park sunghoon. 002

It started at the playground.

Your 5 year old son, Jae, had just made his first friend a bubbly little girl named Arin who wore sparkly shoes and bossed him around with adorable confidence.

The first time you met her dad, you nearly tripped over the stroller.

He was tall, ridiculously good looking, and entirely flustered trying to untangle a juice box from his daughter’s hair.

“Sorry,” he said, brushing his bangs back with a sheepish smile. “I'm Sunghoon. she gets her chaos from her mom… and the dramatics from me.”

You laughed, something warm settling in your chest.
“I’m y/n. Jae’s mom. he gets everything from me, unfortunately.”

after that, it became routine.

Fridays at the park. Saturdays at the coffee shop (you two on your second lattes while the kids destroyed muffins). Sundays at the library for “quiet reading” that turned into whispered giggles behind picture books.

You’d catch Sunghoon glancing your way sometimes. when you laughed at Arin’s tiny tantrums. When you knelt to tie Jae's shoelaces and kiss his forehead. when you smiled like you hadn’t forgotten how to.

And you looked, too. at the way he listened. the way he carried patience in his eyes, even on the tired days. the way he said “We’ve got this” like it meant more than just parenting.

One afternoon, as the kids ran ahead, he offered you a shy smile.

“So… are we still calling these play dates, or can we just admit they’re kind of our dates, too?”

You laughed, nudging him lightly. “depends. are you asking me out, or just asking if i want to share snack duty again next week?”

Sunghoon grinned. “Both.”