled warmly.
The meeting, which he had expected to last about an hour, went longer than anticipated. By the time it ended, he had only about 15 minutes left before extended care at his son’s daycare ended.
If traffic wasn’t bad, he might just make it…
He glanced at his wristwatch, hurriedly packed his briefcase, and left.
Anxious breaths escaped him as he drove. Time was flying by, and he kept getting stopped at red lights. Each time the light changed and the numbers on his watch ticked over, he felt the urge to speed. Just last month, he had been fined for speeding in a similar rush.
He ended up calling his son’s teacher and arriving 7 minutes late. As he picked up his son, Jungjoon apologized profusely. The teacher, her face etched with fatigue, managed a strained smile, and his son whined as if on the verge of tears.
“Did you have fun today, Ian?”
“…”
Jungjoon scooped up his disgruntled son and headed towards the car. Ian remained sullen as Jungjoon strapped him into his car seat. Even though Ian kicked his little feet in annoyance, Jungjoon didn’t scold him, just fastened the buckle.
The teacher’s tired face bothered him. He made a mental note to bring her a small treat next week when he picked up Ian. With a small sigh, he turned the steering wheel.
When they got home, he warmed up leftover seaweed soup and served it with rice. But whether he wasn’t hungry or just in a bad mood, Ian refused to eat.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to eat?”
“…”
“Are you not hungry?”
“…”
Ian just stared down at his bowl, refusing to answer. Jungjoon felt exhausted by his son’s silent protests. He wanted to just take the food away, but he forced himself to ask one more time,
“…Should I cook you some sausages?”
At that, Ian finally nodded, his lips still pouted. While not every meal was like this, dealing with Ian’s picky eating was a chore.
As requested, he cooked some sausages and served them alongside the rice. With dinner finally dealt with, it was time for brushing teeth and bath time. He had to pry Ian away from his picture book and drag him to the bathroom.
Ian, averse to brushing his teeth, kept turning his head away and grimacing. After finally coaxing him through that ordeal, Ian then protested against taking a bath.
“You’ll smell if you don’t wash, Ian.”
“…”
“Your friends won’t like it if you smell.”
“…”
Ian stubbornly shook his head. Unable to argue any longer, Jungjoon forcibly undressed him, prompting Ian to burst into tears.
His loud wails echoed off the bathroom walls. Jungjoon remembered the time the downstairs neighbor had come up to complain about the noise and rubbed his forehead. He sighed loudly and admonished Ian in a low voice.
“I told you the scary man will come upstairs if you keep crying. Stop it.”
His quiet, authoritative tone made Ian stifle his cries.
“…Sniff…Hiccup…!”
His lips were still turned down, and tears streamed down his cheeks. Jungjoon silently bathed him while he sniffled. “Daddy mean,” “Daddy bad,” slurred words escaped his lips every so often.
After the bath, Jungjoon dried Ian’s hair and tidied up the room they shared. He meticulously wiped the floor, which he had cleaned that morning, with wet wipes, reaching every corner.
Only after completing his almost compulsive cleaning ritual and sanitizing the bedding did he put Ian to bed. This was his nightly routine, no matter how tired he was.
“Sleep tight, Ian.”
“…Goo’nigh’…”
Muttering a barely comprehensible goodnight, Ian closed his eyes. Jungjoon watched him for a moment and gently pulled the blanket up to his chest.
He realized that tomorrow was his day off. But even with a change of location, he would still be working all day. He would be taking care of Ian, catching up on chores, and taking his son out, since he got restless staying home all day. In some ways, it was more hectic than working outside the house.
Time for bed.
Clearing his mind of these thoughts, he closed his heavy, tired eyes. But not long after he turned over to sleep, he was jolted awake by sudden crying.
“Ian, what’s wrong!”
Jungjoon’s heart lurched, fearing Ian was hurt.
“Waaaaah…!!”
Despite Jungjoon’s worried questions, Ian just continued to cry. He burrowed into Jungjoon’s arms, clinging tightly.
