Chapter Text
“Raon Miru Henituse.”
“... Heh.”
“What. Did. You. Do.”
“Papa, it’s not like that. I swear. I didn’t mean for it to happen!”
“I got a call from the deputy headmaster—”
Raon interrupted, ever eager to help.
“Alver ahjussi!”
“... And deputy headmaster Alver-nim said you kicked a ball directly at one of the ceiling lights. And that the protective grate around the light fell from the ceiling, to the ground, and knocked out another kid.”
“... Heheheh.”
“Who was it?”
“The mean Neo kid! The jerk who is always mean to noona and hyung! His Dad is the one Papa always calls a bast—mmm. A bad guy!”
“… Venion’s kid?”
The child nodded so vigorously, Cale was fairly certain he could hear his son’s brain rattling around.
“Yes, mean Mister Sten’s mean, dumb kid, Neo.”
“Oh. Well.”
He waved a hand around and tried to come up with something vaguely disapproving. Being a parent was so hard. It wasn’t like Venion’s kid didn’t probably deserve it, just a little bit, but he couldn’t have his son turn into the school’s resident bully.
“Standing up for Ohn and Hong is fine, but don’t do something like that again. If he got seriously hurt, we would have to pay his medical bills. Starting with the money in your piggy bank.”
“Oh noooo… That’s my money, Papa! I got it from being a good boy.”
“Yes, so unless you want to spend it on trash, you have to continue to be good.”
Cheeks puffed up indignantly, Raon seemed to think about it.
“Ugh. I need to make a lot of money so Papa doesn’t have to work anymore and can spend all of his time playing with me. I’ll be good. It would be annoying to spend my money on that jerk.”
“Good, as long as you understand. Now run along and apologize.”
Cale gave a shooing gesture with his hands and ignored Raon’s huff. Kids got into little fights like this all the time, so it wasn’t a big deal, but if that metal grate had actually injured someone…
Shuddering, Cale just decided to ignore it. He didn’t want to think about something that wasn’t going to happen.
He glanced around the gymnasium that was mostly empty now. Raon’s physical education lesson was the last one he had Monday and Wednesday, so it wasn’t uncommon for the parents to come into the school directly and pick their kids up after they finished the class. A few children were talking with each other and their parents hovered nearby. They were making polite conversation with the teacher, who gave a friendly wave and smile as the remaining families began to filter out.
There were some traces of guilt in the guy’s expression when he noticed Cale looking at him, and his eyes darted away awkwardly. He looked unsure of what to do with the situation while the Sten’s coddled their kid.
What was this guy doing, looking guilty like that? It wasn’t his fault, and it’s not like anyone really got hurt. So why does he look like a dejected puppy left out in the rain?
Cale suppressed the urge to sigh. He’d sent Raon off to apologize, so it was probably best to do his due diligence as a parent and make his own apologies, even if it was annoying. Being a role model and all that.
Walking right up to the young man, Cale knew his name was Choi Han from Raon’s orientation day but hadn’t ever had a proper conversation with him.
“Excuse me. You’re Choi Han, right?”
“Oh, yes. That’s me.”
“Great. I’m Raon’s father. I wanted to apologize, I know he must cause trouble.”
“No, not at all. Raon is a very good kid.”
Cale’s lips twitched, and he drew each word of his response out carefully.
“... Well, I should thank you for saying that.”
Choi Han tilted his head to the side.
“You sound like you don’t believe me?”
“Not even a little bit, no.”
Chuckling, the teacher ended up scratching the back of his head.
“… Ahh, well, I guess it’s more like, uh, trouble seems to find him? It doesn’t seem like he does anything bad on purpose.”
“Mmm. Don’t let his big blue eyes fool you. He’s a little monster.”
“Well, he is a very cute monster.”
Cale gave the teacher a bemused once over with his eyes, like he wasn’t quite sure what to make of him.
“You seem too nice for this job.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dealing with fifteen to twenty headaches that literally run around and scream all the time? I would suspect you have a terrible personality. I would have gone crazy.”
Nodding at that, Choi Han supposed he could understand the man’s point. Being a school teacher certainly came with its own unique kind of tolerances.
