Work Text:
If Jeonghan could, he would like to file a request for the review of the terms and conditions of his and Seungcheol’s friendship since he’s pretty sure picking up Seungcheol’s six-year-old daughter at school was not part of the deal when they became friends somewhere over 15 years ago. Jisoo would argue that this is usually implied under any normal friendship that spanned through their 30s. But, he would like to rely on the defence that he wasn’t good with children to begin with and super dad Choi Seungcheol especially should not entrust him of all people with the duty of taking care of his one and only daughter.
“You’re not going to die from it,” had been Jisoo’s only attempt at a comforting remark upon hearing the request and Jeonghan’s reluctance. On a normal day as well, Seungcheol would’ve asked Jisoo to pick up Nari in a heartbeat. But seeing as the emergency meeting had been from a client that both Seungcheol and Jisoo were in charge of, there left no choice but to reroute the inquiry to Jeonghan, who both fortunately and unfortunately had already cleared out all of his meetings and work for the day. If this is what he gets for being an efficient person, he’d rather procrastinate the same way his other colleagues do.
“I’m not asking for much. Just go inside, get Nari from her classroom and then drive her home,” Seungcheol sternly scoffs. “I already told her teacher that I won’t be the one picking her up today.”
He grunts. “And what if her teacher thinks I’m a criminal trying to kidnap your daughter?”
“You’re a lawyer, I’m sure you can argue your way out of that,” Seungcheol quickly dismisses him again. “Jisoo and I really need to go so please? I’ll pay for lunch tomorrow.”
“Fine,” he gives in. “Chuck flap meat. Three servings.”
“Whatever, just text me when you’ve dropped Nari off at my house with picture evidence,” and just like that, Seungcheol and Jisoo both rushed into the elevator that’s headed down towards the meeting rooms and left Jeonghan alone. He sighs as he now moves to fish his car keys out of his briefcase. He might as well start making the drive now to avoid traffic.
He gives one of the nearby legal assistants a heads up that he will be stepping out of the office in case someone needed him which is highly unlikely but he does it out of consideration anyway.
When he gets to his car, punching in the address to Nari’s elementary school into the GPS and seeing the distance from their office makes him wonder how Seungcheol does this every day. It wasn’t a considerable distance—only 15 minutes from the office and another 20 minutes to Seungcheol’s home from the school. Still, he sighs. Well, a father’s love and dedication is different, he guesses as he buckles his seatbelt and begins to drive out of his parking spot.
He tries to see the positive side to all of this. While Seungcheol and Jisoo are possibly getting their ears chewed off in a stuffy meeting room, he gets to enjoy the sunlight and hum along to a nice song since he finished all of his work already.
😇🐱
He doesn’t know why stepping foot at the school is making him more nervous than stepping foot inside a courthouse. Seungcheol gave him all of the necessary information for him to make his way to Nari’s class over at the west wing of the building and he assures that Nari’s homeroom teacher is young and sweet and has prior knowledge of his appearance today so he’s not mistaken as a complete stranger.
“Uncle Jeonghan!” he could hear the cheerful screech of his name by Nari who paused in her tracks to greet him. She had been chasing around one of her friends in the hallway and stopped to give him a giant wave. He admits in the least that he got along well with Nari even though he was never particularly good at taking care of children. And Nari, God bless her, never made his life difficult during the times where he did interact with her which is likely a good sign of Seungcheol’s parenting.
“Nari-ya, you need to be more careful when you’re running around—oh,” a man appears out of the classroom door and catches sight of Jeonghan standing there, stiff as a board. The man gives him a courteous smile and a polite small bow which he awkwardly returns.
“Teacher Wen, that’s my Uncle Jeonghan!” Nari exclaims. “He’s the one picking me up today since my daddy is busy.”
“Ah, I see,” this Teacher Wen replies. “Jeonghan-ssi, yes. Seungcheol-ssi told me you would be picking Nari up today instead of him.”
“Y-yeah,” he doesn’t know why he’s stuttering either. “I’m here to pick up, um, Nari.”
“Okay well, Nari’s bag is in the classroom,” Teacher Wen says. “Let me just go and get that for you and you can be on your way.”
