beg • woosan (book 2)

12

unedited

San woke up with a pounding headache, the telltale sign of a hangover, and the sharp sound of Mina's voice as she tried to rouse him from his slumber. He jolted awake, startled by the insistence of the young girl. The events of the previous night were a blur—after leaving the bar with his coworkers, he had stumbled home inebriated, narrowly avoiding waking his daughter who had fallen asleep on the couch under Mingi's watchful eye.

"Daddy, we're late, wake up!" Mina nudged him again, her urgency clear in her voice. San groaned, the weight of his headache pressing down on him as he struggled to orient himself and face the responsibilities of the day.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm awake. Are you dressed?" he asked Mina, trying to shake off the grogginess.

Mina stood in her school uniform adorned with a tutu. "You know you can't wear that tutu, right?" San pointed out.

Hoping to get away with her fashion choice, Mina sighed in defeat and stomped out of the room. San chuckled at her antics, only to wince at the ensuing headache. He felt a stab of guilt for his irresponsibility, which was now causing his daughter to be late for school.

He quickly got dressed, opting for a grey hoodie and a clean pair of ripped jeans, and hurriedly styled his hair. San then ordered an Uber, and while waiting, he dashed to the bathroom to freshen up—washing his face and brushing his teeth.

After checking the Uber driver's progress on his phone with a toothbrush in his mouth, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Mina watching TV, now
thankfully tutuless. "Hey, did you brush your teeth?" he asked her.

"Yes," Mina replied, already delving into her snack, which was meant for lunch. San didn't have the heart to scold her. They were running late, and he realized there was no time for a proper breakfast. With the Uber en route, they would have to make do with what they could manage on the way to school.

Arriving at school just in time, Mina eagerly left San's side and ran toward her favorite teacher, Wooyoung. San halted in his tracks, watching their warm interaction as they shared a hug. When Wooyoung looked up and met San's eyes, he offered a faint smile.

Feeling uncomfortable under Wooyoung's gaze, San glanced at his watch, using it as an excuse to break their eye contact. Wooyoung let out a sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by Mina.

"You okay, Mr. Wooyoung?" Mina asked with concern.

"I will be," Wooyoung replied, forcing a smile as he stood up. "Wanna walk to class together?" he asked her.

Mina nodded eagerly but remembered she hadn't properly said goodbye to her dad. "I gotta say bye to my dad first," she said, turning back to San.

Mina dashed back to San, who noticed her approach and opened his arms for a loving embrace. "Daddy is sorry for being late," San said, expressing his own apology for the morning's rush.

Understanding the situation, Mina simply nodded, not holding any grudges against her father's tardiness. She reached into her bag and pulled out a gummy, offering it to San as a small gesture of forgiveness. San accepted the treat, popping it into his mouth and smiling at the sweetness of the moment and the candy.

Before she turned to leave, San looked at his daughter with affection. "I love you, have fun," he said, reinforcing his love and wishing her a good day. With a final wave and a smile, Mina trotted off to join Wooyoung, ready to take on the new day at school.

Wooyoung glances back just in time to catch San's gaze as they enter the building with the rest of the children. San sends a kiss Wooyoung's way, a gesture that surprises him, but then he sees Mina giving her dad a goodbye kiss as well. As Mina heads into the school, Wooyoung observes San departing.

After the last child is inside, Wooyoung rushes out to find San waiting for an Uber at the corner. "San, can we talk?"

"About what?" San responds, not even bothering to look at Wooyoung.

"I meant what I said last night," Wooyoung insists, gazing at San, who pays him no attention. "Please, just give me another chance."

San, with a hint of sarcasm, asks, "You remember what happened the last time I gave you a chance?" He's referring to their previous breakup without any real interest.

"You broke up with me" Wooyoung replies, trying to remind San of their past."Too be fair I wasn't in the right place of mind, i was selfish and self centered and i'm sorry if it felt one-sided but trust me i did love you."

San chuckles with a touch of mockery, "You were the one who said love isn't real."

"I've changed," Wooyoung confesses, closing the gap between them with a hopeful look, "I really do love you, I still do."

San scoffs, barely glancing at Wooyoung as he spots his ride. "Yeah, right. Convenient timing, my Uber's here."

Wooyoung's voice is laced with urgency. "How can I prove my love is real?" Just before slipping into the car, San finally meets Wooyoung's eyes, a mix of amusement and disdain in his own. "Aren't you tired from repeating that line?" he asks, almost rhetorically, before disappearing into the vehicle.

San brushes off Wooyoung's words, not buying it. He thinks if Wooyoung really loved him, he'd have shown it better by now. To San, it feels like Wooyoung is just saying sweet things to get something from him, and he's not going to fall for it again.

As planned the uber driver drives San back home. He takes a brisk shower, letting the water wash away the day's tension before he changes into his gym gear. With his mind set on a workout, he grabs his gym bag and heads out, seeking the solace of exercise to clear his thoughts.

San arrives at the gym, still feeling the weight of his earlier encounter with Wooyoung. He pushes through the gym doors to clear his head with a workout. The scent of sweat and the clang of weights fill the air, grounding him back to reality. As he walks past rows of treadmills and the rhythmic thumping of running feet, he spots Hendery.

"Hey, you're San, right?" Hendery calls out, securing his long hair into a neat ponytail. His maroon Adidas sweatpants contrast with a sleek black top, giving him an athletic, put-together look. San barely manages a nod, his mind elsewhere as he zeroes in on a nearby piece of workout equipment, signaling his disinterest in conversation. Hendery, however, seems oblivious to San's closed-off demeanor.

Approaching with a friendly caution in his tone, Hendery says, "Saw you with that private school dance teacher, Wooyoung. Be careful, yeah?" As he claps a hand on San's shoulder, San can't help but stiffen.

Brushing off the concern with a brisk, "I'm aware," San's response betrays a touch of annoyance. The office rumors about Wooyoung were loud enough without Hendery's reminder."Don't worry about me."

Hendery, sensing the tension, decides to stick around. "Why so ?" he asks, eyes following San's movements as he begins his weightlifting, offering a spot.

The gym's ambient noise fades into the background as San focuses on the weights in his hands, the strain pulling a stark confession from his lips, "He's my ex-husband." The truth hangs heavy in the air, much like the weights now bearing down on San's muscles.