“Mm… Actually I went crazy a long time ago.”
Unexpectedly, Cale laughed. Choi Han hadn’t been joking, but maybe it was probably a good thing a parent brushed it off as a quip instead of a statement of fact.
“That’s probably not something you should tell other parents.”
“I. Right.”
Sheepishly, he let out a slight laugh and felt a little twinge of embarrassment, but it was mostly buried by his simple satisfaction over the fact that he’d made Raon’s father laugh.
Choi Han couldn’t remember his name, but he recalled meeting him on the student’s orientation day. That bright red hair was difficult to miss, and just when Choi Han was about to politely ask to be reminded of the man’s name, a different voice cut between them.
“Papa! I’m ready to go.”
Raon had run up and basically threw his book bag at his father, who grabbed it without skipping a beat and leveled his son with a serious look.
“Did you apologize?”
“Yes.”
“And did you apologize to Mister Choi Han?”
The young teacher held his hands up.
“Oh, no, that’s not neces—mm.”
Cale turned a very pointed, falsely polite glare at the man that told him, in so many more ways than just words, to be quiet.
‘I’m trying to parent right now, so just shut up and accept the apology.’
That was what his eyes were saying.
With a glum nod, Raon mournfully stepped forward.
“I’m sorry, Mister Choi Han.”
He hugged the gym teacher’s calf like it was a person, adding a firm ‘pat pat’ to the back of his hamstring for good measure.
Watching the boy’s father, the red-haired man gave an approving nod, so Choi Han took that as permission to accept the apology.
“... Uh, that’s okay, Raon. No one got hurt, so as long as it doesn’t happen again, then there’s nothing to be worried about. But thank you for apologizing.”
Cale clicked his tongue like he was extremely put out by the whole situation and jerked his head towards the door.
“Good job, now let’s go.”
As Raon detached himself from Choi Han’s leg and took several steps back, he turned towards the exit and grabbed his father’s hand. A moment before the young teacher could offer a polite goodbye, Raon’s father suddenly crowded his space, leaning close to Choi Han’s ear before being dragged away by a six-year old.
Quietly, he whispered, “Thanks for playing along.”
It made his skin break out in goosebumps at the unexpected proximity, and before Choi Han could even properly recover his bearings, the father-son pair were already halfway gone.
What… What was that?
Choi Han felt a little dumbstruck, pin-pricks of electricity making his nerves tingle. He ended up staring at the young man whose name he couldn’t recall as he exited the gymnasium with his son. Both of his hands were occupied, one toting a little dragon-themed bookbag and the other held the hand of a chatty and expressive six-year old. Raon’s free arm moved with fervor as he said something to his father, stars in his eyes and a smile on his face, but they were too far for Choi Han to hear anymore.
His eyes drifted, no, were drawn like a magnet, to the father’s hair as he walked away. It was really, incredibly bright. When he’d been introduced to a hundred mothers and fathers and guardians in a rush of faces and names on orientation day, it had been just as striking.
The way it moved was a little mesmerizing, a sea dyed crimson that ebb and flowed. He wished he could remember his name, but his memory was fallible and it had been over a month since their first meeting. Choi Han couldn’t remember if Raon’s father had come alone or with a partner, too distracted as he’d been by his hair.
That same moment.
Choi Han lifted both his hands to his face and pressed urgently against his own crimson cheeks. What was he thinking about just now? His mind got carried away and he realized too late what he was just doing.
No, no way. He can’t. He definitely, absolutely can’t.
Parents are totally off-limits. And, obviously, he has a kid! And probably a pretty wife with black hair and blue eyes, like Raon’s.
‘Maybe he prefers black hair? Then…?’
No! Stop that!
Choi Han groaned and turned around, face burning even hotter as he sped away from the gym so he wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.
So what if that coy whisper had sent a shiver down his spine? It was simply so Raon wouldn’t hear them. It was a totally innocent gesture that Choi Han’s imagination was turning into something entirely inappropriate.
Sinking down at his desk, he immediately threw himself into some work in the joint teacher’s office in order to forget all about it.