“Okay, alright,” he replies. His eyes follow Teacher Wen who hurriedly rushes inside and heads towards the desk where all of Nari’s personal belongings are placed on top of and retrieves it for him. He’s happy at least to see that Nari uses the pink rabbit backpack that he had gifted her for her birthday last year.
“Bye Hwayoungie!” Nari says to her friend that she had been chasing around. “Goodbye, Teacher Wen, see you tomorrow!”
Teacher Wen squats down to give her a high five and smiles at her and Jeonghan swears he isn’t being a creep by staring for too long. “See you tomorrow Nari-ya.”
He waves a small goodbye as well to Teacher Wen and he’s quickly ushered by an eager Nari who holds onto his hand tightly and tugs him down the hallway. A variety of emotions rush over him as he and Nari make their way to the car park. One is the relief that he successfully picked up Nari at school. His first and hopefully last unless Seungcheol gets down on his knees and beg. Two is the sheer awe that hasn’t left him ever since he laid eyes on Teacher Wen. Teacher Wen who’s tall, stunning, and kind with beautiful moles that frame an even more beautiful smile. And three is the annoyance that Seungcheol has kept all of this from him. Especially considering all the things that they tell each other on a daily basis.
“Uncle Jeonghan, can we get some ice cream on the way back?” Nari asks him and pleads with big, puppy eyes. The same puppy eyes that Seungcheol gives him but in no way comes off nearly as adorable as when his daughter does it.
“What does your father usually say?” he asks back.
She pouts. “He usually says no.”
“Then let’s go and get some ice cream,” he snickers.
😇🐱
You fucker, he angrily texts Seungcheol the moment he gets behind the steering wheel after safely buckling in Nari beside him in the passenger seat.
A confused and surprised reply comes through. ????????????
He types an even more preposterous reply. How dare you not tell me that Nari has a hot teacher.
He could feel Seungcheol rolling his eyes at him even through a textual exchange. You’re so annoying.
😇🐱
He feels argumentative and confrontational when he arrives at work the next morning—rushing into Seungcheol’s office the moment he steps foot onto their floor and even before Seungcheol himself could reach his own room from where he’s walking back from the pantry.
“Really?” Seungcheol says, sounding annoyed already. “First thing in the morning?”
He crosses his arm over his chest. “I want an explanation.”
“I told you, I have no reason to tell you about Junhui,” Seungcheol defends himself, barging through his flimsy defence in order to get to his desk.
“Junhui?” He hears Jisoo also chime in, also returning from the pantry with a mug of steaming hot coffee in his hand. “That’s Nari’s teacher right?”
“You know about Junhui?!” he protests and Seungcheol embarrassingly gestures for him to lower his voice since he feels the other employees turn their heads towards his room.
“What’s up your ass?” Jisoo questions and barges past him, taking a seat in the chair across from Seungcheol’s desk.
“I asked him to pick up Nari yesterday from school since I had that emergency meeting,” Seungcheol clears his throat and begins to explain. “And ever since he dropped her off at my house, he’s been hounding me about Junhui. Asking me why I never told him about him.”
Jisoo scoffs while sipping his drink. “I thought you said you’re swearing off dating ever since you broke up with Mingyu.”
“That was last year,” he defends himself.
“That was literally last month,” Jisoo rebuts. He fights the urge to throw the stapler at Jisoo’s head.
“Even if I told you about Junhui,” Seungcheol this time says. “You wouldn’t have cared.”
“Hey,” this time he defends himself. “I do care about everything you have to say to me.”
“Okay since you care so much,” Seungcheol starts. “Then tell me about the new client that I was telling you yesterday morning.”
Jisoo snorts at his sudden silence.
“Okay, I care about some of the things you tell me,” he pouts. “But I’m serious okay, Junhui, he’s incredibly hot!”
“And incredibly taken.”
Maybe it would a little hyperbolic for him to say that his whole world crumbles right then and there in front of him with three single words he knows Seungcheol must’ve been waiting to use on him since he first started spamming his phone yesterday afternoon.
“He’s—”
“Wow,” Jisoo remarks. “I think you actually broke him.”
Seungcheol rolls his eyes. “I’m not conspiring against him or anything, I’m just telling the truth. Junhui is taken and I’ve met his boyfriend too while I was picking up Nari. He’s very sweet.”
“Really?” Jisoo asks. “What’s he like?”