Jungjoon had no idea why Ian had suddenly woken up and started crying so hysterically. Ian continued sobbing for a long time, clinging tightly to him.
Finally, he quieted down, breathing heavily with exhaustion. Jungjoon thought he had fallen asleep and tried to shift his position slightly, but Ian immediately noticed and clung to him even tighter.
“…”
Jungjoon couldn’t move with Ian holding him so tightly. He felt the warmth of Ian pressed against him. The lips that had sobbed with inexplicable sorrow, the lips that had called him mean, were now pressed against his chest.
Trapped in this position, Jungjoon closed his eyes. Unable to pull away from his son, he decided to try to sleep like this.
30 minutes, an hour passed, but he remained wide awake. Despite his exhaustion, his nerves were on edge. Having been woken up and stuck in an uncomfortable position, sleep wouldn’t come.
Staring into the darkness, Jungjoon absently began to stroke Ian’s hair. He repeated the motion of running his fingers through the soft strands.
Suddenly, his hand stopped mid-stroke.
A powerful sense of déjà vu washed over him. The familiar, habitual movement of his hand felt too familiar. He realized he was stroking Ian’s hair exactly the way he used to stroke someone else’s. Simultaneously, the feeling of Ian clinging to him intensified, morphing into a vivid, unsettlingly familiar sensation that sent shivers down his spine.
“…”
He barely managed to stop himself from dropping Ian in a sudden panic. Taking a deep breath, he carefully placed his hand on Ian’s small back. He gently caressed it, as if reaffirming the presence in his arms. Pushing away the intrusive memories and sensations, he closed his eyes.
Pitter-patter, drip, drop…
Rain had started falling outside. He could hear the rhythmic drumming of the raindrops on the ground. It finally made sense why the weather had been so muggy earlier.
The rain continued on and off throughout the night, sometimes intensifying, sometimes softening, as unpredictable as Ian’s moods. Listening to the erratic drumming of the rain, Jungjoon’s eyelids finally grew heavy.
The rain that started the previous night continued into the morning. As he prepared breakfast, the news reported the start of the rainy season.
The air in the house felt damp and stale. The thought of this discomfort lingering for a while made him feel drained.
Before the rice cooker finished, he went out to the veranda to check on his plants. He checked when he had last watered them and opened the window for ventilation. Standing before the open window, he stared out at the dark sky and the falling rain.
“…”
Smells that usually faded into the background now acutely assaulted his senses. Combined with the stuffy air, he felt a slight shortness of breath, a minor symptom that always accompanied the rainy season.
It seemed it wasn’t just him struggling to breathe; the earthworms felt it too. He had heard that earthworms came out of the wet ground on rainy days because it was difficult for them to breathe underground. They emerged to breathe, only to die outside if they didn’t manage to return before the sun rose.
It sounded ridiculous, but he felt a strange sense of kinship with them. The image of struggling for survival only to meet death resonated with him, dredging up old memories and emotions. The gloomy weather, the humid air, the cold rain, and the corpses revealed after the rain subsided—every element of the rainy season felt like one giant misfortune, weighing heavily on his senses.
Lost in thought as the drumming rain beat against his skull, Jungjoon suddenly snapped back to reality. He heard the rice cooker’s chime and closed the open window. Hurrying back inside, he turned on the air conditioner and dehumidifier and finished preparing breakfast.
Perhaps still drowsy, Ian thankfully didn’t complain about his food. But as soon as his short post-breakfast TV time was over, he started complaining to Jungjoon about being bored.
“Should we play with toys together?”
“…”
“Should we play with blocks?”
He managed to grab Ian’s attention by bringing out a new set of blocks. But after less than 30 minutes of playing with the car blocks, Ian’s focus waned. Seeing him staring blankly out the window, Jungjoon quickly tried to redirect his attention. “Should we color dinosaurs?” he asked. Thankfully, Ian showed interest when he brought out the coloring book and crayons.
