Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Dad, I'm in trouble..."

Those were the words In-Ho, heared from his 17 year old daughter No-Eul, who just arrived home from High School. No welcome, no "Hello I'm back!" and no explanation on why she was late, just a direct statement. She didn't look that apologetic either.

Putting away the newspapers on the coffee table next to him, he looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

In-Ho raised his left eyebrow.

"What did you do?"

His tone was neutral, no accusation found in his words. If anything he was more curious than anything.

"You see, some boy in my class making fun of a girl. I didn't like that, so I punched him..."

No-Eul stopped talking, but it's obvious she hasn't finished the whole story.

"Continue."

In-Ho said. Not a question, not a demand. It was encouragement to talk and she did, albeit a little reluctantly.

"He got mad, decided to try and punch me back, even though he missed."

His expression changed into worry at the "Punch me back" part, but he chose to not intervene, gripping the handle of his coffe mug instead, as if that could release the currently building up emotions.

"You could say we got into a little fight and well, the teacher saw it, broke us up and said we'll talk about it tomorrow after school in a meeting, with our parents."

No-Eul looked at her father expectantly, signaling she was done talking.

Said father stood up from the couch and took a closer look at his daughter. No bruises, no nothing. You wouldn't even be able to tell she had been in a fight.

"Did you win?"

"What?"

"The fight. I assume you won?"

"Of course, I would've kicked his ass if it wasn't for the teacher. That jerk didn't land single hit on me."

Should a police officer be happy to hear his daughter talking about kicking someones ass?

No, not at all.

Was he still proud?

Yes, very much so.

In his eyes she was just defending a fellow classmate, nothing he could condemn her for.

Taking a step forward he gently ruffled No-Euls hair with a fond smile spreading over his lips.

"Alright you little trouble-maker, when's the meeting tomorrow? Also, did you even know the girl you were so heroically defending?"

By doing that, he earned himself a tiny pout from her, nevertheless she didn't pull away and simply crossed her arms like bratty teenager. (She was one.)

"3:10PM, right after 7th period in our classroom and no, I don't really know her that well. She always sits alone in lunch. I think her name's Sae-Byeok or something like that- anyways you're gonna be there right?"

She didn't even know the girl? This just keeps getting better.

A sigh and a sip of his now cold coffee later he awnsered.

"Yeah, I'll be there don't worry about that. Your uncle will just have to take over my patrole for tomorrow."

Taking your workload and dumping them on your younger sibling. Typical older sibling behaviour.

No-Euls eyes lit up at the mention of Jun-Ho.

"When's the next time he's coming over? It's been ages since I've last seen him."

"It's actually just been a week."

He responded.

"But I'll tell him to visit soon, alright?"

"Good enough I guess."

In-Ho gave her an unimpressed look.

"You guess?"

"Yeah I guess."

Unsure on wether to feel amused or annoyed, he decided to send No-Eul to her room with a vocal note that he'll call her when dinner's ready.

Now alone, he gave his younger brother a quick call to let him know about tomorrow. A few "but it's for your niece" and "be a good uncle to her" later, In-Ho convinced him. Followed by a reminder to drop by in the next few days.

———(The next day)———

Dressed in a white shirt dress, loose dark blue pants with a black belt and a pair of classic black leather shoes, Inho found himself in his car, revving up the engine.

He always prefered dressing in more neutral and cool colors. It gave him a sense of comfort and belonging, even if others might say it gets "boring after a while" (others in this case was No-Eul).

"You always dress the same!" or "Don't you have any cooler clothes???" were common remarks from her.

Sigh, teenagers these days.

After a few minutes of driving, In-Ho arrived at the school. The familiarity of the halls giving him a peaceful feeling, despite the foreboding conversation waiting for him in No-Euls classroom.

Three polite knocks at the door and In-Ho heared a female voice with an authoritative undertone yell.

"Come in!"

Must have been the teacher.

In a matter of seconds, he mentally prepared himself for whatever was behind the door and opened it in a confident and elegant motion.

A woman sitting on the teachers desk, most likely the teacher. (Yeah who else would it be In-Ho? Duh).

6 chairs around the desk. 5 of them already occupied. The gap that was next to No-Euls place and must have been the chair that's meant for In-Ho to sit in.

On the right side sat a woman, her expression seemingly impatient and annoyed. Next to her a boy, possibly the son and the kid No-Eul "beat up" He didn't seem that injured physically, if anything he looked like his pride had taken a hit by "loosing to a girl". At least that's what In-Ho deduced by looking at his overly childish pout.

A man, who seemed to be around the same age as Inho sat on the left chair. He wore a pale yellow turtle neck with light brown pants and white shoes. The bright and earthy colors gave him a casual and socially inviting look.

His fluffly dark hair looked cute.

.....

Woah that was an interesting thought.

.....

In-Ho wondered what it would feel like to curl it with his fingers.

.....

Woah another interesting thought.

.....

Moving on.

Next to that man sat a girl. Was this the Sae-Byeok, No-Eul mentioned? She looked the same age as No-Eul and had a distant-ish aura to her, almost as if she didn't wanna be here or at the very least questioned her presence in this room. The despriction of "sitting alone in lunch" he recieved from his daughter yesterday, didn't seem far fetched now.

Quietly, In-Ho walked up to the teachers desk and took the seat next to No-Eul, giving her an acknowledging nod. He felt a weird and uninviting tension.

The teacher harrumphed, clearing her throat and gaining everyones attention in the room.

"Before starting, I'd like for everyone to state their name, so we can all be on the same page. Beginning with you Mister Seong."

She looked at the man with the pale yellow turtleneck.

His surname was Seong? For some reason, In-Ho took a mental note of that.

.....

It's probably nothing, he's always been the observant type before. Remembering stuff that others deemed unimportant, looking for patterns in things. Something he was good at, something that gave him structure.

"Seong Gi-Hun."

The man now known as Seong Gi-Hun replied, a friendly smile flashing on his lips.

Seong Gi-Hun.

Inho mentally repeated it.

Seong Gi-Hun.

He repeated it again.

Maybe just to test how it felt in his mind.

