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It was still dark outside when the first signs of morning began to stir in the Lee household. The clock on the wall showed 5:30 AM, and the house was quiet, the kind of peaceful stillness only early mornings could bring. In the kitchen, the soft sound of a spatula against a frying pan could be heard. Songhwa was already awake, standing by the stove in her light pajama top, cooking breakfast for her family.
The smell of kimchi fried rice slowly filled the air. She moved calmly, adding a bit of sesame oil here, stirring the rice gently there. It was something she always liked to do—waking up before everyone else, preparing a warm meal to start the day. For her, her husband and son, she made kimchi bokkeumbap. Her daughter had asked for something different—scrambled eggs. Lately, the little one had taken a liking to what she called “American breakfast.”
As she reached for a plate, the door from the master bedroom creaked open behind her. She didn’t turn around, still focused on her cooking. But then, a familiar touch wrapped around her waist. A pair of warm hands rested gently there, and soon, she felt his presence close behind her.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Ikjun said softly, his voice still a little husky from sleep.
Songhwa smiled, pausing for a moment. She leaned into his touch, her hands resting over his on her waist.
“Good morning, handsome,” she replied, turning her head slightly. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. It wasn’t rushed or dramatic—just warm, familiar, and full of love. She smiled through it, as if she couldn’t help herself.
“I love you, Lee Ikjun,” she whispered when their lips parted.
“I love you too, Chae Songhwa,” he said with a grin, pulling her into a brief hug.
This was their little routine—saying “I love you” right after their “good mornings,” before their “good nights,” or whenever they had to part ways, even just for a while. It wasn’t something they planned. It just grew between them, quietly and naturally, like a habit made of love.
“What are you making?” he asked, not moving his hands away, still holding her gently as he peeked over her shoulder.
Without pushing him away, Songhwa returned to the stove. “Kimchi bokkeumbap for you and Uju,” she said, flipping the rice. “And your daughter wants scrambled eggs.”
Ikjun chuckled, the kind of laugh that came straight from the chest. “Lee Eunha, jinjja!” he said, shaking his head. “Since when did her appetite become so American?”
Songhwa smiled, enjoying this little morning chat. “Since she started watching that family vlog from the US with Uju,” she said. “She wants to try every food they eat in the videos.”
Ikjun raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really? What does she want for lunch now?”
Songhwa let out a soft laugh, already knowing how he’d react. “She asked me, ‘Eomma, can I have a homemade cheeseburger for lunch?” she said, mimicking their daughter’s sweet voice. “I told her we’ll see if Wang Imo can make it, but if not, I’ll just go buy her one.”
Ikjun burst out laughing. “Wah, jinjja! Where does she get all this antics?”
Still smiling, Songhwa shook her head. “That’s what I’m wondering too. Definitely not from me.”
Ikjun looked at her with a playful grin. “Then who, huh?”
“She got her looks from me,” Songhwa teased, turning slightly to face him again. “But all that attitude? That’s 100% you.”
Ikjun laughed even harder. “Okay, fine. I agree. Her beauty? Completely from you.”
His answer caught her a little off guard. She hadn’t expected him to say it with such quiet honesty, and for a moment, her cheeks turned warm. She looked down, just a bit shy, but her smile slowly grew wider, blooming like the morning sun.
Ikjun noticed the way she blushed and couldn’t help but grin. Leaning in, he gave her a small, tender kiss on the cheek—a sweet gesture that made her heart flutter just a little more.
“I’ll wake the kids,” he said gently, his voice light with affection. Then he turned and headed down the hallway toward the children’s room, leaving Songhwa in the kitchen, her heart still warm from the simple magic of the moment.
-
Their morning starts peacefully. The family sat together, enjoying their breakfast like they always did when their schedules allowed. It was a peaceful start—no rushing, just the quiet clinking of spoons and the happy hum of togetherness.
Uju, already dressed for school, took another big bite of his kimchi bokkeumbap and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Eomma, this kimchi bokkeumbap is really insane! It’s so delicious! Thank you, Eomma!” he said, smiling wide, his cheeks still full of rice.
Not wanting to be left out, Eunha, their little daughter with sleepy eyes and a messy ponytail, raised her spoon and added brightly, “Thank you, Eomma! The scrambled eggs are so good! Eunha really likes it!”
Songhwa’s face lit up at their praise. Her cheeks flushed with a light blush as she reached to pat Eunha’s head and smiled at Uju.
“Aigoo, Eomma is just glad you like the food, kids!” she said, her voice full of warmth.
From across the table, Ikjun wasn’t about to let the kids take all the credit for compliments. With a playful grin, he lifted his spoon and pointed it dramatically at his wife.
