Chan stood outside the small family owned resturaunt, Joon perched on his hip. The streetlights had just and the air was becoming even colder. When they had left the dorm there was a thin fresh layer of snow on the ground, so Chan had to re-enter the dorm and prepare a heavier jacket for Joon. Chan sighed and pulled his phone from his back pocket with his free hand to check the time. He had gotten a text message from Yeji before they left saying that she would be a little late and that she wanted to just meet at the restaurant. Chan gave her approximate directions and decided to wait outside just in case she got lost.

Joon buried his head in his father’s shoulder and mumbled about being hungry. Chan patted the hat on Joon’s head and planted a kiss on his ear.

“Dad’s sorry Joonie. We will eat soon.” Chan spoke softly before looking around to see if Yeji was within sight. When he heard heavy footsteps he turned around completely to find Yeji jogging towards him. When she got closer she slowed to a walk, smiling brightly.

“Ah. Were you waiting long?” She asked, moving to the door to hold it open for Chan and Joon. Joon nodded wordlessly in Chan’s shoulder while Chan politely shook his head.

“Not too long.” He smiled as they reached the warm inside of the restaurant.  Chan made a move to pull Joon away from his body and place him on the floor.

“Alright Joon. You have to walk yourself now, okay?” Chan asked, pulling the hat off the child’s head and ping his jacket. Joon only nodded, still grumpy.

The three made their way to a table and Yeji pouted down at Joon who was stomping along in front of them.

“Ah… I’m sorry Joon. I know you are hungry. I should have come faster.” She apologized to the silent three-year old.

Chan let Joon choose his seat first before sitting down next to him, Yeji sat across from the pair and immediately began unwrapping the scarf from around her neck. Chan squinted his eyes at her, just now taking in her appearance. Yeji was wearing full make-up, even her lips were painted a gradient pink. Her hair was set in large curls that fell around her shoulders. Chan scanned as much of her outfit as he could from their seated position, tilting his head quickly to the side in wonder.

“Don’t tell me.” Chan began, still eyeing her clothes. “It took you all that time just to get ready?” He looked up at her face and laughed when he saw her eyes widen, her body frozen mid-action of taking her coat off.

He glanced to the side at Joon who was already playing with chopsticks, before returning his eyes to Yeji, raising a single eyebrow in question. Her surprised expression faded and morphed into a light pout as she finished taking off her jacket.

“You said this is your friend’s restaurant. I don’t want to embarrass you by showing up looking like a bum.” Yeji reasoned, adjusting her seating position. Chan nodded his head slightly, buying her excuse.

“Oh?” a surprised voice came from behind Chan “Chan-ah?” Chan turned around, smiling and waving slightly when he recognized his friend.

“Hi, Hyung.” Chan greeted as the older male increased his pace to the table bowing his head slightly at Chan before bowing fully at the waist to Yeji, who bowed in return.

“I’m Kim Jonsang.” He greeted Yeji before immediately returning his attention to Chan.

“I thought you weren’t going to come back her ever again!” Jonsang exclaimed. Yeji tilted her head to the side briefly as she scanned Jonsang’s face. There was a wide smile on his face, but somehow he still looked quite anxious. She looked at Chan, now curious about their relationship. Chan sat looking up at him with a very small smile. Somehow it felt like Chan was older than Jonsang.

“Why wouldn’t I? Ajhumma makes the best noodles.” Chan spoke with a shrug. Jonsang nodded and turned his attention to Joon, even as he spoke to Chan.

“Well… I just thought.” Jonsang mumbled, “since we had that fi-“

Chan cut him off, all signs of a smile gone from his face. “Hyung. Can you just give us one order of whatever you like the best?”

Jonsang was left with his mouth open from when he got cut off, but closed it quickly, nodding.

“Oh. Uh. Yeah, sure.” He bowed a bit and left to the kitchen, leaving Yeji, Chan and Joon alone at the table.

Yeji studied Chan’s face for a moment before she spoke.

“Oppa…” she paused, “What was that about?”

Something about their interaction felt off to her, and Chan’s expression wasn’t good. After Jonsang left he had promptly busied himself with fixing Joon’s messy hair and wiping his hands with a wet napkin. He responded to the question with a curt ‘nothing’ without looking at Yeji or even halting his actions. Yeji sighed inwardly, not quite believing him, but letting it drop anyway. She instead focused her attention on Joon.

“Joonie, we are going to eat delicious noodles soon. Are you excited?” She asked, leaning slightly over the table with a smile.

Joon nodded enthusiastically, all signs of his cranky mood vanishing.

“I’m going to eat until it comes out of my ears.” Joon chirped, banging the end of the metal chopsticks against the wooden table.

Chan laughed and patted Joon’s head.

“Ah~ My son.” He rolled his eyes.

Yeji giggled at Joon’s words as well, her eyes sliding over to Chan. Just a second ago he was nearly brooding, but now the smile was back in his eyes as if nothing had bothered him a minute ago. Yeji, although finding Chan’s behavior quite curious, again dismissed it with the thought that she would ask him about it later.

The three played happily as they waited for their food, and when it arrived they fell nearly silent again. Joon cheered happily and tried eating some of the noodles with the chopsticks, but swapped quickly to a spoon when that didn’t work out for him. The rest of the meal was silent save for the sound of slurping. It wasn’t until they had started eating that they realized how hungry they were. They ate as if nothing existed but the food. Before they knew it they had finished eating and were just arriving back at Chan’s dorm.

“Ah~” Yeji sighed, rubbing her stomach happily, “The food was so delicious! Thank you for that, Oppa.”