“I think his name is Yanan,” Seungcheol replies. “A bit taller than Junhui and he’s pretty handsome too. It was only once though, I think I was running late and he was there to pick up Junhui.”
“I see,” Jisoo says, sipping on his coffee. “Jeonghan-ah, you can say something now.”
“You fucking—"
A knock on Seungcheol’s door makes the three of them immediately cease their conversation and turn their attention towards the doorway.
“Um,” a nervous mumble. “Seungcheol-hyung, I’m sorry, if you’re busy—”
“No, no, no,” Seungcheol quickly reassures. “I’m not busy. What do you need, Chan-ah?”
“I need you to go over this notification letter that needs to go out today,” Chan replies. “It needs your signature too.”
“Okay, let me go over it,” Seungcheol smiles. “Get out and go to your own offices you two, please,” and sternly turns to both Jeonghan and Jisoo who both head out one by one.
😇🐱
Jeonghan is in the middle of finalizing a passive-aggressive email when a text notification from Seungcheol pops up on his phone.
I have to take my mother to a doctor’s appointment, can you pick up Nari for me?
He bangs his knee from how fast he reached for his phone to unlock the device.
YES.
“Hey do you want to go get some coffee—why are you smiling like that at your phone?” Jisoo pauses just as he’s about to knock on his office door.
“Seungcheol asked me to pick up Nari again today,” he grins while locking his phone and placing it on his desk. The happiness he feels far surpasses the throbbing that he feels on his knee.
“And you’re happy because you get to see Nari’s hot teacher again?” Jisoo asks, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe.
“No,” he quickly dismisses Jisoo’s accusation. “I’m happy cause I get to spend some time with Nari. And I’m going to take her out for ice cream again.”
“Right,” Jisoo scoffs, knowing that Jeonghan is bluffing but decides to just move along with his day. “I’ll get going now. Good luck on meeting Junhui.”
😇🐱
He doesn’t want to seem overeager with the way he’s practically skipping from the car park to Nari’s classroom but he can’t deny that he’s happy Seungcheol gave him the opportunity to see Junhui again after dropping the boyfriend bomb on him earlier today. The look that Seungcheol gave him before he made his way out of the office was also telling enough. Don’t do or say anything weird, Jeonghan. Not like he plans to anyway. He can admire and enjoy the sight of someone so physically beautiful from afar.
Much to his dismay, Nari hadn’t been running around the same way as yesterday which made him have to look into the quiet classroom.
Junhui is sitting in a chair across from Nari’s desk, fingers busy scribbling something onto the paper on top of the desk with a bright yellow crayon. Nari is also drawing something onto the paper, her face so serious that she doesn’t realize she’s been sticking out her tongue. It was an adorable sight, even more so when Junhui runs his hand through his hair and Jeonghan gets a glimpse of a perfectly sculpted side profile.
“Oh,” Junhui spots him when he looks up. “Jeonghan-ssi, correct?”
“Uncle Jeonghan!” Nari yells his name.
“You’re here to pick up Nari again, is everything alright with Seungcheol-ssi?” Junhui asks him. He makes his way inside the classroom and approaches where the two are seated at the desk.
“Ah he’s alright, he just has to take his mother to a doctor’s appointment,” he explains. He gets a clear view of the drawing that Junhui and Nari had been working on and it’s unsurprising to him that Nari’s side of the drawing is full of incomprehensible scribbles while Junhui seemed to have drawn in a rectangular-shaped cat with a bouquet of sunflowers.
“Is grandma okay?” Nari asks, still scribbling in with her pink crayon.
“She is, love,” Jeonghan replies. “What are you drawing here?”
“This is Teacher Wen!” Nari exclaims proudly while Junhui blushes. Cute. “And Teacher Wen is eating an ice cream because he’s sad.”
He tilts his head, surprised. “Why is Teacher Wen sad?”
“Ah, that’s—”
“Because Teacher Wen broke up with his boyfriend so he’s sad!” Nari explains again.
“Nari-ya,” Junhui panics, both looking and sounding embarrassed. “Jeonghan-ssi, I’m so sorry, she’s just saying anything.”
“But that’s what Teacher Kwon said—”
“Nari-ya,” he quickly tries to interrupt and save Junhui in the least. “If you can be a good girl, I’ll buy you strawberry waffles and ice cream.”