Now looking at the child next to Seong Gi-Hun, the teacher signaled for her to introduce herself.

"....."

A reassuring pat on her shoulder from Seong Gi-Hun.

"Seong Sae-Byeok."

The girl awnsered, her tone distant and neutral.

So that is his daughter.

He had a daughter just like In-Ho did.

.....

It was In-Hs turn to introduce himself next.

"Hwang In-Ho."

His own name smootly rolled off his tongue. He tried to not make his glances towards Seong Gi-Hun obvious, but his curiosity won. For some reson, the reaction Seong Gi-Hun had to In-Hos name felt important.

Unforgivable he didn't get one. Other then his friendly smile and a blink of his eyes, nothing showed.

In-Ho wasn't sure what he felt.

Disappointment?

Unmet expectations?

Whatever, there was no time to dwell on his random feelings. Not when his daughter was in potential trouble. Don't be selfish now In-Ho.

Speaking of her, she introduced herself, while staring daggers at the boy sitting in her presence.

The mother and the boy introduced themselves as well, waiting for the teacher to continue the conversation.

And she did.

"Now, I'm sure no one here likes wasting time. We're all adults with busy lifes. So I'll keep it short. The disruption that occured yesterday was an unwelcome sight in my classroom."

She stared at both No-Eul and the boy. It was clear the "disruption" was their little fight.

"I'd like to hear what everyone has to say about that."

Without waiting for anyone else, the boys mom spoke up first.

"My darling angel was just having a normal school day, until that... that girl decided to brutally attack him for no reason."

No-Eul frowned at these accusations.

Hold on a second.

That girl?

Brutally attack him for no reason?

This woman was acting like his daughter was some kind of brute.

The amount of poison she said "That girl" with, didn't sit right with him. Actually it made him furious. Basically insulting his daughter like that, infront of him nonetheless, felt like a personal attack.

He was about to say something until he heared Seong Gi-Hun speak up first.

"Let's take a step back. I don't think you're being fair towards the kid and let's not forget about how your son was bullying my daughter."

Seong Gi-Huns expression was stricter than before, but still soft around the edges.

No-Euls frown softend a bit, she didn't expect a stranger to defend her like that.

Something about Seong Gi-Hun defending someone else was... admirable. In-Ho thought so at least. It only deepend the intrigue he felt for him.

Feelings aside, he wasn't about to let something like that slide, so he spoke up with a sharper tone.

"With all due respect, I ask you to refrain from overly negative remarks about my daughter. We can discuss this in a civilized manner, can we not?"

That seems to have done the trick.

The mother muttered a quick apology, and the rest continued to talk.

Saw-Byeok barely spoke up, most likely due to a lack of interest in the conversation.

No-Eul was busy staring at the boy like he was her biggest enemy (I mean he kinda was at this point) instead of having a productive talk.

For some reason the mother was still hellbent on protecting her son. Acting like he was some pure innocent boy, rather than a grown ass teen who's still bullying people at his big age of 17.

After agonizingly long 15 minutes of talking and discussing, the teacher grew impatient herself and decided to end things here.

"I think it's fair to leave off everyone with a simple warning. This is a first-time offense from both students, so I see no reason for further punishment. Would everyone else agree with this?"

No one had something against this idea.

Even the mother agreed, although with an unneeded roll of her eyes.

"Great, with nothing else to discuss, you may all leave this classroom. I hope nothing similar like this happens in the near future. Have a great rest of your day."

Despite her annonyance, the teacher tried to end off in a polite manner and ease the still strong tension. (It didn't work, but it's the thought that counts right?)

Each parent took their respective kid and left.

The boy and the mother wasted no time and immediately left the school building, but not without one last glare at No-Eul and Sae-Byeok.

Fortunately the girls were busy talking to each other in the hallway instead of paying attention to them.

In-ho leaned against a nearby wall, so he couldn't hear everything, but from what he heared, it was mostly positive talking.

"Who knows, maybe they'll become friends over this."

He heared a voice from the right say that and turned around.

Seong Gi-Hun.

"That would be nice."

In-Ho responded with a fond smile on his face. No-Eul was a distant kid, which worried him. Having a friend couldn't hurt her.

"You know I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

In-Ho asked.

"Your daughter. Sae-Byeok has always been more of a loner. Don't get me wrong, she's a great kid, gets high grades, good head on her shoulders, but she doesn't have many friends. Seeing how your kid stood up for her, it did something. I can tell for sure."

Seong Gi-Hun awnsered, sounding genuine and honest. The happy grin on his face only amplified whatever In-Ho was feeling. Earlier tension completely gone and everything that remained was the sound of blooming friendships.

"It's nothing really, that's just the kind of person No-Eul is. She doesn't have many friends either, but her heart is in the right place."

In-Ho paused, unsure wether to continue or not.

"Mister Seong Gi-Hun-"

"Just Gi-Hun is fine. No need for formality."

"Gi-Hun... I'm sorry for meeting under unfortunate circumstances like this."

Just a polite apology, nothing more, nothing less. Somehow that feeling left In-Ho unsatisfied.

"That's okay, no one got seriously hurt, oh and look, these two seem to get along just fine!"

Gi-Hun pointed towards the girls exchanging phone numbers and laughing with each other.

"They do, so they'll actually become friends?"

In-Ho said out loud before noticing how akward that question sounded, coming from him. A grown man should know how friendships begin to form.

"I'm positive."

Without noticing the social failure of In-Ho, Gi-Hun replied. His expression never changed, that sweet grin refusing to leave his face, which annoyed In-Ho. It gave him the feeling that this was just average conversation for Gi-Hun, but In-Ho wanted more.

He wanted to get to know him better-

Wait

Why was he even feeling this way?

Ever since he saw Gi-Hun for the first time, right after entering the classroom. It's like he envoked a deep hidden desire to bond with other people. In-Ho hadn't felt it since his late wife.

As much as he would've loved to keep thinking about his emotional turmoil, Sae-Byeok voice cut through it.

"Dad, can we go home? I'm hungry."

"Yes of course sweetie. Just wait a sec."

His voice was full of affection.

