What have I gotten myself into? I just invited this handsome man for coffee. Let's hope he says no; then at least I can say I did my due diligence. He stares at me for a second, deciding what to say, and then nods his head. “I know a place,” he says, starting to walk.

I hurry to shove the money back into my wallet and follow him. Not sure where to position myself; walking behind would be weird since I have a stroller, so I decide to walk beside him while I push Grace. We walk in silence, which is great since it gives me a chance to think about what I want to say. The only conversations I've had in the last month since moving here have been with my Korean teacher, a language partner, and over the phone while looking for daycare options for Grace. Needless to say, not too many.

Relieved that he seems to speak English, I run down a list of conversation topics in my head: 1. How long have you lived here? 2. Do you live in Jeju? 3. If he is from Korea, how did he learn English?... I am engrossed in my thoughts when he stops and motions towards a café, 바다 안개 Cafe. I smile and nod, pushing the stroller towards the café.

From the outside, it appears the stroller might be too large for this small café, so I park it near the door and start to get Grace out.

“Oh, sorry, I should have picked a bigger café. We can go...” I shake my head, “That's okay, this place is fine,” I say as I cradle Grace in my arms. He opens the door for us to go inside. “Iced Americano sound good?” I ask over my shoulder, but he is much closer than I anticipated, and I end up saying it into his chest, which is quite firm, he must work out. I quickly step back. “Oh my god, I'm so sorry,” I say, my face turning red as he also steps back. He smiles, seemingly holding back a laugh.

“It's okay, I was too close. Can I hold the baby while you order?”

“Yes, thank you, that would be helpful. Iced Americano, right?” I can feel myself dying of embarrassment.

“Yes, please,” he replies, gently taking Grace from my arms. He smiles and boops her nose - it's adorable. Instead of finding a table, he stands next to me. When the barista asks me to repeat my order, he speaks up for me, ordering the coffee. The barista smiles, probably assuming we're a family, and starts preparing our order. It doesn't take long for our orders to be ready. During that time, we awkwardly stand at the pickup area; I had thought he would find us a seat, but we just stand there instead.

Once the orders are ready, I try to gesture towards a table, but he walks towards the door and opens it with his hip. I follow, placing both coffees in the cup holders, then taking Grace from him to put back in the stroller. To my surprise, she is asleep - nothing is sweeter or cuter than a sleeping baby. Snug in the stroller, I hand him one of the coffees. “Thanks again for paying for our meal and helping with the order,” I say.

He smiles, and instead of taking the coffee, he places it back in the holder and maneuvers around me to start pushing the stroller. Confused, I walk beside him, completely baffled. What is happening? Does he want to go for a walk with us? “Umm, sorry, what's going on?” I ask.

“She's asleep, and it's not too cold outside. I figured we could sit on that red bench over there and face the sea. I didn't want to stay in a noisy café; it might wake her up,” he explains, gazing down at Grace.

“Umm, thank you?” I say, grabbing my coffee and starting to sip on it. The outdoors is beautiful, and the view of the sea is amazing. “So, um, what's your name?” He stops the stroller and looks at me.

“Park Min Jun, 반갑습니다 (nice to meet you).”

“제 이름은 제니입니다, 반갑습니다 (My name is Jenni, nice to meet you).” I feel a bit proud that I can use the phrase in real life after a month of practice. “I'm sorry, that's probably the extent of my Korean for now. Are you comfortable speaking in English?”

“Yes, I lived in the US for 20 years, so that's fine,” he says, resuming our walk and taking a sip of his coffee.

“You seem like a natural at pushing the stroller. Are you a dad?” I joke, trying to make small talk.

“No, but, uh, it does resemble pushing a grocery cart,” he replies, stumbling slightly over his words and seeming a tad flustered. I note that is not a father, I don’t see any rings, but that doesn’t mean much.  He could be married.

We reach the bench, and he parks the stroller, leaving us to sit down and continue the conversation, hoping it will become less awkward from here. But with this beautiful view and kind stranger, things are looking up.

“I apologize, I was just teasing. You're right though, it is akin to maneuvering a cart, albeit carrying a much more precious cargo. Her name is Grace, she's three months old and the sweetest cutest baby in the world,” I add with a wink before glancing into the stroller to ensure she is still comfortable. Thankfully, she is.

We both settle on the bench, letting our gaze drift over the sea in a moment of shared silence. Eventually, the quiet becomes too much for me. I delve into my prepared list of questions. “You mentioned living in the US? Which part?”