Her eyes immediately beam up brighter than the sun. “Really?!”
He nods. “Yes, really,” while smiling. “Go and get your bag so we can get going.”
“Okay!” Nari singsongs and diligently complies. She hops off her chair and goes to return the crayons and the rest of the art supplies that she had been using for her drawing. He could tell that Junhui is a little relieved as Nari went away from the barely audible sigh.
“Junhui, is it?” he says to which Junhui nods. “I’ll pretend I never heard what Nari just said.”
“Ah it’s fine, it’s fine,” Junhui reassures. “I won’t blame children for being chatty like that. I think the kids must’ve overheard me and another teacher talking during playground time today. I shouldn’t have brought up my personal life while I’m at work.”
“Breakups are a shitty feeling no matter the age,” this time, he’s the one who reassures Junhui. “It’s okay to feel a bit down in the dumps after one.”
Junhui chuckles. “Thank you, Jeonghan-ssi,” the younger says in a low voice, almost a squeak. “It’s nice to hear that after being broken up with.”
“Uncle Jeonghan, I’m ready to go!” Nari says, her backpack now strapped onto her back and her bright pink bunny print bucket hat on her head. “See you tomorrow Teacher Wen!”
“See you Nari-ya,” Junhui says. “See you too,” and then directed at him, with a smile that Jeonghan definitely won’t forget for days.
“See you, Junhui,” he smiles back, already tugged by Nari since she seemed way too excited about the promise of strawberry waffles and ice cream. “By the way.”
Junhui raises a brow. “Yes?”
“Forget about your ex-boyfriend, okay,” he says. “Any guy who dumps you must be pretty stupid to begin with.”
It’s a line so cheesy that he physically feels himself cringe and he knows it’s so cheesy as well since Junhui bursts out into a fit of laughter. Nari looks at both of them confused but still holds onto Jeonghan’s finger daintily.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Jeonghan-ssi,” Junhui replies. He doesn’t try to hide how giddy he feels as he and Nari exit the classroom.
“Nari-ya,” he turns to Nari who looks back at him with big pretty eyes. “Let’s get a lot of ice cream today.”
“Yay!”
😇🐱
Chat Room (3)
20:01 PM Choi Seungcheol sent a photo
20:01 PM Choi Seungcheol: my daughter is sugar rushed
20:02 PM Hong Jisoo: awh she’s adorable
20:02 PM Choi Seungcheol: no?
20:03 PM Choi Seungcheol: i’m trying to get her to sleep and she can’t cause she’s so amped up on sugar
20:03 PM Yoon Jeonghan: 😇
20:04 PM Choi Seungcheol: can you please stop buying her ice cream when you pick her up after school
20:04 PM Yoon Jeonghan: why not? i’m being a good uncle to my niece
20:04 PM Choi Seungcheol: jeonghan.
20:05 PM Yoon Jeonghan: fine i wont anymore
20:05 PM Yoon Jeonghan: but when can i pick her up from school again?
20:06 PM Hong Jisoo: oh wow
20:07 PM Choi Seungcheol: never??????????????
20:07 PM Yoon Jeonghan: wow ok then
20:07 PM Yoon Jeonghan: so you hate me
20:08 PM Choi Seungcheol: THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT
😇🐱
He knows that this is the longest that he’s been sulky towards Seungcheol—giving his friend passive-aggressive pouty faces and deliberately ignoring all of his meal invitations which makes Jisoo end up avoiding both of them entirely and would rather have lunch with another colleague instead. Usually, Jisoo would be a willing intermediary between the two, no matter how ridiculous and petty their arguments were—though truth be told he didn’t really enjoy being petty the same way his two friends are and prefer immediate resolution and confrontation.
But he knows he’s won whatever petty argument between them when Seungcheol plops himself in the empty chair across his desk and offers a proposition.
“I know you’re mad at me.”
He doesn’t give an acknowledgement towards the statement, continuing to type the email that he was drafting.
“Jeonghan.”
He still doesn’t give in which makes Seungcheol sigh.
“Nari asked when you can pick her up from school again.”
“Really?” he wanted to sound soulless but failed since he’s sure excitement is painted all over his face and voice.