“Yoksi, uri Eomma, jjang!” he said proudly, earning a small laugh from Songhwa as she reached under the table and gently touched his hand in return.
As they continued to eat, Ikjun looked over at Uju. “Uju-ya, do you have your English tutoring today?”
Uju shook his head as he finished chewing a spoonful of rice. “No, Appa. The teacher cancelled it. She said we’ll have the class next week instead.”
At that moment, Eunha straightened up and looked at her father seriously.
“Appa, Eunha wants to have English tutoring too, like Oppa,” she said with a small pout. “I didn’t understand the vlog we watched yesterday. Oppa always watches it and then explains to me what they’re saying, but sometimes Oppa doesn’t have any patience, Appa!”
Uju stayed calm but leaned forward a little to defend himself. “Eunha doesn’t wait until I finish watching, right, Eunha-ya? Sometimes you interrupt while Oppa is still watching.”
Eunha frowned and placed her spoon down, crossing her little arms. “It’s because I want to know right away what they’re saying, Oppa!”
Songhwa gave them both a gentle but firm look.
“Kids, we’re not supposed to fight—especially not while we’re eating. What did we say about that?”
“Mianhae, Eomma,” they said together, their voices a bit softer now.
“Alright then. Finish your breakfast, okay?”
“Okay, Eomma,” they said again, now returning to their food.
But Eunha, still thinking about the earlier topic, turned her head toward her mother again.
“Eomma, does that mean I can get an English tutor like Oppa?”
Songhwa looked at her daughter, then glanced at Ikjun, clearly passing the question to him with her eyes. Ikjun smiled gently at Eunha, setting down his chopsticks.
“Listen, Eunha-ya,” he said, leaning in a little. “Appa and Eomma will find you a tutor that’s just right for your age, someone who can teach you in a fun and easy way, okay?”
Eunha’s eyes sparkled. “Really? Yay! Okay, Appa!”
Just then, Ikjun’s phone started ringing. He picked it up without hesitation when he saw the name on the screen.
“Ne, Geon-ah,” he said. “Eo... BP and heart rate? Arasseo, I’ll rush to the ER.”
As soon as the call ended, Ikjun’s expression shifted. The calm from earlier was gone—his face now serious, focused. It was an emergency.
“Songhwa-ya, I need to go now,” he said quickly, already rising from his seat.
“Arasseo. I’ll drop Uju off at school,” Songhwa replied, standing with him.
Ikjun turned to the kids, his voice gentle but urgent. “I’m sorry, kids. Appa has to go to the hospital. Uju, be good at school. Eunha, stay well at home with Wang Imo, okay? I love you.”
He bent down and pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads—first Uju, then Eunha. His hands lingered for a second on their small shoulders, before rushing out the door.
“Ne, Appa! Love you too!” the children chimed together, smiling as they waved him off.
Songhwa walked beside him to the front door. Just before stepping out, Ikjun paused. He turned to her, reaching for her hand, their fingers finding each other like second nature.
“See you later. I love you,” he said softly, leaning in for a quick kiss on her lips.
“See you later, Ikjun-ah. I love you too. Drive safely,” she replied, her voice warm but calm.
She stood in the doorway a moment longer after he left, watching the door quietly before closing it behind him with a soft click.
She returned to the dining table, where Eunha was finishing the last of her scrambled eggs. The little girl looked up with a curious expression.
“Eomma, what is ER? Why does Appa always rush to the ER?”
Songhwa sat down beside her and brushed a few crumbs off her daughter’s chin.
“ER means Emergency Room, Eunha-ya. It’s the part of the hospital where people go when they’re really sick or hurt and need help right away,” she explained patiently. “Appa’s patient today needed help fast, so Appa had to go quickly to take care of them. Do you understand?”
Eunha nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, Eomma.”
Once breakfast was over, Songhwa helped Uju get his backpack ready. Wang Imo had already arrived and was washing dishes in the kitchen, smiling at the sounds of the kids' morning chatter.
Not long after, Songhwa and Uju left the apartment together, walking toward the car as the sun rose higher in the sky.
–
AT NOON IN YULJE HOSPITAL
It was just another normal day at Yulje Hospital. The clock showed 2:30 PM. The halls were steady with footsteps, soft voices, and the quiet rhythm of hospital life.
Ikjun and Songhwa were both busy with their own schedules. Ikjun was still in surgery, working on the emergency patient who had been rushed into the ER earlier that morning. His focus hadn’t shifted since he entered the operating room.
