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The house already looked like a whirlwind had passed through it — couch cushions in precarious towers, crayons scattered across the coffee table, a faint trail of glitter from someone’s “fairy scientist experiment” leading into the hallway.
“Okay, shoes,” Jungwon said, half to himself, as he crouched by the front door trying to wedge his foot into a boot while holding his jacket in his teeth. “Keys. Wallet. Phone. Jay, do you have the tickets?”
“Already in my pocket,” Jay replied, emerging from the bedroom, buttoning his shirt, his hair still damp from the quickest shower in history. “And I triple-checked the car’s gassed up. Look at us. Organized.”
They both froze at a loud crash from the living room.
“Mostly organized,” Jungwon muttered, abandoning his shoe to jog in.
Haerin stood on the arm of the couch, triumphant, while Haru sat below wearing a spaghetti strainer on his head. “We built a castle!” Haerin announced.
“It has a moat,” Haru added, pointing to the throw blanket they’d spread out on the floor and filled with Legos.
Jay pressed his fingers to his temple. “Please tell me the moat isn’t full of juice this time.”
Before either of them could investigate, the doorbell rang.
Jungwon swooped Haerin off the couch. “Okay—no more jumping off furniture,” he said, setting her down gently as Jay went to open the door.
Heeseung stood on the porch holding a duffel bag, his usual lazy grin in place. “Reporting for duty. And… possibly doom.”
“You have no idea,” Jay said, ushering him inside. “We left a list on the fridge, and we stocked the freezer with dinosaur nuggets.”
“Oh, and the bedtime story rotation is taped to the bookshelf,” Jungwon added, heading for his missing shoe. “They get two stories each, but Haru will negotiate like a lawyer.”
Heeseung toed off his sneakers. “Copy. Two bedtime stories, no extra snacks, and if something breaks, deny everything.”
“Exactly,” Jay said with a sharp nod.
Haerin barreled into Heeseung’s leg. “We’re going to make slime!”
“After dinner,” Jungwon corrected quickly, swooping in to peel her off before she climbed him like a tree. “Maybe. If Heeseung’s still standing.”
“Cool,” Heeseung said, clearly lying. Haru grinned up at him like a tiny chaos goblin.
Jay tossed his coat on and came to stand beside Jungwon at the door. They both looked mildly frazzled but just a bit giddy at the rare prospect of a night out together.
“Emergency numbers are on the counter,” Jungwon said.
“And bedtime is eight,” Jay added. “Sharp. They’ll try to distract you. Don’t fall for it.”
“They’ve met me, right?” Heeseung said, flashing a peace sign. “I’m immune to cute.”
Haerin batted her eyelashes at him. Heeseung visibly faltered.
“Good luck,” Jungwon said, grabbing Jay’s hand and tugging him out the door before he could change his mind.
“Don’t burn the house down!” Jay called over his shoulder.
“No promises!” Heeseung called back as the door shut, and two small voices immediately chorused:
“SLIME TIME!”
The house seemed to exhale the moment the front door closed behind Jay and Jungwon, as if it knew it had been temporarily handed over to less responsible hands.
Heeseung dropped his duffel bag by the couch and looked down at the two kids standing like sentries in front of him. They were vibrating. Not just with energy — with purpose.
“So,” Heeseung said cautiously, “what’s first?”
“SLIME,” Haerin declared, flinging her arms wide like a stage magician. Glitter puffed off her sleeve.
“And nuggets,” Haru said solemnly. “Dino-shaped. The big stegosaur ones.”
Heeseung raised an eyebrow. “Dinner before slime. I like my odds of survival.”
They migrated to the kitchen. Heeseung preheated the oven, which prompted Haru to lie on the floor and watch the light inside like it was a campfire. Haerin climbed onto the counter to supervise.
“Feet down,” Heeseung said without looking.
“I’m the chef,” Haerin said.
“You’re seven,” Heeseung countered, fishing nuggets out of the freezer. “Your culinary license hasn’t been issued yet.”
By some miracle, the nuggets came out of the oven without anyone setting anything on fire. Heeseung served them with carrot sticks (ignored), apple slices (briefly licked), and a pool of ketchup (cheered for like it was gold).