In regards to self-discipline, Choi Han considered himself extremely proficient.
His whole life, he was able to dive into virtually any subject or interest with enough single-minded focus to do or accomplish anything he wanted. Growing up, he never struggled with schoolwork or tests, not because he was naturally gifted, but simply because he could force himself to sit down and study until his brain was overflowing with equations and vocabulary. He worked and paid his own way through college and never complained once. Of course, it was difficult, but he wasn’t concerned with the fact that it was hard, only that it was just the thing that he had to do, so he did it.
It was a fail-proof method that had gotten him this far in life.
Why, then, was he currently seated at his desk in the teacher’s office with his head down, groaning while his colleague Rosalyn looked him over with a bemused expression?
Well.
No one else was present in the room, so she casually asked.
“And you’re… really certain you don’t like him?”
The fact that Raon’s father was inexplicably charismatic and probably one of the best looking people Choi Han’s ever met…
“Guuuhhh…”
The school day had ended about an hour ago.
Choi Han made up his mind after the first day that he would not entertain a single thought about developing a romantic interest in Raon’s father—Cale. He ended up asking Raon when he was too embarrassed to bring it up to the man directly.
Calculating it out, Choi Han figured it was feasible to just ignore it. It seemed reasonable. After all, they were only likely to see each other twice a week. Monday and Wednesday, when Cale would come to pick up Raon, and it’s not like there was a real reason for them to talk on those days anyway. At most, Choi Han would just need to exchange a few polite words, keeping the distance between them professional and cordial and nothing more. It was a sound plan, and if Choi Han could just maintain his usual level of discipline, then he would be able to get past his inconvenient… interest… in Cale Henituse.
And then. His efforts were completely in vain because of one anomaly he had not properly accounted for: Raon Miru Henituse.
In his defense, it probably would have worked, if not for the fact that his interactions with Cale ended up being much more frequent than the two-times a week as expected. Instead, out of a five-day school week, Choi Han ended up running into Cale Henituse at least four times, sometimes more.
It was always because of Raon.
Just as he had accurately described the first day he had a proper conversation with the boy’s father, trouble always had a way of finding Raon.
Really, he wasn’t a mean-spirited child or anything like that. Raon was very polite and made friends easily. A little wild and excitable, but the most that amounted to was torn up construction paper during his art classes and eager shouts while running around the gym. He listened to instructions and followed the rules. The fact that he was labeled a ‘troublemaker’ was reason enough to bring Cale down to the school a number of times, usually to apologize to the teachers or the deputy headmaster for a bunch of small disasters. It was never anything serious and no one was ever hurt, but it was just enough that Cale was forced to make regular appearances. Someone even asked if he was a substitute teacher with how frequently he was seen in the halls.
With Raon’s seemingly magical ability to attract all things destructive, Choi Han’s situation was not helped by the fact that the boy seemed to like him quite a bit. Raon would seek him out outside of classes, during lunch or recess or after school, to ask him questions and just talk to him. He was an incredibly sweet kid, and that just made it so much worse whenever he visited, because Choi Han absolutely did not have the heart to send him away.
Whenever Raon came looking for him at the end of the school day, it was like torture, knowing Cale would not be far behind looking to take him home.
Today was no different, which was why, in so many words, Choi Han had his head down on the desk and was quietly struggling to keep himself in check.
It’s become a ritual, he realized. A funny twist of circumstances that developed into a pattern.
On Monday and Wednesday, Cale would come to the gymnasium to pick Raon up right when lessons ended. Tuesday and Thursday, Raon would come running after his art lesson or foreign language class and want to show Choi Han right away whatever new thing he made or tell him the new words he learned. Fridays were a toss-up, but it was still fairly likely Raon would find his way to stick to Choi Han’s side while waiting for his father to come find them.
He thought about Rosalyn’s question.
‘And you’re… really certain you don’t like him?’
…
In all, Choi Han wasn’t sure when exactly it happened.
