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Dinner had barely ended before the dreaded announcement came: “Alright, bath time!”
Two simultaneous groans echoed down the hallway.
Haerin dramatically flopped onto the living room carpet. “But I just got comfortable!”
Haru darted behind the couch like a feral cat sensing danger. “Nooo bath!”
Jay exchanged a knowing look with Jungwon. “Divide and conquer?”
“Always.”
Jay took charge of cleaning up dinner while Jungwon wrangled the kids. The clatter of dishes and running water mixed with the chaotic background of a living room filled with suspiciously quiet children. Jungwon poked his head around the corner.
“Alright, guys. Time to head to the bath.”
“I have to finish my drawing!” Haerin exclaimed, suddenly busy with her crayons.
“I’m a dinosaur now,” Haru announced from under a blanket, growling lowly. “Dinosaurs don’t bathe.”
“They definitely do,” Jungwon muttered, trying to tug the blanket off without disrupting Haru’s transformation into a prehistoric lizard. “Especially the stinky ones.”
“I’m not stinky,” Haru mumbled, retreating deeper under the blanket.
Meanwhile, Jay finished loading the dishwasher and began picking up stray bits of spaghetti from under the table. From the hallway, he heard mild chaos.
“I wanted the yellow pajamas!” Haerin whined as Jungwon held up a clean pair of sky-blue ones with tiny white clouds.
“They’re dirty, Haerin,” Jungwon said patiently. “We’ll wash them tomorrow. These are just as comfy.”
“I won’t sleep in those,” she declared stubbornly.
Jungwon sighed. “What if I let you choose the bubble scent tonight? You can have the strawberry one.”
Haerin paused, clearly considering the offer. “And two bedtime stories?”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Fine. If you’re in the tub in the next five minutes.”
“Deal.”
With a dramatic sigh, she stomped off toward the bathroom.
Eventually, the negotiations paid off—Haerin grudgingly agreed to bathe in exchange for picking the bubble scent, and Haru was promised his favorite ducky if he climbed in without another dinosaur protest. Bribery, bluffing, and a few well-timed warnings about no storytime did the trick, and both kids were finally herded into the bathroom.
The bathroom was soon transformed into a steamy battlefield. Both dads, sleeves rolled up and towels slung over their shoulders, were crouched beside the tub, each tackling a slippery, reluctant child.
“Haerin, stop squirming. I have to get behind your ears,” Jungwon said, gripping the washcloth like a weapon of peace.
Jay was on the other side, trying to convince Haru to stop drinking bath water from a plastic cup. “Buddy, that’s not juice. That’s your butt water.”
The water was warm. The bubbles were plentiful. Too plentiful, in fact. Haru, attempting to help, reached for the bottle of kid shampoo and squeezed it with all the strength in his tiny toddler arms.
FLOOMP.
A geyser of shampoo erupted out, coating Jay’s arm, Haerin’s shoulder, and plopping a dollop right into Haru’s eyes.
“Ahhh! My eyes!” Haru wailed instantly, kicking up water.
Jay's heart shot into his throat. “Oh no—oh no, buddy, it’s okay,” he panicked, gently cupping Haru’s chin and trying to flush out his eyes with clean water from a rinse cup.
Haerin looked over, wide-eyed. “Is he gonna be blind forever?!”
“Haerin, please don’t narrate the trauma,” Jungwon said, already reaching for a towel.
Jay held Haru close, murmuring soothing words as the little boy sniffled. Eventually, the sting faded, and Haru clung to Jay, cheeks wet with water and a few leftover tears.
Meanwhile, foam had somehow landed squarely on Jay’s head, giving him a sudsy crown and a drippy bubble beard.
“Bubbles suit you,” Jungwon muttered, trying not to laugh.
Jay struck a regal pose. “King of Soapland. Ruler of the Bathtub Kingdom.”
Haru hiccuped a watery giggle and slapped the water, soaking everyone again.
They had barely finished shampooing when Haerin suddenly declared war with a sponge, flinging it directly at Jungwon’s face.
“Direct hit!” she shouted triumphantly.
“Traitor!” Jungwon laughed, grabbing another sponge to retaliate.
It was chaos. A beautiful, slippery, bubble-filled mess.
Jay grabbed Haru before he could launch the rubber duck missile he had armed himself with. “Okay, Admiral Haru. That’s enough for today.”
The floor was drenched, the towels were saturated, and both dads were wetter than the kids.
“Whose idea was it to bathe them together?” Jungwon asked, hands on his knees, drenched shirt clinging to him.
Jay gave a tired but fond grin. “Yours.”
“I’m not sure what possessed me to suggest something like that,” Jungwon muttered, exasperated.
Jay smiled fondly at him. “Because our children weaseled their way into your heart by being cute.”
Jungwon let out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah. That tracks.”
But the chaos softened after warm towels, fuzzy pajamas, and the promise of a bedtime story. Jay scooped Haru up like a burrito, wrapping him in a hooded towel shaped like a puppy.
In their shared room, the kids finally settled. Haerin clutched her bunny plush. Haru had his favorite bear and was already curled under the covers.
“What story tonight?” Jay asked, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed.
“The whale one,” Haerin mumbled sleepily.
“With the penguin,” Haru added.
Jungwon pulled the blanket up to Haerin’s chest, brushing her hair back. Jay tucked Haru in and leaned against the bedframe, reading aloud a story about a whale and a penguin who became friends across the sea.
Halfway through, Haru interrupted. “Daddies?”
“Hmm?” they answered in unison.
“Can we have a whale and a penguin?”
Jungwon chuckled. “Maybe a stuffed one.”
Jay kissed Haru’s forehead. “You’re our wildest animals anyway.”
Slowly, their blinks grew longer. Haerin’s arm reached out and found Haru’s. Haru’s fingers curled around hers like they always did when sleep came.
Jay closed the book. “Out like a light.”
Jungwon kissed each of their foreheads gently, then stood. They crept out of the room quietly, careful not to let the door creak.
Jungwon sighed, wringing out the damp towel over the tub. "Next time, you're doing bath time duty alone," he muttered, half to himself, half to Jay.
Jay grinned, reaching for Jungwon’s hand and tugging him close. His arms slipped around Jungwon’s waist as he leaned into a soft shoulder-back hug.
“Thanks,” Jay murmured into his ear. “For this. For being here. For raising them with me. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Jungwon turned, eyes warm, lips parting in a smile that held every word he couldn’t say. He reached up and cupped Jay’s face.
“I wouldn’t either.”
He kissed him gently, forehead resting against Jay’s as they held each other, the warmth of laughter, love, and shampoo still lingering between them.
Their chaos. Their kingdom. Their family.