beg • woosan (book 2)

26

San's alarm blared, pulling him from the depths of sleep with an unwelcome urgency. He groaned, reluctant to leave the warmth of his bed, but the responsibility of picking up his daughter, Mina, from school beckoned. He quickly scheduled an Uber and hopped into the shower to wash away the remnants of sleep.

The house felt unusually silent today, as Winter and Jeno had gone out to see a play together. They were eager to soak in as much of New York as they could before their departure, which was scheduled for the day after Mina's show.

With the place to himself, San decided to put on some music to energize his morning routine. He found himself singing along, the melodies coaxing him fully awake. After some deliberation on his outfit, he opted for a balance between formal and casual—a sweater paired with jeans and sneakers for comfort over style.

Once ready, he brushed his teeth and stepped outside to meet his Uber. During the ride to the school, he texted Winter his itinerary for the day. He had only two hours to spend with Mina before he needed to return to work.

Arriving at the school, he spotted Mina and Wooyoung engaged in what seemed to be a playful debate. "Yes, it's weird to eat mushrooms on pizza," Wooyoung teased, to which Mina retorted with an eye roll, "I don't listen to anyone who eats fruits on theirs," her arms crossed in mock indignation.

"Hey," San called out, breaking into their conversation.

Mina turned to San and immediately tattled on Wooyoung, "He eats fruits on his pizza." Before San could feign ignorance or disapproval, Wooyoung jumped to his own defense, "Well, blame your dad for showing me."

Wooyoung was referencing a memory from their youth. At 18, they had gone on a double date with Jongho and his then-girlfriend from Wooyoung's dance class. Jongho had dared Wooyoung to try pineapple on pizza, and after San reassured him it wasn't bad at all, Wooyoung had been converted to a pineapple pizza enthusiast ever since.

"Huh?" Mina responded, puzzled by Wooyoung's sudden admission and the implied history behind it.

Wooyoung made a hasty effort to shift the focus from the past to the upcoming event. "Nothing! I'll see you tomorrow for the big show, Mina," he said, trying to divert the attention as Mina beamed and wrapped him in a hug.

"Super ready!" Mina exclaimed with enthusiasm. Wooyoung then turned to San and offered a smile. "Daddy is excited to see you perform too," San added, lifting Mina into his arms. He gave Wooyoung a knowing wink as they walked away.

Jeonghan, a singing coach and fellow teacher, approached Wooyoung with a curious look. "What was that?" he nudged, sensing something was afoot.

"Nothing," Wooyoung replied, feigning innocence.

Jeonghan wasn't entirely convinced but gave Wooyoung an 'I'm watching you' gesture with his hand before returning to join the other teachers gossiping about the students' parents. In the back of his mind, Wooyoung entertained the thought of one day being able to show off San proudly. For now, though, he decided to take things slow and work towards winning San's heart officially.

As the last of his students departed, Wooyoung found himself alone. The absence of Mingi, who would usually accompany him, was still a relatively fresh wound. Resigned to the solitude, he hailed a taxi and directed the driver to his home. He needed to rest up and add any final touches for tomorrow's spring dance show. The students had taken their costumes home, and Wooyoung hoped nothing would go awry overnight.

Back at his apartment, after walking his dog and settling down, Wooyoung called his mom to chat about the upcoming performance.

"Hey, mom. Yeah, the first spring dance show is tomorrow. The kids are looking great, and I think it's going to be a fantastic performance," Wooyoung spoke into the phone, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.

His mother, always interested in his life, asked about Mingi, a topic Wooyoung wasn't keen on discussing. He rolled his eyes, a gesture lost in the phone call, and replied, "I'm over him, let's not talk about him."

He could feel the irritation creeping into his tone. He couldn't wait until the show was done so he can stray away from Mingi, who was now on the outs with him, was a sore subject. Wooyoung was waiting for an apology from Mingi, feeling that it was owed to him, but whether or not it would come was another matter entirely. For now, he focused on the show and the positive things, like his students' performances.

Wooyoung's mother, persistent in her concern for her son's happiness, probed further about his personal life. Her question triggered thoughts of San, but Wooyoung wasn't ready to share that part of his life just yet.

"No, just working on myself," Wooyoung muttered, deflecting the conversation away from his romantic interests.

His mother, undeterred, offered a suggestion. "Should I hook you up with my friend Jieun's son? Chan? He lives in the state now."

"No, Mom, no need," Wooyoung responded with an awkward laugh, glancing down at his dog, who seemed eager to return inside. He, too, felt the pull of his bed, and fatigue was beginning to set in.

"Mom, I'm tired, I'm going to bed. Have a good day," Wooyoung bid his mother goodbye, ready to end the conversation and retreat into the comfort of his own space to rest up for the busy day ahead.

-

After 3 long nights of restarting the project his team been working on for two weeks was finally done and ready for their boss. San and his coworkers Celebrate  in break room. San makes himself tea while the others had coffee. San had too much coffee recently and wanted to take a break for something else to drink.

The aroma of herbal tea filled the small space as he brewed a cup, letting the warmth seep into his hands. He leaned against the counter, savoring the moment of quiet.

"I can't wait to head home and get ready for Mina's show," he shared with his teammates as the chat about what they are going to do next. "Then i'll sleep like a baby."

"cheers to sleeping like babies!" Hyunjae yells raising his coffee mug.

Their conversation was cut short as the door to the break room opened, and Hendery walked in. The energy shifted, the room falling into an uncomfortable silence. San wasn't in the mood to engage with Hendery, whose presence often brought tension.

Deciding it was the perfect time to leave work for the day with Eric after Jacob says that their director got their program information.

Before heading out  San  to realize he had left his tea on the table in the break room . He quickly downed the rest of the still-warm liquid, surprised by how much was left in the foam cup. Tossing it into the trash, he grabbed his belongings and made a swift exit.

Outside, Eric was waiting in the car to drive him home. As they navigated through the city streets, San's thoughts drifted to Mina's upcoming performance, a smile tugging at his lips despite the creeping fatigue. Eric glanced at San through the rearview mirror and offered some words of encouragement.

"Good luck to your daughter at the show, San," he said, his voice friendly and supportive.

Feeling the weight of the day finally catching up with him, San let out a yawn and replied with genuine gratitude, "Thanks, Eric. I appreciate the ride." He leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes for a moment, ready to rest before the evening's festivities.

San yawned deeply as he unlocked the door to his apartment, the quietness of the space welcoming him. He was grateful for the solitude; Mina was still at school, under Wooyoung's watchful eye for one last rehearsal before the big show. Winter and Jeno were there too, which meant San could carve out a rare slice of time just for himself.

"I can sleep for 30 minutes," he reasoned, feeling the full brunt of the day's exertion. The idea of a short nap seemed incredibly appealing as the weight of sleepiness settled over him.

He set an alarm on his phone, as he finds a comfortable spot on the couch, he lay down and pulled a light blanket over himself. His heavy eyelids fluttered closed, and within moments, the steady rhythm of his breathing indicated he had succumbed to a deep sleep. The quiet hum of the apartment was the only sound as San took advantage of this brief interlude of rest before the excitement of the evening.