Sae-Byeok only rolled her eyes at the nickname, but didn't comment on it.

"Here."

Gi-Hun held out what looked like buisness card to In-Ho, who took it with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to win you over as client for my work, but it has my number on it."

Oh.

Does that mean he wants to stay in contact?

"We should meet up some time. Since our kids are befriending each other. We shouldn't be strangers either. You cool with that?"

He does want to stay in contact.

"Yeah of course, why wouldn't I be cool with that."

In-Ho replied, his eyes softening a bit as he inspected the card. It said: "Problems with your car? You're at the purrrfect place. Give us a call." with the drawing of a small cat. He tried to supress his giggle at the pun but failed to do so. Can't resist a good old dad joke.

Gi-Hun said his goodbyes to both In-Ho and No-Eul, leaving with his daughter.

No-Eul looked at her father and spoke up.

"Dad, I made a new friend today. Did you make one too?"

After carefully putting away the card in his pockets he replied.

"I did. Come on, let's go home. I bet you're hungry after school."

She nodded and followed him to the car.

Chapter Text

It's 10pm on a thursday night, In-Ho was laying in his bed after going through his nightly routine of taking a shower, brushing his teeth and putting on a comfy bathrobe.

No-Eul had gotten to bed already, (hopefully) so it was quiet. No talking, no YouTube video playing from No-Euls room or whatever it is that kids were watching these days.

And yet, sleep wouldn't come over him. Something or rather, someone, was keeping him awake.

Well Gi-Hun wasn't standing there physically to keep him awake, obviously, but the thoughts about him became too big to ignore.

The joyful grin, plastered on that mans face looked just like his wifes-

Okay stop. In-Ho stop.

This is unfair.

Comparing the woman you had been married with for 5 years to a man you've met this wednesday? He should feel guilty, he did feel guilty.

Subcounciously gripping his blanket tighter, as if they were at fault for everything, he lets out a deep breath.

Maybe he could just close his eyes and pretend like his thoughts don't exist. Sleep is a valueable thing and In-Ho needs it.

Clearly.

———(The next morning)———

The alarm clock rang sharp at 6:50am, though to In-Hos tired ears it feels more like a shrilling.

Not a great sound to wake up to on a friday morning.

Barely awake he stretches out his right arm to reach the evil alarm clock and turn it off.

Next things on the list are:

1. Freshen up in the bathroom.

2. Get dressed.

3. Wake up No-Eul

4. Make breakfast.

5. Have breakfast with No-Eul

6. Drive her to school and then drive himself to work.

Can't be that hard. Routine helps his mind go on autopilot and that means no complicated feelings to think about.

He steps into the bathroom, quietly to not wake up No-eul, letting her have the few minutes of extra sleep.

Brushing his teeth and splashing some water on his face helps with waking up, feeling more aware of his surroundings. At least he feels less dizzy now. That's something right?

Back in his bedroom he put on his uniform for work and checked the time.

7am.

Perfect time to wake up his daughter.

A few gentle knocks, after going up the stairs to her bedroom door are enough to hear a tired groan coming from the inside.

"Yeah I'm awake dad!"

"Okay good, I'll make breakfast and you can-"

"And I can come down to the kitchen to eat once I'm done. You do this exactly every day, at the same time. I know by now."

.....

Who taught her this sassiness?

.....

Oh wait, you did In-Ho. Great job.

Feeling defeated by his own daughter (what a loser),
he walks down the kitchen and puts on a simple white apron with light blue stripes.

Now the question. What will he cook?

Would it have been smart to ask No-Eul? Yes, but he was already standing in the kitchen and no, he didn't wanna go back up the stairs.

There was still left-over rice in the fridge, that he could warm up.

Grabbing a pan, he decides to scramble 4 eggs, mixes them with the left-over and now warmed up rice. He seasons it with soy sauce and sesame oil, plates it on two different plates. Additionally he puts some kimchi in two small bowls and serves it alongside the rice.

Breakfast was fully plated, all he has to do is wait for No-Eul.

"Smells good."

Speak of the devil.

No-Eul showes up dressed in her school uniform, carrying a backpack in her left hand and carefully putting it on the ground.

Both of them take a seat at the table and begin eating in a comfortable morning silence, until No-Eul speaks up.

"Hey, is it okay if Sae-Byeok comes over today after school?"

A smile flashes on In-Hos face. It's been a long time since No-Eul invited a friend come over.

"Yes of course. Why not."

Giving him an excited nod she continues.

"You know I wanted her to stay over the weekend, but apparently she's at her moms house on saturday and sunday."

In-Ho raised a questioning eyebrow. Don't Gi-Hun and his wife live in the same house?

"What do mean by that?"

"Ohhh, yeah I forgot to mention it. Her parents divorced like a few years ago."

.....

That means Gi-Hun is single.

....

Not that it matters to In-Ho of course.

Unsure on how to respond, he takes another bite of his food, trying to come up with something in the meantime. It didn't work.

Fortunately, No-Eul is feeling talkactive.

"You think you could drive us home from school?"

"Oh uh yeah that's no problem, I'll drive."

In-Ho is getting distracted by his thoughts again. Even No-Eul can see that.

"Dad, are you okay? You seem off for some reason and why do you keep staring into space?"

Is he staring into space?

Oh he's totally staring into space.

Ever since his daughter mentioned the word "divorced", his mind has been working overtime.

So much for autopiloting his head.

"Hello?"

No-Eul speaks up again, sounding both annoyed and worried.

"Maybe you've been working too much. Take a vacation or something, can't you do that when you have a job?"

The sound of letting his spoon fall, the way it clirred against the ceramic floor snaps his mind back to reality.

"Ahh my bad... I'm just a little sleepy, don't worry about it No-Eul."

In-Ho tries salvaging the now akward conversation and judging by No-Euls side-eye it wasn't working.

Either way he quickly picks up the spoon and brings it to the sink. Leaving it to be cleaned later.

A few minutes later he checks the time once more.

7:35am.

"Alright, time to go to school. Come on. Let's go."

Putting away all the dishes, both of them leave the house and walk over to the car.

"You wanna hear a joke?"

In-Ho suggests.