While they ate, Haerin launched into a very serious presentation about her future slime empire, complete with marketing plans and a proposed logo. Haru contributed only by saying “poop slime” every time she paused for breath.
By the time Heeseung cleared the plates, the kids were humming with post-nugget adrenaline.
“Okay,” he said, wiping his hands, “ten minutes of slime, then straight to pajamas.”
Ten minutes turned into twenty-five. There was blue goo on the ceiling fan. Heeseung did not ask how.
Bath time was another saga. Haerin wanted a bubble beard. Haru wanted to see how long he could hold his breath (five seconds before Heeseung yanked him up by the armpits). There was a flood. Heeseung threw every towel they owned onto the floor and prayed the parents wouldn’t notice.
Getting them into pajamas was like trying to dress two wild squirrels. Somehow, eventually, they ended up dry, clothed, and corralled into their beds.
“Storytime,” Haerin sang, bouncing.
“Two stories,” Heeseung reminded, grabbing the nearest book. Haru immediately countered, “Four,” like they were haggling in a market.
They settled on three. Haru fell asleep halfway through the third, mouth open, snoring softly. Haerin held out longer, peppering Heeseung with questions about everything from dinosaurs to the existence of ghosts, until she finally sagged against his arm and drifted off.
Heeseung sat there for a while in the soft nightlight glow, listening to their even breathing. The house was still now, warm and quiet. Peaceful.
Then he spotted the glittery trail across the rug leading to the living room and sighed.
“Okay,” he whispered to himself, easing out of the room, “time to erase all evidence.”
The lock clicked softly, and the door cracked open just enough for Jungwon to peer inside. He paused halfway over the threshold, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“It’s… quiet,” he whispered.
Jay followed him in, shutting the door behind them. He kicked off his shoes with a muffled thump. “Don’t jinx it,” he whispered back. “They might all be asleep.”
The living room was dim, just the lamp near the couch left on. A scattering of sparkly slime crusted the coffee table, and there was a faint smell of nuggets still hanging in the air. On the couch, Heeseung was slumped sideways like he’d fallen in battle—head tilted back, mouth slightly open, a blanket pulled crookedly over his legs.
Jungwon tiptoed closer and crouched down, scanning him like a concerned medic. “He’s breathing,” he murmured.
Jay stifled a laugh in his sleeve. “Barely.”
They padded down the hall together, checking the kids’ room. Haru was starfished on his back, hair a messy halo, holding a plastic stegosaurus in one hand. Haerin was curled sideways at the edge of her bed, wearing a pink eye mask pushed up on her forehead like a crown. Both of them were out cold.
Jungwon softened immediately. His shoulders sank as he stepped closer and gently brushed Haru’s hair off his forehead, then bent to kiss Haerin’s temple. Jay stood behind him, arms folded, smiling softly at the sight.
When they tiptoed back out, Heeseung hadn’t moved an inch.
Jay crouched down this time, lowering his voice. “Heeseung,” he whispered, giving the back of the couch a gentle tap.
One of Heeseung’s eyes cracked open. “They’re alive, fed, and unconscious,” he croaked. “Don’t ask me how.”
Jungwon’s mouth twitched, trying not to laugh. “Was it that bad?”
“They bartered for extra stories like mob bosses,” Heeseung said, sitting up with a dramatic groan. “Also, your bathroom is… damp. And glitter’s a permanent part of your rug now.”
Jay snorted. “So a normal night, then.”
“Exactly.”
Heeseung pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his bag, yawning. “Next time, I’m bringing backup. Like… four other adults. And maybe a flamethrower.”
“You did great,” Jungwon said warmly, patting his shoulder.
“Barely survived,” Heeseung muttered, heading for the door—but he smiled faintly before slipping his shoes back on.
When the door clicked shut behind him, silence settled again. Jay leaned against the wall, looking at Jungwon with a soft grin.
“You know,” he said, “he lasted longer than I thought he would.”
Jungwon let out a tired laugh and reached for Jay’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go see if there’s any slime on the ceiling before we go to bed.”
They padded off together, fingers intertwined, still smiling.