Songhwa, too, had been tied up since early morning. She had a scheduled surgery and hadn’t stepped out of the OR until now. There wasn’t much time to check her phone or even take a proper break.
In the emergency room, Dr. Bong Kwanghyeon was finishing some notes when the door opened. He looked up, thinking it might be a nurse—but instead, he saw someone familiar walking in with two kids. The boy was holding his little sister’s hand as they came closer. The girl looked serious, like she was on an important mission, even though her steps were small and careful.
Kwanghyeon raised an eyebrow as he stood up. The little girl’s face showed more drama than pain, and he could already guess what kind of story was coming.
The boy, slightly out of breath, explained in a rush, “She insisted on going to the ER, samchon. We were just playing in the garden, then she slipped and fell. I told her she was fine, but she started crying really loud and said her foot hurt a lot. I even offered to take care of her wound, but she cried even louder and said she had to go to the ER. So... me and Wang Imo brought her here.”
Kwanghyeon was already smiling before the boy finished. He looked down at the little girl—Lee Eunha—who stood with her arms crossed and a pout on her lips, her eyes clear and determined.
“Eunha needs to go to the emergency room,” she announced firmly. “Because Eomma said if someone is sick or hurt, they need to come to the ER to get help right away. Eunha is hurt too, so Eunha needs help right away!”
Her brother let out a sigh. “I already told you I could treat your wound, Eunha-ya.”
Eunha didn’t budge. She lifted her chin and replied sassily, “And I already told you, Oppa,—Oppa is not a doctor!”
With her arms still crossed tightly over her chest, she turned slightly away, looking every bit like a tiny boss in sneakers.
Kwanghyeon tried his best to stay serious, but a chuckle slipped out before he could stop it. He covered his mouth for a moment, then slowly crouched down so he could look Eunha in the eyes.
“Yah, jinjja…” he said, grinning. “That kind of antics... feels very familiar.”
“Uju-ya, do your Eomma and Appa know you’re here?” Kwanghyeon asked gently, kneeling slightly to be at the boy’s eye level.
“No, Samchon,” Uju replied, still holding onto Eunha’s hand. “Eomma said she had a scheduled surgery today. And I couldn’t reach Appa—maybe he’s in surgery too.”
“I see.” Kwanghyeon nodded and looked toward the nurses’ station. He asked one of the nurses to try contacting both doctors. A few moments later, she returned and said, “Both Professor Lee and Professor Chae are still in surgery, but they might be finishing soon.”
“Alright,” Kwanghyeon said. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to both Ikjun and Songhwa, telling them to come to the ER when they finished—but he didn’t tell them why.
Just as he put his phone away, another familiar voice entered the ER.
“Why are you looking for Ikjun and Songhwa?” It was Ahn Jeongwon, who had just walked in and noticed the nurse reporting to Kwanghyeon.
Kwanghyeon let out a chuckle and motioned for Jeongwon to follow him. He pulled back the curtain of one of the ER beds, revealing Uju, Eunha, and Wang Imo seated quietly. Jeongwon’s eyes widened.
“What happened, Eunha-ya?” he asked, rushing to the bedside.
Eunha, the moment she saw her favorite doctor, put on her best dramatic face.
“Eunha was hurt, Samchon,” she said seriously. “I slipped and fell. Look, here—” she pointed to a tiny scratch on her knee. “It really hurts. Eomma said if someone is sick or hurt, they need to go to the ER to get help right away!”
Jeongwon almost laughed out loud at the seriousness in her voice, but he held it in, looking carefully at the "injury." It was a small, very light scrape—barely half a centimeter. But as a pediatrician, he nodded with full attention.
“Arasseo, let Samchon take a look, okay?” he said, and Eunha nodded, still pouting.
He asked the nurse for alcohol and betadine, then turned to Kwanghyeon. “I’ll take care of this one. You go—didn’t you just say a real emergency case is coming in?”
Kwanghyeon smiled and nodded before leaving the curtain area.
Jeongwon turned back to Eunha. “This might sting a little. It’s like being bitten by an ant, okay?”
Eunha blinked. “Eunha’s never been bitten by an ant before, Samchon…”
Jeongwon smiled. “Arasseo, then... just a little sting, alright?”
He gently dabbed the alcohol on her knee.
“Ouch... ouchhh... Samchon, it’s stingy…” she whined, but then paused. “Ah... it’s getting cool, Samchon…”
Jeongwon smiled to himself. That tiny wound was no match for a determined little girl and her dramatic flair.
After cleaning it, he carefully applied betadine, then reached for a small bandage. But before he could stick it on, Eunha looked up at him with her big eyes.
“Samchon, can I have a princess band-aid?”