Despite her judging look, she nods. A hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"So, when does a joke become a dad joke?"

He begins, excited to tell his joke.

"I don't know, you tell me."

"When it becomes, apparent"

......

It takes all the strength from In-Ho to not burst out laughing at his own joke, which is kinda sad.

.....

No-Eul on the other hand keeps staring at him, like the joke had personally offended her. Unimpressed would be a good way to describe it.

In-Hos impression falls to one of confusion, but he recovers by taking a deep breath and tries thinking of the best dad joke he got.

"Okay, this one's better. Who won the neck decorating contest? It was a tie."

.....

Her expression never changed, still as dissapointed as before.

"Damn, tough crowd I got here."

In-Ho sighs and she smiles.

Wait she smiles?

"It's okay, they aren't that bad."

No-Eul reassured him, her voice taking on a fond sound.

She isn't smiling at the jokes, more at the fact he's trying so hard to make her laugh. If In-Ho was the sentimental type, he'd probably cry right now.

He let out a light-hearted "Tch" sound.

"I'll take that as a win."

Simple talks like these are everything to him. For No-Eul too, even if she'd never say it out loud.

Chapter Text

3PM.

In-Ho hops into his car and drives off to No-Euls school. He didn't forget about the promise of picking her and Sae-Byeok up.

Soon, he finds himself in the schools parking lot, avoiding the spaces specifically meant for teachers. It happend the first time he picked up No-Eul from High School after enrolling her and it was pretty embarrasing. Luckily the teachers were chill and laughed about it. Still, repeating a mistake like that isn't something he'd do.

Not even a minute later the two girls show up, it's like they randomly spawned. At least they looked happy.

"Hello Mister Hwang."

Sae-Byeok greets him, who, despite her collected nature, still seems excited at the thought of coming over.

No-Eul playfully fights her by poking her.

"I already told you before, you don't need to do all that Mister stuff."

In-Ho has to hold back a chuckle at his daughters antics.

"Yeah, just In-Ho is fine."

Sae-Byeok simply nodded and No-Eul was giving her a "Told you so" expression.

The three of them get into the car. In-Ho at the front in the drivers seat. The two girls in the backseats.

Except for the music that was playing, the carride was filled with comfortable silence, until Sae-Byeok decides to say something.

"My dad's gonna pick me up at 8PM. That's okay right?"

He's what?

That means In-Ho's gonna see him again.

As much as he wants to deny it, the thought of that makes his heart skip a beat.

What is wrong with him?

Anyways, looking at Sae-Byeok through the rearview mirror he questions.

"Not a problem, does he know the address?"

"Yeah, I've already told him."

In-Ho just nods.

So he's gonna see him again before ever having texted his number. (Being fair he only recieved the card like 2 days ago)

The rest of he car drive goes by quietly, with No-Eul and Sae-Byeok whispering to each other. Something about "acting strange". He wasn't interested in finding out who the gossip was about. Worst-case scenario it was him, so ignorance was his best bet. (Yeah it was him.)

Opening the front door to his house, he holds it open for No-Eul and Sae-Byeok to pass through first.

"Now if you two need anything, just-"

Without letting In-Ho finish his sentence, the two girls beam up the stairs.

Wow.

"Alright then, I guess that's an awnser too..."

Flabbergasted, he leans against the walls of the hallway and thinks to himself.

Is there anything to be done?

Getting out of the police uniform was one thing, but then what?

Clearly the girls don't need him, not with the way they disappeared into No-Euls room, though he might consider bringing them some snacks later.

He could always start another book, In-Ho's always been a fan of books, since he was small.

Yeah, that's what he'll do, but not before taking off his uniform and switching into something more comfortable.

Brewing himself a cup of green tea, he sits down on the living rooms couch. A romance novel in his right hand, which is an unsual choice for him. For some unexplainable reason it felt right to read one today.

The main character is a 24 year old lawyer, who used to be childhood friends with the male love interest, a 25 year old prosecutor. Due to unfortunate circumstances they seperated in their early childhood, but reunited years later in a trial.

It's the first time In-Ho had read a queer romance, despite that, he enjoyed it. Their dynamic was written and the characters complimented each other well.

2 hours pass and he is still enveloped in the book.

Begrudgingly, In-Ho puts the book aside, enters the kitchen and looks for snacks.

1 bowl of shrimp crackers and 2 cans of Milkis, one strawberry flavoured, the other peach.

Carefully walking up the stairs with the goods, he knocks at the bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

No-Eul yells from the other side of the door.

"Can I come in?"

In-Ho asks.

"Sure."

While still balancing the food and drinks, he opens the door.

"I've brought you two some stuff, figured you'd be hungry."

Both their eyes widen in delightment.

No-Eul hastily grabs the goods, muttering a happy "Thank you!"

"What are the two of you doing, everything going all right?"

"Everything's fine, we were just finishing up some school work."

Sae-Byeok was the first to speak, she'd gotten more chatty since the first time In-Ho saw her, which is a good thing.

"Glad to hear that, I'll be down-stairs if anything comes up alright?"

With a nod he left as quickly as he showed up, seeing no point in bothering them any further.

Back on the couch, In-Ho continues reading the novel, getting lost in time again. He couldn't help it. Books were one of the things he considered a comfort-zone. Taking in information, painting a picture in his head based on words. It just made sense to him.

His thought process got interrupted by the beeping of his phone.

A text message from a number.

Gi-Huns number, saved in his contacts as 'Seong Gi-Hun'. (Wow, real creative there In-Ho).

It said:

"On my way to pick up Sae-Byeok, thanks for letting her stay over :)"

Of course he had to add that damn smiley. Compared to In-Hos lame response, which was just a thumbs up emoji, Gi-Huns messaging was candy. Sweet and wrapped up nicely.

Another notification bops up on his phone.

Another message.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes"

It was then that In-Ho bothered to check the time.

7:50PM.

Did he almost spent 4 hours on reading a book, with only a small break to bring up some snacks?

Yes he did.

Half of the book was already read and the protagonists kissed one time, even though they weren't even oficially dating. It was a cute moment, the prosecutor and lawyer were sitting in the back of the Cafe, hidden away from all the other people in the room. Despite the prosecutor being the more stoic of the two, he was the one who initiated the kiss.

