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The next morning starts the same as all the other mornings start.

Jinhwan gets up when his alarm rings at seven, wanting nothing more than to snooze the alarm and curl back up in his blankets but knowing that he can't because if he doesn't get up and get things ready, Yunhyeong will be late for kindergarten and he'll be late for his morning class. Jinhwan sneezes repeatedly as he stumbles into the bathroom and recognises the effects of staying in his wet clothes for too long the previous night.

After taking a quick shower, Jinhwan pushes open the door of Yunhyeong's room, ready to wake him up, but instead smiles in happy surprise when he sees that Yunhyeong is already up and standing in front of his small cupboard of clothes. Jinhwan bends to pick Yunhyeong up, kissing his forehead as a good morning before carrying him over to the bathroom to take a shower. Yunhyeong is always sleepy right after he wakes, so it's no hassle for Jinhwan at all to get him dressed and ready to leave.

Jinhwan pulls open the kitchen cabinet and retrieves two packets of sweet bread for their breakfast, stuffing one into his backpack for later and opening the other for Yunhyeong to eat. Jinhwan can’t help the fond chuckle that escapes his lips when he sees Yunhyeong bent over his shoes, eyebrows furrowed in consternation as he battles with the knotted laces of his black sneakers.

"Almost got it?" Jinhwan smiles encouragingly as he hands Yunhyeong his bread and kneels before him.

Yunhyeong frowns as he continues to tug at the laces with his one free hand. "Why can't I get both loops, appa?"

Jinhwan laughs and takes over for Yunhyeong, getting his sneakers tied in a matter of seconds as Yunhyeong watches and chews on his bread. "You're almost there, Yunhyeongie. You'll get it in no time."

"Could you teach me again tonight, appa?" Yunhyeong asks as Jinhwan takes his hand in his and they leave the apartment complex for the train station.

Jinhwan's grip on Yunhyeong's hand tightens unconsciously as he looks down at his son. "Appa will be out late tonight, Yunhyeongie. Remember?"

Yunhyeong looks up to meet Jinhwan's gaze, and Jinhwan hates the hurt he sees in his son's beautiful dark brown eyes, and hates the fact that he's the one who put the hurt there even more. "Oh," is all Yunhyeong responds with, looking back down dejectedly and taking another small bite of bread.

I'm sorry. I want you to know that I want to spend every waking moment I have with you. "If you're not too tired, I'll teach you when I pick you up later at night, okay? I promise." Jinhwan tries desperately.

"Okay," Yunhyeong says softly.

I'm sorry, Yunhyeong-ah. Jinhwan squeezes Yunhyeong's hand again, but the smile doesn't return to his son's face.

They reach the kindergarten in good time, and Jinhwan is sure Yunhyeong is the best son ever because he doesn't forget to tug on Jinhwan's jeans and give him a goodbye kiss to the cheek despite the fact that he's still bummed out about Jinhwan being out late tonight.

"I love you. Have a good day, okay? I'll see you later." Yunhyeong nods as Jinhwan kisses him on the head before turning around and walking into the kindergarten. Jinhwan lingers for a while, pressing his fingers against the glass and smiling when he sees another little boy waving Yunhyeong over with a bright beam. Jinhwan recognises the boy as Chanwoo, Yunhyeong's best friend in the kindergarten and one that he's heard many nice things about from Yunhyeong. He lets himself forget about the weight on his shoulders just for these five minutes, lets himself forget about all his responsibilities as he smiles and watches Chanwoo push his toys over to Yunhyeong, watches Yunhyeong grin back and let Chanwoo play with his blue toy train.

Eventually though, Jinhwan has to leave. It takes an hour to get from Yunhyeong's kindergarten to his university, and if he doesn't leave now he'll be late for his first class. Pressing his fingertips against the glass for one last second, Jinhwan drinks in the sight of Yunhyeong's smiling face until he can see it at the back of his eyelids and uses it as his sole motivation to get through the day, just so that he can see his son again.

-

"Chanwoo gave me something today, appa."