“What’s this dinosaur’s name?”
He asked as they colored together, and Ian told him the name. “Twi-pino Taw-wu-wu,” he said, trying his best to pronounce it, making Jungjoon laugh.
“Is that your favorite dinosaur, Ian?”
Ian clutched his crayon and nodded enthusiastically. Watching his son diligently coloring with his stubby fingers, Jungjoon thought about buying him a dinosaur plushie for his upcoming birthday.
Leaving Ian to play by himself, Jungjoon went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. But no sooner had he finished the quick task than Ian, having lost all interest in coloring, started pestering him to go out.
“Daddy, I wanna go out.”
“It’s raining a lot right now.”
“I wanna go to the playground.”
“There won’t be any friends at the playground because it’s raining, Ian. Let’s go out when the rain stops.”
“When will it stop?”
“…Tomorrow?”
“I still wanna go out now. I wanna go to the park.”
Even after Jungjoon carried him to the veranda to show him the rain, Ian was adamant. Rumble, the distant sound of thunder rolled in. Taking him out in boots and a raincoat would be pointless, as he would just cry and fuss when the thunder came.
“Sounds like the sky is going to roar again. You get scared when it thunders, Ian. It’s safer to stay inside.”
That seemed to give Ian pause.
“Daddy.”
“Yes?”
“Theeeen, let’s go to the mart. Let’s go see my friends.”
He meant the kids’ cafe inside the large supermarket. Despite being shy and usually clinging to Jungjoon whenever they encountered other children, he still wanted to go.
“…Should we?”
Unable to refuse his son’s persistence, Jungjoon started getting ready to go out. He changed Ian into his outside clothes, packed water, snacks, emergency medicine, and Ian’s inseparable stuffed animal, before finally taking his son’s hand and leaving the apartment.
He buckled Ian into the back seat and drove towards the familiar route to the supermarket. During the drive, Ian held his stuffed animal and bounced his feet, watching the rain through the window. Jungjoon occasionally glanced at his excited son through the rearview mirror as he carefully navigated the wet roads.
The cafe was bustling with children who couldn’t play outside because of the rain. Perhaps surprised by the unexpectedly large number of kids, Ian clutched his stuffed animal with a nervous expression.
“Where should we go first?”
“…There.”
Jungjoon took him to the bouncy house area and played with his increasingly excited son. Although still too shy to interact with the other children, Ian seemed content to play alongside them, a smile plastered on his face.
“How old is your little one?”
A young man approached Jungjoon just as he helped Ian out of the trampoline. At first, he thought the man was a staff member, but then he saw a little girl, about Ian’s age, clinging to him and realized he was a parent.
“Ah…he’s four.”
“Our daughter is just over 50 months old. Hello there, what’s your name?”
The shy Ian hid behind Jungjoon. Jungjoon answered for him.
“His name is Ian.”
“I see. Sieun, this is Ian. You’ve made a friend.”
The little girl, Sieun, proactively waved at Ian. Ian, delighted, shyly waved back. Sieun then boldly approached Ian and started talking to him. The two children moved to a nearby play area and started playing with blocks together. While the children entertained themselves, Jungjoon stood next to Sieun’s father and chatted.
“Do you come here often?”
“Ah, yes. We come here sometimes. My son loves going out.”
The man nodded in understanding.
“Same here. She’s always asking to go somewhere, but there’s nowhere to take her nearby… I try my best to play with her at home, but there’s a limit to that.”
Since most of the caregivers he encountered were mothers, Jungjoon felt a sense of camaraderie with this fellow dad. He couldn’t be sure if the man was a single parent like him, but something about their brief conversation gave him that impression.
As parents of children of similar ages, their conversation flowed easily. They exchanged information on various topics related to parenting, and before he knew it, they had exchanged contact information.
“It’s manageable now that they can talk and walk around. After my daughter was born, I was completely drained. My wrists and back were killing me from constantly holding her. Even making formula was a struggle.”