.....

Is he imagining doing that with Gi-Hun?

.....

Yep, he totally is and honestly, it's extremly pathetic. Why do you wanna kiss someone you barely know anything about?

.....

The loneliness of losing his wife 17 years ago at childbirth must be catching up on him. It was tough at first. Raising his daughter, coping with the death of his loved one and working all at once, he just didn't have the time to feel lonely. Sure, Jun-Ho and his mom helped out a lot, but there's only so much they could do.

Now?

No-Eul was grown up and didn't need as much assistance anymore. Other then work and paying bills, there wasn't much to do for him.

When did this gap in his heart start to grow?

Has it always been there, if yes, why is he becoming hyper-aware of it just now?

It's not actual love he's feeling for Gi-Hun, he just wants to fill the gap his wifes decease left him with and that wouldn't be fair.

.....

The doorbell rang.

Must be him.

In-Ho gets up from the couch and opens the door, revealing a happy-looking Gi-Hun.

Politely, In-Ho extends an arm out as greeting, putting on his signature smile and Gi-Hun is more than willing to accept it.

Shaking his hand felt like a shockwave going through In-Hos body. A new, but not unpleasant sensation.

Rough around the edges, but still soft. At least that's how he'd describe Gi-Huns hands.

"Thanks for letting Sae-Byeok come over, she was so excited when she asked me about it yesterday."

"Not a problem at all, I'm just glad to see them get along."

Being upclose, In-Ho couldn't help but notice his rather fit physique. Not muscular by any means, but the mid-sleeved Gi-Hun wore, showed off just enough to be curious and yet enough to have a full picture.

After clearing his throat, In-Ho tries leading the conversation.

"Follow me upstairs, I'll bring you to their room."

With a sweeping motion of his hands, he indicates for Gi-Hun to follow him. Now that gesture could give off an arrogant vibe and going off by Gi-Huns slighty cringed expression it probaby did.

In-Ho internally face-palmed himself, he didn't mean to come off like that, he just found it easier to use his hands in some way while talking with other people.

Seriously, he never has those kind of miscommunication problems when speaking in meetings or something like that. Why was it privately so much more difficult?

Neither of them mentioned the small mishap verbally and In-Ho tries to read Gi-Huns body language to get his awnser, but he doesn't find anything. All the rules of social interaction he learned just didn't apply on Gi-Hun. On one side it's really frustrating, on the other side it made In-Ho want to learn more about him.

Standing at the door, he let's Gi-Hun knock at the door. Compared to In-Hos 3 knocks, Gi-Hun knocks 2 times. Remembering unimportant stuff won't fix your social failure In-Ho.

After opening the door, No-Eul urges Sae-Byeok to stand up, letting her talk to her dad.

"Dad."

Sae-Byeok already had those eyes that looked like she was about to ask for something.

"Sae-Byeok."

Gi-Hun counters, he didn't mind her asking for something, as long as she actually voiced it out.

No-Eul gave her an encouraging look, which Sae-Byeok returned with a slight glare.

"I wanna stay longer. Can we go home later."

Now the thing about Gi-Hun is, that puppy eyes were his biggest weakness. Countless times has he failed to play the role of a strict parent, just cuz Sae-Byeok looked at him with those damn eyes.

Not this time though. She had to be ready tomorrow morning for Gi-Huns ex-wife to pick her up.

"Sweetie, you know that's not possible-"

"Please?"

She added on a pout.

Damn this was difficult.

"You can come back another day, okay?"

The two girls were about to give up, until In-Ho intervened.

"If it matters, I wouldn't mind having both you and Sae-Byeok over for another hour or so."

He totally didn't recommend that to be able to spend some more time with Gi-Hun.

Okay yeah he totally did.

Gi-Hun looked at In-Ho, unconvinced.

"You sure? I'd hate to be a bother."

"No no no, you wouldn't be a bother at all."

In-Ho shot out, a bit too fast.

On top of that, No-Eul and Sae-Byeok look at Gi-Hun with a pleading expression.

"Okay okay fine, one more hour, but then we're leaving. Got it?"

The girls looked like two children having recieved a box of candy.

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

Both of them simultaneously say. It's the most emotion In-Ho has seen from them today.

"Okay come on, let's leave these two alone."

In-Ho began leading Gi-Hun to the living room, urging him to take a seat on the couch.

"Coffee or tea?"

He asks Gi-Hun.

"Oh no worries just a glass of water is fine-"

"No."

No? The hell is that supposed to mean? Gi-Hun didn't know either, at least based on the way his eyes just scream confused.

"Uhh what I meant is, you don't have to get a water just because it's 'the least trouble' for me or something like that, but if you genuinely want a water that's fine too I'll get you one-"

In-Ho started explaining too fast, only to be cut off by Gi-Huns laughter.

"Woah there calm down, didn't know you take hospitality so seriously. Make me a coffee then."

The laughter wasn't a mocking one, instead, it was full of warmth and lively fun, In-Ho would give everything to hear it again.

He began making the coffee and a tea for himself.

"Here you go."

In-Ho hands the coffee to Gi-Hun and sat down next to him on the couch.

Slurping on his tea, In-Ho had no idea what he should say. Despite that, he tried to make the akward start.

"So, what exactly do you do for a living?"

That was the worst start he could've picked. Remember the card he got from the first time they met? Yeah, he already knew Gi-Huns work must be related to cars. What a dumbass.

Still, Gi-Hun never questioned it and began rambling about his work. Apparently he even had his own garage. Successful, good-looking and Gi-Hun seemed like a wonderful person. It lead to In-Ho questioning on why the divorce between him and his wife happend. Obviously he wouldn't ask that now, it must be sensitiv topic and it's not nice to ask something like that so early on.

Even with the unstable start, their conversation quickly turned smooth. Learning more about each other. According to Gi-Hun, In-Ho seemed like the cat type of person, which was true actually, still he never owned one.

"You know, cats often find themselves into my garage. No matter what I do, those sneaky furrballs keep coming in like they pay rent. Maybe I could show you one day."