“Yeah? What is it?” Jinhwan smiles down at Yunhyeong as they walk out of the train station.

Yunhyeong fishes in his coat pocket and grins brightly as he uncurls his fingers and shows Jinhwan the red toy fire truck that Chanwoo had pushed into his palm just now, sweet smile on his face as he told Yunhyeong that he had just bought it for him yesterday at the department store.

Jinhwan’s eyes widen in happy surprise and that must have been the response Yunhyeong had wanted, because Yunhyeong’s grin only grows wider as he tells Jinhwan about how he’s going to play with his new toy all day.

“Can we get something for Chanwoo too, appa?” Yunhyeong asks innocently as Jinhwan guides him into the lift of their neighbouring apartment building and jabs the button for the seventh floor.

Jinhwan gently ruffles Yunhyeong’s hair before resting his hand atop his son’s head. “Of course. We’ll look for something over the weekend, okay?”

Yunhyeong bounces excitedly on the balls of his feet and dashes out the elevator the moment the doors open, and Jinhwan is relieved that Yunhyeong isn’t as upset as he was in the morning. He catches up with his son quickly and presses the bell beside the wooden door.

“Who is it?” A voice calls cheerfully from inside.

Jinhwan rolls his eyes even as the sound of footsteps nears the door and the lock turns. “Seriously? Who else are you guys expecting at six in the evening on a Wednesday?”

The moment the door is pulled open, he’s greeted by a bright smiling face and the sight of Yunhyeong jumping into a pair of outstretched arms.

“Hi, Yunhyeongie!”

Yunhyeong grins happily. “Donghyuk hyung!”

Donghyuk’s smile widens as he kisses Yunhyeong’s temple and carries him into the apartment, and Jinhwan can only sigh in resignation as the front door almost slams in his face. “Why yes, thank you, I would love to come in,” he mutters to himself, toeing off his converses and stepping inside. He barely manages to turn before an arm is slung over his shoulders and he’s pulled into a tight headlock.

“Jiwon,” Jinhwan sputters. “I appreciate the affection but I need to live for my son.”

Jiwon laughs - loud and uninhibited as always - before releasing Jinhwan, but not before mussing up his hair in the process. Jinhwan frowns as he peeks into the kitchen and sees Donghyuk tempting Yunhyeong with a whole myriad of chocolates and cookies and candy.

“How can you guarantee that your boyfriend is not trying to kidnap my four year-old son?” Jinhwan asks Jiwon pointedly.

Jiwon grins wolfishly as they both step into the kitchen, and Jinhwan rolls his eyes when Jiwon taps his cheek for a kiss and Yunhyeong gives him one ever-willingly. “If we were trying to kidnap Yunhyeong, I would say we’ve already succeeded,” is all Jiwon replies, complete with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and tickle to Yunhyeong’s sides, which causes Yunhyeong to giggle and squirm in Donghyuk’s arms.

Jinhwan shoots Donghyuk a desperate look. “Protect my son from Jiwon, please.”

Donghyuk slaps the back of Jiwon’s head for good measure and smiles reassuringly at Jinhwan. “We’ll take good care of him, hyung. Now go to work before you’re late. Jiwon hyung, walk him to the door,” Donghyuk instructs.

Jinhwan kisses Yunhyeong on the head one more time before heading for the front door, Jiwon right behind him. Jinhwan shoots Jiwon a tired smile. “Thanks again for helping me look after Yunhyeong. I promise I’m looking for a long-term solution - ”

Jiwon rolls his eyes and cuts Jinhwan off before he can finish his sentence. “This is your long-term solution. Donghyuk and I are your long-term solution. Even if you find someone who can watch over Yunhyeong while you work, it’s not like that caretaker’s going to be of any use because there’s no way Donghyuk is going to let anyone else take care of Yunhyeong, and neither am I. Now go before Donghyuk realises you’re still here and we both get our asses handed to us.”

