Chapter Text
𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑* . °•☆|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *⭒๋࣭ ⭑𖤐
Wooyoung nervously sat in the car.
He adjusted Nabi’s backpack while trying to hold on to Nami, who was practically bouncing in her seat; bursting with her usual chaotic energy.
Today was the twin girls' first day of kindergarten, but all the nerves belonged to their dad. It will be his first time being separated from the girls for more than a couple of hours, and he was worried about the level of care they would receive at the new place.
But in contrast, his daughters seemed more excited than anything else, dressed like two roses blooming in the morning, ready to explore the outside world.
“Appa! Let’s go, let's go!!”, Nami; the oldest of the two tugged on his hand from the back seat, eager to get inside the school. Wooyoung smiled nervously.
“Okay, buttercup! Let's go~", He opened the door, and just like that, Nami hopped out and ran off, her tiny legs carrying her straight towards the building.
“Nami! Wait for me and your sister!”
Wooyoung hurried after her, trying to balance Nabi in one arm while calling out to his other daughter.
He finally caught up just outside one of the classrooms; his breath a little short from the chase.
There, standing by the door, was a tall, dark-haired man, smiling gently as he watched Nami, who had come to an abrupt stop right in front of him.
"Hi there, little pumpkin~ Who are you?", the man cooed at the little girl who was looking at him with bright, curious eyes.
"Nami! Wait there, baby!", Wooyoung said, putting Nabi down from his arms and holding on to her hand securely.
“Oh-", the stranger turned at Wooyoung, hearing his voice.
"Hi, Is she yours?”, the man asked, chuckling softly as he glanced between Wooyoung and Nami.
“Y-yeah, she’s mine. Sorry about that, she’s a bit of a handful", Wooyoung said with a breathless laugh.
"It’s okay, really. She’s just being herself— no harm", he said, brushing it off with ease.
"You’re handling it just fine", His eyes softened as he looked at Wooyoung, reassuring him not to worry about his parenting skills.
The next moment he knelt down to Nami’s level, his gentle presence putting her instantly at ease.
“You guys must be new here, huh? It’s my first time seeing you two,” he said, looking between the twins with a very welcoming smile.
“Yes~ I’m Nami, and that’s my sister Nabi and my Appa!”, Nami announced proudly, pointing to Wooyoung and Nabi, who was clinging to her father's side with a shy smile.
A smile brought into Wooyoung seeing how forward Nami was.
"Nice to meet you, Nami and Nabi~," the man greeted with a small bow.
"Nice to meet you too~," the girls chimed in unison and bowed. He beamed a soft smile at the two polite children before turning to their father.
"And you are, mister...?" The man's eyes lingered on Wooyoung as he extended his hand, while Wooyoung found himself momentarily distracted by the stranger’s kindness toward his daughters.
“I’m Jung Wooyoung," he said, shaking the man’s hand.
“These two are starting today. It’s their first day in kindergarten," Wooyoung mumbled, slightly in awe of how charming the young man was: kind, gentle, and undeniably good-looking.
“Ah, that explains it," the man said with a grin.
“I’m Choi San. I’ve been working here for nearly two years now, and I’m happy to say I’ll be taking care of your daughters during the day", San's eyes flickered toward the twins again, turning to crescents as he smiled.
“Wait, you’re their class teacher?” Wooyoung's brows raised, eyes widening slightly.
“Yes, Mr. Jung. Looks like we’re going to see a lot of each other," San chuckled, nodding at the little family.
“Oh, good luck, then!”, Wooyoung laughed, though a pang of relief settled in his chest. San seemed kind, and his daughters already appeared comfortable around him—especially Nami, the little troublemaker.
“They’re a handful sometimes, but they’re the sweetest", Wooyoung said, briefly hugging the girls, who giggled and hugged their father back.
“Kids can be playful at this age, but from my experience, I can tell you and your partner have done a great job raising them. They seem very polite and friendly", San replied, his smile softening as he glanced at the girls again.
"Umm... thank you for the kind words, Mr. Choi. But..." Wooyoung blinked, feeling a little sting in his chest.
“It’s... just me. Their mother passed away right after giving birth to them.”
San’s expression shifted into one of sympathy, his breath hitching briefly.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Jung. I didn’t realize. That must have been really hard on you”, San’s brows furrowed as his eyes shifted to the girls, who were now holding hands, pouting at their father. Wooyoung nodded, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat.
“It was. But these two... they’re everything to me. I just... try my best.” Wooyoung petted the girls' heads simultaneously and smiled.
San’s gaze softened further, and he reached out, gently squeezing Wooyoung’s shoulder.