Seungcheol nods. “There’s a festival at her school next week,” he begins to say. “And her class is doing a garden café.”
He finally looks at Seungcheol, giving him his full attention.
“Come with me, will you?”
He hums, pretending like he’s giving it a second thought when really he wanted to say yes right away. “I supposed I can go,” he needs to sell himself a little high in this circumstance.
“I know you can go,” Seungcheol sighs, crossing his leg over the other. “Please?”
“I will,” he now grins, leaning his chin onto the palm of his hand. “But promise me one thing.”
“What is it?” Seungcheol asks.
“Don’t invite Jisoo.”
“Hey have you two made up already? I want to get something to eat,” and right on time, Jisoo appears in his office doorway which makes both of them laugh.
😇🐱
“Didn’t I tell you not to invite Jisoo?” he grumbles the moment all three of them step out of the car and into the school courtyard.
“Nari is the one who invited him,” Seungcheol replies while adjusting his sunglasses. “And you never said anything about not allowing Nari to invite Jisoo.”
“Ugh,” he grumbles again. “Lawyers.”
“You’re a lawyer too,” Seungcheol retorts. “Where did the map say Nari’s class’ café is?”
Jisoo hums while looking at the pamphlet in his hand. “It says here it’s at the back garden. And the theme is a flower garden café too.”
“Daddy, daddy!” they all hear Nari rushing from the end of the hall towards them. “Uncle Jeonghan and Uncle Jisoo are here too!”
Unsurprisingly to them all, Nari runs and jumps into Jisoo’s arms first instead of Seungcheol’s. Jisoo had always been Nari’s favourite out of all of Seungcheol’s friends and even sometimes ran to him instead of to her own father who was already kneeling down with his arms wide open for her. Jisoo scoops her securely as well as he stands up.
“Uncle Jisoo! Look at my pretty dress,” Nari says, full of giggles.
“Aw,” Jisoo coos, spinning them around which makes Nari giggle even more. “I think you’re prettier though, Nari-ya.”
“And Teacher Wen did my hair for me! Look!” she shows off the waterfall braids in her long black hair that’s decorated with small daisy hair accessories.
“Nari!” the voice, Teacher Wen, makes Jeonghan immediately turn his attention towards the figure that’s running from the end of the hallway towards them. “Oh my God, I was wondering where you ran off to.”
The three of them give Junhui a polite bow.
“Teacher Wen, it’s nice to see you again,” Seungcheol greets the younger.
“Seungcheol-ssi, Jisoo-ssi,” Junhui smiles and also bows at them in return. “Jeonghan-ssi as well. It’s nice to see you again too.”
“Teacher Wen, I was showing daddy and my uncles my pretty dress and the hair you did for me,” Nari cheers.
“That’s good Nari-ya,” Junhui replies. “Why don’t you take your father and your uncles to the café and show them to their table? Do it like the way we practised yesterday, okay?”
“Okay!” Nari exclaims. “Uncle Jisoo, let’s go!”
😇🐱
“It must be tiring handling all of these kids on your own,” Seungcheol makes a comment towards Teacher Wen once Nari has shown them to their table, now at her class’ garden café.
“Ah, it’s nothing much,” Junhui replies while scratching the back of his head. “I love my students.”
“Still, it’s amazing,” Jisoo adds.
The decoration for the garden café was simple—white furniture with white linen cloths and a simple vase full of flowers in the middle of each table. Nari’s classmates were dressed similarly to her, a light pink flowy dress and the same decorations in their hairs. It amazes Jeonghan thinking that Junhui must’ve been the one who did all of their hair too.
He really can’t help but watch Junhui; everything the younger does or says makes him infinitely more intrigued and drawn to him. Maybe it was the warmth that just radiated from him, the smile and laughter that erupts from him as he tends to both his students and the guests and parents in attendance. It’s evident why he’s so well loved by everyone now.
Nari had proudly shown off that the special menu for their café was the strawberry waffle she suggested and Junhui whispers a little secret that the class president has a crush on Nari so that’s why he let her suggest the special menu. Jisoo and Jeonghan found it adorable and funny when Seungcheol’s eyes widen and immediately laser-focused at the young boy who’s helping Nari with the tray full of food.