Jinhwan mumbles out a final, heartfelt thank you before heading off to work, and he’s convinced that meeting Jiwon and Donghyuk one year ago was the best thing that happened to him and Yunhyeong. Jinhwan remembers that night all too clearly: he and Yunhyeong were at the supermarket near their apartment complex, and because Jinhwan had a lot on his mind and the supermarket was swarmed with a rush of evening shoppers, all it took was Yunhyeong letting go of his hand for a split second for him to get lost amidst the sea of tall shelves and unfamiliar faces. By the time Jinhwan had realised Yunhyeong wasn’t trailing behind him, he had abandoned his trolley with a frantic heart and panicked mind and darted through the aisles, shouting Yunhyeong’s name at the top of his lungs. It was only when Jinhwan rounded the entrance to the supermarket that he recognised a familiar red beanie on the other side of the glass, and that was when he had found Yunhyeong with Donghyuk, Donghyuk doing his best to console a crying Yunhyeong while keeping an eye out for Yunhyeong’s father in the supermarket. Donghyuk was a kind boy, but he was also very perceptive: he had taken one look at Jinhwan’s and Yunhyeong’s worn-out clothes and heard Yunhyeong’s quiet mumble of I’m really hungry, appa before warmly inviting them both to his apartment for dinner, considering the fact that Jinhwan hadn’t managed to do his grocery shopping, anyway.

And that was how Jiwon and Donghyuk had become Yunhyeong’s caretakers, offering to watch Yunhyeong on the nights that Jinhwan had work and would be out till late. Till this day, Jinhwan swears he has never met anyone as selfless as Donghyuk and as fiercely loving as Jiwon, and judging from how much Yunhyeong loves them both, Jinhwan knows - as he pushes open the door to the cafe where he works - that Jiwon and Donghyuk are perhaps the biggest miracle that has happened in his and Yunhyeong’s lives.

-

When Jinhwan sneezes yet again even though he only started his shift 20 minutes ago and all he's really done so far is tie his apron behind his back, his co-worker looks at him with a slight concern in his furrowed brow.

"Yah, hyung. Are you okay?"

Jinhwan sniffs and offers his best smile. "Is little Junhoe really asking me if I'm okay?"

Junhoe's face scrunches up like it always does whenever his pride has been stung, and Jinhwan laughs when Junhoe grumbles out a whatever before turning away with a huff.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, our warm-hearted June-yah. I’m fine, thanks for asking,” Jinhwan whines cutely, and forces down his chuckle when he sees Junhoe stiffen, obviously torn between shrugging Jinhwan off and looping an arm around his shoulders to hold him close because Jinhwan is really rather adorable when he smiles like a child. Junhoe lets out a long-suffering sigh and settles for an in-between, patting Jinhwan on the head until his fringe covers the tips of his eyes before instructing him to get ready for the daily nine-o’clock rush of customers.

Very soon, Jinhwan is swept up in the usual business of the cafe at night, preparing drinks for the customers as Junhoe takes their orders and labels the cups for him. They’re a good team, Junhoe and Jinhwan, and being around Junhoe’s refreshingly honest yet adorably shy personality is one of the things Jinhwan truly loves about his work in the cafe. (That, and the fact that the pay is good, especially for night shifts.)

Sometime around ten, the bell of the cafe chimes less often and the queue shortens as the nightly crowd thins out. Jinhwan leans his back against the glass display case of cakes and pastries and closes his eyes, taking a breather and soaking in the muted sounds of hushed conversation and tinkling laughter of the cafe patrons. Just before he lets his thoughts wander to Yunhyeong and how he’s holding up, Junhoe lightly taps him on the shoulder.

“Hyung, I’m going to the bathroom, okay?”

Jinhwan nods, but furrows his brows. “You told me you wanted to go the bathroom like half an hour ago.”

Junhoe colours slightly, but before he can get a word out Jinhwan is already onto him, grinning cheekily. “Did you wait half an hour so I wouldn’t have to handle the crowd alone? June-yah! You’re too cute.”