“You’re doing great. They’re lucky to have a father like you, Mr. Jung.”
The sincerity in San’s voice caught Wooyoung off guard, his heart fluttering slightly.
“Thanks...” he mumbled, a little flustered.
San’s smile returned, warm and reassuring.
“I’ll make sure they’re well taken care of. You don’t have to worry about them with me. You have my word", San said, his hand politely raising to place on his own chest as if he were making an oath.
Surprisingly, after talking with San, almost all of Wooyoung's concerns about leaving his daughters at a new place vanished, lightening the weight in his chest.
"I’ll trust you, Mr. Choi. Thank you."
***
When Wooyoung returned to pick up his daughters from their first day at kindergarten, he spotted San near the playground, standing with the other children. The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the scene, and Wooyoung felt his chest tighten for reasons he couldn't quite place.
As if sensing his presence, San looked up, a bright smile breaking across his face.
“Mr. Jung!” San called out, waving him over.
The twins, who were happily playing on the swings, turned at the sound of their father's name and dashed toward him.
“Appa!”, Nabi squealed, throwing her arms around Wooyoung’s legs, while Nami followed close behind, her face lighting up as she joined the hug. Wooyoung crouched down, ruffling their hair.
“How was your first day, girls? Did you have fun?”, Enthusiastic nods were sent Wooyoung’s way in response, accompanied by lots of giggles.
“They were amazing!", San interjected, stepping closer, his eyes warm as they darted between the girls and Wooyoung.
“They fit in perfectly with the other kids, participated in all the activities, and even helped clean up without being asked. You've raised two very kind and considerate children, Mr. Jung.”
Wooyoung’s face softened with relief, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Ah- thank you~ Not gonna lie, I was a little worried they'd be too shy or... you know, act up".
San shook his head, his expression sincere.
“Not at all. If anything, they were leaders in their own way and great team players”, he added with a small laugh, glancing down at the two girls clinging to their father.
“Nami’s always the adventurous one and Nabi the gentle one. I’m just glad they didn’t cause any trouble", Wooyoung sounded at so much ease.
“Trouble? Hardly. They blended right in and made friends on the first day. You’ve really done a wonderful job, Mr. Jung. It’s clear how much love and effort you’ve put into raising them", San maintained the eye contact with the kid's father as he continued to throw genuine compliments at him.
Wooyoung felt a flutter in his chest at San’s praise, the warmth in the other man’s voice reaching him in ways he didn’t expect.
“But, I guess I still worry I’m not doing enough", words simply escaped the young father's lips, without much thought.
San’s gaze softened, his hand reaching out to gently rest on Wooyoung’s arm.
“You’re doing more than enough, Wooyoung", he said, dropping the formalities for the first time.
“It’s clear how much they love you, and from what I’ve seen, you’re giving them all the love and care they need”
Wooyoung blinked at the sudden familiarity, his heart skipping a beat at the sound of his name rolling so naturally off San’s lips. He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself.
“I... really appreciate that, Mr. Choi”, he said, his voice quiet but genuine.
The girls, now holding hands again, tugged at Wooyoung’s sleeves, pulling him out of the brief moment of silence between the two men.
“Appa! Teacher San promised to show us how to draw animals tomorrow!”, Nabi said, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Yeah! I love animals!", Nami joined the excitement.
San chuckled, glancing down at the girls.
“I did, didn’t I? We’re going to have a fun art session tomorrow. You two can even help me pick the animals.”
“Yay!” both girls cheered, jumping up and down.
Wooyoung smiled, feeling the last of his earlier worries dissolve.
“Looks like you’ve got two little helpers already, Mr. Choi", he teased.
San smiled back, the easy warmth between them growing.
“I guess I have. They’re a joy to have in class.”
There was a brief pause as Wooyoung stood up, dusting off his knees, and the two men exchanged a glance that lingered just a bit longer than usual.
“Well, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Wooyoung finally said, smiling at San as he gathered the girls’ hands in his.
“I’m looking forward to it,” San replied, his voice soft but full of meaning.
As Wooyoung and the twins walked toward the school gate, he couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder. San was still standing there, watching them with a gentle smile, his hands casually in his pockets. When their eyes met again, Wooyoung felt a small, unfamiliar warmth bloom in his chest.
“See you tomorrow!” San called after them.
“Yeah... see you tomorrow, Mr. Choi~,”
Wooyoung responded.
“Bye, Teacher San!!!”, the girls sang in unison.
Wooyoung's heart felt content and relieved, realizing that he had found the safest place for his girls’ growth—or perhaps, the safest hands.
𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑* . °•☆|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *⭒๋࣭ ⭑𖤐