Jeongwon blinked. “Do we have one?”
The nurse nearby nodded. “Yes, gyosunim.” She handed him a band-aid with a cartoon princess on it.
Jeongwon smiled and placed it gently on her knee. “There we go. All done!”
He gave her a thumbs-up. “Does your knee still hurt, Eunha-ya?”
Eunha shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, Samchon! Wah... Eomma was right. If we go to the ER, we get help right away!”
Uju, sitting beside her, covered his face with both hands in embarrassment. Wang Imo, Jeongwon, and the nurse all burst out laughing.
Just then, someone rushed into the ER. “Eunha? Uju? Wang Imo, what happened?!”
It was Songhwa. She had come straight from the OR after reading Kwanghyeon’s text. Her eyes searched the room until they landed on her daughter, sitting comfortably on the bed with a pink princess band-aid on her knee.
She quickly stepped forward and gathered Eunha into her arms.
“What happened?” she asked, looking at her daughter’s bandaged knee with confusion.
Jeongwon stood beside them, waving his hand to show the size of the wound. “Yah! Don’t worry. Your little princess slipped, and now has this tiny, cutie wound right here,” he said, grinning. “And she said she needed to come to the ER because her Eomma told her that anyone hurt should come to get help right away.”
Songhwa blinked in disbelief, trying not to laugh.
“She insisted,” Jeongwon added. “She said it really hurt, and since Eomma said the ER is for help, she had to come here.”
Songhwa let out a sigh and brushed Eunha’s hair gently. “Lee Eunha, jinjja…”
Uju spoke up quietly, “I told her I could treat her wound, Eomma. But she said I’m not a doctor and only the ER could help her.”
Songhwa reached out with her free hand and gave Uju a small hug. “It’s okay, Uju-ya. You did well.”
Then she looked at Eunha. “Do you feel better now, Eunha-ya?”
“Eo, Eomma! And you were right. If we go to the ER, we get treated right away!”
Songhwa pulled her daughter close and hugged her again.
“Yes, that’s true, but listen, Eunha-ya,” Songhwa said gently, brushing a strand of hair from her daughter’s face. “Usually, the people who go to the ER are really, really sick—like when they can’t breathe well, or they can’t walk, or they faint. Things like that, Eunha-ya.”
She looked into her daughter’s eyes and continued, her voice calm and loving.
“For a wound like this, I know, it still hurts, But, it doesn’t need a doctor to take care of it. Your Oppa and Wang Imo can help too, even though they’re not doctors.”
She pointed softly to Uju and Wang Imo, both watching from nearby.
“They love you and know how to help with little things like this. Do you understand, baby?”
Eunha looked at them, then back at her mom, Eunha nodded slowly, but still proudly tapped her princess band-aid.
Songhwa smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Good girl,” she whispered, hugging her close.
Just then, the curtain in the ER ward opened again.
“Eunha! Uju!” came a familiar voice—slightly out of breath, filled with worry.
It was Ikjun. He had just come out of surgery and rushed straight to the ER after seeing Kwanghyeon’s message. He spotted his children right away and hurried over.
“What happened? The nurse said Eunha and Uju were here." He asked, his eyes scanned her quickly, but she looked perfectly fine—just a little too proud of her new princess band-aid.
“Appa!” Eunha beamed, lifting her leg a little. “Look! Eunha got hurt and came to the ER! But I’m okay now!”
Ikjun blinked. “Hurt? Where?”
She pointed to her tiny knee. “Here. It was bleeding, Appa.”
Ikjun turned to Songhwa, wide-eyed. “Is this why she went to the ER?”
Songhwa laughed softly. “She insisted. And she had a very clear reason.”
Eunha nodded seriously. “Eomma said if someone is sick or hurt, they need to go to the ER to get help right away!”
Ikjun let out a small laugh and looked at Jeongwon, who was standing nearby, trying to hold back his own grin.
“She even asked for a princess band-aid,” Jeongwon added, raising an eyebrow. “Very specific patient.” He turned to Ikjun with a teasing smile. “She’s definitely your daughter, Lee Ikjun—coming to the ER for such a unique reason.”
Ikjun laughed quietly, clearly proud, then leaned in and gently kissed Eunha’s forehead. “Of course she is.”
Then he looked at Uju and gave him a thumbs up. “Good job bringing your sister, Uju-ya. And thanks to you too, Wang Imo.”
Uju smiled, relieved that everything was okay.
With both parents now there, and Eunha safe and happy, the little drama came to a peaceful end. It was just a tiny scrape—but a memory that would surely become a family story they’d laugh about for years.