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Taste Test Trouble
Haru sat in his highchair, bib strapped securely around his neck, eyes wide and suspicious as Jay approached with a little spoonful of orange mush.
“Okay, buddy,” Jay cooed, balancing the spoon. “This one is sweet potato. You like sweet things. I saw you chew on that strawberry plush for thirty minutes.”
Haru blinked, legs kicking. His expression didn’t look convinced.
Jungwon stood at the kitchen counter, arms crossed, a sippy cup in one hand and the baby food jar in the other. “You’re braver than I am.”
“I’m just saying, he’s gotta learn eventually,” Jay replied confidently. “And sweet potato’s a crowd favorite.”
He leaned in. “Open up, Haru. Here comes the airplane—”
The spoon made its way toward Haru’s mouth, and to Jay’s surprise, Haru actually let it in. There was a moment of cautious chewing.
Then Haru paused.
A slow blink.
A puckered mouth.
And then—
“PFFFFT!”
A full, wet spit-cough explosion launched sweet potato bits directly into Jay’s unsuspecting face.
Jungwon gasped. “Oh—oh, no—” he slapped a hand over his mouth, torn between sympathy and hysterical laughter.
Jay froze. He didn’t even wipe his face at first, just slowly looked down at his shirt, then back up at Haru, who looked very proud of himself.
“...You did that on purpose,” Jay muttered.
Haru giggled. A happy, gurgly, babbling noise, like he had just pulled off the greatest prank in the world.
“Oh my god,” Jungwon said, finally walking over with a dish towel. “You poor man. That was brutal.”
Jay took the towel and wiped his face with exaggerated sadness. “He betrayed me. I was nothing but loving and generous.”
“You gave him orange mush,” Jungwon pointed out, patting Jay on the back. “You had it coming.”
Jay turned to Haru again. “Okay, so maybe sweet potato’s a no. How about banana next time?”
Haru let out another babble, slapping the highchair tray like a tiny judge passing sentence.
“No, no more today,” Jungwon laughed. “We’re cutting him off. He’s a menace.”
Jay sniffed dramatically. “I did this for science.”
“And now your shirt smells like baby food,” Jungwon teased.
Jay pulled him into a one-armed hug, smearing a tiny leftover bit of orange onto Jungwon’s sleeve on purpose. “Well now we both do.”
Jungwon shrieked. “Jay!”
Haru squealed with glee, watching both of his appas flail and laugh.
First Bites, Big Worries
Haerin sat wobbling slightly in her highchair, chubby fists gripping the tray, her dark eyes locked on the tiny steamed carrot piece Jay carefully placed in front of her.
“She’s ready,” Jay said, voice soft with a mix of awe and anxiety. “She’s been reaching for food and watching us eat for weeks.”
Jungwon stood behind him, arms crossed tightly. “But what if she chokes?”
“She won’t. We cut it the right way. She knows how to gum it.”
“She doesn’t even have teeth!”
“Gums are shockingly powerful,” Jay whispered, like this was an ancient piece of dad-wisdom passed down through generations.
Haerin’s little fingers fumbled as she picked up the soft carrot and stuffed it into her mouth with all the grace of a baby learning gravity.
Jungwon tensed.
Jay sat perfectly still.
Haerin smacked her lips. Her tiny jaw worked in slow, uncertain motions. She made a face.
“Is she… chewing?” Jungwon’s voice cracked. He took half a step forward. “Is she—wait—is she okay?”
Haerin suddenly stopped moving. Her eyes widened. She stiffened just a bit in her seat.
Jungwon lunged forward instinctively, one hand already reaching toward her mouth—
Jay’s hand gently, firmly caught his wrist mid-air.
“Wait,” Jay whispered. “Give her a second.”
Jungwon’s breath hitched. “Jay—”
“She’s figuring it out,” Jay murmured, his voice steady even if his eyes were glued to Haerin. “Watch her.”
A tense heartbeat passed.
Haerin coughed once, then blinked—relaxed—and promptly squished the rest of the carrot flat with her palm like nothing had happened. A string of babble followed as she made another grab for more.
Jungwon sagged against the table, exhaling sharply. “I thought she was choking. Jay, I thought she was—”
“I know,” Jay said softly, releasing his grip on Jungwon’s hand only to lace their fingers together. “So did I.”
Jungwon’s eyes stayed locked on their daughter, who was now chewing much more confidently, a mashed smear of carrot coating her chin. “She looked so small just now.”
“She is small,” Jay smiled, gently pressing his lips to Jungwon’s temple. “But she’s already stubborn like you. She wants to do it herself.”
Jungwon scoffed quietly, still staring. “She’s lucky she’s cute.”
Haerin blew a raspberry and flung a second piece of carrot toward the floor like a triumphant declaration.
Jay chuckled. “She’s so your daughter.”
Jungwon finally smiled. “Let’s hope she learns to chew better than you learned to load the dishwasher.”
“Low blow,” Jay said, pretending to be offended.
Haerin grinned at both of them, gums on full display, carrot clinging to her cheek like war paint.