Sometime between the cycle of dreading seeing Cale, comfortable familiarity when actually meeting with Cale, and uneasy regret after Raon waved goodbye while holding Cale’s hand, Choi Han broke away from the fact that it was just base attraction. It became a part of his routine. The dread was replaced by anticipation, and the regret was only for the fact that they had to leave after a few short minutes of conversation. Those started to run longer, too. Five, ten, fifteen minutes. Choi Han would let Raon sit on his shoulders and they would make a circuit or two, or three, around the gymnasium for no real reason besides it was more comfortable than sitting in Choi Han’s shared office and trying to talk with students and teachers coming and going.
The whole thing, it was a torturous and wonderful cycle.
They developed ‘something’ (friendship? relationship? camaraderie?) that made Choi Han feel somewhere between a masochist and an idiot, because really, he knew better. He did. He knew he shouldn’t indulge, that he should stop permitting Raon to follow him around and seek him out unless they were in his class, but Choi Han was so uselessly weak in the face of Raon’s excited giggles.
Raon was painfully cute, and, in Choi Han’s opinion, his father was even worse.
Cale was completely unlike anyone else Choi Han had ever met before. He was sharp-tongued and clearly intelligent, but it was disguised behind a smooth surface of aloof sophistication that reduced Choi Han to feeling calm, comfortable, and curious to know more.
His skin was pale and smooth as porcelain, his hair was always shining and soft no matter if it was messily styled or well kept, and his eyes were warm and cutting at the same time. Most of all, he spoke honestly and without pretension, just simply stating whatever he was thinking without overcomplicating everything. It was a nice change of pace from the stiff and overly polite conversations he had with all of the other parents.
At the end of the day, Choi Han was a selfish and greedy person. He knew he shouldn’t want more. He was already crossing too many lines by carrying on with them the way they did.
But he was fighting a losing battle, which was a first for him.
It all came to a head one day when Raon got hurt.
This time, it actually was Raon’s fault. Weather permitting, Choi Han took their class outside for their usual activities and he tripped. Gravel dug into exposed knees and some small rivulets of blood welled up, but it wasn’t anything serious. Choi Han took him to see the nurse and left the class in the care of the deputy headmaster who happened to be observing the class nearby.
Choi Han looked at Raon’s crying, red and splotchy face and tried to calm him down with quiet reassurances while carrying him in one arm, doing his best to ignore his own pressing anxiety thinking about how Cale might react. It was the first time Raon had ever gotten hurt while under his care, and it made his gut twist and coil.
Tied together with his own worry, Choi Han ended up wincing when he realized exactly how hard he’d been clenching his jaw. It was almost giving him a headache and his temples pulsed at the sensation, so he forced himself to relax and focused on Raon, who was the one that really mattered here. They arrived at the infirmary, which was blessedly empty.
“Don’t worry, it’s just a few scrapes. You’ll be good as new in no time, but we’ll have to tell your Dad what happened, okay? Your Mom will want to know too, so it might be best if I write up a report.”
“I don’t have a Mama.”
“... Hm?”
Choi Han dropped the package of bandaids he’d picked up and stared at Raon incredulously.
“Don’t worry about the report, Mister Choi Han. We can just tell Papa when he comes to pick me up.”
“You… Your Mom…?”
Raon sniffled and wiped his nose on his arm, eyes dry but still puffy and red from crying.
“She died when I was born, so it’s just been me and Papa and Goldie gramps for a long time.”
He said this, totally unfazed by the fact that he’d just hit Choi Han over the head with a metaphorical hammer.
Gaping like a fish, the man forced himself to be present in the situation and tend to Raon, not his own daydreams, so his first impulse was to offer sympathy. But, upon seeing the oblivious sincerity in Raon’s blue eyes, Choi Han swallowed his apology and worked on cleaning up the child’s knees instead.
“Then there’s my uncles, annnddd sssstttttthhhh… ow, ow.”
A hiss pressed between his teeth and his muscles tensed up at the application of the disinfectant, but Choi Han told him he was doing great and he held his head up proudly, resuming like he’d never stopped talking.
“Aaaand, and my aunt, but she’s barely any older than me, so it’s not like she’s a real aunt. And then there’s grandmother and grandfather.”
“Wow, that’s a big family even if you don’t have any brothers or sisters.”