The man reminisced about his past struggles and then turned to Jungjoon.
“How were your wrists? Were you alright?”
“…Yes…well, I…”
Jungjoon had a strange feeling that their conversation was slightly off, but he dismissed it.
“But it’s nice to have another adult around. My husband refuses to come to kids’ cafes even on weekends. He says he hates noisy places. Last time I dragged him here, he just stared at his phone the whole time and ignored our daughter. Honestly…” The man paused and then asked, “Do you ever come here with your husband?”
“…”
Stunned by the unexpected question, Jungjoon stared at him.
“…Excuse me?”
He couldn’t believe the question was directed at him. A huge question mark filled his mind, momentarily blocking all thought. The unprocessed question resolved itself awkwardly as he noticed the other man’s confused expression.
“…Oh, oh, what do I do? I’m so sorry!”
The man’s reaction made it clear he’d misunderstood something.
“…”
Jungjoon awkwardly turned his head. This was a first. He’d never been mistaken for an omega, let alone an omega who had given birth. Realizing the man had assumed he was a male omega who had come to the kid’s cafe with his child, Jungjoon was flustered, unsure how to react.
“It’s rare to see dads come alone… I thought you were like me.”
The man explained, embarrassed. Jungjoon understood logically that such a misunderstanding could happen in such a rare instance, but he was strangely shocked. He didn’t have a delicate face, nor a slender frame, and his height was well above average. However, he had lost some muscle mass in the past few years due to lack of exercise, which gave him pause.
“No, it’s okay. I understand completely.”
Jungjoon replied casually, forcing a smile. It would be rude to show any offense.
The conversation died down, adding to the awkwardness. Just then, Jungjoon heard Ian burst into tears from across the play area. Reacting instinctively to his son’s cries, he hurried over to see what was wrong.
“Ian, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Despite his urgent questions, Ian just lifted his chin and continued to cry. The other child’s caregiver, who had followed Jungjoon, looked on with concern.
“Uh, uh, my dad is like a mom, and I asked where his mom was, and then he started crying.”
Sieun explained, as if to absolve herself of any blame.
“…I see.”
“You shouldn’t ask things like that, Sieun…”
The other caregiver looked uncomfortable and apologetic. Jungjoon felt embarrassed as he comforted his sobbing son.
“Ian must miss his mom. It’s okay.”
He picked up his son, intending to leave.
“Oh dear… I’m so sorry…”
Jungjoon forced another smile at the apologetic caregiver.
“It’s alright. He cries easily…”
He offered a faint smile and a brief nod.
“We’ll be going now. Goodbye.”
The awkwardness was too much to bear, so he decided to leave. Jungjoon hurried out of the cafe, carrying his still-crying son.
“Ian, should we get something tasty to eat? Should we get your favorite chicken? Or maybe pork cutlet?”
He asked as they stood in front of the elevator, patting Ian’s back. But Ian shook his head. When his sensitive son was upset, it was difficult to soothe him. Since Ian wouldn’t stop crying, Jungjoon sat down on a bench in the hallway to calm him down.
After a while, Ian looked up at Jungjoon with teary eyes.
“…Daddy, where’s our mommy?”
“…”
Jungjoon silently wrapped his arms around Ian, taken aback by the unexpected question. Ian’s mother, his wife, had died when Ian was two. Too young to understand and accept the concept of death, Jungjoon had lied, telling Ian that his mother had gone on a trip and that he could see her when he was older.
“…Did Mommy die?”
“…What?”
Jungjoon hadn’t expected those words to come out of Ian’s mouth. Had he ever explained death to him? Had he read him a storybook that mentioned it? Or perhaps he heard it at daycare… Stunned, Jungjoon quickly composed himself.
“That’s not it.”
He looked down at his anxious son and denied it repeatedly.
“Mommy didn’t die. I told you Mommy went to a faraway country.”
His unsteady voice lacked conviction. But Ian seemed reassured and looked at Jungjoon.
“Mommy loves Ian the most in the world.”