Gi-Hun basically invited him to his garage? If he says yes now, their relationship might enter a deeper level than In-Ho was willing to let it become.

Even so, "It's alright" is what In-Ho told himself. He won't let it become love, it'll just be a friendship to distract himself from his own emotional distress.

Kinda like a bandage. A fragile one, but a bandage nonetheless.

"Does this weekend sound good? No-Eul's gonna stay at her uncle this the weekend so I'm free."

"Yeah."

Gi-Hun began, taking the last sip of coffee inbetween his sentence.

"This weekend sounds good. I'll text you the specifics later."

The clock hit 9PM.

"Let's wrap things up here. I still have a daughter to bring home."

He speaks and In-Ho nods in response.

They go up the stairs, Gi-Hun takes his daughter and everyone says their goodbyes to each other (for real this time).

In-Ho wondered if he'd see any of the cats in the garage.

He'll find out once he gets there.

Chapter Text

Sae-Byeok sat on No-Euls bed stressing over some math homework.

"I'm bored, can we do something else?"

She complained to No-Eul.

"Like what?"

No-Eul awsnered, laying on the fluffy carpet in her room and taking a sip of the strawberry Milki.

"Talk. We need to talk."

Sae-Byeok looked directly at No-Eul, as if to pierce through her with eyes alone.

"Okay then just talk? Is this gonna turn into a therapy session? If yes, just know my hourly rates are really high."

No-Eul jokes, thinking she's hilarious. (She got the bad humor from In-Ho)

"Come on, stop playing around. There's an elephant in this room and you're not addressing him."

She glares at No-Eul, considering the option of throwing a pillow at her.

"An elephant, where? I'll shoo him out!"

.....

Bam.

.....

Her fate was decided after making that joke and the pillow went straight to her head.

"Ouch."

No-Eul mock pretends being hurt, earning herself another glare.

"Alright, alright, fine. Seriously what's the elephant in the room?"

"Your dad and my dad."

Sae-Byeok says, as if that would explain everything.

"What about them-"

Stopping herself, No-Eul realizes what she meant.

"You think they like-like each other?"

"Exactly."

The other awnsered her, popping a shirmp cracker in her mouth.

Leading the conversation like it was a secret mission, Sae-Byeok began talking.

"You know, ever since my dad met In-Ho, he started humming love songs while working on cars. He hasn't done that since divorcing my mom. Even worse, I caught him talking to one of the cats about finding some guy cool."

Those were some crazy news she shared, even No-Eul was shocked.

"Hold on a second."

No-Eul started thinking.

"You know, this morning at breakfast, I told my dad about how your parents are divorced and he...he just started staring into space. I don't know if it matters, but I remember him buying some love-story book not too long ago, with two guys."

Now it was Sae-Byeok turn to be shocked. This just getting better and better.

Still, No-Eul kept talking.

"Why does that even matter though? Personally I don't carr if they're gay for each other or not. As long as they're happy."

"No- I mean yes they should be happy and all, but you're not seeing the bigger picture here."

Sae-Byeok insisted.

"Care to tell what that 'bigger picture' is?"

No-Eul mocked her in response, sounding overly curious.

"You idiot."

Sae-Byeok began, what a great way to start off a sentence.

"If they ever get married, that means we'll be step-sisters."

The look No-Eul gave her was priceless.

"That is the smartest thing you ever said girl. They have to get together now."

"How are we gonna do that?"

Sae-Byeok questions, a thoughtful expression painting her face.

An idea popped up in No-Euls mind, which is usually a bad thing.

"Okay hear me out, what if, we each write love letters and sign them in their names?"

Dissapointment isn't even enough to describe Sae-Byeoks feelings right now.

"That is the dumbest thing you ever said girl. We aren't in a Disney movie."

A scowl overcame No-Euls face.

"Okay then what if we just straight up tell them? Like I tell my dad, that your dad likes him and you tell your dad, that my dad likes him."

"You just used 'dad' four times in one sentence and expect me to listen?"

If scowling² was a thing, No-Eul would be doing that right now.

"Maybe you could-"

No-Eul was about to start, until Sae-Byeok intervened.

"If I don't like your next idea, I'm throwing another pillow at you."

She equipped herself with a pillow, deadserious on carrying out her threat.

"Hey now, calm down."

No-Eul held up her arms in mock-surrender.

"Trust me, you'll love this plan. When your dad comes home, convince him to let you stay another hour. That way, he'll have to spend some time with my dad. It's genius right?"

Ultimately, Sae-Byeok put down the pillow, deciding against throwing another one.

"Finally you're actually using your brain for once."

"Wow you're so nice to me. What did I ever do to deserve such a nice step-sister."

She sarcastically said, earning herself an eyeroll from Sae-Byeok.

"Well what did I ever do to deserve such a stupid step-sister."

"I'm not the one struggling with math."

No-Eul countered with a shrug, but changes the subject.

"Anyways, you're at your moms this weekend right? I'll be going to stay over my at my uncles place, which means..."

Sae-Byeok finishes the sentence for her.

"That they'll be all alone."

Both of them let that sink in for a moment, with No-Eul being the first to speak up after a minute of silence.

"You think they'll meet up or something?"

"Oh totally. 100%."

Sae-Byeok was sure of herself.

She had every reason to be.

In-Ho and Gi-Hun are meant to end up with each other, maybe sooner than they'll think.

Chapter Text

Saturday, 4:30PM.

The girls were off to their respective visits and In-Ho stood infront of his mirror, mulling over the outfit choices.

He hasn't panicked this much over clothes since going on the first date with his wife back then.

A suit? No.

For christs sake In-Ho, you're going to a mechanics garage and maybe to a bar afterwards. As much as he loved his suit, it was a total overkill.

Black top, black pants with a black belt- now hold on a second. Are you going to a funeral In-Ho? The only one dying is your dignity maybe. At least switch out the black top for a dark blue one maybe.

Now he was just wearing the same outfit he wore on the day the first met.

Whatever, familiarity is comfort for him and it was already 4:40PM. It's either leaving now or being late and being late was not a trait Hwang In-Ho possessed.