“Three strawberry waffles!” Nari is wobbly with the tray and Junhui tries his best to keep her steady as she moves the dishes one by one onto the table.
Seungcheol has his eyes glued on his daughter and Jisoo has his phone out to record the moment to notice the cup of tea that’s threatening to fall off the edge of the tray. And neither did Junhui see since when Nari’s hands gave out, he hadn’t been quick enough to save the cup that eventually spilled all over Jeonghan’s suit and lap.
“Oh my God,” Junhui panics, quickly telling Nari whose face immediately turned into a frown that everything is alright and calls over another nearby teacher. “Soonyoung-ah, can you take care of Nari for a second?”
“No, no, it’s okay baby, Uncle Jeonghan is fine,” he hears Seungcheol and Jisoo try to reassure the young girl but he doesn’t realize the hand that grips his wrist and tugs him out of the chair.
“Jeonghan-ssi, I’ll take you to the bathroom,” Junhui says and without much possible retort from him, he’s already dragged off.
😇🐱
Maybe this is just how Junhui behaves automatically, given the nature of his job and having to deal with children below the age of 10 every day. The moment they reached the bathroom, he was immediately instructed to stand by the sink as Junhui grabs a handful of paper towels and then proceeds to kneel in front of him to pat at where Nari had spilled tea on his pants.
He knows this is inappropriate timing but he doesn’t hate the view. But out of courtesy, he does end up interrupting the younger who’s hand is lifting up the hem of his blazer.
“Um Junhui-ssi,” he coughs out. “Not like I don’t enjoy the view of you like this but—”
“Oh God,” Junhui says when he realizes exactly what he meant. “I’m so so sorry,” he apologizes. “I’m just so used to taking care of my students so I wasn’t thinking much. I’m so sorry.”
The blush on Junhui’s face is adorable added with the way he immediately stands up and backs away and hands over the paper towels into his hand while trying to look away as well.
“It’s alright,” he laughs as he retrieves the paper towels and begins to dry himself. “It was cute.”
“Um,” Junhui is still trying to look away. “I know I can’t do much money-wise but can I at least pay for the dry-cleaning? It was my fault for not helping Nari.”
He raises a brow. “No, you don’t have to do any of that, Junhui-ssi.”
“Please,” the younger says again. “I insist. I feel bad if I can’t do anything somehow.”
Well, his mind goes. It’s worth trying to ask anyway.
“I guess if you insist,” he begins. “Then how about going out for coffee with me?”
He couldn’t read the expression that’s currently painted all over Junhui’s face. A mix of shy, embarrassed and confused possibly all in one. He knows it was an abrupt question and especially given the circumstance that one, Junhui just got out of a possible long-term relationship and two, they’re standing in the bathroom of an elementary school with a tea stain on his pants.
“Junhui-ssi, you can say no if you don’t want to. I know we’ve barely just met and you just got out of a relationship—”
“No, no, no, no,” Junhui continues to say no which makes him unsure at which part he’s actually saying no at.
“No?” he asks back.
“I mean, I’m just surprised,” the younger says.
“Why are you surprised?”
“I don’t know,” Junhui mumbles, now clearly trying to hide the blush on his face. “You’re just cool and handsome and I, well, spilled hot tea all over your expensive suit.”
He definitely laughs at the younger’s remark. “I don’t know if this helps but it wasn’t that expensive anyway. I got it on discount.”
“See,” Junhui laughs too. “And you’re funny too.”
“So what do you say, Junhui?” he asks again, tossing the paper towels in the bin.
“Sure,” the younger replies. “I’ll go out for coffee with you.”
“Great, then I’ll come by and pick you up tomorrow,” he grins.
☕
“Hey, do you think I can drop off Nari at your place for a few hours?” Seungcheol’s voice comes through the speaker as he picks up the call. “I have a date with Wonwoo near your place and the sitter can’t come over last minute.”
“Sure, just bring her over,” he replies, ending the call after Seungcheol gives him his confirmation that he’s on his way.
“Are you sure Seungcheol-ssi and Nari wouldn’t be surprised to see me here at your place?” Junhui who’s sitting on the couch beside him says. Jeonghan only pinches his cheek and tells him how cute he is with his unruly hair and oversized sweater.
“Well,” he laughs. “Seungcheol loves surprises.”