beg • woosan (book 2)

31

As the morning hustle of school begins, Wooyoung is on the lookout for San and Mina. They haven't spoken much since their date, and while Wooyoung assumes San is just caught up in life, he can't help but feel a tad anxious. After all, Wooyoung has been busy himself, working on a new dance routine for his students.

Glancing down at his phone, he contemplates whether to send another message. His previous texts were simple:

Wooyoung: good morning
Wooyoung: want to go to school together

Was he being too much? He rereads his messages, overanalyzing every word, until his spiraling thoughts are interrupted by a cheerful voice.

"Mr. Woo!" Mina's excited scream cuts through the air as she dashes towards him for a hug. "I missed you," she giggles.

Wooyoung can't help but smile, patting her back affectionately. "We just saw each other, silly. I can't wait to show you the new dance today."

"Yay, I'm excited!" Mina beams, and as Wooyoung looks up, he spots San watching them. Mina turns to her father. "Dad, say hi to your best friend."

"Best friend?" Wooyoung echoes, caught off guard by the label.

"Yeah, daddy lov—"

"Choi Mina, I think your friends are calling you," San interjects quickly, hoping to distract his daughter before she can finish her sentence. To his relief, Mina's attention shifts, and she scampers off to join her friends, leaving San and Wooyoung alone.

Wooyoung's playful pout surfaces. "Daddy loves what? What was she going to say?"

"Hanging out with you," San blurts out, masking the truth that Mina was on the brink of revealing.

"If that's true, how come you didn't answer your phone? I was worried," Wooyoung presses, brandishing his phone as evidence of his concern.

"Slept late, and phone is dead. Sorry," San apologizes, feeling the tension.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, if you want, I can also bring Mina to school," Wooyoung offers, the kindness in his voice unmistakable.

"Would that be too much?" San asks, unsure.

"I mean... you let Mingi do it, and Mingi and I ride together. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping—"

"You're not," San interjects, shaking his head. "I'll let you know. Thank you."

"Anytime," Wooyoung replies with a smile, and as San walks off, Wooyoung exhales a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"You totally like him," Jeonghan, Wooyoung's coworker, remarks, having caught the tail end of the conversation.

"It's nothing, Jeonghan," Wooyoung retorts, rolling his eyes at his nosy coworker.

"You didn't deny liking him, though. Do you think he's gay?" Jeonghan prods, his eyebrows dancing suggestively. "It would be so sad if he wasn't."

"He is, and shush!" Wooyoung lets slip before he can stop himself, and then hastily heads to his dance room, leaving Jeonghan with a knowing grin.

Wooyoung leaves Jeonghan, trying to shake off the annoyance that comes with having such nosy coworkers. He understands their curiosity; San is an attractive and charming guy, and it's natural for people to have a crush on him. But Wooyoung would much prefer to keep whatever is developing between him and San private, something just between the two of them.

He retreats to his studio, hoping for a moment of peace, but the tranquility is short-lived. A small voice interrupts his thoughts. "Mr. Wooyoung , can I have a sleepover too? Mina said..." The request sparks a chain reaction, and before Wooyoung knows it, a chorus of children are asking for sleepovers.