“I stayed in Seattle. I went to the U Dub for architecture and continued there for my master's. Afterward, I remained in the city for work. I quite enjoyed my time there but came back to care for my aging parents.”

“No way!?! I'm originally from Seattle – well, Issaquah. It really is a small world. Did your wife have any issues about moving back?” My curiosity gets the better of me.

“She, my ex, was fine with it. We were married, but it ultimately didn't work out,” he responds matter-of-factly.

I get the hint that he’d prefer not to talk about it, which is just fine. I have no desire to discuss my own POS ex. “I understand,” I reply, offering a smile and directing my gaze towards the sea. My feelings for my ex left like a puff of air during the divorce proceedings.  I lovedish that man for almost 20 years, and in a matter of three months, my feelings were gone.  Now I just feel a deep seated hate for him.

Seeking to lighten the mood, “Do you live in Jeju, or are you just visiting? I’m based in Seoul, just here for a quick visit.”

“Yes, I live here. My parents chose this place to retire. I was raised in Daegu, have you visited?” He turns towards me with the question.

“Not yet, I moved us to Seoul just a month ago. I have been busy getting settled.  I have 2 more months before I start my new position.  I am really hoping to be able to travel to a new place each month, though having a baby slightly complicates things. This is our 1^st big trip, and I must admit my initial optimism is quickly waning.”

Glancing down at Grace, he offers a warm smile. “That's understandable. How do you plan on getting around the island?”

I ponder briefly before responding, "I'm going to ask the hotel staff for advice on taxi services that are okay with car seats, or perhaps using the bus.  To be honest, I used to be very rigid, a typical INTJ personality type. Grace has somewhat mellowed me out. I might be a bit more of chaotic energy now, but in a good way.”

His eyebrows lift slightly, signaling his intrigue. "INTJ, interesting. And your blood type?"

After a brief pause, he shares, "I'm a type B, INFJ, born in the Year of the Wood Tiger, and a Gemini."

I can't help but laugh as I confess, "I'm not sure why I asked; I actually don't know what all that means.”

He joins in the laughter, admitting, "I'm equally clueless, I just know my types."

Eager to maintain the flow of conversation, I ask, "Any tips for a noob like me in Korea?"

With a playful lift of his eyebrow, he asks, "Just how much time do you have on hand?"

I pretend to contemplate before playfully responding, "Well, about the next three days..." Our laughter merges with the soothing sounds of the waves caressing the shore.

A moment later, Grace announces her awakening with a loud coo. I touch her chubby cheeks and she rewards me with her sweet smile. Standing up, I unlock the brakes to gently rock the stroller.

"Well, she's awake. I'll probably need to find a place to change her in the next hour or so," I say, scanning the area. "Do you mind if we start heading back to the main area?"

"Sure, I should be heading back myself," he responds.

Feeling a twinge of disappointment, I rise and begin to push Grace back towards the main street.

"I have a car, I could show you around tomorrow..." he offers hesitantly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck in an endearing display of seemingly be uncomfortable.

"진짜? (Really?)" The phrase, I often heard in K-dramas, brings a burst of giddiness as I use it in real life. "It's okay, we just met, and I wouldn't want to impose." Although, the prospect of spending more time with him is exciting.

"I insist. It gives me a chance to speak English, something I don't get to do often anymore," he says, his smile returning.

I ponder for a moment before proposing, "How about this? Yes, but if at any point you find it too much with Grace around, no explanations are needed. You can drop us off wherever I can find my way back. I'm serious. Babies are unpredictable and can be quite the handful. I don't want you to feel obligated. Whenever you've had enough, it's fine, even if it's only after an hour." The very idea of imposing on someone, of asking for help, is something I am very uncomfortable with, which has only intensified since I had to be more reliant on others recently.

He agrees, nodding firmly. "Deal. Can I have your Kakao ID?"

We exchange IDs, and I quickly send a hello message to ensure he received it correctly. He nods affirmatively when the message comes through.

"Okay, we can discuss the time and place for tomorrow later through text," I say, lingering hesitantly, unsure of how to wrap up this interaction. He leaves first, and I head in the opposite direction. After a few steps, I pause and glance back at him, only to find him doing the same. A flush of embarrassment warms my face, and I offer a respectful nod-bow accompanied by a smile before turning away, unable to suppress the goofy grin spreading across my face.