Quickly, he grabbed his car keys and left his house. Opting for the car and driving off to Gi-Huns place.

It was just a quick 15 minute drive, he has been lucky with everything important being so close by.

Huh.

He just subcounciously considered Gi-Hun something or rather, someone, important. No time to think about that for now, keep your eyes on the road!

Swallowing the heavy lump in his throat, In-Ho arrived at Gi-Huns front door. It had a little sign hung up saying "Home sweet home", which was rather cute.

Carefully he places his finger at the doorbell and rings it.

A few seconds pass before Gi-Hun opens the door with an energetic swing.

"Hi there! Glad to see you made it in time."

Gi-Hun greeted him, the warm grin on his face making In-Ho feel weak.

Instead of staying inside, Gi-Hun steps out the doorframe and drags In-Ho with him.

"Come on, it's not far from here. We'll walk."

All protest on In-Hos tongue died out the second he remembered the promise of meeting the cats, that kept invading Gi-Huns work-place.

Damn, those cats held more power than they knew.

A few minutes of walking later and they found themselves at the promised place. The smell of motor oil was prominent and new for In-Ho, but not unwelcome.

One thing was missing though.

Where are the promised cats?

"Now, before you mention the cats, they usually only come in when there's someone inside. Most likely because they want food."

Great, apparently Gi-Hun had the ability to read minds too for some reason.

"You feed them? Aren't you scared of feeding someone elses house cat?"

In-Ho questioned, looking at Gi-Hun with great curiosity, as if he were taking in every detail about him. (He probably was).

"Nah."

Gi-Hun began, stopping mid-sentence to take something out of a shelf.

"The cats who sneak in look roughed up and too thin to have an owner. They're stray cats and most people don't really pay attention so them. Someone's gotta take care of them."

Fascinating, is how In-Ho would describe it. Gi-Hun was a simple person, his kindness blends in nicely, usually overlooked by people. To In-Hos observant eye however, it stood out. How can a person be so special and normal at the same time? It made no sense.

He stepped closer, wanting to see what Gi-Hun took out of the shelf. A bag of cat kibble and one large bowl.

A quick shake of the bag from Gi-Hun was enough to make 2 small cats come out hiding with loud meows and pleas.

"Have they been here the whole time? I didn't even see them come in!"

In-Ho questioned with a comically suprised look on his face. His strong expressions didn't match the whole "stoic" vibe In-Ho gave off, but Gi-Hun found the contradiction charming.

"You never know with them. At some point you just have to accept your fate and go along with it."

Gi-Hun awnsered him, pouring the kibble into the bowl and laying it on the ground for the cats to eat.

The cats emptied the whole bowl, spilling some of it on the floor.

Seconds later they walked over to Gi-Hun, clinging on his legs and demanding attention.

In-Ho found it adorable, seeing how Gi-Hun handled he cats with so much care did something to his heart, but he wasn't sure if she should try touching them.

What if he sacred them away?

What if they hissed at him?

What if-

Interrupting his train of thought, Gi-Hun gently picks up a cat, holding it infront of In-Hos face.

"Come on, don't be sacred."

After taking a step back, In-Ho, with great hesitance, held out his hand, letting the feline sniff it.

Mlem.

The cat started licking his hand, it's tongue leaving a sharp tingling feeling on In-Hos skin.

"Awww she likes you."

Gi-Hun started cooing and the corners of In-Hos mouth fromed into a small smile.

"I like her too."

In-Ho said, petting the felines furr, slowly, as if he was touching something very fragile.

The other cat, now curious about In-Ho and with no one paying attention to it, began walking over to him.
Deliberate and slow paw steps over floor, making absolutely no sound.

In a matter of seconds she clawed at In-Hos leg, not with a lot of force, but the suprise effect was still enough to spook him.

"Waah!-"

Yeah, that high-pictched yell wasn't the manliest sound to let out. The cat In-Ho was petting, jumped out of Gi-Huns arm and the other one was still busy trying to fight his legs with small kicks and bites.

"Does it have a personal vendetta against me?..."

In-Ho sighs, looking at Gi-Hun for help, who was barely able to contain his laugh, shrugging in response.

"I don't know, I'd say it's just playing with you."

"Does playing include eating my shoes?"

A chuckle escaped Gi-Huns mouth, causing In-Ho to frown. So much for holding in his laughter.

"Come on, don't be so uptight."

He said with a warm tone, freeing In-Ho from the evil furrball and letting it leave the place through the door.

Gi-Hun cleared his throat, trying to get In-Hos attention. (He had it for the whole time anyways tbh)

"So, wanna head to the bar now? I don't really drink so I can drive."

In-Ho responded with a nod of his head, following Gi-Hun to his car back home.

Both of them got into the the car. Gi-Hun sat on the drivers seat and In-Ho took the one next to it.

He couldn't help but notice the picture of Sae-Byeok hanging on the rearview mirror. It was titled with "I love my daughter". In-Ho found it cute. The more time he spent him with, the more small details he noticed that Gi-Hun put so much care into.

10 minutes later they arrive at the nearest bar. In-Ho recognized it immediately. He used to go there often on the weekends after his wifes death. The memories alone filled his mind with shame. Countless time had he gotten drunk here. Not that No-Eul ever knew, she usually spent the weekends with her grandma and uncle. Still, being at this place made his heart ache in a bad way.

Gi-Hun seemed to have noticed something. He spoke up in a softer voice, a tone In-Ho hadn't heared from his before.

"Hey you okay? We don't have to go in there-"

"No, no it's fine. Don't worry."

In-Ho assured him. Maybe being here with Gi-Hun could change things.

Despite being unconvinced, Gi-Hun entered the bar alongside In-Ho.

The place reeked of alcohol and bad decisions, but for being here on a saturday evening, it wasn't too full. There were some quiet corners in the bar and the two men decided to inhabit on of them.

Sitting down with a strained sigh, both of them looked at each other.

"This week's been difficult."

Gi-Hun opend the conversation, expecting agreement from the other one.

With an affirming shake of his head, In-Ho awnsers.

"Oh yeah totally, I get you. Everything has been going up and down recently."