The red colour on Junhoe’s cheeks darkens and he sputters indignantly before stalking off for the bathroom. Jinhwan chuckles and shuts his eyes again, but he doesn’t get to rest for more than ten seconds before he hears the bell at the front door chime once more and boisterous male voices flitting into the cafe. Tugging down the front of his apron, Jinhwan runs a hand through his hair and smiles to greet the customers, but they’re loitering a couple of feet away from the counter, staring up at the menu as they decide what to order. Just as they slap one guy on the back and push him to the counter to order for everyone, Jinhwan feels an itch at his nose and can’t stop the series of sneezes that wreck his body.

“Sorry,” Jinhwan sniffles, voice muffled with thickness. “What can I get for you?”

Jinhwan looks up and sees a young boy around his age looking back at him, with a black beanie pulled crookedly over his head of black hair and dark brown eyes that can’t help but remind Jinhwan of Yunhyeong’s own.

“Um,” Jinhwan starts again, because the boy has still not answered his question.

That seems to snap him out of his daze, because the boy shakes his head and lets out a cough, lips curling into the beginnings of an awkward, shy smile as he scratches the back of his neck. Cute, Jinhwan thinks, smiling alongside him.

“Sorry,” the boy mumbles, meeting Jinhwan’s gaze fleetingly as his awkward smile grows more pronounced and he lifts his gaze to read off the menu. Jinhwan labels all five cups with ease before guiding the boy to wait by the small tabletop at the other end of the counter. The boy looks curious, leaning his arms onto the tabletop to peer into the counter and sweep his gaze across the cafe, so Jinhwan, being the naturally warm person that he is, decides to say something.

“Is it your first time here?”

The boy nods. “Yeah. We just turned in a pretty big assignment in school today, so my friends decided to head out tonight.”

Jinhwan hums. “What do you study?”

“Creative writing”, the boy answers without missing a beat. “I want to make music.”

Jinhwan pauses as he’s sliding on the lid for the third drink, and he likes the look of resolution and fiery ambition in the boy’s eyes. He feels as though he could draw strength from that look alone, somewhat. “That’s really cool,” Jinhwan replies with a smile. “I’ve always wanted to try making music, too. Or to at least sing.”

The boy smiles, not awkward this time, just a genuine smile that shows his teeth and lets Jinhwan know he means it. Jinhwan smiles back, too, a young, happy smile, as he pours the americano into the two remaining cups and gives the boy a tray for his drinks.

“Hanbin,” the boy says, and he’s no longer as shy and bumbling as he was when Jinhwan first took his order. Instead he sounds sure, confident, and Jinhwan likes it.

“Jinhwan,” Jinhwan replies, and this time it’s Jinhwan who ducks his gaze when Hanbin’s lips curl up higher. “It was nice talking to you,” he adds quietly.

Hanbin grins just as Junhoe walks back into the counter. “It was nice talking to you too.”

It looks like Hanbin wants to say more, but then a few more customers stroll into the cafe and Junhoe’s beckoning him back over to work. Jinhwan lifts his hand in a little wave, then realises how stupid he must look and quickly drops his hand. Hanbin laughs, calls out a see you later over his shoulder before picking up the tray and heading up the stairs to where his friends disappeared to just now.

“Who was that?” Junhoe asks, labelling a cup with a practiced flourish and passing it off to Jinhwan.

Jinhwan shrugs. “Just a customer who walked in while you were busy taking a .”

Junhoe flings the counter rag at Jinhwan, which only causes the latter to laugh loudly.

The rest of their shift passes by normally, and at half an hour to closing time, Junhoe starts cleaning up the counter while Jinhwan goes to clear up the tables, bowing and greeting the patrons who begin to trickle out.

“Good night, Jinhwan-ssi!”

Jinhwan almost drops the tray of empty mugs in his hands when he hears his name being called. He looks over his shoulder and it’s Hanbin, grinning boyishly and waving at him by the door.

“Good night,” Jinhwan calls back, softer than Hanbin and with an amused smile on his face because at least he knows what an inside voice is. Once Hanbin’s friends shove him out the door and Jinhwan just rolls his eyes at the weird look Junhoe is giving him, Jinhwan looks at the clock and estimates another 45 minutes till he can see Yunhyeong again.

He also wonders if Hanbin will come back to the cafe.

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