Ian asked, his eyes still glistening with tears, “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
While he usually thought Ian didn’t feel his mother’s absence, situations like these made his heart ache. Even if Ian was too young to understand grief when they parted, he would inevitably feel his mother’s absence more frequently and acutely as he grew older. The thought of this unavoidable reality weighed heavily on him.
“…Daddy, I wanna eat chicken.”
“You do?”
Ian seemed to have finally calmed down. Jungjoon picked up his son, whose expression had brightened considerably, and got on the elevator.
“Your nose is red, Ian. Look.”
Jungjoon and Ian were reflected in the elevator mirror. Jungjoon pointed at the mirror and smiled, and Ian giggled, looking at his own reflection.
Jungjoon stared at their reflections for a moment. He wondered if they looked like father and son to others. Unlike him, Ian had double eyelids and his eyebrows slanted downwards when he smiled. His features bore no resemblance to Jungjoon’s.
“…”
“Daddy, what are you looking at?”
Ian’s voice brought him back to reality.
“I was looking at you, Ian. You’re cute.”
Ian smiled back at Jungjoon’s faint smile. Jungjoon hugged Ian tightly as he wrapped his arms around his neck and snuggled close.
“…”
Feeling his son’s chubby arms around him, Jungjoon recalled the incident at the cafe. He thought about being mistaken for the omega who had given birth to Ian, and wondered what it would have been like if it were true.
If he were an omega and had given birth to Ian himself, he wouldn’t be feeling this way now. Lost in thought, Jungjoon pulled Ian closer and kissed his soft cheek.
He had hoped the rest of the day would be smooth sailing after the earlier turmoil. But reality wasn’t so forgiving.
“Toto, Toto’s gone, Toto!”
Ian had lost his stuffed animal. He’d had it when they entered the cafe, but now, back in the car, it was nowhere to be found.
Realizing he had left it at the play area, Ian burst into tears. The tears he had just managed to stop now flowed even more profusely, escalating into heartbroken sobs.
“Ian, Daddy will find it. I’ll go find it now, so wait here. Okay? Wait just a little bit.”
Panicked by the thought of Ian having a meltdown if he didn’t get his stuffed animal immediately, Jungjoon rushed back into the building.
He frantically returned to the cafe, searching every area they had been in. He asked the other children, and even the staff, but to no avail. There were no stuffed animals among the lost and found items. Increasingly distressed, he circled the large cafe several times without any luck.
“Oh, excuse me, are you looking for this?”
Jungjoon turned around at the voice and saw the very stuffed animal he had been searching for. Unexpectedly, the person holding it was the caregiver he had been talking to earlier—the male omega with the daughter named Sieun, who had mistaken Jungjoon’s secondary gender.
“I thought you might have left it, so I kept it just in case…”
“Oh… thank you so much.”
The man looked at Jungjoon, who was sweating profusely, with a sympathetic expression.
“I should have contacted you right away. I wasn’t sure who it belonged to… I was going to turn it in to lost and found if no one came for it within an hour…”
“Oh, it’s okay. Thank you for keeping it.”
Overwhelmed with relief, Jungjoon thanked the man and hurried out of the cafe.
Standing in front of the elevator, he finally felt the sweat soaking his back. He sighed, flapping his shirt, and wiped his forehead and neck with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.
He examined the stuffed animal as the elevator descended. It was a little dirty, probably from being stepped on by the children. He was just relieved it hadn’t been lost, even if it was a little soiled. He planned to wash it when he got home, so he just brushed off the surface dirt.
His steps were lighter now that he had Toto back. Smiling, he ran towards his son, who would be anxiously waiting for him.
‘…Did I leave the car door open?’
He was surprised to see the car door slightly ajar. Frowning at his own carelessness, he opened the door and threw the stuffed animal inside with a cheerful, “Ta-da!” He expected Ian to snatch it up or cry out in joy, but he was met with silence.