Chan gave her a thumbs up with the arm that wasn’t holding up a sleeping Joon, and a smile. He quickly punched in the code to unlock the door and held it open with his leg to let Yeji in first. When they had made it inside Yeji sat down on the couch while Chan made his way towards the hallway.

“He’s so tired. I don’t even think I can wake him up to wash.” Chan thought aloud as he crossed the living room. Yeji laughed lightly from the couch, nodding her head in agreement.

“I’ll wait here while you put him to bed.” She stated to which Chan nodded.

Chan made his way down the short hallway and into Joon’s bedroom where he pulled the covers back and laid his sleeping son on the bed. He quickly stripped him of his clothes before tucking him in tightly under the warm comforter. Chan planted quick kiss on the sleeping Joon’s forehead before exiting the room, leaving the door open a crack.

The second he made it back into the living room he flopped himself down on the couch with a sigh. Yeji laughed brightly and patted the top of Chan’s head – which was still covered by a thick beanie-. A comfortable silence fell between them as they both sat and rested. After a few moments of sitting with his head back and eyes closed, Chan lifted himself off of the couch and made his way near the door, taking off his beanie and coat and placing it on a coat rack he had there.

“Oppa.” Yeji called from the couch. She had adjusted her seating position and was now sitting on the edge of the couch with her legs tightly together and her palms on her knees. Chan turned from the coat rack and faced her, raising an eyebrow when he noticed her position. He walked slowly towards her, confused.

“Yeah?” he asked as he made his way back to the couch, taking a seat on it and unconsciously mimicking her awkward position.

Yeji looked down at the ground for a moment before she lifted her head again.

“What was with the strange atmosphere earlier? Who is Jonsang to you? Did something happen?” She kept changing the question, trying to find an appropriate one.

Chan sighed and leaned back against the couch. It’s not that he thought Yeji was stupid, or blind or anything, he was just hoping that she wouldn’t bring it up again. He knew that the situation back at the restaurant was a little strange and he couldn’t help regretting the decision to go there with Yeiji. Talking about his past wasn’t something that Chan liked to do, since it isn’t the most favorable.

“Nothing happened.” Chan mumbled, closing his eyes. He really wanted her to just drop it, this exact situation is what he hated the most. He already hated thinking about his past, but now Yeji was sitting next to him nearly asking him to tell her all about it.

Yeji frowned, watching Chan. She could tell that he didn’t want to talk about it, but she felt that it was something troubling to him. She didn’t want him to have to suffer because he didn’t want to talk about it. She was thinking that if he told her it would make the burden less on him, no matter what it was. She reached a hand out and placed it on his knee.

“Chan-oppa.” She started, speaking softly, “ If it burdens you, you should share it with me.” She stared up at Chan’s face.

Chan took in a large breath of air before releasing it. Yeji was completely insistent on making him talk about it. He had no idea what he could possibly say to her to make her stop. The entire situation was becoming increasingly irritating to him. He was becoming so wound up that when she placed her hand on his knee it felt like millions of ants bursted out from under her hand and began scurrying up his leg. It took everything Chan had to not jerk his leg away from her hand and away from the uncomfortable sensation.

“Why do you want to know so bad?” Chan asked, his jaw clenched and eyes still closed.

He felt Yeji pull her hand from his knee and fall silent. He opened one of his eyes to look at her. She was back in the awkward position she was before, with her hands on her knees.

“Well?” He asked, since she didn’t look like she was going to answer. Chan opened his other eye and sat up.

“Why do you want to know my personal business so bad? Why is it so paramount? Why?” Chan stood up from the couch and turned his body to face her. The thin lid that he had on his temper was ripping and he couldn’t quite keep himself from getting angry anymore. He stared down at the seated Yeji waiting for her to respond. He was slightly shocked when she lifted her head with a similar frustrated expression on her face.

“Because I care about you.” She stated, looking directly at Chan’s eyes. He scoffed and tossed a hand up in the air, letting it fall back to his side unceremoniously.

“Care about me? If you cared, you would drop it. Don’t mistake being nosy for caring.” Chan raised his voice slightly as he spoke.

“I like you.” Yeji stood up, still looking directly at Chan. “I want to know because I like you and I want you to not hurt because of some secret.” She made a face.

Chan froze for a moment, staring at Yeji with wide eyes. Without any warning he broke out it laugher.

“Really, Yeji? Stop. There’s no reason to play these games.” Chan shook his head, the anger on his face only intensifying. “I have a son. I’m a grown man. I can’t play these games.”

Yeji only stared at him, her expression becoming blank. Chan sighed when Yeji abruptly turned and left his dorm. Growling in anger Chan, himself, turned and began to make his way to his bedroom.

Walking down the hallway Chan cursed to himself. He came to a complete stop when he noticed Joon standing outside his bedroom door. Chan stepped up to Joon and picked him up, positioning him comfortably on his hip.

“Ya. Son. What are you doing awake?” Chan asked, walking away from Joon’s door and into the next door, his room.

“Dad. Yeji isn’t going to be my new mom?” Joon looked at Chan with big eyes. Chan sighed, stepping up to the bed and placing Joon gently on it. Chan turned from the bed and walked a few steps to his dresser to take off his clothes.

“Yes, Joon. Yeji isn’t going to be your new mom.” Chan answered, pulling his shirt over his head and placing it on the dresser. “Where did you get that idea from?” He asked before making his way back to the bed where he lifted the covers for Joon to get under.

Joon shuffled himself under the covers and Chan followed suit, pulling Joon against his body once he got comfortable.

“I just thought.” Joon responded, curling up to Chan. Chan poked him on the head.

“Why? I’m not good enough for you?”

Joon shook his head in disagreement, “No. I love you, Dad.” He spoke slowly and sleepily.

Chan shook his head and to his side, wrapping a second arm around Joon.