“Yeah, and I have Hong hyung and Ohn noona! I mean, I guess they aren’t technically my siblings, but they were adopted by my other uncle and live with my other-other grandpa, so they are sort of like siblings, and they play with me and they are both nice and cool like a brother and sister.”
“It sounds like you’re a very lucky little boy, Raon.”
“Hehe. That’s right, Mister Choi Han! I guess I am pretty lucky.”
He swung his feet back and forth over the ledge of the infirmary bed as Choi Han stood up to throw away the trash.
“... Hey, mister Choi Han, can I tell you a secret? It’s sort of dumb, though. But, mm… ”
When he turned around, he was surprised to find Raon quietly contemplating something with his hands folded together in his lap.
“What? Of course you can tell me. It’s not dumb to talk about something if it bothers you, Raon.”
Choi Han sat back in front of him in a chair beside the cot and waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.
“Okay. Well. Do you remember the day I accidentally hit that metal thing and it hit Neo in the head?”
Smiling slightly, Choi Han answered with a question of his own.
“How can I forget?”
It was the day he first had a proper conversation with Cale, and his mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of the other man ever since.
“I did it on purpose.”
That was not what Choi Han expected. He blinked repeatedly, wondering if he misunderstood.
“... What do you mean?”
“I kicked that ball at the light because I imagined it would fall and hit that jerk, but I think I might be magic cause it actually worked. I was just imagining stuff and it happened!”
“Hmm… You are a very strong kid, Raon. Maybe you are magic.”
“Right! Mister Choi Han, I knew you would understand.”
“But, um. If you’re strong like that, you should use your strength to protect people, not hurt people.”
“Yeah, that’s what Papa said too… But! It’s just. Sometimes, there are other kids who are… Mean. About my family. They say mean things about Papa. I am cool and great, but when people try to hurt my family, I just get so mad! But I didn’t want to tattle, so…”
Sitting back, Choi Han felt a faint ache in his own chest at Raon’s unexpected confession. So he had tried to hurt Neo for saying something mean about Cale? That…
“It’s not tattling if they’re being a bully. It’s only tattling if they do something harmless and then you tell someone anyways. Can I ask what kind of things he said, Raon?”
“They say all sorts of mean things. Like that my family is messed up because it shouldn’t be just Papa, but that there should be a Mama too. And that it’s my fault my Mama is dead. But I think that’s stupid.”
Feeling very unequipped to navigate this conversation, Choi Han just decided to be as supportive as possible.
“You’re right, that is stupid.”
“See! Mister Choi Han, you’re really cool. This is why Papa likes you!”
“... Hm? What? He said what?”
If Choi Han’s heart started beating any faster, it would leave an imprint against his ribs. Raon didn’t seem to hear his question and kept talking about whatever came to mind.
“Mhmm. I don’t hate my Mama or anything, but it’s not fair to blame me for her being dead. I never knew her, so… I know I should probably be sad about it, but it’s hard when I didn’t know her anyway. So I don’t care as much when they say things like that. But when they try to call my Papa names, I just…”
Choi Han saw the boy’s small fists trembling where they were clenched in his lap, and he moved without thinking, gently ruffling his hair. He could see some of the tension in his posture start to fade away, and Choi Han put on as kind a smile as he could manage when the little boy looked up to thim.
“Mister Choi Han, you’re really nice. Not like Neo. I really… mmm, I’m not supposed to hate people, so I guess I really-strongly-dislike that kid. I fell today because he made fun of Papa and then tried to run off so I was going to chase him and tell him to shut up! But then, I fell, so… I feel dumb.”
There were plenty of things Choi Han felt uncertain about, just like anybody else, but he did not have any qualms about taking action when someone wronged the people he cared about.
“You aren’t dumb, Raon. There’s nothing wrong with caring about the things that are important to you. But next time, you should tell someone like me or another adult if another kid is being mean to you, or if they say mean things about your dad. That’s not tattling. Okay?”
If he had been in Raon’s position, he would have probably acted similarly. Actually, he might have forgone the magic imagination and just thrown a few punches, so the fact that Raon just imagined something terrible and then accidentally made it come true was commendable.