“…”
Frozen, he flung the car door open. He was dumbfounded to find the back seat, where Ian should have been, empty.
Not only the inside of the car, but the outside as well. He looked around the parking lot, but Ian was nowhere to be seen.
“Ian!”
He circled the parking lot, calling out again.
“Ian! Where are you, Seo Ian!”
But only his own desperate cries echoed back; there was no response.
Cars continued to enter and exit the parking lot. Looking around the dangerous environment for a four-year-old, Jungjoon felt a tightness in his chest.
Where could his little boy have gone alone?
Ian didn’t have a phone or a child safety ID bracelet. Anxiety washed over him in this unexpected situation.
He couldn’t think straight in his panic. Should he go this way, or that way? What should he do first? Unable to decide, he ran back into the supermarket.
Desperately, he started asking for help in finding his son. He reported Ian missing to the supermarket staff, and they immediately made an announcement.
After requesting to see the parking lot CCTV footage, he finally saw Ian leaving the parking lot alone. He had gotten on the elevator, gone down to the first floor, and slipped out into the crowd. Even in that short video, there were several dangerous moments captured, making Jungjoon’s heart sink.
He called the police to report a missing child and then went to the nearest police station to file another report. After that, all he could do was frantically search the area around the supermarket.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped, improving visibility and making it easier to move around. It would have been much worse if Ian had been wandering around alone in the rain without an umbrella.
“Ian! Seo Ian!”
He shouted at the top of his lungs, circling the large park from the perimeter inwards. He ran non-stop, asking passersby if they had seen his son.
He focused on places Ian might like: convenience stores, ice cream shops, claw machine arcades. He asked at every place that caught his eye, even checking the faces of children with their parents, despite knowing it was futile.
“Ha…”
He sighed, having searched for a long time without even a single sighting. As the anxious moments stretched on, negative emotions began to surface. His nerves frayed, and he found himself blaming innocent bystanders. He felt resentment towards the people in the supermarket who hadn’t noticed a child wandering alone, and the people in the parking lot who had driven past his son without doing anything.
But the person he was angriest at was himself. He couldn’t forgive himself for leaving the car door open. It was unbearable to think that he, the one who was supposed to protect his son, had put him in danger.
His face and back were drenched in sweat, as if he had been caught in the rain. Negative scenarios kept playing out in his mind, making everything seem dark. He felt helpless, trapped in a nightmare, consumed by deep self-loathing. That’s when it happened.
“…”
Jungjoon couldn’t believe his eyes. The back of his son, held in the arms of a strange man, looked far too familiar. Mesmerized, he took a step closer.
“…I…an…”
The name he had called countless times escaped his dry lips.
“Ian!”
He shouted and ran towards his son.
“Ian!”
The strange man turned around, and Jungjoon saw his son’s face clearly. It was indeed his son, held in the man’s arms.
Overwhelmed by a mix of relief, excitement, and confusion, Jungjoon quickly took Ian into his own arms and checked to see if he was alright.
“Daddy…”
Ian, just woken up, rubbed his eyes and clung tightly to him. Holding his son close, Jungjoon repeatedly murmured his thanks, his voice choked with emotion.
“Why did you leave?”
“I… went to look for Daddy and Toto…”
Ian, finally realizing he was in trouble, looked apprehensive.
“…It’s okay. It’s alright. You’re not hurt, that’s all that matters.”
Jungjoon hugged Ian tightly and told him firmly,
“Don’t ever do this again. No matter what happens, you have to wait in the car. Understood?”
Ian nodded, avoiding his gaze. Jungjoon looked up.
“Um… thank you so much.”
He bowed his head towards the man who had been holding his son.
“Where did you find him?”
“I saw him trying to cross the street alone up ahead, so I brought him over here.”
“A car was coming,” the man added. Jungjoon closed his eyes and groaned, imagining the terrifying scenario.
“I asked him where his parents were, and he started crying… I bought him some ice cream nearby, and he cried again, so I just held him.”