With "recently" In-Ho actually meant the day he met Gi-Hun. His mind was eating him alive whenever he thought about him, but he made sure Gi-Hun was none the wiser.

Before they could continue conversing with each other, a waiter showed up at the table, inclined to take their order.

"Hello, what may I get for the two of you?"

"Whiskey for me please. Jack Daniels."

In-Ho spoke up first, a bit too happy about ordering.

"Alright. One Whiskey and for you sir?"

The waiter directly looked at Gi-Hun.

"Just a coke is fine."

"I'll be right back. Just gimme a minute."

The waiter nodded, disappearing as quickly as they came.

"You like Whiskey?"

Gi-Hun questions.

"Yeah, I like how it leaves a gentle burning in my throat after drinking. Perfect to take the edge off things and relax."

Great, tell your crush the details about your past unhealthy coping mechanism. That'll impress him for sure.

"Ahh, but I didn't mean it in like an alcoholic way-"

In-Ho tried to akwardly save what was left to be saved (which wasn't a lot), only to be cut off by Gi-Hun lighting up a cigarrete.

"Nah it's cool I get it. I feel the same with cigarretes."

Odd thing to bond over, but if it works, why not.

"I forgot to ask- you don't mind if I smoke infront of you right?"

In-Ho quickly waves off whatever concern Gi-Hun has.

"It's fine. I don't smoke myself, but I can handle the smell and all that."

The waiter returned, carrying a tablet with one whiskey-filled glass and one coke glass. Both men took their respective drinks and thanked their waiter with a smile.

In-Ho wasted no time to take a sip, feeling the golden liquid burn through his throat.

A pleased sigh escapes him.

Their conversations take all kinds of turns. From work or more like complaining about work, to gossip about neighbours.

One refill after another makes In-Ho feel tipsy and more chatty.

"Hey- you sure you want to drink more?..."

Gi-Hun voiced his worries, which In-Ho quickly denies with his slurry speech.

"Don't worry, I can handle my liquor!"

That was a lie. In-Ho can't handle his liquor, especially not with one kidney, but Gi-Hun didn't need to know that.

"If you say so..."

Gi-Hun didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press the matter further for whatever reason. Maybe he felt like it wasn't in his right to do so.

"You know the worst time in my life was when my wife died-"

He stopped himself mid-sentence, but it was too late already.

Oh In-Ho, you blasted fool. The one thing you swore to not mention. You had exactly one job. Go out and enjoy the evening. This isn't the time for sob stories.

What did you hope to achieve?

Pity?

No.

He hates being pitied. It made him feel weak.

Everything else was a blur by now.

With a frustrated groan, he rested his forehead on the table.

"Gi-Hun... just...forget what I said...please."

In-Ho said.

Already dreading whatever response Gi-Hun may give, he look up weakly, head still resting on the table.

It wasn't pity.

Worry? Maybe.

In-Ho couldn't detect what exactly it was, but it didn't make him feel weak.

Being cared for usually made him feel inferior to whoever was caring for him.

Not with Gi-Hun though.

Seeing the worried expression on his face, it just felt okay, like In-Ho was allowed to let go for a second.

With a few gentle taps on In-Hos shoulder, Gi-Hun speaks up.

"Hey uhhh, let's go home alright? The sun's already down and I think you should sleep that off..."

Gi-Huns expression made it clear just how many more questions he had, but for now he just focused on gettin In-Ho out of here.

After politely paying the waiter and leaving a generous tip, Gi-Hun supported In-Ho by the shoulder, carrying him to the car.

He placed In-Ho on the seat next to the drivers one, making sure his seatbelt was properly connected.

Gi-Hun sat on the drivers seat, revving up the engine and driving off to In-Hos house.

He gave In-Ho a stern look. It was like a wordless promise of "We'll talk about this tomorrow".

In response, In-Ho let out inaudible noises murmuring something about a headache.

"You know, for someone so serious you can be quite annoying."

Gi-Hun spoke, more to himself rather then to In-Ho.

"It's just, I feel like there's so much to you that you're not talking about. Are you playing hard to get? Are you scared? If yes, of what? I don't get it"

In-Ho had too much alcohol in system to understand his surroundings, let alone give Gi-Hun a proper response. All he did was let out a complaint, in the form of a whine.

"I don't speak drunk gibberish, sorry."

Gi-Hun joked humorlessly.

A few minutes later, they arrived at In-Hos house . Gi-Hun got out his seat, opening the car door to In-Hos side. Before letting him out, Gi-Hun ordered him to hand over the house-keys.

Getting tired of waiting for drunk In-Ho, Gi-Hun decided to carry him bridal-style. It was just for convenience, but neither of them could deny the romantic atmosphere this gesture had.

With a little bit of struggle, Gi-Hun managed to open the door without letting In-Ho fall.

Carrying him from the living room to the bedroom, Gi-Hun placed In-Ho on his bed.

"Stay there."

In-Ho showed no defiance to Gi-Huns command, snuggling into his blanket for comfort.

Rummaging through the room, Gi-Hun finds a water bottle and painkillers, placing them on the nightstand for In-Ho to take tomorrow morning.

He was about to leave, until In-Ho weakly pulls on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Stay, don't leave me...please."

There was no power in In-Hos voice, the usual confidence reduced down to an almost sad whimper.

"Okay, but we'll talk tomorrow."

It was the only condition Gi-Hun had to fulfill In-Hos request and he agreed with a small "Mhm" sound.

"I'm cold, can you lay next to me?"

What?

"Are you sure you want-"

Gi-Hun was about to question, until In-Ho made it clear how much he needed it.

"I don't want to be alone anymore. I hate it."

That was the most emotion Gi-Hun has seen from In-Ho. He didn't understand from where or how they came, but they felt intense.

Putting aside the questions he had in his mind, Gi-Hun complied and slowly lowered himself onto the bed.

In-Ho took the chance to cling on him, which suprised Gi-Hun at first, but he secured In-Ho in his grip, as if to shield him from whatever feelings plagued him.

Being together like this, gave In-Ho more comfort than a lonely and sad blanket ever could.