It made him feel stuck, however, with his own personal predicament.
He recognized he was thinking in the worst and most selfish way possible, but he couldn’t help but feel oddly hopeful with the new information Raon shared.
This whole time, Choi Han had been so hellbent on not interrupting the Henituse’s family that he never even considered the possibility that Cale was single. Naturally, Choi Han noticed that Cale did not wear a wedding ring, because of course he noticed, like the obsessive person he is, but he didn’t want to create false hope and just assumed the man didn’t wear it.
The exact situation was still clear as mud, to be honest, but at least his guilty conscience could finally be nipped in the bud.
Cale might not be interested in relationships. Or men, for that matter. Or he might not like Choi Han’s personality and just tolerated him for Raon’s sake.
But maybe…
That tiny ‘maybe’ was a spark that made Choi Han’s heart beat even harder while he just tried to be the best adult he could and comfort Raon after telling the truth of something that was bothering him.
His dry throat bobbed as he swallowed before speaking again.
“Hey, Raon. What do you think about your Dad?”
“About Papa? Papa is the best! He writes books and lets me play with his hair and will give me a big allowance if I’m a good boy. We brush our teeth together and we wash our faces at the sink in the morning and he always takes care of me. Oh, he makes really good food and he is always teaching me important stuff. He’s a really bad dancer and his arm strength is terrible, he can’t even pick me up anymore and I’m not a fat kid!”
“Haha, no, you’re a very healthy weight for your age.”
“Because I’m a good boy!”
“That’s right, you are a good boy.”
“Thank you, Mister Choi Han!”
The boy laughed affectionately when Choi Han gave him another pat on top of the head, and just when he was about to tell him they should return to the class, Choi Han felt his heart leap into his throat.
A flash of red whipped around the doorway, this time lacking in its usual airs of grace and subtle amusement.
“Hey, hey, are you okay? Alver texted me. What did you do?”
Cale did not hesitate to walk swiftly up to his son, crouching in front of Raon at the edge of the bed. If Choi Han hadn’t been so taken off-guard, he would have offered Cale his seat, but it was all he could do to dumbly stare at the side of his face while the father and son looked at each other.
“I’m sorry Papa, I just fell. It’s okay. Mister Choi Han took care of me.”
Like a total idiot, Choi Han was totally frozen by the knowledge that the person just a few centimeters away was not married.
“Are you sure nothing else happened?”
The words were soft but firm, and Choi Han felt a little bit like he was intruding on a domestic moment. It would be awkward to just leave, however, so he decided to remain very still and just watch while Raon smiled as his father wiped at the tear tracks that had since dried on his red cheeks.
“Raon, you can tell me. You don’t usually get hurt, so if something happened…”
“Mm, I guess I just got angry about something stupid. I talked to Mister Choi Han though, and I feel a lot better.”
Cale hummed without responding and continued to wipe his son’s face several times until the boy gave a slight giggle.
“Papa, I’m not a baby.”
Cale agreed.
“You’re too big to be a baby. I could actually hold you when you were small, now I think you’d break my arms.”
“Mister Choi Han can lift me up without even breaking a sweat! He’s way stronger than you!”
“That’s true.”
Snorting, Cale scooted Raon off the squishy upholstery and made sure he was steady on his feet before fully letting him go.
“Papa, you should be like Mister Choi Han and exercise more.”
“Hard pass. Now, are you able to get your things? I want to speak to your teacher for a moment.”
“Yes, Papa. I’ll be right back!”
The moment Raon left the room, Cale collapsed down on the infirmary bed in the same place Raon had just been, his frame comically oversized for the gradeschooler’s cot.
“Aigoo, that kid. I’m seriously going to go crazy one of these days.”
Choi Han laughed but didn’t know what to say, sitting in a comfortable silence while Cale sighed and draped his arm across his face in exasperation. It blocked his expression from Choi Han’s view.
They were quiet for about a minute before Cale spoke again.
“Choi Han.”
“Yes?”