The man explained that he saw Ian fall asleep and, seeing how relieved he seemed, decided to let him sleep. He had planned to take Ian to the nearest police station, and added that he was glad they had found each other.
Ashamed, Jungjoon lowered his gaze. He thanked the man again, bowing his head.
“It was my fault. I lost him in the parking lot. I don’t usually do this, but I forgot and left the car door open, and he just wandered off…”
Jungjoon stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering the supermarket.
He excused himself and made a quick call to inform the supermarket staff that he had found his son. As he was doing so, the man suddenly turned to leave, as if his task was completed. Jungjoon quickly ended the call and called out to him.
“Excuse me! Sir!”
But the man didn’t stop, so Jungjoon hurried after him and grabbed his arm.
“Wait a minute…”
As he turned to face the man, Jungjoon froze. He finally got a good look at his face.
He was certain he had seen him before, but he couldn’t place him. Where had he seen him? He was sure he’d seen that face…
A few seconds later, it hit him like a lightning bolt. He remembered the encounter, the person.
“…”
The man’s expression was unreadable. Did he recognize Jungjoon from yesterday? It was hard to tell. The man’s impassive expression made Jungjoon’s thoughts race.
“Uh… excuse me…”
He looked up at the man again, trying to choose his words. He thought he understood why he hadn’t recognized him immediately. Apart from the different circumstances, the man looked different today.
His hair was down, and he was wearing casual clothes. He looked much younger than he had yesterday in his suit and styled hair. Yesterday, he had seemed like a sharp, polished adult. Today, he looked like a stylish young man.
“…”
Jungjoon’s gaze drifted downwards. He noticed stains on the man’s shirt—ice cream, tears, and snot, presumably from Ian.
“I would feel terrible if you just left like this… I’d like to treat you to a meal, if you have time…”
The man had saved his son from a potentially dangerous situation. He had bought him food, comforted him, and looked after him. Jungjoon also felt bad that his expensive-looking clothes had been stained because of Ian. He felt he couldn’t let him go without some form of gratitude, so he cautiously made the offer.
“Mmm…”
Ian, who had fallen asleep in his arms, stirred and whined. Jungjoon realized how exhausted his son must be after wandering around alone and scared. As if sensing the awkwardness of the situation, the man firmly declined.
“It’s okay.”
“Oh…”
“I’m glad he’s alright.”
The man looked down at Jungjoon and added,
“Don’t leave your child alone next time.”
Jungjoon nodded silently, a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Yes, of course…”
It seemed ridiculous to insist on repaying him now. He hesitated, unsure what to do.
“Well then, would you at least come to my house for a bit?”
Jungjoon blurted out impulsively, his gaze fixed on the stained shirt.
“Your clothes got dirty because of my son…if you don’t mind, you could wash them at my place and change into some fresh clothes…”
Even as he spoke, he had a feeling the man would refuse. It was half sincere, half out of politeness. The man remained silent, his expression unreadable.
“…Alright then.”
He replied after a short pause. Jungjoon blinked, as if he hadn’t understood.
“Oh…yes, yes. You will?”
He couldn’t hide his surprise but quickly forced a smile.
“That’s good. Let’s go to my car, then.”
He gestured towards his car with the hand that was supporting Ian’s back. And so, this unlikely pair turned and walked back towards the supermarket parking lot together.
Throughout their unexpected walk, an awkward silence hung between them. Unlike children, who could become friends within seconds of meeting, adults with their preconceived notions found it harder to relax without a common topic.
However, even considering their status as strangers, it felt unusually strained. Perhaps it was because Jungjoon was acutely aware of their previous encounter.
If Jungjoon was awkward and self-conscious, the man was simply taciturn. They exchanged a few formal questions and answers, but the conversation quickly died down each time.
“Um… thank you again. It must have been difficult to soothe him, he cries a lot.”
Jungjoon expressed his gratitude again, smiling. The fact that his shy son had fallen asleep in the man’s arms suggested he had been very kind to him.
“No problem.”