“Can you tell me what Raon was angry about? I don’t want you to betray the trust he places in you, but if it’s something I should know about…”
“Ah, actually. Yes. I wanted to talk to you about it, so thank you for bringing it up.”
Actually, there were several things he wanted to talk to Cale about, up to and including the possibility that he may actually be in love with him, but right now, Choi Han had to put Raon’s safety and comfort as the priority.
“Raon told me today he is being bullied by some other kids.”
“... I see.”
He didn’t necessarily sound surprised, which was more upsetting than it should have been, but Choi Han didn’t comment.
“It is a bit awkward to say, but it sounds like the reason may be because of your… ah, family situation?”
Choi Han watched for any visible reaction in Cale’s face but found none. He just stoically nodded after a long pause.
“... As expected.”
“This has happened before?”
Blinking at Cale incredulously, Choi Han watched as the other man raised his arm and looked at him directly. His expression was actually somewhat easier to read than his usually measured smirks or vaguely unimpressed scowls.
“It was the same thing in his kindergarten class. Well, that was more the parents, but it’s nothing new.”
He looked tired.
“Raon has, mm, should we call it a big personality? But he hates bullies and people who are mean to others for no reason. I told him to mind his own business, but he ends up standing up for other kids and makes himself a target in the process. It was even faster this time… Son of a bitch.”
Hearing Cale’s obvious frustration, he winced.
“Ah, um, I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, you’ve been a great source of inspiration for him here, so I guess I should thank you.”
A smile that didn’t reach his eyes or hold any of his usual amusement passed over Cale’s face.
“He’s a lot of work, and I know you don’t get paid extra or anything for dealing with… well, an extreme case like him.”
Chuckling a little at his own remark, Cale lowered his arm the rest of the way before sitting up properly
“He is a handful, but he really looks up to you. At home it’s always ‘Mister Choi Han this and Mister Choi Han that’, all day long. I just wanted you to know I appreciate it. Please continue to look after him in the future.”
“A, Ah. Of course. It’s… I am still fairly new to teaching, so I will admit it’s a bit difficult sometimes to know if I’m doing a good job, but I’m glad to know that Raon feels like he can talk to me about these things. I will certainly continue to look after him.”
“Thank you. Then I will continue to rely on you in the future as well.”
“It’s really…”
He wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t a problem. Indeed, it was his job. But he liked Raon a lot and felt even more respect for Cale than ever knowing he was raising him alone.
Clearing his throat, Choi Han looked around the infirmary and pretended to find the eye examination chart very interesting.
“Raon mentioned that his mother passed away when he was born. Forgive me if it’s inappropriate to ask, but just given the situation, I wondered if you… Have you ever thought about meeting someone else?”
“Hah. Hardly. There aren’t many people who are eager to date a man in his early twenties with a six-year old.”
Choi Han felt strange for many reasons, least of which was this being the most personal subject they’ve ever discussed, but especially upon hearing that remark.
What did that have to do with anything? Did Raon somehow make Cale seem… less appealing to other people? Why? Choi Han didn’t get it.
“... But Raon is such a good kid. How could anyone not love him?”
Cale snorted and got up from the bed, putting a hand on Choi Han’s shoulder.
“Careful, there. If you say things like that carelessly, you’re going to end up breaking my heart.”
“... W, What?”
“Papa! I’m ready!”
Raon came swinging around the doorway in much the same manner as his father had five minutes ago, this time with a backpack and a smile. The band-aids on his knees were bright as badges as he grabbed his father’s hand.
“Thank Mister Choi Han for helping you, Raon.”
“Thank you, Mister Choi Han. You are a really nice person! Papa, isn’t Mister Choi Han a nice person?”
Clicking his tongue, Cale shook his head.
“Far too nice, if you ask me. Now, say goodbye.”
“See you tomorrow, Mister Choi Han.”
Cale smiled at him and waved.
“Thanks again.”
They left the infirmary and Choi Han slumped down into the chair at the now empty-bedside.
Whose heart was going to end up broken here? Choi Han felt like his might stop working any minute. It was beating harder than it ever did after running around with the kids for hours at a time.
He scrubbed his hands down his face.
‘I’m so screwed.’